Iowa’s first real test of the season ended with a lesson the Hawkeyes won’t love rewatching. The 93-88 overtime loss to Virginia Tech wasn’t the kind of opening stumble that sends a season off the rails, but the way it happened was hard to miss: Iowa did a lot of the things it’s supposed to do well and still came away empty.
The bright spots were obvious. Cooper Koch turned in a strong night with 26 points, Ty’Reek Coleman added 20, and Isaia Howard gave Iowa a major lift with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Howard’s performance stood out in particular. He was everywhere, piling up a double-double and giving Iowa the kind of energy and athleticism that could become a real weapon on offense.
Koch, though, looked like the player most ready to carry the scoring load. He led Iowa with 26 points while shooting 5-for-11 from the floor and 15-for-17 at the line.
Even with just one made three on five attempts, he found ways to punish smaller defenders by backing them down and getting cleaner looks in the paint. That kind of inside-out growth is exactly what Iowa needs early while the rest of the rotation settles in.
The free-throw line was where the game started slipping away. Iowa got there constantly, drawing 47 attempts, but only made 31. Leaving 16 points behind in a game that tight is a brutal margin, and it fed directly into the final result.
Defensively, the Hawkeyes had even more to clean up. Ben McCollum is going to have plenty to sort through after Iowa gave up 93 points, even with overtime adding to the total. Virginia Tech was finding easy offense for much of the night, shooting 54% from the field and 7-for-18 from three-point range.
The rebounding numbers only added to the frustration. Iowa won that battle 40-26, which should have helped control the game and limit second chances. Instead, the Hawkeyes still let the Hokies keep coming, making the loss feel even more puzzling given how much they controlled the glass.
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Iowa Fans Got Encouraging NFL Signs Alongside One Concerning Scare
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Not every update was as upbeat. Riley Moss left Denver's win over Carolina with a concussion and did not return, a reminder of how quickly a good Sunday can turn concerning for former Iowa standouts. Elsewhere, Amani Hooker was dealt from Tennessee to Buffalo in a move that sent him to join Geno Stone, while several Hawkeye tight ends had only modest outings in their respective games, leaving the weekend with a mix of progress, movement and one injury scare. [Read more 🡒]