NCAA basketball: Top 15 appointment-worthy teams to watch this season

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11. Iowa Hawkeyes

One of the great travesties of not having the 2020 NCAA Tournament was missing the opportunity to see if the Big Ten could set a record for most bids by one league to the dance. The conference’s depth was truly unparalleled thanks to a strong class of teams having peak years like Iowa.

The big key to the Hawkeyes’ success was center Luka Garza, a candidate for the Player of the Year awards that went to Obi Toppin. Garza did it all on the glass for Iowa last season, averaging 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while knocking down 54.2 percent of his field-goal attempts.

Iowa caught a break when Garza decided not to go pro after the season, opting instead to return to school for his senior year. The return of Garza, combined with other stars like C.J. Frederick and Joe Wieskamp, could have the Hawkeyes begin the year as a top-10 team.

Iowa is also slated to play two huge non-conference matchups in December against North Carolina and Gonzaga. Good showings in those games could set the Hawkeyes up for a top seed in March if they remain near the top of the Big Ten standings.