NCAA Basketball: Texas, Virginia soar on top 25 ranking ahead of Thanksgiving
By Joey Loose
23. Iowa (3-0)
After a mostly successful campaign last season, save for an upset in the NCAA Tournament, the Hawkeyes are looking to push forward this year, albeit with a major piece missing. Keegan Murray was a fantastic player at Iowa and replacing him is certainly no easy task, though the play of his brother has certainly been a major factor in their early success. The Hawkeyes already look like a significant contender in the Big Ten.
After two pretty dominant wins to start the season, the Hawkeyes aced their first big test this past Wednesday, winning 83-67 on the road against Seton Hall. Playing in New Jersey as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games, the Hawkeyes got a career performance from Kris Murray, who led the way with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Filip Rebraca also had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Tony Perkins added 18 points.
The offense has been efficient and impressive through three games and this Iowa team has passed the early tests with flying colors. They jump into the rankings after that great win at Seton Hall. We don’t know what type of program either of those teams will be this year, but surviving a hostile road environment with a 16-point victory is never disappointing. Next week, the Emerald Coast Classic will provide opportunities for the Hawkeyes to keep shining and we’ll see if Kris can compare to what Keegan accomplished.