HAWK CENTRAL

Iowa men's basketball team nationally ranked for first time in three years

Mark Emmert
Hawk Central

The Iowa men's basketball team will take the court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Wednesday as a nationally ranked team for the first time in three seasons.

The Hawkeyes entered the USA Today coaches' poll at No. 22 on Monday. They also were ranked 20th in The Associated Press writers poll. Iowa hadn't been ranked since the end of the 2015-16 season.

The Hawkeyes are off to a 4-0 start to the season. Iowa won the 2K Classic tournament in New York's Madison Square Garden with victories over then-No. 13 Oregon and Connecticut last week.

Nov 16, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Tyler Cook (25) and guard Connor McCaffery (30) react during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Madison Square Garden.

Oregon fell to 20th in the USA Today poll.

Iowa is the fourth-highest ranked team in the Big Ten Conference, behind Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, in the coaches' poll. The Hawkeyes have home games with Alabama State on Wednesday and Pitt on Nov. 27 before beginning conference play.

Their first two opponents are Wisconsin (at home Nov. 30) and No. 11 Michigan State (on the road Dec. 3).