All-Time Favorite Hawkeye Players

As a loyal follower of Hawkeye basketball for about the last dozen years or so, I've developed an admiration for many Hawkeye hoops stars over the years. Many of the following players were idols of mine--they were my heroes.

Thus, it was pretty cool organizing this list of my all-time favorites. Here are my top 10.

1. Jeff Horner

Best Season: (2003-04; So.) 13.0 ppg, 4.2 apg, 5.3 rpg, 42.5 3pt%

Something about the way he fired up 25 footers seemed to endear me to him. Beyond that, he was a hustler, a great passer and an exceptional floor leader, who had much greater athleticism than people gave him credit for. He also was a born and bred Hawkeye--he committed to Iowa as a 9th-grader. I really wish Horner could have tasted greater success. He deserved it.

2. Adam Haluska

Best Season: (2006-07; Sr.) 20.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 36.3 3pt%

I can’t say enough good things about Haluska--great player, great student, great person. I was lucky enough to talk to him for class last school year. His dad summed things up pretty well: “Just knowing my son, if kids are picking him as a role model they’re making a good choice,” Steve Haluska said. Haluska is the type of person we all want our sons to grow up to be like.

3. Greg Brunner

Best Season: (2004-05; Jr.) 14.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 51.2 fg%

The third of the Big Three (Horner, Haluska, Brunner), Bru established himself as a bruising inside force throughout his Iowa career. The Charles City, Iowa, native always made me proud. He instantly impacted the program as a freshman and only got better. He set Iowa’s all-time rebounding mark with a lot of floor burns along the way.

4. Reggie Evans

Best Season: (2001-02; Sr.) 15.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 49.6 fg%

Reggie played for some disappointing Alford teams that failed to meet expectations. It wasn’t his fault though. He gave a consistent effort and was an absolute terror on the glass. He’s the best rebounder I’ve seen at Iowa. He was a lot of fun to watch. I can’t recall a juco that made a bigger difference at Iowa than Evans.

5. Luke Recker

Best Season: (2000-01; Jr.) 18.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 43.1 3pt%

A teammate of Evans, Recker couldn’t keep Iowa from failing to live up to preseason hype. However, he’s the type of player you’d take on your team any day. Recker could flat fill it up and gave Hawkeye fans lasting memories when he drained game-winning shots in back-to-back games in the Big Ten Tournament to get Iowa to the championship game.

6. Ryan Bowen

Best Season: (1997-98; Sr.) 14.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.5 spg, 60.3 fg%

Wow, I didn’t even realize how good of numbers Bowen had at Iowa until I looked it up. I just remember him hustling and diving all over the place for loose balls. He was a fan favorite and an ultra productive player at the college level. He parlayed that success into a lengthy NBA career that’s still going.

7. Dean Oliver

Best Season: (2000-01; Sr.) 14.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.8 rpg, 36.3 3pt%

Dean-O produced similar numbers to those of Horner and came from the same town--Mason City, Iowa. Oliver was there for Tom Davis’ last team, which reached the Sweet 16, and Alford’s first Big Ten Tournament champion. Oliver was a key cog all four years as a Hawkeye.

8. Ricky Davis

Best Season: (1997-98; Fr.) 15.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 46.6 fg%

Imagine how good Ricky could have been at Iowa had he stayed even a couple more seasons. He might have been an all-American. Iowa has not had a more explosive, dynamic talent since the Davenport native played one season for Tom Davis. Ricky came to Iowa City with plenty of fanfare as a highly touted recruit, and he backed it up.

9. Matt Gatens

Best Season: (2008-09; Fr.) 10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.2 apg, 40.3 3pt%
Gatens has a chance to be the next great one at Iowa. I know he’s only played one season, but he’s already one of my all-time favorites. I love the way he plays and really appreciated his commitment to Iowa basketball at a time when the program is struggling. I look forward to watching him play for three more years.

10. Andre Woolridge/Jess Settles

Woolridge’s Best Season: (1996-97; Sr.) 20.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 2.7 rpg, 45.8 fg%

Woolridge posted incredible numbers after transferring to the Hawks. I vaguely remember watching him as a young kid. I still recall being pissed when Minnesota’s Bobby Jackson earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors over Woolridge.

Settles’ Best Season: (1996-97) 11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, 43.6 fg%

It seemed like Settles was at Iowa forever. The guy was a great talent who never seemed to be able to stay completely healthy. Injuries kept him in Iowa City for six years. He went out right though, playing for Davis’ 1999 Sweet 16 team.


*Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images