Inside The Hawkeyes

How Iowa Fares Ahead of B1G Play

The Iowa Hawkeyes are preparing for arguably their most exciting conference slate in years under a new head coach.
Lane Mills|
Bucknell's Achile Spadone guards Iowa's Bennett Stirtz
Bucknell's Achile Spadone guards Iowa's Bennett Stirtz | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

The Iowa Hawkeyes' 1-1 record in B1G play, while barely good for a top 10 placement in the conference for the time being, hardly reflects the team's success under first-year head coach Ben McCollum thus far this season.

At 10-2 overall, the black and gold have won every game that isn't against a ranked opponent. In spite of that, the Hawkeyes now find themselves ranked No. 25 and, after their incoming home bout vs. UMass Lowell, on the cusp of consistent league competition.

And even given Iowa's winless track record against fellow ranked teams up to this point, McCollum's inaugural roster is built for the B1G's heightened difficulty for a number of reasons. Once January begins, it'll be no looking back for the Hawkeyes one way or another. The team will face four conference suitors in the first two weeks.

Not only have the Hawkeyes proved their worth for such competition through their improvement against higher-level teams (see their mere four point loss to the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones), but on an individual level, Iowa's premier players are already being recognized for their excellency.

An All-Transfer Selection

Look no further for evidence than The Field of 68's mid-season awards, posted online on X (Twitter) in a popular series by what is arguably the foremost college basketball podcast.

The All-Transfer Team specifically sports Hawkeyes star senior guard Bennett Stirtz at the one-spot as, right now, the show's top point guard in the NCAA with origins at a prior university. Stirtz, having followed HC McCollum throughout his coaching journey up to this point, defines the sort of team Iowa is aspiring to be.

Seasoned, methodical and cooperative. The success the team has had through that philosophy thus far should faultlessly translate to competition in one of the country's toughest conferences.

With UCLA, Minnesota, No. 20 Illinois and No. 5 Purdue on the docket, Iowa's survival will depend on them forcing other teams to play their brand of basketball.

Ben McCollum Basketball

According to FOX Sports, the Hawkeyes are a top 5 team in field goal % offense, shooting just below 53% through their 12 games. For a team without a designated, prolific scorer besides Stirtz, their efficiency speaks to the very style of play that landed McCollum this job in the first place.

For the program to even be in conference conversations one year removed from their 7-13 B1G finish feels like its own kind of miracle. Men's hoops in Iowa City is firmly, fully back, and the team is primed to prove that in conference battles next month.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Lane Mills
LANE MILLS

An aspiring writer covering Titans Football and Kentucky Athletics. Also a current student at Asbury University. Longtime sports fanatic and recent baby blue jersey aficionado

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