Inside The Hawkeyes

Three Takeaways From Iowa's Defensive Masterclass vs. Bucknell

The Bucknell Bison never expected this version of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Iowa's Tate Sage dunks the ball during a game at Casey's Center on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in Des Moines.
Iowa's Tate Sage dunks the ball during a game at Casey's Center on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025 in Des Moines. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

First-year head coach Ben McCollum has done a lot of things right with the Iowa Hawkeyes. They're far from a perfect team, as seen in their games against No. 7 Michigan State and No. 4 Iowa State, but their last two games proved just how good they can truly be.

Taking down Western Michigan, 91-51, is impressive, but it's nowhere near the level of competition they'll be playing in the B1G. That said, no one can take away how dominant their 94-39 win over Bucknell was.

Iowa improved to 10-2 with its 55-point win over a team that wasn't originally on its schedule. McCollum knows he would've rather faced a power five opponent in Des Moines, but that can be saved for next year as the Hawkeyes fans in attendance witnessed a defensive masterclass.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Brendan Hausen (15)
Dec 20, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Brendan Hausen (15) shoots the ball over Bucknell Bison forward Amon Dörries (22) during the second half at Casey’s Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

1. Iowa Did To Bucknell What UConn Did To Iowa

For those who watched the women's game earlier in the day, No. 1 UConn made nothing easy for Iowa. They finished the game, forcing nearly 30 turnovers and had 41 points off of those. In the men's game, Iowa forced 25 turnovers and finished with 40 points off of them.

In no world is this comparing the Iowa men's team to the UConn women's team, but it's crazy to look at how close the numbers are for two games that took place just hours apart. At the end of the day, Iowa did what they were expected to do against an opponent that is now 3-10.

2. 50 Points In The Paint

Roughly 53% of the Hawkeyes' points came in the paint. It's crazy to look at that number, as McCollum's squad had more points in the paint than Bucknell had total points.

Kael Combs had 13 points on 6-for-7 shooting, which shows how easy things were coming for this offense. Iowa shot 60% on the night, which is nearly double what they allowed from the Bison (37%).

3. McCollum Loves To Run Up The Score

Honestly, why not? The second half isn't always the most exciting 20 minutes to watch with Iowa up big, but these games have been all about getting key players minutes off the bench.

Having dropped 55 and 43 points in the first half of their last two games, Iowa was in a comfortable position where it could rest its starters. That won't be the case in B1G play, so it doesn't hurt anyone to let these bench players show their worth, as these are big minutes that should benefit them in the long run.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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