Basabe raises expectations with big performance

NORTH LIBERTY -- Melsahn Basabe raised his own expectations with his first points in Prime Time League basketball.

Basabe, an incoming freshman at Iowa, unleashed a thunderous, one-handed dunk early in his team's game. He displayed strength, power and scored virtually at will Tuesday night en route to 36 points.

Basabe impressed most of those who watched his performance, including incoming Iowa senior Jarryd Cole, who will sit out this summer following knee surgery.

"As you can see right now, Melsahn is having a great game," Cole said. "He's adjusting really well to the college game."

Basabe hit 15 of 20 shots and grabbed nine rebounds. He dominated every defender who tried to guard him and scored 18 points in each half.

"I wanted to play hard to show people I respected the Iowa fan base," Basabe said. "But I put pressure on myself. I don't want to embarrass myself."

Basabe, a native New Yorker, came to Iowa on June 6 and is trying to acclimate himself to his new surroundings. He originally signed a letter of intent with Siena but backed out when Coach Fran McCaffery was hired at Iowa.

He's still trying to find out more about the Iowa program. His only direct knowledge of Iowa basketball was about Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa following his freshman season in 2007.

"I watched an ESPN thing, and I knew that he went here," Basabe said. "I had seen Iowa football games. I had actually been kind of a fan, not a fan, but I had watched Iowa football games when I was younger. But to be honest I hadn't been keeping up with the program. They weren't recruiting me before Coach McCaffery got here and it's pretty much a surprise to me."

Basabe rooms with fellow incoming freshman Devyn Marble and Zach McCabe. He's already made an impression on Marble.

"Melsahn's a good player," Marble said. " When we first had open gym over at the Field House, he was going at this one kid, and he was a little bigger, a little stronger. (Basabe) was just going at him, just scoring at will. I realized once he gets stronger, he's going to be a dominant player in the Big Ten. He's going to be a real force this year."