Iowa forward Joe Wieskamp will test NBA Draft process

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Joe Wieskamp has decided to get feedback from the NBA after a promising freshman season as a starting forward on the Iowa men's basketball team.

"My dream has always been to play in the NBA. I want to do everything I can to turn that dream into a reality whenever that may be," Wieskamp wrote in a text message to the Des Moines Register on Thursday. "I'm excited to gain feedback and learn from this process."

Stadium's Jeff Goodman was the first to report the news, and he said in a tweet that Wieskamp is "almost certain to return to school next season."

Wieskamp is not hiring an agent.

Wieskamp, an acclaimed recruit out of Muscatine, averaged 11.1 points and 4.9 rebounds this season. His 59 3-pointers ranked second on the team, and his 42.4 shooting percentage from the arc was the best.

He helped Iowa to a 23-12 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last month.

Last season, Iowa's Tyler Cook and Isaiah Moss both went through the NBA Draft process, which allows college players with eligibility remaining to work out for pro scouts and receive detailed feedback on whether they're likely to be drafted and what specifically they need to get better at.

Cook and Moss both returned for their junior seasons and have not yet announced whether they'll go through that process again.

“Joe should take advantage of this opportunity and we fully support his decision,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said in a university news release. “This rule is a positive one for those in pursuit of their professional dreams. We have had players in the past go through the process, all of whom found it beneficial in gathering information through workouts and interviews from NBA personnel. We will assist Joe throughout the process.”

Wieskamp has until May 29 to decide whether to actually put his name into consideration for the June 20 draft or return for his sophomore season with the Hawkeyes.

Mark Emmert covers University of Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen.