Howe's Monday Musings: Time Right for Iowa Basketball to Make Move

Hawkeyes Sit at 1-3 in Big Ten, Can Take Advantage of Upcoming Schedule

IOWA CITY, Iowa - With 16 Big Ten games remaining this season, opportunities abound for Iowa Basketball. That said, now would be a good time to make a move. 

The Hawkeyes will have had a week off since last Thursday's ugly loss at now-No. 13 Wisconsin when they play host to Indiana this coming Thursday. At 1-3 in the conference, they need to begin digging out of the hole. 

Iowa (11-4 overall) sits in a ninth-place tie with Minnesota and Northwestern. The only teams behind that group are Nebraska (0-5) and Maryland (0-4), the only league team the Hawkeyes beat. 

It's hard imagining a scenario where Iowa secures an NCAA Tournament berth during the regular season without at least a 10-10 Big Ten mark. Maybe they upset several ranked teams to boost the resume and then make a conference tourney run, but that's a tough road. 

The remaining schedule this month provides the Hawkeyes with opportunity. After Indiana, they face Minnesota Sunday in Minneapolis followed by a tough matchup at Rutgers next week. They finish January with a home-and-home with Penn State and play host to Purdue.

Iowa really needs to go no worse than 4-2 in that stretch. And that's doable. 

Its three conference losses are to Purdue (No. 8 NET through Jan. 9 games), Illinois (10) and Wisconsin (24). It ranks 27 in NET, ahead of Indiana (33), Minnesota (68), Penn State (88) and Rutgers (116). 

The Hawkeyes close the season with games at Michigan and Illinois. A home game against Michigan State (15) looms on Feb. 22 as well. They can relieve a great deal of pressure by avoiding must-wins in those contests. 

A run by this team will take a commitment to rebounding. It's being out-rebounded, 137-79, during three Big Ten losses, including 43-26 in the setback at Wisconsin. Purdue and Illinois rank second and third, respectively, in rebounding margin nationally, but that's still brutal. 

Iowa likes to get out in transition, but at this point, the sample size is large enough, sending five guys to the defensive glass is the play here. You can't run if you don't clean the glass anyway. And the Hawkeyes can score in the half court with their talent. 

Again, they can overcome the 1-3 start. There aren't any bad losses in there. Now it's a matter of avoiding them in upcoming contests. 

It's moving time. 

FLUID FOOTBALL ROSTER

By the time you read this column, something may have changed with the Iowa Football roster. We're witnessing an unprecedented amount of "student-athlete" movement in sport, and that's mostly a good development as guys find the best place for them. They perform most of the work, after all. 

The Hawkeyes have experienced change. The latest example being Saturday's announcement from Cash Dane Belton that he was leaving early for the NFL. He's basically held down that spot during the last three seasons. 

Iowa would be a better football team with Belton than without him. It has options at the position, however. The list includes Kaevon Merriweather, Reggie Bracy, Sebastian Castro, Cooper Dejean, incoming five-star recruit Xavier Nwankpa and even starting cornerback Riley Moss. 

We await announcements from consensus All-American center Tyler Linderbaum, return-man extraordinaire, Charlie Jones, and tight end Sam LaPorta, the team's leader in receptions. Deadline for declaring for the NFL Draft is Jan. 17. 

The Hawkeyes are working the transfer portal. Cornell offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad is visiting at the end of the month.  

We could also see more Iowa guys jump into the portal before classes start back up next week. 

DRIZZY TIME AT 125

We learned on New Year's Day that Iowa wrestling would be without three-time defending national champion Spencer Lee, who underwent ACL surgery in both knees last week. It left coach Tom Brands with a big decision at 125 pounds. 

The Hawkeyes listed redshirt freshman Jesse Ybarra as the probable at 125 for last week's duals against Minnesota and Purdue. True freshman Drake Ayala ended up being the choice. 

Seventh-ranked Patrick McKee of Minnesota edged Ayala, 8-6, on Friday. The Iowa newcomer bounced back Sunday with a 6-1 decision against No. 5 Devin Schroeder from Purdue. 

The three-time state champion for Fort Dodge (IA) High finished his prep career with a 171-3 record. He arrived in Iowa City looking at redshirting had Lee stayed on the mat this season. Now, he's been thrown into action and could play a key role in Iowa repeating as national champion.