Jarrod Uthoff, he who boasts numbers that read as such- 18.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, is your favorite in the Big Ten Player of the Year race. The Iowa forward is the front-runner, with Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Indiana’s Yogi Ferrell right up there with him. Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine is a long shot, as the missed time due to injury and the Spartans pedestrian conference record hold him back.
Uthoff is the first Iowa basketball player since 1966 to be on the cover (regional) of Sports Illustrated. It marks the first time in school history that Iowa football and basketball were featured on Sports Illustrated (regional) covers in the same season.
Maybe that says something about an under the radar team finally getting the credit they deserve? Iowa basketball is ranked #4 in the AP Poll and #1 in KenPom yet they don’t really register with anybody outside the state or those who cover the sport every day for a living.
Jarrod Uthoff himself goes a bit overlooked. When you consider that he’s in prime position to win MVP of an elite Power 5 league, he really should get more publicity. He does it all- score, rebound, block shots, shoot threes.
Uthoff says that his improvement this year isn’t due to radically changing anything.
“I’ve done the same things I’ve done the previous three years, I’ve worked just as hard,” Uthoff said.
“I’ve created more of a successful environment for myself, coach has more faith in me and I have more confidence in my game.”
Jarrod Uthoff is currently leading the Big Ten in blocks, third in free throws, second in scoring, 14th in rebounding and 11th in three point field goals. It’s a very unique and special skill set, kind of like the player he looks up to- Dirk Nowitzki.
Uthoff also has a really good sidekick in Peter Jok. While Uthoff is having a Big Ten MVP like season reminiscent of Evan Turner with Ohio State in 2010, Jok is right there having a “best second banana in the league” kind of campaign like William Buford did with the Buckeyes that year.
“He’s going to keep firing and I want him to keep firing. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, you can see that,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said of Jok.
“He’s watching a guy who when he was young, he made a lot of mistakes, and he’s not doing that now. He’s more of a complete player.”
Jok is seventh in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, third in steals, fifth in three-pointers, third in three point percentage, and seventh in scoring.
Jok was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 18 after averaging 19.5 points in wins at nationally-ranked Michigan State (23 points) and at home versus Michigan (16 points). Iowa’s win at Michigan State was its first since 1993.
The Hawkeyes have been ranked as high as third in the polls this season, their highest ranking since 1987. Their seven wins are the most in the month of January for an Iowa team since the 1986-87 season. It is a team game within a team sport, but a primary reason for their success is the play of Jarrod Uthoff. You can see now why Wisconsin was so angry when he left.
Jok is a secondary reason for the Hawkeyes success; they probably have the best one-two punch in the league right now. Iowa is the only team to suffer just one league loss, and they enter a huge match-up at Indiana tomorrow night.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram