Gus Johnson: Future bright for Iowa hoops, likes Melsahn Basabe

Lead BTN basketball analyst Gus Johnson thinks Iowa hoops will improve under second-year Coach Fran McCaffery, both next year and in the future.

"I think they're going to be wonderful under Coach McCaffery," Johnson said. "I think Iowa and the athletic department really found the right guy because he's going to bring players down there. What we do know is coaching is great, but it's about having the great players. I think he got off to a good start, they were competitive all the time although they were outnumbered and outgunned.

"I think they play with a style that's going to be very attractive to the high school athlete, especially when that athlete knows he can get in and play right away. So I think future is extremely, extremely bright for Iowa basketball."

I saw Johnson and McCaffery interact before a game last year at Michigan State. There's mutual respect between the two, and it's genuine.

Johnson was impressed with incoming Iowa sophomore Melsahn Basabe's development and talent level.

"He's going to be a great player," Johnson said. "He got down there and by happenstance,  instead of playing at a mid-major school, now he's playing at a major school in a major conference and excelling and showing people stuff that a lot of these guys didn't see but Coach McCaffery saw. That's why he brought him with him to Iowa.

"So I like to know these kids because they try hard. They want to do well. They dream like we all do of success, of being able to do something great. Those are the kind of stories, that's something I want to be a part of."