Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/660850
101 M ike Gesell will go down in the record book as one of the most accomplished University of Iowa men's basketball play- ers both on and off the court. Gesell and the Hawkeyes had their season come to a close March 20 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Brooklyn, New York, but not before helping re-establish the program. e four-year starting point guard helped guide Iowa to 89 victories, three NCAA Tournaments, an NIT runner-up finish, and back-to-back third- place finishes in the Big Ten Conference. From day one, Gesell engineered one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Now that his career in a Hawkeye uniform is over, the native of South Sioux City, Nebraska, reflects on his time in Iowa City. "I've improved in so many ways compared to the player I was when I came here four years ago," said Gesell. "e coaching staff helped me grow as a person. We made strides each year; it was a lot of fun to be a part of it." Gesell joined Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner as the only three Hawkeyes to amass 1,000 points, 500 assists, and 150 steals in a career. Gesell dished out 205 assists as a senior, breaking the school single-season record by 12. He was credited with five-or-more assists 50 times during his career and recorded a school-record 10-or-more assists in five games as a senior. In the classroom, Gesell is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and one of two Hawkeyes to be named two-time Academic All-America. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Gesell has been a tremendous ambassador for the UI and its basketball program. e team success and restoring Iowa to national prominence on a consistent level is what Gesell is most proud of. "I knew there was going to be something special here," Gesell said. "I wanted to play for coach (Fran) McCaffery because he's a guy that gives you the ultimate confidence as a player, and I knew he would allow me to grow and get better every year. I've had so many memories throughout my career." Gesell was one of the first players McCaffery set his sights on during the recruiting process upon arrival in Iowa City in 2010. McCaffery can't thank Gesell and this senior class enough for what they have meant to the program. "It makes my job easy when you have senior lead- ers that set the tone and give examples of how to do it right," McCaffery said. "It's going to be an in- teresting experience for me next year when I look out there and those guys aren't there. e seniors did everything we asked them to do from day one." e Hawkeyes return seven players that saw action in 10-or-more games in 2015-16, including junior forward Dale Jones who suffered a season-ending injury in December. Gesell is excited for future Hawkeye success. "We have a lot of young guys that play the game the right way," said Gesell. "I'm going to be ex- cited to watch them next year and throughout the years."