Sept. 18, 2008
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by Brad Rudner
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Incoming guard Devan Bawinkel probably heard about the Iowa Hawkeyes numerous times throughout his childhood. After all, his parents, Dave and Mary Bawinkel, both graduated from the University of Iowa.
“They didn’t push me toward Iowa at all,” Bawinkel said. “I made my own decision.”
Bawinkel originally played at West Virginia in 2006, averaging 1.9 points in 20 games before transferring to Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill. After a season in which he was named the conference’s most valuable player, Bawinkel chose to complete his career at Iowa.
“The No. 1 thing was the coaching staff,” said Bawinkel. “They were looking at me while I was in junior college and I found it was the best fit for me.”
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound sharpshooter arrived in Iowa City in early June and began working on his strength and conditioning. Bawinkel believes it helped him make the transition back to the hardwood a little easier.
“If you want to win, you definitely have to work out every day,” said Bawinkel. “The strength program is very similar to the one I had at West Virginia.”
And while some new players are unsure of what role they will play on the team, Bawinkel has had two years to figure his job out. He doesn’t think that will change.
“I think my role will be to knock down shots, especially from behind the three-point line,” Bawinkel said. “When our guards get into the lane, I want to be there to hit the open shot on the kick-out.”
Bawinkel knows how to shoot and knows how to score. He once scored 52 points in a game as a senior at Winnebago High School. Bawinkel holds the school record for points in a career (2,185). Last year at Highland, he drilled 99 three-pointers, while shooting 44 percent from three-point range.
Like the other newcomers in head coach Todd Lickliter’s recruiting class, Bawinkel wants to help the team and win.
“I just want to win,” said Bawinkel. “As we play together, our chemistry and teamwork will improve. Everyone just has to fill their role and work as a team. If we can do that, I think we can be successful.”