Iowa’s Search for a Signature Win Faces Another Big Test in Nebraska
IOWA CITY - The Iowa Hawkeyes have had their chances. Ranked matchups against Iowa State, Michigan State, and a pair of games against Purdue have all come and gone without that elusive, season-defining win.
Now, with No. 9 Nebraska coming to town, Iowa gets another crack at breaking through the ceiling that’s kept them just outside the Big Ten’s upper tier.
But there’s a familiar hurdle standing in their way: slow starts.
It’s been the story too many times this season - Iowa digs itself a hole early and spends the rest of the game trying to climb out. Against teams with top-tier talent and cohesion, that’s a tough formula to flip.
And Nebraska? They’re not just good - they’re disciplined, deep, and dangerous on both ends.
“They've been excellent,” head coach Ben McCollum said Monday. “They have a great offensive system.
(Sam Hoiberg) is one of the more difficult guards to defend, and they play with a lot of energy. It’s going to be a great challenge for us.”
McCollum didn’t hold back in his praise for Hoiberg, who may not be a headline scorer but is arguably the engine of the Cornhuskers’ machine. The 6-foot guard is averaging 9.6 points per game and knocking down nearly 42 percent of his threes. But it’s his efficiency and defensive presence that really jump off the page.
Hoiberg leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.50) and tops the Big Ten in steals (52) - a rare combination of smart decision-making and disruptive defense. He may not be the flashiest name on the roster, but his impact is undeniable.
“Everything fits for them,” McCollum said. “I think defensively is where he's at, and his body language and energy is where it's really at. But then offensively, you can't forget about him, because he's pretty good offensively.”
And Hoiberg’s not doing it alone. Nebraska rolls out four double-digit scorers: Pryce Sandfort (17.5), Rienk Mast (14.3), Braden Frager (11.8), and Jamarques Lawrence (10.6). That’s a balanced, versatile attack that forces defenses to pick their poison - and usually pay for it.
For Iowa, the challenge is two-fold: figure out how to contain that firepower and, just as crucially, find a way to start games with more urgency and rhythm.
McCollum has been mulling over lineup changes to spark better starts. Against Purdue, he inserted Isaia Howard and Alvaro Folgeuiras to open the second half, hoping to jolt the team into gear. It’s a move he’s considered making from the opening tip - even during Iowa’s six-game win streak - but has hesitated to pull the trigger.
“It’s more of a defensive lineup to start, and we do get stops with that lineup,” McCollum said of his current starting five. “But we just don’t score.
So then you’re slow starting every time. Once you get into Big Ten play, the level rises, and then the more need for shooting, for space on the floor, for space to be able to finish.”
The only time Iowa has adjusted its starting lineup this season came out of necessity - when Tavion Banks was sidelined with an illness and Folgeuiras stepped in against Illinois back on Jan. 11.
Personnel tweaks might help, but the bigger fix lies in execution. Nebraska isn’t just another team - they opened the season 20-0 before finally falling to now-No.
1 Michigan. They’re fast, efficient, and confident.
Iowa can’t afford to ease into this one.
McCollum knows it. His players know it. And the solution, while simple in theory, remains elusive in practice.
“How can we combat some of these slow starts? Just start quicker.
It’s just ultimately what it is,” McCollum said. “All those mistakes show up so big because you don’t hit those other ones.
Then that creates the slow start, and so I guess make those couple layups would be the first part.”
In a conference where momentum is everything and opportunities like this don’t come often, Iowa’s margin for error is razor thin. But the chance is there - a top-10 team, on their home floor, with a chance to finally grab the signature win that’s been just out of reach all season.
Now it’s about seizing it.