The Iowa Hawkeyes are on the board! The NBA Draft board, that is. For the first time since Aaron White was taken with the 49th pick in 2015, an Iowa Hawkeye has heard his name called in the NBA Draft. Congratulations, Joe Wieskamp, selected at #41, the 11th pick of the second round, by the San Antonio Spurs!
Joe Wieskamp @spurs
— Iowa Basketball (@IowaHoops) July 30, 2021
The pride of Muscatine, Iowa, is the 54th Hawkeye drafted in the @NBA.#Hawkeyes | #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/JpUvhw1ETt
Wieskamp is the 54th Hawkeye selected in the NBA Draft and the third Hawkeye of the Fran McCaffery Era, following Aaron White in 2015 and Devyn Marble in 2014. At #41, he's the highest-drafted Hawkeye since Ricky Davis was taken with the 21st pick back in 1998.
This selection certainly validates Wieskamp's decision to forgo his remaining eligibility at Iowa and test the NBA Draft waters. Getting selected by the San Antonio Spurs feels like a promising sign as well -- for years the Spurs have been one of shrewdest talent evaluators in the NBA and adept at finding guys who fit their style of play and can be developed into productive and effective NBA players. Suffice to say, there are far worse environments that Wieskamp could have found himself drafted into.
Wieskamp ought to be able to suit up for his new team soon, too, as the NBA Summer League gets under way next week:
Wieskamp's Spurs get an early jump on Summer League play, participating in an Aug. 3-6 event in Salt Lake City with the Jazz and Memphis. Then it's on to Las Vegas, where they'll play on ESPNU on Aug. 9.
— Mike Hlas (@Hlas) July 30, 2021
Congratulations, Joe Wieskamp! A skinny kid from Muscatine is headed to the NBA -- that's a phenomenal story. Here's hoping this is only the beginning of more great things to come. We wish you the very best at the next level.
