NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Butler, Villanova rising for the Big East

Over the past few weeks, Iowa has played seven consecutive KenPom top-100 opponents and come out with a 5-2 record during that stretch. Even with Jordan Bohannon ruled out for the rest of the season, I am still a major believer in the Hawkeyes considering their play so far this season.

Iowa’s defense is still rather suspect but you would hard-pressed to find many teams better on the offensive end of the floor. Iowa rarely turns the ball over, attacks the offensive glass, and moves the ball exceptionally well to create looks both inside and out.

At the core of this success so far has clearly been junior big man Luka Garza. One of the early-season favorites for the National Player of the Year award, Garza has been superb en route to averaging 21.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He is the clear-cut offensive leader for this team and dominates the paint with his 6-foot-11, 245-pound frame. Garza has been arguably the most impressive breakout star in the country this season and is pushing Iowa to new heights.

Additionally, though, the Hawkeyes are thriving due to the play of their underclassmen backcourt pieces. The most notable of these are full-time starters Joe Wieskamp (12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds) and CJ Frederick (11.5 points, 2.8 assists). Furthermore, both Connor McCaffery and Joe Toussaint have been quite solid in their respective roles.

These four underclassmen make losing Bohannon a bit easier to recover from as head coach Fran McCaffery has others to turn to.