Iowa’s exhibition win over Illinois Springfield offered the kind of mixed bag you’d expect this early, but the final score still told the important part of the story: the Hawkeyes handled business, 88-64. Plenty of players got run, some stretches looked sharp, and other parts were a little messy. In November, that’s usually enough to start building toward the real thing.
And the real thing is almost here. Iowa opens the regular season next week with a pair of home games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, hosting Lipscomb on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Eastern Illinois on Friday, Nov.
- Before long, the Hawkeyes will be deep into a schedule that should reveal a lot about where this group stands.
That’s why the current bracket projections feel a little stingy. Iowa is being treated as more of a bubble team than a program that should be getting a firmer nod from preseason bracketology, especially with Ben McCollum entering his second year. He has now had a full cycle to recruit, work the portal, and shape the roster to fit his system.
Last season’s No. 9 seed wasn’t built on a clean, polished foundation. It came with a makeshift mix of small-school transfers and transfer portal mercenaries.
McCollum still got Iowa there. That matters, even if past success is never a guarantee of what comes next.
This time, the setup looks better aligned for what he wants to do. Iowa has a roster built the way McCollum wanted it, more time to install his system, and some weaknesses addressed. Even without Bennett Stirtz, there’s reason to think the Hawkeyes can push beyond last year’s seed.
ESPN’s NCAA Tournament bracketology has Iowa just barely inside the field of 76, slotted as a No. 10 seed. In that projection, the Hawkeyes would face Georgia for a chance to reach the field of 64, where No. 7 Villanova would wait.
CBS Sports is a touch more optimistic, moving Iowa up one line to a No. 9 seed in the Midwest region. That would set up a first-round matchup against No. 8 BYU.
The first month of the season should help clear things up quickly. Iowa gets a useful stretch in November, including matchups with Virginia Tech, Creighton, and Xavier. Three of those games stay in Iowa, which gives the Hawkeyes a chance to show plenty without spending much time away from home.
After the first two home dates, Iowa plays Virginia Tech on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in Sioux City, then meets Creighton on Sunday, Nov. 15 in Des Moines. The road trip to Xavier follows on Friday, Nov. 20 in Cincinnati, before the Hawkeyes return home for UMBC on Tuesday, Nov. 24 and Prairie Via A&M on Saturday, Nov. 28.
In Other News...
Iowa Has Two Huge Questions To Answer Against Wisconsin
Iowa heads into its matchup with Wisconsin trying to shake off a recent loss and find a little more rhythm on offense, where the Hawkeyes have spent plenty of time searching for answers. Hank Brown is back in the starting role at quarterback, which gives this game a different feel, but the bigger issue remains the same for a team that needs more consistent production if it wants to keep pace in the Big Ten.
On the other side of the ball, Xavier Styles has a key job in helping Iowa deal with Wisconsins passing game, and that responsibility puts even more pressure on the Hawkeyes to be sharp in all three phases. For Iowa, this is the kind of week where a strong plan is only part of the equation. The defense can help, but the offense has to do its part too if the Hawkeyes are going to turn things around. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa-Wisconsin May Come Down To One Familiar Hawkeyes Edge
Luke Fickell didnt need much prompting to revisit the recent history between Wisconsin and Iowa, and from the Hawkeyes perspective, it is a familiar kind of pregame conversation. The Badgers coach pointed to the way Iowa has controlled the matchup in the rushing game and on the turnover ledger in recent meetings, a reminder that this series often comes down to the same basic football Iowa has built its identity around.
Now the subplot includes injuries at running back on both sides, adding another layer to a game that already tends to hinge on consistency and ball security. Wisconsins Abu Sama, a former Iowa State player, has been limited by injury but still flashed in the recent game against USC, and his availability is part of the larger question facing a Wisconsin offense trying to find steadier footing against an Iowa defense that rarely gives up easy answers. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces A Huge Kinnick Test After That Sloppy Loss
The next chance to reset comes at Kinnick Stadium, where Iowa is set to host Wisconsin in a Big Ten matchup that suddenly carries more edge after a sloppy loss. The Hawkeyes will still have the usual home-field lift in Iowa City, and oddsmakers have made them a 3.5-point favorite in a game with a low 36.5 total that points to the kind of grind-it-out afternoon both teams tend to play.
For Iowa, this is the sort of spot that can either settle things down or deepen the concerns if the mistakes linger. Wisconsin brings another physical test, and the setting only adds to it, with the game on FS1 and streaming through the FOX Sports App for a national audience watching to see whether the Hawkeyes clean things up fast. [Read more 🡒]