Iowa men’s basketball team up to No. 3 in AP Poll

The ranking matches the best in the 11-year tenure of head coach Fran McCaffery.

Iowa+guard+Jordan+Bohannon+passes+to+guard+Joe+Wieskamp+during+the+Iowa+men%E2%80%99s+basketball+game+against+the+Southern+University+Jaguars+at+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena+on+Friday%2C+Nov.+27%2C+2020.+Bohannon+dealt+with+hip+issues+during+previous+seasons+and+is+back+this+year+after+two+hip+surgeries.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Jaguars+103-76+in+their+first+game+against+them+since+2017.+

Jenna Galligan

Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon passes to guard Joe Wieskamp during the Iowa men’s basketball game against the Southern University Jaguars at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. Bohannon dealt with hip issues during previous seasons and is back this year after two hip surgeries. The Hawkeyes defeated the Jaguars 103-76 in their first game against them since 2017.

Robert Read, Pregame Editor


The Iowa men’s basketball team is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the Associated Press poll released Monday, a two-spot jump from the team’s preseason ranking.

The No. 3 ranking matches the highest the Hawkeyes have ever had in the 11-year tenure of head coach Fran McCaffery.

The Hawkeyes are 2-0 this season after two blowout victories. Iowa defeated North Carolina Central 97-67 to begin the season and downed Southern 103-76 on Black Friday. Iowa was ranked No. 5 in the nation to begin the season. The previously No. 3 Villanova and No. 4 Virginia lost in the first week of the season, enabling the Hawkeyes to jump up in the poll.

Iowa was ranked No. 3 for one week during the 2015-16 season. At the time, the Hawkeyes were 16-3 overall with a 7-0 mark in the Big Ten.

Four Big Ten teams are ranked in the top eight of this week’s poll. After Iowa, Wisconsin is ranked No. 4, followed by No. 5 Illinois and No. 8 Michigan State.

The Hawkeyes’ next game is Thursday against Western Illinois. Next week, Iowa takes on No. 14 North Carolina at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.