Big Ten Basketball power rankings: Michigan State, Wisconsin takes big jumps

9. Iowa (7-3, 0-2)

With Luka Garza gone, it’s understandable to see Iowa take a step back this season. You don’t and can’t replace a talent like Garza overnight, even if the Hawkeyes had a ton of returning talent, including Keegan Murray, Jordan Bohannon, and both Connor and Patrick McCaffery. Historically, Iowa has had some elite offenses, and they’ve been really solid again this season, but sometimes it’s the other side of the ball letting them down.

That offense was looking fantastic early, as the Hawkeyes scored 85 in each of their first six games, albeit all home games against inferior teams. Iowa ran their early record to 7-0 with a solid road win at Virginia, with one of the best recent offensive performances against that Cavaliers defense.

However, the Hawkeyes have since lost their last three games, falling at Purdue, losing at home to Illinois, and getting smashed by rival Iowa State. These were three quality opponents, but the offense struggled in each of those games, especially the two road games.

Sitting at fourth in offensive efficiency, this is your typical McCaffery offense, even without Garza. Unfortunately, shooting woes plagued the Hawkeyes in those recent losses, and a few of these defensive performances have been quite concerning. If they can shake off their recent loss to Iowa State, then these Hawkeyes can certainly still pull things together, as they were a few possessions away against Purdue and could have been ranked a few weeks ago. A winnable slate of games in the coming weeks presents a chance to get back on track.