NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season
By Ian Mumm
9. team. 483. . . . Hawkeyes
Hawkeye fans exhaled huge sighs of relief this offseason, with the announcement of 2019 Sporting News Player of the Year center Luka Garza’s return to the program for his senior year. The departure of forward Tyler Cook prior to last season opened the door for Garza to take a commanding share of the offensive workload and he came through in a big way for the Iowa program.
Nearly doubling his previous season’s best of 13.1 points per game, Garza poured in 23.9 per night while maintaining his efficiency from the floor (54.2%). Defenders really struggled with his expansive offensive repertoire, especially his consistency from the perimeter.
Coach McCaffrey will certainly look to lean on his star early and often going into 2020, but he is also looking to identify other pieces on his roster that can emerge and provide a solid secondary option behind him. Despite Garza’s capabilities to carry the team to victories on a nightly basis, last season proved the Hawkeyes were incredibly thin with their frontcourt depth.
Sophomore Jack Nunge suffered a knee injury last season only six games into the year and left Coach McCaffrey with only Ryan Kreiner as the only option to replace Garza for periods of rest or foul issues. Nunge received a medical hardship waiver over the summer and was fortunate to receive an extra year of eligibility.
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The freshman quartet of Patrick McCaffrey, Josh Ugundele, and twins Keegan and Kris Murray round out the frontcourt group looking to contribute next season. McCaffrey is a former top-100 recruit who missed most of the year due to health issues.
He has great shooting touch, much in the way that Garza does, but facets his game in a more modern approach for frontcourt players. He shows the ability to hit shots from the perimeter and possesses the fluidity to create his own shot off the dribble. His return to health will be a big bonus for Iowa to lean on this season.
Ogundele and the Murray twins are all productive options joining the roster this season. Both Keegan and Kris Murray averaged around 20 points per game during their post-grad year at DME Sports Academy, while Ogundele averaged 13 and 13 last summer on the EYBL circuit. If the backcourt can stay healthy again, this team has the firepower to be one of the mainstays in college basketball in 2020.