Iowa-Illinois Basketball Rivalry Could Reach New Level

Hawkeyes and Illini don't like each other, and with both teams reloading on talent, that won't change.

After Luka Garza withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and opted to return to the Iowa basketball program, CBS Sports' college basketball insider Jon Rothstein hopped on Twitter.

“The Big Ten goes through Iowa City,” he tweeted.

BREAKING:

Iowa's Luka Garza will withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft and return to school next season, he announced.

The Big Ten goes through Iowa City.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 2, 2020

Naturally, Twitter disagreed.

“The Big Ten goes through Champaign,” one wrote.

Another tweeted a video of Kofi Cockburn blocking Garza’s last-second shot attempt in the Illini’s win late in the year.

Buckle up, because it’s going to be that kind of year. This won't two teams in the middle of the pack battling for bragging rights. There's more at stake.

Iowa and Illinois, two teams who haven’t been in the Big Ten title mix in recent years, now have potential preseason top-10 labels — and rightfully so. 

Right before Garza’s decision, Illinois reloaded as Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn withdrew from the NBA Draft pool. Both are arguably two of the conference’s best players.

Last season, Dosunmu averaged 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as a sophomore. Cockburn scored 13.3 points, grabbed 8.8 rebounds (3.5 offensive), and notched 1.4 blocks per game. Together, the duo is one of the best in the country.

Garza said during his press conference Sunday that Dosunmu and Cockburn’s decision didn’t sway his thought process, but the pair returning makes 2021 even more fun.

“My mind was made up before then,” Garza said. “It was great to see those guys come back. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun matching up against that team. They’re very talented and having those two guys back is going to help them a lot. I’m very excited. The Big Ten’s going to be really good this year. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”

Iowa took down Illinois 72-65 on Feb. 2 before the Illini won the rematch in Champaign 78-76, which saw Cockburn swat away Garza’s late attempt at a game-tying shot as the clock ticked away.

In that game, Hawkeye point guard Connor McCaffery got into it with Illini guard Da’Monte Williams, which resulted in technical fouls.

Following the game, Dosunmu made it known Iowa and Illinois aren’t on a friendly basis.

“It’s just we don’t like each other, simple as that,” he said on March 8. “They want to kill us. We want to kill them. There’s no sweetie or nothing like that.”

The Hawkeyes are more than up for the challenge.

“I think it’ll be fun,” Connor McCaffery said of the upcoming matchup. “Those games are always a grind, but the rest of the league as well. The league’s going to be good all around, as everybody knows. With (Dosunmu and Cockburn) returning, we beat them last year — should have beat them twice — and we’ve got everybody back.”

It’s worth mentioning that Iowa and Illinois won’t be the only teams contending for a conference title.

Last year, 10 of the Big Ten’s 14 programs finished with 20 or more wins. It’s a league where any team can win on any given night, which adds to the fun.

“I still think for us and (Illinois), it’s definitely going to be a good rivalry,” McCaffery said. “That goes for the whole league… there are no easy games at any point. That’s what we signed up for and that’s what we’re excited for.”

For additional content, follow Adam Hensley on Twitter @A_Hens83.