Two Biggest Areas Iowa Should Target in Transfer Portal

After a successful run by almost every measure for Jan Jensen and the Iowa Hawkeyes this season, which culminated in a two-seeded NCAA tournament appearance, the team suffered a brutal disappointment in the second round.

Iowa's double overtime loss to the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers is the epitome of the "madness" in March, and will send Jensen back to the drawing board. And, on today's college basketball scene, that process has hit a historically high measure of difficulty.

The transfer portal moves like an eight-lane highway essentially at all times; players jump in, peel off and make contact before many programs so much as get a chance to make a call.

For the Hawkeyes specifically, facing down the reality of losing a handful of players to both graduation and the portal, a few outstanding issues already appear obvious and in need of addressing this offseason.

Backcourt Scoring

Losing guard Taylor McCabe, among others, exasperates the requirement in Iowa that any team has in acquiring scorers in the backcourt. The one and two guard spots seem to be the richest across the board in the portal, with shifty scorers jumping to higher levels on the merits of their offense alone.

Now facing back-to-back exits after one win in the NCAA tournament, Jensen has certainly turned the heat up on herself as a direct result of what the team has managed during her head coaching tenure. Hawkeyes fans won't normalize losing to low-seeded teams prior to the second weekend.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Hannah Stuelke (45) | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

And, first and foremost, Jensen and her staff should be in pursuit of any and all fitting guards who can find ways to put the ball in the bucket.

Size at Forward

Inversely, given the looming loss of leading forward Hannah Stuelke, Iowa will be forced to replace the senior with a forward of similar size and efficiency.

This hunt may end up requiring the biggest check, as Jensen and the Hawkeyes look to cash out on a centerpiece that can (hopefully) replicate the impact that Stuelke had on both ends of the floor during her time in Iowa City.

Though with the offseason just beginning, and Iowa embarking on an early exit out of the postseason, Jensen could get a quick jump on any promising candidate at this potentially "bigger ticket" spot. Although that goes for both positions.

If anything positive can be taken from the Hawkeyes' untimely end, it's that Jensen can hit the portal with a vengeance and get straight to work in filling gaps and meeting needs before they have time to fully take hold of the roster.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!