NCAA basketball rankings: Gonzaga, Villanova, Virginia headline Top 25

9. Iowa

This is all about big man Luka Garza, who was a consensus All American last season. He’s still in the NBA Draft portal, but just about everyone is projecting him to come back for his senior season, where he will be one of the best players in the country. It’s that reason, the fact he is set for a magical NCAA season, that he is considered by many to be eying a return to the NCAA.

If he does decide to go to the NBA Draft, it will be a major hit for the Hawkeyes, and they’ll plummet down this list. However, assuming the reports are right and he’s thinking about returning. Iowa is going to be a force with Garza in the middle.

Sharpshooter Jordan Bohannon should be fully healthy from multiple hip surgeries. He’s one of the best three-point shooters in the Big Ten history, and now he’s ready to finish his career off right. He will be ready for a season that could be one of the best in Iowa basketball history.

At the end of the day, Garza is the player that’s going to drive Iowa basketball. He has the kind of skill that can drive a team to a championship. It’s kind of surprising he’s not getting more buzz in a relatively weak NBA Draft class, but it sounds like a lock he’s returning. This is something all Iowans should celebrate.