Five Best Iowa Hawkeyes Men’s Basketball Players of All-Time

Here are the top five Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball players of all time.

Mar 7, 2019; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) looks to pass over Iowa Hawkeyes forward Luke Garza (55) during the first half at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-Imagn Images / Mary Langenfeld-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball team has seen plenty of talented players come through the university, which has led to the rich history of the program.

Here are the top five Iowa Hawkeyes' players of all time.

5. Fred Brown (1969-71)

While his playing career lasted only two years with the Hawkeyes, Fred Brown easily cemented himself as one of the best scorers in Iowa Basketball history.

The former talented guard averaged 22.7 points per game over the course of his 48 games with the Hawkeyes. In his senior year, Brown quickly became one of the hottest playmakers in college basketball, as he finished with an average of 27.6 points per game. His incredible run during the 1970-71 landed him a spot on the AP All-American third team.

Brown's efforts with Iowa made him a top player in the 1971 NBA Draft, as he was selected with the No. 6 pick by the Seattle Supersonics.

4. Roy Marble (1985-89)

As the former all-time leading scorer in program history for nearly three decades, Roy Marble easily deserves a spot on this list.

Marble was one of the main catalyst to the 1989 Iowa Hawkeyes squad, which was riddled with future NBA talent. During that season, the legendary guard averaged over 20 points per game. He also helped in the Hawkeyes' title run during the 1986-87 season, as he averaged 14.9 points per game.

The highly-touted guard would eventually end up in NBA, as he was selected with the No. 23 pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

3. BJ Armstrong Jr. (1985-89)

Another star from the great teams in the 1980s, BJ Armstrong Jr. was the counterpart to Marble and the rest of the future NBA players on those squads.

Armstrong was a versatile threat on the court, as he averaged over 18 points and five assists in his four years with Iowa. To this day, he still ranks No. 7 all time in assists (518) and points (1705), proving his do-it-all mindset on offense.

Like many players on the 1989 team, Armstrong was selected No. 18 by the Chicago Bulls and got to play alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

2. Ronnie Lester (1976-80)

Lester may have one of the best resumes when it comes to all-time Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball players.

The former two-time All Big Ten guard was the staple to his squad back in the late 70s, as he averaged 16.9 points and 4.8 assists per game in his four collegiate seasons. He ranks No. 9 in all time scoring with 1765 points and No. 7 in assists with 480. Lester also was part of the team's historical Final Four run during the 1979-80 season.

He would also make it to the next level, as Lester was selected No. 10 by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1980 NBA Draft.

1. Luka Garza (2017-21)

Recency bias is simply not the case for Luka Garza.

The dominant big man easily was the best college basketball player to go through the program. After almost averaging a double-double in his junior year, Garza took his game to another level in his final season with the Hawkeyes. He capped of his incredible collegiate career as the all time leading scorer in program history (2306 points) while also averaging 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Garza racked up a ton of awards, as he was the Naismith and AP Player of The Year as a senior.