Team preview: Iowa

Blue Ribbon Illustrated previews the 2004-05 college basketball season, exclusively on Insider.

Updated: October 20, 2004, 5:01 PM ET
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Editor's Note: Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, long known as the Bible of college basketball, to provide a comprehensive look at all 326 Division I teams.

COACH AND PROGRAM

For the last two seasons, Steve Alford's Hawkeyes have been the Big Ten's iron men. Injuries, player departures and a handful of eligibility issues have kept Alford shorthanded, his options limited to a core group of veterans, a thin bench and not much else. That should change this year. Although the Hawkeyes lost five lettermen from last year's squad, Alford is optimistic that this year he'll finally be playing with a full deck.

"We've had to go through a lot of years being depleted," Alford said. "For the last two years, we've basically had a seven-man rotation because of our lack of depth. I think those guys did a great job being productive and remaining competitive. So, we're going to be missing those seniors, but this is the year we're finally getting some depth back into the program and we're looking forward to that."


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