Dear Luka,

I hope this letter finds you well and your family in good health.

First, let me congratulate you on your wonderful 2019-20 Iowa Hawkeye basketball season.  It truly was a pleasure to watch you play.

Tomorrow is, well you know what tomorrow is.  It is probably one of the biggest announcements in your life.  You are going to announce wether you will return to the University of Iowa next basketball season or take your talents to the NBA and enter the 2020 draft.  I know this because I get the notifications...

I am sure you have made up your mind but just in case, I would like to sway your attention to some reasons why you should return to the Iowa Hawkeyes.

GET REVENGE ON THE COVID SEASON

You and your Hawkeye teammates were putting together a really nice run and were about to unleash on your B1G opponents at the tournament when, because of the Coronavirus, the tournament was canceled.

And so was the NCAA Tournament.

Your "One Shining Moment" was stolen from you and your teammates.  Go get your "One Shining Moment".

ADD TO YOUR PERSONAL HARDWARE

We've never met but you seem like someone who does not put too much stock in to personal awards.  Still, I bet it is awesome to get acknowledged for your athleticism and they are pretty cool to win, too.

I know you own these awards and acknowledgments but I'll still list them for you:

• ESPN National Player of the Year
• Sporting News National Player of the Year
• Naismith Trophy Finalist
• Bleacher Report National Player of the Year
• Seth Davis of The Athletic’s National Player of the Year
• Sporting News First-Team All-America
• CBS Sports First-Team All-America
• ESPN First-Team All-America
• NBC Sports First-Team All-America
• USA Today First-Team All-America
• Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
• USBWA District VI Player of the Year
• Wooden Award National Ballot
• Oscar Robertson Player of the Year Trophy Semifinalist
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Finalist
• Lute Olson Award Top 30
H/T Hawkeyesports.com

That list is really impressive.  Impressive enough that you are guaranteed to be drafted in the NBA Draft in October, so I don't think that I am helping my cause to keep you in Iowa City.

Time to move on-- since you are a team first guy, let's talk about the Iowa Hawkeye basketball team and how you can even more cement your legacy in Iowa basketball history.

WIN A B1G BASKETBALL SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP AND/OR BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Iowa has not outright won the B1G Season Championship since 1970!!! That season they went 14-0.  They were co-champs with Michigan State and Purdue in 1979.  Since then-- nothing.

Iowa won their first B1G Basketball Tournament Championship in 2001 at the United Center in Chicago, ILL.  The exact same place that will host the tournament in 2021.  Seems like destiny to me, Luka.

RETURN IOWA TO THE NCAA FINAL FOUR

It has been 40 years since Iowa has reached the Final Four.  FORTY LONG YEARS!!!  With your return, Iowa becomes a serious contender to make in to the Final Four in Indianapolis, IN-- the exact same spot that COVID stole your B1G Championship opportunity in 2020.  Do you know what another word for destiny is? KISMET

I'll end this letter, Luka, because I know you have to get your rest before your big day.

I know we talked about how you are a team first guy and you aren't so much into personal acknowledgements and all but hear me out on this one....

YOU COULD REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AT THE 2021 OLYMPICS IN TOKYO

There is just no way that the NBA will have players on a "Dream Team" in 2021.

• The 2020 COVID Season will end some time in October
• The 2020-21 Season will begin in December and end in late July or early August
• The 2021 Olympics are scheduled to begin July 23rd.

You have the opportunity to be the first basketball player to play in the NCAA Final Four and represent the USA at the Olympics since Christian Laettner in 1992.

DUDE how cool would that be??

Seriously though, whatever your decision will be tomorrow, you are and will always be a Hawkeye.  Thank you for choosing to take your talents to Iowa City.

Jay