Tony Perkins Enjoying Point Guard Minutes

Iowa Junior Looking Good at the One

Iowa's Tony Perkins (11) looks for an open teammate while  Michigan State's Max Christie defends him during their game on Feb. 22, 2022 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Who would be Iowa’s next starting point guard?

That question was raised early and often over the summer after the graduation of Jordan Bohannon and Joe Toussaint’s transfer to West Virginia.

Was junior Ahron Ulis ready to make a big step? Could incoming freshman Dasonte Bowen handle the job? Turns out it was someone else.

Tony Perkins was one of Iowa’s best players down the stretch last season. Iowa won 12 of its last 15 games after Coach Fran McCaffery moved Bohannon from shooting guard to point guard, brought Toussaint off the bench and started Perkins at shooting guard.

Perkins also got minutes at the point, and his confidence grew by the game. That was clearly evident when the Hawkeyes won four games in four days to win the Big Ten Tournament Championship.

That victory made McCaffery one of just five Division I coaches to take teams to conference titles in four or more conferences. When he reflected on his team’s play down the stretch, moving Perkins to the point made sense to him.

So that’s what he did, and that’s where Perkins started in last Monday’s exhibition victory against Truman State. The junior from Indianapolis, Ind., is also expected to start there in next Monday’s 6 p.m. regular-season opener against Bethune Cookman at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“When you watch him he gets to the rim, he pushes it hard and he puts pressure on the ball,” McCaffery said. “He always gives it up. And he played both spots in high school.”

Perkins, who scored 18 points, had four assists to one turnover and added five rebounds and a team-best three steals against Truman State, said that playing both guard spots is not a difficult adjustment.

“To be honest, there’s really no difference,” said the 6-foot-4 Perkins, who averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season. “I’m just pushing the ball up the floor. As long as I’m on the floor, I’m trying to be the best player on the floor and doing what I can to help the team.”

Putting Perkins at the point also gave McCaffery a chance to start sophomore Payton Sandfort at shooting guard. Sandfort had practiced well in the weeks leading up to the exhibition game.

And with plenty of flexibility on his roster, McCaffery can give opponents a lot of different looks.

“We’ve got a lot of different ways we can go,” he said. “Dasonte (Bowen) played all point (against Truman State), but he can play off the ball as well. Josh Dix can play with the ball and without the ball, and he can play small forward.”

Bowen and Dix, both true freshmen, had solid performances in the exhibition opener.

“I don’t think they played like freshmen,” McCaffery said.

Bowen made just one of four shots from the field, but had a team-best eight assists.

“There’s going to be times when I play him off the ball because he can score,” McCaffery said. “And he can cut. He gets open. Eight assists and no turns, that’s great to see. He got jammed up a couple of times getting to the rim, but the good news is he got to the rim. He’ll learn from that.”

Dix, who has come all the way back from a broken tibia and fibula suffered in January as a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School of Council Bluffs, scored eight points including a pair of triples in 121/2 minutes of action. Back in July, before he’d been medically cleared for competition, McCaffery said he’d be surprised if Dix wouldn’t be ready for the season opener. It looks like he was right.

“His defense coming down the stretch in the second half (against Truman State) was spectacular,” McCaffery said. “He moves without the ball and he plays like a veteran. He’s really a good player.”

Bowen’s progress will be helped by the fact that he often goes head-to-head against Perkins in practice.

“He’s just a hard-nosed guy,” Bowen said. “He’s always coming at you. I think he’s probably the toughest matchup of anyone I’ll play against this year.”

Ulis, who was suspended from the exhibition game after being cited for disorderly conduct last month, will have a chance to make his mark at point guard as the season rolls on. Connor McCaffery would be another option.

“He’s the heart and soul of our team,” Murray said.

But for now, Perkins is the man.

“His confidence is at an all-time high,” Murray said. “He’s a 6-4 guard who can take you at any point. He can set up guys on the dribble drive. I’ve seen him mature in that role, and his confidence is growing.”