Iowa City has arguably the best female college basketball player in Caitlyn Clark. The Hawkeyes have produced some historic players on the men’s side as well. When you think about it, there was a time when Iowa arguably had some of the best college basketball talent in the country. Iowa’s basketball may not be on the same level as Indiana or Illinois, but they have had some recent success.
The Hawkeyes have made it to the Final Four three times in their history, the last time being in 1980. The high point for Iowa was in the late 1950s when they made two consecutive Final Four appearances. This group was led by a group of players dubbed the “Fabulous Five.” What this group did for Iowa basketball is nothing short of historic. This program has been a rebounder and even in its lowest points, they have always found a way to stay in the race. The same can be said about the team in its current era under head coach Fran McCaffrey.
McCaffrey has taken Iowa to a new level, and the number of Hawkeyes who have reached the NBA in recent memory is impressive. Many of these newer Hawkeyes could easily be included in the Hawkeyes’ all-time roster. That said, let’s take a look at Iowa’s all-time starting five.
Iowa Basketball: The Hawkeyes’ best starting lineup of all time
Guard: Ronnie Lester
You always need a point guard, and there have been some very good shooters in Iowa’s history, but Ronnie Lester is Iowa’s all-time best ball handler. Lester emerged in the late 1970s and showed off his outstanding game understanding. He was exactly the leader Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson needed. Lester quickly rose to the top of the Big Ten in point guards, just behind the likes of Michigan State’s Magic Johnson. Olson went on to coach many high-level guards at Arizona, but he called Lester the best he ever coached.
Lester’s toughness and strength helped the Hawkeyes win the 1980 Big Ten title and the team’s final Final Four appearance that season. A two-time All-Big Ten player, he undoubtedly left a great legacy in Iowa. He finished his Hawkeye career with over 1,600 points and nearly 500 assists. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1980 NBA Draft before being quickly traded to Chicago. After four seasons with the Bulls, Lester joined the Los Angeles Lakers and won an NBA title in 1985 as a replacement for his ex-rival Johnson.
Lester was always a tough and strong guard, but he will always be a big “what if,” especially because of the significance of his knee injury during the 1980 Final Four run. The injury ultimately kept him from what was likely a decade-long NBA career. Lester is a Hawkeye legend and deserves that spot at point guard because of his game understanding and defensive skills.
Guard: BJ Armstrong
Iowa Athletics has long enjoyed finding talent in the Detroit, Michigan area, and guard BJ Armstrong was no different. Bloomfield Brother Rice’s own player brought his talents to Iowa in 1985, and the rest is history. The best way to describe BJ is that he was born to shoot the ball. And boy, did he. Although he never quite became an All-Big Ten level player, Armstrong was an important figure in Iowa basketball history. In 130 games in the black and gold, Armstrong scored over 1,700 points. His scoring wasn’t his only major strength, however, as Armstrong left Iowa as the school’s all-time leading assist provider. He still ranks seventh on the all-time list in that statistic.
After four great years in Iowa, Armstrong took his skills to the NBA, where he was selected 18th overall in the 1989 draft. The Bulls knew exactly what they were doing when they selected him, as he was part of a third consecutive winning streak from 1991 to 1993. That led to a great 1994 season in which Armstrong was named an NBA All-Star. He moved around a bit after that, but stayed in the NBA until 2000.
Armstrong remains an important figure in basketball, having worked as an agent for several professional players, and although his No. 10 remains in jersey rotation at Iowa, he remains the most memorable to ever wear that jersey.
Security guard: Roy Marble
A three-guard roster seems like the best fit on this hypothetical all-time team. Look no further than the legend Roy Marble. It’s hard to believe Michigan State let this guy leave the state. But Lansing’s Marble went to Iowa, and boy, was he good. He arrived in Iowa as an All-American out of Parade High School in 1985 and turned it into a stellar first season, earning him the league’s Freshman of the Year honors. Marble had four stellar seasons as a Hawkeye, and his point totals were surpassed for 32 years when he left Iowa with the career scoring record. His record stood until 2021, when a teammate on that roster broke it.
Marble, like Armstrong, was selected in the first round of the 1989 NBA Draft. Although his professional career was not as successful, Marble is arguably Iowa’s greatest talent. Marble’s legacy at Iowa was only further solidified by his son, who also wore black and gold when Roy Devyn Marble took the court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena from 2011-2014. Unfortunately, the elder Marble lost his battle with cancer in 2015.
Striker: Keegan Murray
When it comes to Iowa basketball, there’s nothing like family history. Look no further than the Murray twins of recent years. Both are currently in the NBA and making their way, but both had very interesting careers at Iowa. They’re identical twins, so many would think their games are similar, and they’d be right. Both were great college players, but for this lineup, Keegan Murray gets the nod.
Murray started four times as a freshman and played in some key games, quickly giving a taste of what to expect in his sophomore season. Murray finished the 2020-21 season on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team. His second and final season at Iowa was special. Murray not only took a big step, but he also became one of the best players in the Big Ten and the entire country. His scoring average increased significantly as he averaged nearly 24 points per game, scoring 822 points in 35 games this season.
This earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors, a consensus All-American, and the Karl Malone Award. He was instrumental in leading Iowa to the 2022 Big Ten Tournament Championship. His success and rapid development as a Hawkeye led to him being selected fourth overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Since making his debut for the Kings, Murray has quickly become one of the key players for future success in Sacramento. Although he only spent two seasons in Iowa, Keegan is certainly qualified to be in that lineup.
Center: Luka Garza
The starting center for this lineup is undeniable. Luka Garza is a natural talent. His development during his career in Iowa was magical. He came in pretty underrated and seemed awkward at times. That was over when he left Iowa City. Garza could score, get rebounds, everything.
After two years of development at Iowa, alongside other great players, Garza took over as the leader in the Big Ten. The two-time consensus All-American rose to the top ranks of college basketball in 2020 and 2021. He became an unstoppable force for the Hawkeyes in his junior and senior seasons, winning two consecutive Big Ten Player of the Year awards, among many other attributes.
There certainly weren’t many that could stop Garza from scoring points. His senior year was great, as he won both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, cementing his place as the best player in college basketball during the 2020-21 season. In his final two years, individual accolades were the name of the game for Garza. His scoring throughout his career was on par with any Iowa great, and he became the one to break a 32-year-old all-time record for Iowa’s best points when he passed Marble in February 2021.
Garza’s career in Iowa is unforgettable, and his hard work paid off in the NBA, where he was selected in the second round in 2021. After spending a season bouncing between the main roster and the G-League with the Detroit Pistons, Garza has found a home with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Garza may not have been particularly successful for the Iowa team, but he is still arguably one of the best to ever step foot in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and his number 55 will not soon be forgotten.
Below are the all-time Big Ten teams:
The best starting lineup of all time for the Illinois Fighting Illini
All-time starting lineup of the Indiana Hoosiers
