Iowa Heads to Bloomington Looking to Snap Skid Against Indiana
The Big Ten grind doesn’t let up, and for Iowa, the road only gets tougher. After a hard-fought loss at No. 5 Purdue, the Hawkeyes (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) head to Assembly Hall this Saturday to face Indiana (12-5, 3-3) in a matchup between two teams trying to regain their footing in a crowded conference race.
Tipoff is set for 1:10 p.m. ET on FOX, with Jason Benetti and Steve Smith on the call. For Iowa fans tuning in back home, the Hawkeye Radio Network has you covered.
Recent Form: Hawkeyes Close, But Still Searching
Iowa comes into this one on a three-game slide, but don’t let that streak fool you-this team is playing competitive basketball. Tuesday night’s 79-72 loss at Purdue was a back-and-forth battle that featured nine ties and 14 lead changes. Iowa even held a nine-point lead early in the second half, showing flashes of a team that can hang with the nation’s elite.
The Hawkeyes shot a blistering 52.9% from the field and knocked down 12 threes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Purdue’s firepower down the stretch. One bright spot?
Freshman guard Cael Combs, who poured in a career-high 16 points. He’s quickly emerging as a key contributor for Ben McCollum’s squad.
But here’s the issue: Iowa is 0-4 on the road this season. Three of those losses have come against top-10 opponents, so it's not as if the Hawkeyes are folding against inferior competition-but they’re still searching for that first breakthrough win away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Indiana’s Recent Struggles and Key Players to Watch
Indiana’s not exactly riding high either. The Hoosiers have dropped two straight, falling to Nebraska and Michigan State.
Still, they’re 3-3 in conference play and always tough at home-especially in a building like Assembly Hall, where they’ve historically dominated this series. Indiana leads the all-time matchup 107-83, including a 63-32 edge in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers are led by head coach Darian DeVries, an Aplington native with deep Iowa ties-he was the head coach at Drake before McCollum took over there. His son, Tucker DeVries, is a major piece of the Indiana puzzle. The junior guard is averaging 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and he’s got the kind of basketball IQ and off-ball movement that makes him a constant threat.
“He’s got a quick trigger,” McCollum said this week. “He’s actually a really, really good mover without the basketball. They do a good job of putting him in positions to be able to do just that.”
Then there’s Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana’s go-to scorer and one of the most explosive guards in the Big Ten. He’s averaging 20.2 points per game, good for fourth in the conference. Wilkerson isn’t just a volume shooter-he can score from anywhere, and when he gets hot, he’s a serious problem.
“Offensively and defensively, they’re just good,” McCollum added. “But him in particular-he can shoot from anywhere on the floor, and make it from anywhere on the floor, not just shoot it. And obviously finishes at a high level as well.”
What’s at Stake
For Iowa, this game is about more than just stopping the bleeding-it’s a chance to prove they can win on the road in one of the most hostile environments in college basketball. With a home date against Rutgers looming on Tuesday, a win in Bloomington could be the kind of momentum-changer this team needs as the Big Ten schedule intensifies.
Indiana, meanwhile, is trying to avoid a three-game losing streak of its own and re-establish itself as a top-half team in the conference. With two dynamic scorers and a coach who knows how to win, the Hoosiers will be looking to capitalize on Iowa’s road woes.
It’s a midseason matchup with real implications-and if recent games are any indication, fans can expect another tightly contested battle.