After snapping a losing skid, Iowa now hopes to build a winning streak.
The Hawkeyes (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) will go for back-to-back wins when they tip off against Rutgers (9-9, 2-5) on Tuesday night in Iowa City, Iowa.
Coming off a 74-57 road win against Indiana on Saturday, Iowa had struggled during a trio of losses against No. 5 Purdue, No. 16 Illinois and Minnesota.
Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum is in his first season in the Big Ten. A reporter mentioned to him that Rutgers did not have the same resume on paper as Iowa’s previous three opponents, but the coach quickly challenged that mindset.
McCollum said the level of talent is so good in the conference that even the teams toward the bottom of the standings are capable of winning on any night. He watched a recent game between Maryland and Penn State, noting the elite skill level, even though neither team is considered a conference title contender.
The same is true for Rutgers, he said.
“(They’re) athletic, well coached, can really score it,” McCollum said of the Scarlet Knights. “They keep things pretty simple offensively and defensively, which is what makes them able to play fairly fast — not necessarily tempo-wise, but they play pretty fast, they play pretty confident.
“They’re a good basketball team that can put up points really quickly, so we’ll have our hands full. … We need to make sure that we bring our best effort to give ourselves a chance.”
Rutgers is coming off a 96-87 loss on the road against Wisconsin on Saturday. The team has alternated wins and losses over the last last six games,with the past two victories coming in overtime — against Oregon and Northwestern.
Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said he is encouraged by his team’s progress.
“They’re learning,” Pikiell said. “They’re learning how to fight through obstacles, learning how a brand new roster can come together.”
This will be the 18th all-time matchup between the programs. Iowa leads the series 14-3 and has won the last five meetings.
–Field Level Media
