23. Iowa (12-3)
Instant success has followed Ben McCollum in his career and he certainly put that on display during a 30-win season at Drake last year. There’s a significant uptick in challenge with the Hawkeyes in the Big Ten, but he does have this team ranked and in national conversations after just a few months on the court. However, Iowa knows that the road ahead isn’t easy in the Big Ten and they sure got a taste of that this week.
The Hawkeyes were in action just once this past week, falling 70-67 at Minnesota back on Tuesday night. Bennett Stirtz had his latest standout performance with 21 points but the long-range shots weren’t falling and Iowa just couldn’t make enough plays to win on the road, falling yet again away from Iowa City.
There’s talent beyond Stirtz on this team and potential to be an impressive unit, but Iowa’s 0-3 record in true road games is suddenly a black eye on this early resume. If the Hawkeyes are going to be a legitimate contender, both in this league and in the Tournament, then they’ll need to figure out how to win these games in tough environments. Perhaps their toughest week of the season approaches, as they host Illinois Sunday before back-to-back tough outings at Purdue and Indiana.