Indiana returns to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday afternoon looking to stop the bleeding after back-to-back losses. The Hoosiers host an Iowa team that’s also reeling, having dropped three straight of its own.
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on FOX in what shapes up to be a pivotal Big Ten matchup between two squads trying to right the ship.
Indiana Searching for Answers After East Lansing Letdown
Tuesday night’s 81-60 loss at Michigan State wasn’t just a setback-it was Indiana’s first blowout defeat of the season. The Hoosiers battled back to tie the game at 53 midway through the second half, but what followed was a collapse. Over the final 11-plus minutes, Indiana managed just seven points while the Spartans ran away with it.
That kind of offensive drought has become an all-too-familiar storyline for Indiana, and it’s one they’ll need to fix quickly. Iowa’s not an elite defensive team, but the Hawkeyes are active, aggressive, and they force turnovers at one of the highest rates in the country. If Indiana doesn’t value possessions, Saturday could get out of hand fast.
Iowa’s Identity Under Ben McCollum
The Hawkeyes are led by first-year head coach Ben McCollum, who’s in just his second season at the Division I level after a wildly successful 15-year run at Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State. He made the leap to Drake last season, guiding the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record and an NCAA tournament win before falling in the second round. Now, he’s brought his up-tempo, precision-based offense to Iowa City-along with a solid chunk of his former Drake roster.
Six of McCollum’s former Drake players followed him to Iowa, and five are rotation regulars. That continuity has helped the Hawkeyes transition quickly, even if the results have dipped lately.
The Engine: Bennett Stirtz
It all starts with Bennett Stirtz, a name Big Ten fans should get used to hearing. The 6-foot-4 senior guard has followed McCollum from Northwest Missouri State to Drake and now to Iowa, and he’s been nothing short of a revelation at every stop.
Stirtz is Iowa’s leading scorer (17.7 PPG), top distributor (5.0 APG), and defensive tone-setter (1.5 SPG). He’s efficient across the board-shooting 48.1% from the field, 37.9% from deep, and over 81% at the line.
Stirtz isn’t just a stat-sheet stuffer-he’s the heartbeat of Iowa’s offense. He controls tempo, thrives in the mid-range, and rarely forces the issue. If Indiana can’t disrupt his rhythm, he’s capable of picking apart even the most disciplined defenses.
Supporting Cast Making an Impact
Alongside Stirtz in the backcourt is Kael Combs, a 6-foot-4 junior who’s typically a low-usage player but is coming off a breakout performance. In Iowa’s loss at Purdue on Wednesday, Combs knocked down four of five from beyond the arc and finished with a career-high 16 points in 38 minutes. It was the first time all season he’d made more than one three-pointer in a game-a wrinkle Indiana will now have to account for.
At the forward spots, Iowa starts redshirt freshman Cooper Koch and veteran wing Tavion Banks. Koch, a former top-100 recruit, is a lethal stretch-four shooting 41.1% from deep and nearly 63% inside the arc. He’s scored in double figures five times and brings floor-spacing that opens up driving lanes for Stirtz and Combs.
Banks, meanwhile, is Iowa’s second-leading scorer (9.6 PPG) and a key presence on the offensive glass. He’s efficient (55.2% on twos, 52.9% on threes) and active, ranking among the Big Ten’s best in offensive rebounding percentage during league play. His ability to create second-chance opportunities could be a problem for Indiana if it fails to box out.
Down low, Cam Manyawu holds it down at the five. At 6-foot-9, he’s not the biggest center in the Big Ten, but he plays with relentless energy.
He ranks third in offensive rebounding percentage during conference play and is converting 63% of his shots inside the arc. He’s also a capable rim protector with 14 blocks in 17 games.
Bench Depth Adds Versatility
Iowa’s bench brings a mix of size, shooting, and scoring punch. Freshman forward Tate Sage has flashed potential with a pair of double-digit scoring games, including 13 points against Illinois and 12 versus Maryland. He’s efficient inside (59.5% on twos) and willing to shoot the three (12-for-33).
Alvaro Folgueiras, a 6-foot-10 stretch big from Spain, adds a different dimension. He’s third on the team in scoring (8.7 PPG), has hit 22 threes on 53 attempts, and is converting nearly 70% of his two-point looks. His ability to pull opposing bigs away from the paint could open up driving lanes for Iowa’s guards.
Sophomore guard Isaia Howard rounds out the rotation. He struggled at Purdue with a scoreless outing and two turnovers in limited minutes, but he’s shown flashes-scoring 28 points combined in recent games against UCLA, Minnesota, and Illinois. Like many on this Iowa roster, he finishes well around the rim (63.8% on twos).
By the Numbers: What the Metrics Say
Iowa’s offensive profile is impressive. The Hawkeyes rank ninth nationally in two-point field goal percentage (60.8%) and 30th in three-point shooting (37.3%).
They don’t take a ton of threes, but when they do, they hit them. That was on full display Wednesday at Purdue, where they went 12-for-25 from beyond the arc.
Defensively, Iowa is aggressive-sometimes to a fault. They rank seventh nationally in opponent turnover percentage (22.4%), which could spell trouble for an Indiana team that’s had issues taking care of the ball.
But that aggression also leads to fouls. Iowa ranks 252nd in opponent free-throw rate, and in Big Ten play, they’re dead last in that category.
If Indiana can attack the paint and draw contact, they’ll have chances at the line.
What’s at Stake for Indiana
The analytics paint this one as a toss-up. KenPom gives Indiana a slight edge by a single point with a 53% chance to win. Bart Torvik’s model is a bit more optimistic, favoring the Hoosiers by three with a 61% win probability.
But beyond the numbers, this game carries real weight. With a road trip to Michigan up next, Indiana can’t afford to let this one slip away. Dropping to 3-5 in the Big Ten would make the climb back to .500 in league play that much steeper.
To get back on track, Indiana will need to do three things: make life tough for Stirtz, protect the basketball, and find clean looks from deep. Iowa opponents are shooting just 30.6% from three in Big Ten games, so the Hoosiers will have to work to create open perimeter shots-and knock them down when they do.
Indiana has shown it can hang with good teams, but the second-half fade against Nebraska and the late collapse at Michigan State are warning signs. If the Hoosiers want to snap this skid, they’ll need a full 40-minute effort against an Iowa team that’s winless in true road games and just as desperate for a bounce-back.
Saturday afternoon in Bloomington should be a battle of urgency-and the team that imposes its will first may very well walk away with the win.