12. Iowa (5-0)
Looking at recent results, you won’t find Iowa making deep tournament runs or pulling off shocking Tourney upsets. Iowa has been a team that has recruited and developed great talent and made somewhat consistent trips to the Big Dance, albeit without that breakthrough success. Fran McCaffery has been solid in that regard during his long tenure with the Hawkeyes and should have another dynamic offense this season.
Five straight wins is always a great way to kick off the season, though four of those games were double-digit home wins over mid-majors. The best win of the bunch came against Washington State in the Quad Cities about a week ago, with a solid defensive performance against those Cougars. In the early weeks of the season, the long-range shots aren’t falling in droves, but this offense has done enough to be in this position.
That effort is led by a combination of Owen Freeman and Payton Sandfort, two solid homegrown players both averaging at least 17 points per game right now. Pryce Sandfort is also putting up nice production as the Hawkeyes continue to develop offensive weapons. It’s hard to make overarching statements after just five games, but this Iowa team seems about on par with last year’s squad that finished right at .500 in the Big Ten race.