Nebraska guard Brandon Richardson, top, shoots over Southern California forward Aaron Fuller as guard Alexis Moore, left, looks on during the first half of an NCAA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Bret Hartman)

Some of the players who have left Iowa’s men’s basketball program in recent years are making strong impressions so far this year.

Junior forward Aaron Fuller averages 14.5 points a game for USC. Fuller, a Mesa, Ariz., native, led the Hawkeyes in rebounding in 2009-10 before transferring. Fuller had 13 points and six rebounds in an overtime loss to Nebraska on Monday.

Senior guard Jeff Peterson has averaged nearly 20 minutes a game in Florida State’s three games. Peterson started at point guard in 2008-09 for Iowa before transferring to Arkansas. He sat out one season and played one year at Arkansas before graduating in the spring. Peterson elected to leave Arkansas and was eligible to play right away. He considered Iowa — and Iowa’s current coaching staff recruited him — before picking Florida State. Peterson has put up 5.7 points, 10 assists to only four turnovers for Florida State.

Former Iowa recruit Ben Brust scored 17 points to lead Wisconsin to a 68-41 win against Colgate. Brust, a sophomore guard, has come off the bench for both Wisconsin games but averages 25.5 minutes and a team-high 15.5 points a game. Brust originally signed a letter of intent to Iowa in 2010, but he opted out when Coach Todd Lickliter was fired.

Former Iowa recruit Cody Larson has scored two points in 11 total minutes this year for Florida. Larson, a 6-foot-9 forward, signed a letter of intent to play at Iowa but backed out, like Brust, when Lickliter was fired. Larson red-shirted last year.

Anthony Tucker, who started the early portion of two seasons at guard for Iowa, now is red-shirting at Division II Minnesota State-Moorhead. Tucker did not complete either of his two season at Iowa. He was academically ineligible midway through his freshman year, then left the team his sophomore season after he was arrested for public intoxication. Last year he played for Division II power Winona (Minn.) State. Former Iowa assistant Chad Walthall is the Dragons’ head coach.

Cully Payne is red-shirting this year at Loyola (Chicago). He left Iowa in April after sitting most of the season following hernia surgery. Former Iowa player Rodell Davis is a Loyola assistant.

Other players with local ties:

Wisconsin freshman Jarrod Uthoff, a Cedar Rapids Jefferson graduate, is wavering on whether to red-shirt this year. He told the Wisconsin State Journal he’s unsure what to do at this point. He has yet to play in the Badgers’ two games.

Former Linn-Mar prep Grant Gibbs has started three games for Creighton this year and averages 8.7 points a game. Gibbs also has a team-high 14 assists and grabs 5.7 rebounds a game. Gibbs transferred to Creighton from Gonzaga, where he started one game and played in 24 for the Zags.

Alex Novak has averaged 12 points and 10.7 rebounds a game for Minnesota State-Moorhead this year. Novak, a junior, already holds the school’s career record for blocked shots and has six more this season.