IOWA CITY, Iowa – Jarrod Uthoff is breathing rare air as an Iowa basketball player.

He’s doing things that only a select few have done since Iowa started having a men’s basketball team in 1902.

He’s performing at a level that every Iowa basketball player aspires to reach, but only handful ever do.

In short, the 6-foot-9 Uthoff is having one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the Iowa men’s basketball program.

There still is much work to be done. But with the regular season more than half over, Uthoff has taken his game to an elite level.

Combine that with the fact that Iowa is winning games at a historical pace and Uthoff’s performance shines even brighter.

Uthoff is probably the favorite right now to win Big Ten Player of the Year, while Iowa is ranked third in the Associated Press poll, its highest ranking since 1987. The Hawkeyes have won nine games in a row and are 7-0 in the Big Ten for the first time in 46 years and for just the second time in school history.

Uthoff has scored at least 20 points in five of the last six games and he currently leads the Big Ten in scoring and blocked shots heading into Thursday’s showdown at Maryland.

“I think this is the best carry a team elite-level performance at Iowa since Andre Woolridge,” said former Iowa all-Big Ten forward Jess Settles, who now works as a college basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network.

Settles was referring to Woolridge’s senior season in 1996-97 when the 6-foot point guard led an inexperienced Iowa squad to second place in the Big Ten and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Uthoff is having a similar impact this season, but with a more experienced team.

A testimony to Uthoff’s versatility is that he’s the only player from a Power 5 conference with at least 350 points, 115 rebounds and 55 blocks this season.

He blocks shots on the perimeter and near the basket. He blocks shots with both hands. And he’s shooting 48.3 percent from 3-point range, having made 43-of-89 treys this season.

He also is tall enough to guard power forwards and centers and quick enough to stick with guards and wing players.

And he can be unstoppable at times as a scorer, evidenced by his 30-point outburst in the first half against Iowa State in December.

“I think what he’s doing right now is truly remarkable,” Settles said. “I don’t remember too many Iowa guys who could guard five positions at the defensive end and play all five positions at the offensive end.”

Settles was a good player himself at Iowa, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 1994 as a 6-7 forward. He also made first-team all-Big Ten in 1996, but his career was derailed by a back injury.

“I didn’t have the handles that this guy has,” Settles said of Uthoff, who graduated from Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School. “He’s crossing people over and going between the legs and pulling up.”

Uthoff was a solid contributor in each of his first two seasons at Iowa. He made third-team all-Big Ten last season while playing in the shadow of senior forward Aaron White. Uthoff often deferred to White because that fits Uthoff’s humble nature and because White was the team’s senior leader, along with being a good player.

But as a fifth-year senior, Uthoff has been more assertive on the court. He isn’t afraid to take the big shot, nor is he intimidated by his surroundings.

"When you’re younger, your coach can tell you that you have the green light, but you still want to please people and you want to be a great teammate," Settles said. "But then when you get a little older, something clicks in you that last year a lot of times. It’s all about winning and playing free."

Uthoff has made huge strides physically and emotionally since being redshirted as a true freshman at Wisconsin during the 2011-12 season. Success didn’t happen overnight for Uthoff, but he stayed the course and is now being rewarded for it.

“To be 7-0 and to have a 30-point half at Iowa State, to keep them in the game at Purdue, to over the last couple of games just be really unstoppable, it’s pretty special what he’s doing,” Settles said. “You could make a strong case right now that he’s a first-team All-American.”

That’s something you don’t hear very often about an Iowa basketball player.

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Here is a list of some of the top individual seasons in the history of the Iowa men’s basketball program beginning with the most recent:

Andre Woolridge, 1996-97 – The Omaha native accomplished a lot in three seasons after transferring from Nebraska, but he saved his best for last. Woolridge averaged 20.2 points per game as a senior while leading an inexperienced Iowa team to second place in the Big Ten and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He made first-team all-Big Ten as a senior and became the first Hawkeye since Ronnie Lester to earn Associated Press all-American honors as a third-team choice.

Ronnie Lester, 1978-79 – The Windy City blur was at his best as a junior when he led Iowa to a share of the Big Ten title. He averaged 18.7 points per game that season, earning second-team All-America accolades by the Associated Press.

Fred Brown, 1970-71 – His team wasn’t very good, but Brown was incredible as a senior, averaging 27.6 points per game. The Milwaukee native made at least six different All-America teams, including third-team by the Associated Press.

John Johnson, 1969-70 – Another Milwaukee native, the 6-7 forward was the best player on arguably Iowa’s greatest team ever. He averaged 27.9 points per game for a team that finished 14-0 in the Big Ten under head coach Ralph Miller. Johnson made at least five All-America teams, including third-team by the Associated Press.

Sam Williams, 1967-68 – The Detroit native was named the Big Ten’s Most Valuable Player as a senior in 1968. He averaged 25.3 points per game for a team that tied for first place in the Big Ten.

Don Nelson, 1960-61 – He was the only player on the team as a junior who averaged in double-figures at 23.7 points per game. Iowa finished tied for second in the Big Ten at 10-4 and 18-6 overall.

Chuck Darling, 1951-52 – He averaged 25.3 points per game as a senior, earning consensus All-America honors. He and guard Murray Weir are Iowa’s only consensus All-Americans in men’s basketball. Weir earned his honor in 1948 after averaging 21.0 points per game for a team that finished second in the Big Ten.