NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Iowa of last decade

6. Jarrod Uthoff – Iowa

Fran McCaffery just has a knack for landing these talented players from Iowa and bringing them to the Hawkeyes and it was no different with Uthoff, even if the route there was unusual. An original Wisconsin recruit, Uthoff sat out his first two seasons while eventually making his way to the Hawkeyes, fitting well into the system. This 6’9 forward from Cedar Rapids finally took the court in 2013 and didn’t leave until becoming one of the sport’s premier offensive weapons three years later.

Uthoff came off the bench as a freshman and had solid contributions, but really came into his own as a sophomore averaging 12.4 points per game. That year he had a 20-point outburst in an NCAA Tournament loss to Gonzaga, but he was back for blood the following year. As a senior, he averaged 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, leading the Hawkeyes back to the NCAA Tournament. He had a 24-point, 15-rebound, 6-block game against Minnesota and played nearly the entirety of an overtime thriller over Temple during the Big Dance.

That senior season saw Uthoff named a Second Team All-American, First Team All-Big Ten and to the conference’s All-Defense team. He led the league in total points and blocks, finishing his career among the league leaders in blocks after just three seasons. He was not drafted in 2016 but has really bounced around these last six years, playing briefly in the NBA but starring in the G-League.