[Herky] Wieskamp contemplates future while waiting out pandemic

[Larry Edwards]

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Like the rest of us, Joe Wieskamp hasn’t strayed very far from home lately. 


The former Muscatine High School star, who just completed his sophomore season with the Iowa basketball team, is doing what he can to stay in shape and develop his game, but it already has gotten a little old. 


"I’m ready for this to be over," he said. 


The 6-foot-6 swingman took a step forward in his second season with the Hawkeyes, averaging 14.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while earning third-team All-Big Ten honors and leading the Hawkeyes to a 20-11 record. 


During a 15-game stretch in the middle of the season, he averaged 18.3 points per game. He ended up leading the Hawkeyes in minutes played — by 17 minutes over national player of the year Luka Garza — and led the Big Ten in free throw shooting in league play at 87.4%. 



While working to get ready for next season and contemplating whether or not he will put his name into the NBA draft again, he sat down for an exclusive phone interview last week. 



What kinds of things are you doing during the COVID-19 pandemic? 


"I’ve been doing as much as I can. Just like in-home workouts. I’ve got a weight set in my house and I’m doing things with that. My dad is a physical therapist so he has a clinic. I’m able to go in there and do different exercises with them, with the treadmill. And then I’m just doing some ballhandling and shooting outside." 



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You’re just doing those basketball things at home? 



"Yeah, we have a hoop in the driveway." 



Do you have much contact with your teammates? 


"We’ve had different team meetings via Zoom. And then just reaching out to guys, texting or chatting or whatever." 


What sort of things have been talked about in those Zoom meetings? 


"It’s just team stuff with Coach." 



What was March 12 like when you guys learned that the Big Ten tournament and later the NCAA tournament had been canceled? 


"It was a crazy day for sure. Obviously, waking up in the morning and preparing pretty much all morning to get ready to play a game and then finding out about 30 minutes or an hour before we headed over to the arena that the game was canceled. It just stunk for everyone involved. It was unfortunate, especially for our seniors who had their last opportunity to play in it. It just kind of changed the whole day. You’re getting ready to play a game and all of a sudden it’s canceled. You just had to try to find other things to do for the day." 




What kind of emotions did you and the other players have that day? Were you angry or sad or was there a feeling of disbelief? 


"I think a little bit of everything. People were definitely upset. They wanted to play. But I think as time has gone on, people understand why we didn’t play." 


How do you feel about the season that you had? 



"I feel like I made strides in a lot of areas. There definitely were points throughout the season when I struggled a little bit, but I figured that’s only going to make me a better player and help me grow and develop, I think just from watching film throughout the season of how I was guarded this season, obviously being one of the top guys on other teams’ scouting reports. They guarded me a lot tighter this year than they did my freshman year. It’s just adapting to all of that in different ways that I can exploit the way that they’re playing me and also create opportunities for my teammates. I think I grew a lot in that aspect." 



Have you had access to video during the past month or so to look at those things? 


"Yeah, we have access to all of the film from throughout the season so I’ve been able to go back and watch different games to see where I can improve and just how I can attack this offseason better." 


Do you feel pretty good about this team for next season with Jordan Bohannon and Jack Nunge coming back? 



"I think if everyone decides to come back, I think our team could be really good. I think we could make a far run in the tournaments." 


You went through the NBA draft process last year. Is that something you’re thinking about doing again? 



"There’s definitely a lot of unknowns right now with everything going on. I’m still kind of waiting to see how things play out, whether there will be workouts or not or whether there will be a combine. It’s looking doubtful about those things with everything going on. But it’s definitely something I’m interested in and obviously that’s my goal, to play in the NBA one day. I’m just kind of waiting to see what happens." 


Do you have a timetable for making that decision? 


"There’s specific dates that the NBA and the NCAA have set so I’ll just sort of follow those dates." (Applications for early entry into the draft must be in by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on April 26.) 




Obviously your fortunes as a team next season could depend a lot on what Luka Garza decides regarding his future, right? 


"Luka’s got to do what’s best for him. If he has an opportunity to leave and that’s obviously great for him, to go make money playing basketball, which is something he loves. If he comes back, then great." 


With everything that is going on with COVID-19, have you been directly impacted in any way? 


"Luckily, I don’t know anyone personally that’s been affected. No family members, no close friends. I do know Tony Perkins, one of our incoming freshmen, a couple of people close to him have been affected. I just feel for him and reach out to his family." 
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