NCAA Basketball: 25 best team rivalries heading into 2019-20 season
By Joey Loose
20. Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Iowa State Cyclones
They don’t play twice a year like Drake and Northern Iowa, but the Hawkeyes and Cyclones are the high-octane sports rivalry in the state of Iowa. There’s no rivalry trophy like for football, but these two basketball programs play yearly despite being in different conferences.
The Hawkeyes hold a 45-27 advantage in a game that’s been played annually since the 1970s. Before that time, Iowa greatly dominated the rivalry, winning their first ten contests against Iowa State, all over 100 years ago.
Things have been far more balanced in recent years, with Iowa State taking seven of the last 10 contests, though they are still far away from evening the all-time series.
There have been exciting moments in this rivalry, as well as some tension. In last year’s game, a 14-point Iowa win, there were multiple scuffles as emotions seemed to boil over.
Both teams were ranked for 2013’s game, a thrilling 85-82 win for the Cyclones in which Iowa blew a 7-point halftime lead. Older fans remember an overtime shootout that Iowa State won 102-100 in overtime back in 1987, again with both teams nationally ranked.
Both Iowa and Iowa State trend as potential NCAA Tournament teams next year and should be in store for another fierce matchup when they meet in Ames. Fran McCaffery and Steve Prohm are both building consistent programs in the Big Ten and Big 12, respectively. Look forward to their game in December; it should be a hard-fought affair, but will sparks fly again?