The Breakdown: Bakari Evelyn

Iowa senior guard arrived as a grad transfer, but didn't get to complete his journey.

Bakari Evelyn wanted to play in the NCAA tournament.

The graduate transfer guard came to Iowa from Valparaiso because it was a chance to play in a high-major program in his final season.

He was on track to make it to the postseason before the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments were canceled over concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Evelyn was more than just insurance for the uncertainty of Jordan Bohannon's return after offseason hip surgery. At 6-foot-2, Evelyn could play and defend multiple positions.

Evelyn struggled early as he tried to find a role in Iowa's rotation. He scored just 16 points in Iowa's first 11 games.

But his breakout game came against Cincinnati in a neutral-court game in Chicago on Dec. 21. Evelyn played 29 minutes and scored 15 points in the Hawkeyes' 77-70 win at the United Center. It was the first game after Bohannon announced he would miss the rest of the season with another hip surgery, and it came on a night when freshman guard Joe Toussaint struggled in his first college start.

Evelyn, who got significant late-game minutes, especially late in the season, was at his best in the closing games, when he scored 58 points in Iowa's final six games, including a 15-point game in an 85-76 home win over Ohio State.

"Even early in the year when we were moving him around and it probably wasn't the thing that he was excited about, he just accepted it and did whatever we asked him to do to help us win," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said late in the season. "That's who he is. And little by little, he's had some great games for us. I mean, just tremendous. And games where he hasn't scored as much, he's been rock solid as a point guard or as a defender. He has the ability to play through a mistake, which veteran guys typically do. But he's been a great fit in that locker room, and that's obviously really critical."

Best game — The game against Cincinnati solidified his role in Iowa's rotation for the rest of the season.

Clutch moment — Evelyn hit two free throws with 1:15 left to give Iowa its final lead in a 58-55 win at Minnesota.

Notes — Evelyn had eight games of 25 or more minutes. ... In two games in the Chicago area, Evelyn scored 23 points — he had eight points in a win over Northwestern in January. He tied a career high with seven assists against the Wildcats.