Thursday night was a light night of basketball, and unfortunately, the one game on the night that looked like it could carry the evening was a dud from a competitive standpoint. It does, however, give us more to think about both teams in what has become quite a rivalry in the Midwest.
Iowa made the trip to Ames and knocked off Iowa State 84-68, leading by 15 at the half and never being seriously challenged in the second half. At one point, they led by 25. The Hawkeyes won in Hilton Coliseum for the first time since the 2003 NIT, ending an eight-game losing streak there.
Iowa got balanced scoring as all five starters scored in double figures, led by Luke Garza’s double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. They out-rebounded Iowa State and didn’t let the Cyclones get to the foul line in improving to 8-3. They’re racking up the good wins, having already knocked off Texas Tech (neutral), Syracuse (road), Minnesota and now the Cyclones. They’ve done some of this away from home, which is even better, and none of their losses are bad ones, though all have been by double digits – DePaul (home), San Diego State (neutral) and at Michigan.
The Hawkeyes were a tough team to figure back in the spring, when Isaiah Moss transferred to Kansas and Jordan Bohannon looked like he would miss the season after undergoing hip surgery to deal with something he played through last year. He is gutting it out right now, clearly not fully healthy, and it’s possible he shuts it down, which would be a blow to the team. He’s at the limit of games he can play and still obtain a medical redshirt. With him, they look like a pleasant surprise, and they get one more non-conference challenge against Cincinnati after being off for final exams, then they should be able to handle Kennesaw State before Big Ten play picks up in earnest.
Iowa State, on the other hand, is back to being a team with some questions. Now 6-4, the Cyclones did get a good win over Seton Hall just a few days earlier, but that’s all they have. They only get one more chance in non-conference play, and that will come late next month when they go to Auburn in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Their other non-conference games are against Prairie View and Florida A&M after being off for final exams, and wins over them will not move the NCAA needle (although a loss will really hurt).
Whereas the Hawkeyes were hard to figure, the Cyclones figured to be primed for a good year in the off-season. With Tyrese Haliburton returning after declaring for the NBA Draft, this team had a good deal of production returning. They haven’t been bad, but right now, their NCAA Tournament case is not on solid ground. They will need to win some key games in Big 12 play to strengthen their case.
Side Dishes
None of the six games were decided by single digits on the night, with West Virginia handling Austin Peay 84-53 and Northern Iowa handling Grand Canyon 82-58 in the next best matchups on the evening.
Late Thursday night, some scary news broke: former NBA commissioner David Stern had a brain hemorrhage and was rushed into emergency surgery. The 77-year-old spent 30 years as the commissioner and led the way as it scaled to new heights; much of the NBA as we know it is a result of what he did. Our thoughts and prayers are with him for a speedy and (more importantly) full recovery.
Tonight’s Menu
Another light night is ahead with just nine Division I games on the slate, though four involve non-Division I teams.
- Kennesaw State is still seeking their first win, and they welcome Gardner-Webb (7 p.m.)
- A rivalry game is on tap in Fort Collins as Colorado heads to Colorado State (8 p.m.)
- A Big Ten game is on the slate as Indiana hosts Nebraska (8 p.m.)
- Creighton is back in action after a little layoff as they host UT Rio Grande Valley (8 p.m.)
- The last game of the night is out west as Prairie View A&M visits Loyola Marymount (10 p.m.)
