Iowa Remains in Top 10 Despite Nightmare Road Trip

Entering the week at No. 8, the Iowa Hawkeyes knew they had a chance to potentially find their way into the Top 15.

Instead, a loss to USC changed everything. It marked the Hawkeyes first conference loss and had many wondering where they'd fall in the polls should they fall to UCLA.

Ultimately, Iowa's losses to USC and UCLA pushed them back only two spots. In the February 2 edition of the AP Top 25, the Iowa Hawkeyes found themselves rated No. 10.

No. 10 has a nice ring to it though the two teams directly ahead them are also in the B1G. Iowa has a chance to climb back up the rankings in the weeks to come as the season will end before they know it.

Iowa Falls From No. 8 to No. 10

NEW:

Iowa Women's Basketball drops two spots to #10 in the latest AP Top 25 with their 18-4 overall record.

The Hawkeyes face Minnesota this week at home.
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) February 2, 2026

Coincidentally, the only teams to leapfrog Iowa were No. 9 Ohio State and No. 8 Michigan. Keep in mind, the Hawkeyes beat OSU just a couple games ago when the Buckeyes were ranked No. 12. That game wasn't even close as OSU came to Carver and left embarrassed after a 21 point defeat.

Since then, Iowa has lost their last two games while Ohio State dominated Wisconsin and Nebraska. For what it's worth, neither of those are ranked teams. Iowa dropped a game to the No. 2 team in the nation, one that won't be able to pass up UConn unless the Huskies drop a game.

Other movement in the Top 10 saw Vanderbilt drop two place which allowed LSU to move up to No. 5 and Louisville to No. 6. Once again, there was no movement with the Top 4 teams though numbers five through 10 are all represented by new teams.

Busy Week In The Top 25

Feb 1, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) is defended by Iowa Hawkeyes guard Taylor Stremlow (1) and center Layla Hays (12) as she shoots a basket in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Not a single team from No. 5 to No. 24 remained the same. Ole Miss increased four spots which was the biggest jump of any team. Quite a few moved up three and they can thank the likes of Tennessee, Maryland, and Princeton who all moved down at least four spots. The Terrapins, who Iowa beat in overtime on January 22, dropped a staggering six spots as they've lost four of their last five games.

Iowa's schedule the rest of the way remains pretty straightforward. Their next opponent is No. 24 Washington on February 11 though the Huskies could easily lose either of their next two games and be out of the poll entirely.

Michigan remains Iowa's biggest challenge down the stretch. The No. 8 Wolverines are the only other ranked team that stands in their way. Currently, UCLA is pacing the B1G with their undefeated record while Michigan is the only team with one loss. The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes are tied for third with two losses each, though Iowa has the head-to-head advantage over OSU.

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