Hawkeyes Keep Avoiding The Skids
Iowa has eight losses in this men’s basketball season.
The longest losing streak has been two games.
And that's why the Hawkeyes are in their current position — in third place in the Big Ten with four regular-season games left.
If there is one constant in the Hawkeyes this season, it is one loss hasn’t developed into anything longer.
After the 93-78 loss to DePaul on Nov. 11, the Hawkeyes won four consecutive games.
They won on the road at Syracuse, 68-54, four days after an 83-73 loss to San Diego State in the Las Vegas Invitational.
They defeated Minnesota at home by 20 points after surrendered 103 points in a loss to Michigan.
The only consecutive losses came in early January, when the Hawkeyes lost to Penn State, 89-86, in Philadelphia, then fell, 76-70, at Nebraska. Iowa followed those defeats with five consecutive wins.
Every loss since then has had a bounce-back.
The 82-72 loss at Maryland was followed by a 72-65 home win over Illinois.
The brutal 104-68 loss at Purdue was followed by a 96-72 home win over Nebraska.
And the 89-77 loss at Indiana on Feb. 13 was followed with a 58-55 win at Minnesota and Thursday’s 85-76 home win over Ohio State.
“We just try to push through it, and flush games where we played bad, and don’t let it carry over,” center Luka Garza said after Thursday’s game. “I think we’ve done a pretty good job of that, the ‘next play’ type of mentality.
“When it gets tough, instead of letting it get us down, drag us down to another loss, we get out there and get a big win.”
It’s been the key to keeping Iowa (19-8 overall, 10-6 Big Ten) in a tie for third place in the conference standings.
A look at some of the losing streaks in conference play:
• Nebraska’s current 11-game skid has been the longest of any team. Northwestern is on a 10-game losing streak.
• Illinois, Indiana and Michigan have had four-game streaks. Michigan State has had a three-game skid, as has Ohio State.
• Penn State has had a three-game losing streak, but then won eight consecutive games to be in second place in the conference.
• Purdue has had two two-game losing streaks and is on a three-game skid.
• Maryland, Rutgers and Purdue have each lost back-to-back games. Minnesota is on a three-game losing streak.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said it’s all about preparation, especially with the shortened rotations the Hawkeyes have had this season. McCaffery played just seven players in Thursday’s win.
“I think we’ve been smart in how we work them between games,” he said. “I think we challenge them to be in the kind of condition you need to be in to play long periods of time.”
But there’s mental conditioning, too, that the Hawkeyes have had this season. McCaffery has raved about their “professional” demeanor.
That, as Garza said, has made a difference.
“We’re too tough,” he said, “to hit a wall.”
