The Iowa men’s basketball schedule has been released for the 2024-25 Big Ten season.
Here is Iowa’s entire Big Ten schedule.
Dec. 3 vs. Northwestern
Dec. 7 at Michigan
Jan. 3 at Wisconsin
Jan. 7 vs. Nebraska
Jan. 11 vs. Indiana
Jan. 14 at USC
Jan. 17 at UCLA
Jan. 21 vs. Minnesota
Jan. 24 vs. Penn State
Jan. 27 at Ohio State
Feb. 4 vs. Purdue
Feb. 8 vs. Wisconsin
Feb. 12 at Rutgers
Feb. 16 at Maryland
Feb. 19 vs. Oregon
Feb. 22 vs. Washington
Feb. 25 at Illinois
Feb. 28 at Northwestern
March 6 vs. Michigan State
March 9 at Nebraska
Here are some takeaways from Iowa’s Big Ten schedule release.
January will be an important month
In looking at the first part of the schedule, January, and even the first two games in December, look to be potential wins. Northwestern bring back some pieces, but are still projected to finish at the lower part of the Big Ten. Michigan will be a new team with a new head coach in Dusty May. There is talent, but it can take a new team time to gel.
Looking at January, the Hawkeyes have struggled in Madison against Wisconsin lately, but then they have home games against Nebraska and Indiana and road games on the West Coast.
Those home games against Minnesota and Penn State will be must-win, too. All the games at home will be winnable contests, and I think you have to win a game or two on the road, whether that be one on the West Coast or at Ohio State or Wisconsin.
February is not too kind
February is going to be a fierce month, which makes January that much more important for the Hawkeyes.
Defending home court against Wisconsin or Purdue will be key. Rutgers and Maryland could be toss-up games on the road, but the Scarlet Knights are a lot better on their home court, while Oregon coming to town will be a difficult matchup in Carver-Hawkeye. The only sure win in February to me looks like Washington at home, which makes it important to protect home court and a lot of the other matchups look like toss-ups or ones that Iowa will not be favored in.
Final stretch will be important
Three of Iowa’s final four games in Big Ten play will be on the road.
Illinois and Northwestern are tough places to play, and both teams will get better as the year goes on. Michigan State is said to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten this year, and that matchup in Iowa City could have NCAA Tournament implications for the Hawkeyes to pick up a signature win.
Going to Nebraska for the regular season finale on a Sunday could be interesting. Can’t avoid a let up there if the Hawkeyes are on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Other notes
– Iowa has five of its last eight games on the road.
– Iowa will play back-to-back conference road games three times during the regular season — road dates at USC (Jan. 14) and UCLA (Jan. 17), at Rutgers (Feb. 12) and Maryland (Feb. 16) and at Illinois (Feb. 25) and Northwestern (Feb. 28).
– The Hawkeyes have a stretch of five home games over a seven-game span from Dec. 12-Jan. 11 with three nonconference home contests and league games against Nebraska (Jan. 7) and Indiana (Jan. 11).
– Big Ten Network’s Robbie Hummel said on the schedule release show that he really likes Iowa’s team this year. He mentioned that the starting point guard spot is the big question mark with Drew Thelwell and Brock Harding, but he loves that Payton Sandfort and Owen Freeman came back. He thinks that Iowa will surprise a lot of people this year.
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