Hawkeyes Still A 3 Seed In Lunardi's Bracket
Time is running out on Luka Garza's decision, and a date for it has apparently set.
For now, the way-too-early NCAA tournament brackets are still thinking the Iowa center is coming back for the 2020-21 season.
Iowa is still a 3 seed in the bracket of ESPN's Joe Lunardi, released Wednesday.
Lunardi has the Hawkeyes playing in the Midwest Region, facing 14 seed Buffalo in the first round in Wichita, Kan. Louisville, a 6 seed, faces 11 seed San Diego State on the other side of the bracket.
Iowa has all five starters back, with eight key players returning overall, from a 20-11 team that likely would have been in the NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes never got to complete their season, with the Big Ten tournament canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic just hours before Iowa was set to play in the second round.
Garza was the Big Ten's player of the year last season and was a national player of the year selection by six outlets. He has entered his name in the NBA Draft process, but is retaining his eligibility.
Garza has until August 3 to make a decision on whether to return for his senior season. His father, Frank, said on Tuesday that Garza would be announcing his decision on August 2.
If Garza returns, he would join a lineup that includes Jordan Bohannon, CJ Fredrick, Connor McCaffery and Joe Wieskamp. Joe Toussaint, a starter for most of his freshman season in 2019-20, is also back, along with Patrick McCaffery and Jack Nunge, who sat out last season as medical redshirts.
