Hawk Items — Non-scholarship athlete his first two years, academically, before earning a scholarship following his redshirt freshman season (spring of 2016)… only player in program history to surpass 750 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, 100 blocks, and 100 3-point field goals… third Hawkeye since 1980 to lead the team in steals three consecutive seasons (Dean Oliver, Steve Carfino)… first Hawkeye since 1980 to lead the team in steals and blocks in the same season twice (2017, 2019)… first Hawkeye since Jeff Horner in 2005-06 to lead the team in steals in back-to-back seasons (1.3 spg in 2017 and 1.0 spg in 2018)… only player to win all four games in the seven-year history of the four-team Hy-Vee Classic… reached double figures 29 times and had four double-doubles… averaged 8.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and two steals in four games representing Iowa on the 2016 USA East Coast All-Stars team… four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree… three-time Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for the Iowa men’s basketball team… averaged 7.3 points, four rebounds, and a team-best 1.75 steals on Iowa’s four-game tour in Europe in August, 2018… twice named to the NABC Honors Court and earned the team’s Academic Excellence Award twice.
2018-19 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree… recipient of the Chris Street Award… named Iowa men’s basketball’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. 2018-19 — Competed in all 35 games, including five starts… averaged 6.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 steals, and 1.25 assists… reached double figures in scoring eight times… led team in blocks 14 times and steals 10 times… led team in blocks and steals, and was third in rebounding (4.6) as a reserve… leading scorer off the bench… tied for 14th in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game… made three 3-pointers or more five times… directed the ball to Joe Wieskamp in the corner to assist Iowa’s buzzer-beating win at Rutgers… led Iowa in scoring for the first time this year netting a season-high 17 points with four 3-pointers made on Senior Day versus Rutgers at home… set a new career-high with five 3-pointers made in Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament win over Illinois… letterwinner.
2017-18 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree… NABC Honors Court… named Iowa men’s basketball’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree… earned the team’s Academic Excellence Award… Fall Dean’s List honoree. 2017-18 — Competed in 27 games, with 17 starts… ranked third on the team in rebounding (5.0), first in steals (1.0), and second in blocked shots (0.85)… missed Iowa’s first six games of the season due to a broken pinky finger on non-shooting hand… netted double figures in six games… led team in steals 11 times and blocked shots 13 times… one double-double (versus Drake)… made at least one 3-pointer in 18 games … led team in assists (5) and steals (2) in road game at Nebraska; the five assists equaled a season high… made a season-high three 3-pointers and tied a season high with 11 points at Rutgers… grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, along with seven points, four assists, and no turnovers at Maryland… stuffed the stat sheet in win over Drake with a career-high 14 rebounds and five steals, while also being credited with five assists and 11 points… started first game of the year posting season bests in rebounds (5) and blocks (2) versus Penn State… letterwinner.
2016-17 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree… Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year… NABC Honors Court… named the Iowa Athletic Department’s Male Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree… earned the team’s Best Defensive Player, Best Rebounder, and Academic Excellence awards. 2016-17 – Saw action in all 34 games, starting 10… only Division I player in 2017, and only Big Ten player over the last 25 seasons to amass 250 points, 45 steals, 45 3-pointers, and 40+ blocked shots in a season… one of only four Hawkeyes in school history to lead team in both blocks (48) and steals (43) in the same season… posted three double-doubles (Northern Iowa; Penn State; TCU)… his 43 blocks rank third in Iowa sophomore single-season history, his 48 steals and 46 3-pointers both rank fifth best in Iowa sophomore single-season annals… his 197 rebounds tie for ninth in Iowa sophomore single-season history… posted single-season bests in every statistical category: scoring (255), rebounding (197), steals (48), blocks (43), assists (59), and 3-pointers (46)… tied for fifth in the Big Ten in steals (1.4), 10th in blocked shots (1.3), and 18th in rebounding (5.8)… led team in blocks a team-best 15 times, and steals and rebounding a team-best 13 times… poured in a career-best 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in over Penn State… registered double figures in five of the last seven games… made at least one 3-pointer in 24-of-34 contests… tied a career best with four 3-pointers in three of Iowa’s last five games… matched a personal best with six blocks to go along with a team-best 11 rebounds at Nebraska… grabbed 12 rebounds at Notre Dame; the 12 boards are the most by a Hawkeye in a game in 2016-17… recorded a career-best six assists in win over Savannah State… letterwinner.
2015-16 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree… earned the team’s Newcomer of the Year Award… named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Dec. 21). 2015-16 — Competed in all 33 games… averaged 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds… scored in double figures five times; led or shared team lead in blocked shots five times… ranked second on the team in blocked shots (19)… one of eight freshmen from Power Five Conferences nationally to score 13+ points, grab 7+ rebounds, and block 6+ shots in a single game (vs. Drake)… connected on 26 3-pointers (26-of-66, .394) and averaged 14.5 minutes per game off the bench… made both 3-point field goal attempts, and had a rebound, assist, and one steal in season opening win over Gardner-Webb… grabbed two rebounds and was credited with a block in win at Marquette… blocked two shots vs. #17 Notre Dame… tallied eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, in win over #20 Wichita State… netted 14 points, bolstered by making a personal-best four 3-pointers, while also grabbing five rebounds in victory over UMKC… named Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Dec. 21) after scoring 13 points (5-10 FG, 3-5 3-pt FG), grabbing a personal-best seven rebounds, and blocking a Wells Fargo Arena record six shots in win over Drake… his six blocks against Drake were the most by a Hawkeye freshman in four years (Melsahn Basabe in 2011)… netted a personal-best 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, while also pulling down five rebounds and collecting two steals in win over Tennessee Tech… scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including 1-of-3 from beyond the arc, while also blocking two shots in win over #1 Michigan State… scored seven points while grabbing four rebounds and rejecting two shots in road win over #14 Purdue… collected three rebounds in addition to recording one blocked shot and one steal in victory over Nebraska… tallied seven points in win over Northwestern… netted eight points and posted one rebound, an assist, and a steal in home win over Penn State… scored six points and grabbed three boards in loss at Penn State… tallied two points, while grabbing two rebounds and blocking one shot against Wisconsin… went 2-of-3 from behind the arc, scoring six points in home loss to #11 Indiana… grabbed two rebounds and recorded a steal in win at Michigan… cleared five rebounds (four offensive), collected two steals, and scored all eight of his points in the final four minutes against Illinois at the Big Ten Tournament… had two points and grabbed two boards in NCAA Tournament overtime win over Temple… netted 15 points, controlled four rebounds, and collected two steals in NCAA Tournament game against Villanova… letterwinner.
2014-15 — Redshirted.
High school — Conference Player of the Year, team MVP, first team all-state and all-conference, and tabbed Quad City Metro co-Player of the Year as a senior basketball captain at Bettendorf High School… second team all-conference selection as a junior… helped lead his team to back-to-back conference championships, and second and third place finishes at state in 2013 and 2014, respectively… averaged 15.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.5 assists as a senior… averaged 9.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals as a junior… AP Scholar Award in 2014 and all-academic first team honoree in 2013-14… honor roll student… member of the National Honor Society… student body president as a senior… competed for one year on the Quad-City Elite AAU squad.
Personal — Born 3/26/96 in Iowa City… communication studies graduate; working on masters in sport and recreation management… parents are John Baer and Joy Kelly… has three sisters and a brother… brother, Michael, is a sophomore teammate… cousin, Molly Kelly, is a senior on the Iowa volleyball team… cousin, Joe Kelly, is a freshman on the Iowa wrestling team… cousin, Kristin Baer, is a senior on the Notre Dame volleyball team… high school coach was Curtis Clark… AAU coach was Logan Wynn.
Career Bests
Points: 20 vs. Penn State, 3/5/17
Rebounds: 14 vs. Drake, 12/16/17
FGM: 8 vs. Tennessee Tech, 12/22/15
FGA: 14 vs. Rutgers, 3/2/19
3-pt FG: 5 vs. Illinois, 3/14/19
3-pt FGA: 12 vs. Rutgers, 3/2/19
FTM: 6 vs. Iowa State, 12/8/16
FTA: 8 vs. Green Bay, 11/11/18
Assists: 6 vs. Savannah State, 11/13/16
Steals: 5 vs. Drake, 12/16/17
Blocks: 6, 2x, last at Nebraska, 1/5/17
Minutes: 35 vs. Indiana, 2/21/17