Bawinkel Thriving After Early Hurdles

By Ryan Wood, iHoops.com

You transferred from West Virginia after a coaching change. How hard was that?
It was really tough. Bob Huggins came in that spring and coach Beilein had left to go to Michigan. My freshman year was difficult. I had a broken hand so I was out half the season, and then my coach left. Huggins came in and I was with him the entire spring and the entire summer. I met with him late in the summer and he basically told me 'Hey, if you want to play, you're not fitting in to what we're doing here, so you're better off going somewhere else.' It was at the end of the summer session, so most rosters have been filled.

So I said, 'All right, what can I do now to get to where I want to be?' and I figured the best thing for me to do was go to a junior college close to home for one year. That way, I wouldn't have to sit out a year and then I can go to a school I really want to go to.

Looking back, how did it work out for you?
I couldn't be more happy with the way it turned out. I developed close relationships at West Virginia and I loved it there and had no intentions on leaving, but that's just how some things worked out. But now that I got to go to Iowa and play in the Big Ten, I was super happy to be a Hawkeye and be back on the Division I level playing big-time basketball.

What was the AAU experience like for you?
It's stressful because it's a time where you're trying to pick where you're going to go to school and it's all about your future. So you think 'Man, I better play good for this coach, that's the school I want to go to so I better play good.' You go to tournaments every weekend and all eyes are on you. It's a stressful time, but it's fun. You play with normally the best guys from your state and you go up against better guys from the surrounding states. That's always fun but it's tough when you have all eyes on you.

The First Team conference comes at the end of the AAU season. How nice of a change is that?
It's a relief. They cater to you. They know how you feel, they know what's on your mind. They're trying to guide you through the journey to get to college.

How important are the friendships you made at First Team?
It's very important because since you're a First Teamer, you've got that bond. You see these guys for four years straight and you get to relax and have free time and spend time with them. You develop these relationships and it makes it more exciting. A lot of times we'll be competing against each other, but you've got that bond and it's pretty cool.

What's it like playing against fellow First Teamers in college now?
You see them before the game you say what's up and you're cool with them, but once you're on the court you definitely want to beat them. It makes things a lot more competitive. After the game you're close friends and basically are on their side again.

What was a moment from the First Team experience that stands out?
My number one is when (former Georgetown coach) John Thompson came and spoke. He's won a national championship. You see him walk in and talk to the players...just seeing him there and knowing what kind of coach he was, you think 'Okay, this is pretty serious. They brought in one of the most famous college coaches of all time.' That moment stands out for me. I'll never forget that.