Iowa football is off to a great start in the 2025 class.
The Hawkeyes hold five commitments in the class, with three on the offensive side of the ball and two on defense.
With the dead period being lifted in the near future, it’s time to put full focus into the 2025 class.
Here are a few things to note with this big board.
Note No. 1: We do not list every offered prospect as we try to focus on prospects who have reciprocated interest with visits or targets who seem realistic. We will continually add more targets as the process continues.
Note No. 2: It is early in the recruiting cycle, so there may be few listed targets at certain positions at the moment, but Iowa undoubtedly will make many more offers during the spring and summer.
With that said, let’s dive into where the board stands for Iowa in the 2025 class.
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Three Keys and a Pick: Can Iowa knock off No. 12 Illinois in Champaign?
Iowa basketball is playing its best basketball of the season at an important time.
Sean Bock
SEAN BOCK
Feb 23rd, 3:38 PM
VIP
37
Iowa basketball is playing its best basketball of the season at an important time.
The Hawkeyes have won two straight games, both of which are currently Quadrant I victories over Wisconsin in Iowa City and Michigan State in East Lansing.
Iowa will return to the court on Saturday, Feb. 24 as the Hawkeyes will take on No. 12 Illinois in Champaign.
The Illini have been one of the best teams in the Big Ten this season, but are coming off a road loss at Penn State where they had a 14-point lead in the second half, including a seven-point lead with 40 seconds remaining.
Illinois is 19-7 overall and 10-5 in Big Ten play while the Hawkeyes are 16-11 and 8-8 in conference play.
Iowa is looking for its first win at the State Farm Center since 2018 and its second ranked victory in seven days.
Let’s dive into the matchup.
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Saturday’s college basketball slate has an all-too-familiar theme: desperation. Bubble teams are desperately trying to add a signature victory to their resume, or avoid another pitfall loss. A few too many good teams got embarrassed earlier this week and are desperate to remove that bad taste from their mouths with March lurking right around the corner.
It’s an important time for everybody.
You know the drill. Some quick-hitting thoughts on some of the top matchups.
Utah at Colorado (9 PM ET, Pac-12 Network): Two more talented bubble teams who are trying to stay in the thick of it. There’s probably only room for one of these teams in the Big Dance. Colorado’s defense remains awesome at home and terrible (12 points per 100 possessions worse) on the road, and it needs to be up to snuff against a Utah club that can get hot in a hurry. Utah’s schedule is set up for a favorable finish, but it needs this one badly.
Butler at Seton Hall (8:30 PM ET, FS2): It isn’t a play-in game, but it feels like it. Both teams desperately need a win to build the resume. Butler has lost three straight, and it’s defense is a huge culprit. Butler is the worst Big East defense not named DePaul and Georgetown, and Seton Hall’s entire offense is built around getting to the rim where Butler has just been gashed repeatedly. It’s now or never for Thad Matta’s group to plug the holes.
Villanova at No. 1 UConn (8 PM ET, FOX): Pray for Villanova. Dan Hurley and UConn could legitimately win by 100 after the rough road loss to Creighton. BUT *whispers* the talent gap ain’t that wide between these two rosters, and Villanova has shown some signs of life lately.
Texas A&M at No. 5 Tennessee (8 PM ET, ESPN): Texas A&M can do its resume a world of service if it can go beat Tennessee. That’s easier said than done, but as South Carolina proved, it’s not impossible. This will be World War III on the glass, but the Aggies don’t have a chance unless Wade Taylor IV is the best guard on the floor by a mile. Texas A&M continues to allow way too many teams to get comfortable from 3-point range, and Tennessee is shooting 37% at home from downtown in conference play.
RELATED: Transfer portal primer 2024; The needs of every top college basketball program
Let’s dive into the top matchups to watch in seven of the biggest games of the day.
NO. 2 HOUSTON AT NO. 11 BAYLOR (12 PM ET, CBS)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Houston just got worked on the glass…
Elite offensive rebounding teams have given Baylor problems at times this year. Auburn and Florida showed cracks in Baylor’s armor in non-conference play, and both Iowa State and BYU ripped Baylor for second-chance opportunities.
And now Houston comes to town. It’s the fifth-best offensive-rebounding team in the country, and it should be highly motivated to make its presence felt on the glass after Iowa State out-rebounded the Cougars 39-30. Houston had just a 23.5% offensive rebound rate against Cyclones which was its lowest mark of the season.
Baylor has to be ready for the brawl that’s on the way.
Best head-to-head matchup: RayJ Dennis vs. Jamal Shead
Shead is positioned to win Big 12 Player of the Year, and he’s an elite all-around defender. Dennis is not Baylor’s best NBA prospect, but he’s the most important player on the team. When he plays well, Baylor plays well. It’s no coincidence that Dennis has scored less than seven points in four of Baylor’s five conference losses. Baylor is 8-1 in Big 12 play when Dennis cracks double figures. Can Shead cut the head off the snake?
IOWA AT NO. 12 ILLINOIS (2:15 PM ET, BTN)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Can anybody get a stop?
Iowa’s defense allows the most shots at the rim of any Big Ten team. Illinois gets to the rim a ton and converts at a sky-high clip. That’s a problem for the Hawkeyes.
Illinois’ defense has gone AWOL lately, allowing over 1.14 points per possession in three of the last four games. That’s a problem ahead into a matchup against a good Iowa offense that just shredded Maryland and Michigan State (two of the top-3 defenses during league play) for over 1.19 points per possession apiece.
So, what gives? Is it first to 100?
Best head-to-head matchup: Tony Perkins vs. Terrence Shannon Jr.
Illinois’ defense wants to fight over the top of screens and take away 3s. That’s not a problem for Tony Perkins. The Iowa lead guard usually shoots a couple 3-pointers per game, but he’s most deadly getting to the rim and settling into his pull-up jumper. Perkins is shooting over 60% at the rim and 43% on 86 midrange jumpers, per Synergy. Illinois’ defense used to be really good around the rim, but that’s fallen off a cliff in league play. Opponents are shooting nearly 63% at the rim against the Illini. Perkins is a dangerous matchup for Illinois because he’s good at the shots Illinois wants to give up. Perkins feasts on tough 2s.
But Shannon has proven to be a big-time defender during spurts. He gave Jahmir Young major problems in the Illini’s 85-80 road victory, holding the Maryland star to just 2-for-9 shooting. Shannon is fast enough and long enough to get over those ball-screens, but still recover to block those pull-up jumpers. He did it to Young repeatedly. He’ll try to do the same thing against Perkins.
Illinois’ guards have been more than willing to switch simple actions. Getting Perkins cross-matched onto Marcus Domask, Luke Goode, Justin Harmon or anyone not named Terrence Shannon Jr. will be a huge key for Iowa.
Jahmir Young when Terrence Shannon Jr. was the closest defender: four points, 2-for-9 from the field, zero free throws
Young vs. any other Illinois defender: 24 points, 6-for-14 shooting, 11 free throws
Here’s the tape of every Young attempt against Shannon pic.twitter.com/PFvC7A74iG
— Isaac Trotter (@Isaac__Trotter) February 18, 2024
NO. 20 SOUTH CAROLINA AT OLE MISS (3:30 PM ET, SEC NETWORK)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Can South Carolina get to the rim?
The lack of consistent rim pressure was a reason behind South Carolina’s offensive collapse against LSU. Just 19 of South Carolina’s 62 shots came at the rim. That can’t happen against an Ole Miss defense that’s more vulnerable than you think on the back end. Ole Miss’ defense allows the most shot attempts at the rim of any SEC team. That’s music to Collin Murray-Boyles’ ears, but it needs to be a red-alert sign for Meechie Johnson. The South Carolina lead guard is shooting just 41% at the rim during SEC play, but that downhill, contact-hunting version of Johnson is when South Carolina reaches the peak of its powers. He can’t bail out Ole Miss’ defense by settling for jumpers if South Carolina wants to get a much-needed road win.
Best head-to-head matchup: Elite transition offense vs. elite transition defense.
Ole Miss ranks just outside the top-50 nationally, averaging 16.7 points per game in transition. It’s scored in double figures in transition in all but two games this season. Only 115 players have eclipsed 100 transition points this season among all Division I hoopers, and Ole Miss has two of ‘em in Allen Flanigan and Matthew Murrell.
Flanigan is a heat-seeking missile in transition who wants to get to the cup. He’s shot a free throw on 28% of his 95 transition opportunities. Stupid-good stuff. Murrell is running and gunning. The 6-foot-4 sniper has drilled 14 transition treys this season, and he can get to the rim and finish above anybody.
South Carolina has to keep that pair contained in transition. The Gamecocks’ transition defense is elite, allowing just 8.9 points per game. But this is a big-time test.
TEXAS AT NO. 9 KANSAS (6 PM ET, ESPN)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Can Texas force any KU turnovers?
Remember all of the discourse around Kansas’ turnovers? It’s started to go away. KU’s offense has quietly solved some of those problems thanks to the extra spacing Johnny Furphy has provided, improved decision-making from Dajuan Harris and fewer Elmarko Jackson minutes. KU owns just a 16.1% turnover rate during conference play. That’s the third-best mark in the league, but it will be tested by a Texas defense that isn’t very good when it doesn’t force turnovers. Inserting Chendall Weaver into the lineup has given Texas a vicious on-ball defender who plays with high energy and is always looking to get out in the passing lanes. Dylan Disu and Dillon Mitchell can rack up deflections, and Kadin Shedrick is an outstanding all-around defender when he doesn’t foul. Texas ripped Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament last year in large part due to the 15 turnovers it was able to force. It might need to get 15 to beat KU at Allen Fieldhouse.
Best head-to-head matchup: Dylan Disu vs. Bill Self
Kansas will have something up its sleeve to try and slow down the red-hot Disu. Selective switches against Texas is certainly on the table, but Disu would certainly start smelling BBQ chicken if he got matched up with Johnny Furphy at all.
But what if KU chooses not to switch much and cross-matches Dickinson onto Weaver?
Weaver’s emergence has helped Texas’ defense considerably, but he is a finicky shooter who has made just one 3-pointer in Big 12 play. Maybe that allows Dickinson to clog some space in the paint so that KJ Adams Jr. can get up into Disu on the perimeter and heat him up. If Furphy can handle the bursty Dillon Mitchell, it’d allow Harris and Kevin McCullar to go to town against Max Abmas and Tyrese Hunter because they know they have backside help with Dickinson camped in the lane. When Weaver checks out, Dickinson can do some of the same things against Brock Cunningham or get back to banging in the post with Shedrick (a traditional-ish center).
That chess match between an alpha, three-level scorer like Disu and an elite strategist like Self will be the goods.
NO. 8 DUKE AT WAKE FOREST (2 PM ET, ESPN)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Just how good is Home Wake Forest?
Wake Forest has jarring home-road splits because it’s one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country at home and one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the country on the road. Wake Forest shoots 42% from downtown at home compared to just 29.9% on the road. It makes both no sense and all the sense in the world. Wake Forest shot just 6-for-26 from downtown against Duke in the first matchup on the road. Don’t be surprised if Wake Forest’s dangerous marksmen find their range in a hurry.
Best head-to-head matchup: Hunter Sallis vs. Tyrese Proctor
Tyrese Proctor has taken the mantle as Duke’s lead guard stopper, but Hunter Sallis is on a completely different level. Proctor couldn’t slow down Sallis in the first matchup too much. Sallis finished with 22 points on 10-for-20 shooting from the field. Sallis scored seven points on 3-for-4 shooting when Proctor was the closest defender, but Duke’s switching forced Sallis to go to work against almost everybody. He got a turn against Kyle Filipowski, Jared McCain, Jeremy Roach, Mark Mitchell and Proctor. Duke didn’t do a good enough job keeping Sallis from getting to his spots in the middle of the floor. That has to change in Round II or Duke could be in trouble.
NO. 13 ALABAMA AT NO. 17 KENTUCKY (4 PM ET, CBS)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Is Alabama’s luck about to run out?
Opponents are shooting just 32% on unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers against Alabama. That seems … off. During SEC play, Alabama’s defense is holding teams to just 30.3% from 3-point range. That, too, seems … off.
The eye test hints that Alabama has been a bit lucky and has had some fortunate shooting variance because good guards have been able to get Alabama’s defense into rotation far too easily.
Florida generated 12 unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers against Alabama – nearly double what Nate Oats’ crew usually gives up per game – and Kentucky’s guards might have even more juice than UF’s stable of bucket-getters.
Snipers like Antonio Reeves, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard could be on the verge of an explosion.
Best head-to-head matchup: Mark Sears vs. DJ Wagner
Wagner is the best bet to get the Sears assignment. The Alabama star guard has been cooking just about everybody. He’s a flat-out killer who can score from every single level. But he’s at his best when he can get to the charity stripe. Sears seeks out contact in transition, and he’s shot more than five free throws in 16 of 26 games. Can Wagner stay in front without fouling? Fatigue will be a thing to monitor, too. Sears, likely, has to play the lion’s share of the minutes with Latrell Wrightsell Jr. sidelined. Kentucky can rotate its guards a bit more. Wagner will have more time to rest, so when he’s out there, he has to be pestering Sears non-stop and use that extra time to his advantage.
NO. 10 UNC AT VIRGINIA (4 PM ET, ESPN)
(Photo: Getty)
Don’t overlook: Can Virginia splash five 3-pointers?
Virginia is 15-1 this season when it makes five or more treys in a game. It needs all of it and then some to keep pace with a UNC offense that blowtorched both Syracuse and Virginia Tech for well over 1.2 points per possession. UNC’s defense has, unsurprisingly, been gashed from downtown at times lately. Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson and Syracuse all got free for eight or more 3-pointers against UNC. If Virginia gets to that threshold, it’s in great shape to hold serve at home.
Best head-to-head matchup: RJ Davis vs. Reece Beekman
This one isn’t complicated. Davis is the leader in the clubhouse for ACC Player of the Year, and Beekman is the best perimeter defender in the ACC (and maybe the country). This is a high-level matchup between two guards who know each other very, very well. Surprisingly, Davis has had his way with Virginia in the past. The All-ACC guard dropped 56 combined points in three matchups against Beekman and UVA last season.
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