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Big Ten Basketball: 5 biggest storylines for the league in 2020 offseason

By Collin Helwig

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 03: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during pregame introductions before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 03: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during pregame introductions before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 3, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 07: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD – JANUARY 07: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Will Luka Garza return for his senior year at Iowa?

Last year junior big man Luka Garza exploded for the Hawkeyes, capturing the Big Ten’s scoring title while later earning a spot as a finalist for the Wooden Award. But with such an incredible season now behind him, Garza must look the unavoidable and seemingly ancient question that hovers above each talented player during their sophomore or junior seasons squarely in the eye. Multiple NBA teams already seem very intrigued by Garza and what he can bring the table, but will when it comes to moving onto the NBA, will he or won’t he?

If Garza chose to return to Iowa and put off the NBA Draft for another year, the ripple effect passing through Iowa’s basketball program and then the Big Ten as a whole shortly after comes as one truly electrifying, as retaining Garza’s services for another year potentially sets up Iowa as not just Big Ten championship favorites, but also solid Final Four candidates.

Fellow scores from last year CJ Fredrick and Joe Wieskamp both already announced their plans to return next year, and with the NCAA recently granting a medical redshirt season for additional scorer Jordan Bohannon, they have a chance to bring back their most prolific scores as well and for Iowa to become not just a top conference team, but a top NCAA team entirely.

On the other hand, if Garza enters the NBA Draft, a wider opportunity consequently opens for other teams to win the Big Ten such as Wisconsin, who to their own credit seems likely to bring back an impressive seven players from last year themselves. Although Iowa’s confirmed returning pieces seem certain to keep the Hawkeyes competitive no matter what, for them to move forward without Garza and his team-leading 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game from last year leaves them far more vulnerable than they might wish.

Beyond that, Garza’s ability to stretch the floor as a big man who also possesses a jump shot might force head coach Fran McCaffery to switch up the team’s offensive game plan as well, forcing the team to go through some potential growing pains, formulating as yet another hurdle for Iowa to surpass while already battling within what will likely be another solid year for the Big Ten.

Iowa may still get by without Garza next year, but if he returns fans can begin looking forward to a potentially historic season for the Hawkeyes, which certainly makes this a storyline worth following.

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