When Iowa beat Indiana by 15 points earlier this season in Bloomington, Indiana, it was something it had not accomplished in nearly 60 years. Iowa topped the Hoosiers 73-58 on Sunday in the Carver Hawkeye finale, as Iowa beat Indiana by double-digits twice in one season for the first time in 13 years. I must admit I was shocked it had happened that recently, but before then you’d have to go back to the 1984-1985 season.
With two games left to play in the regular season, Iowa got it’s 10th win. We’ve already been down the road of ‘this is one of the worst Iowa teams in the last…maybe ever’ discussions…but when you think about that, and think that this Iowa team has beaten Indiana not just once but twice by 15 points, you really have to wonder how much longer Hoosier fans are going to be patient with Tom Crean. Yes, we realize they are without arguably their best player who was having a good freshman season. That being said, I doubt you’ll see any tears shed from this side of the league, as Iowa saw its program changing player (Jake Kelly) and its starting point guard (Jeff Peterson) leave after last year, along with big bodied David Palmer. Throw in the Anthony Tucker saga from this year and you’ll understand that we are short on sympathy for the cream and crimson.
Iowa didn’t just beat Indiana by 15 both times, they beat them to nearly every loose ball, they beat them on the inside, they beat them on the glass and they beat them physically and mentally.
Tom Crean gave a quote this past week saying that his team underestimated Iowa earlier this season, and some of his players confirmed that. Look, I can see how Ohio State, or Michigan State or Wisconsin underestimates Iowa, but this Indiana team? Please. They shouldn’t underestimate getting posted up by a PerMar in the bowels of CHA, as soft as they looked in these two games. For the Indiana fans reading this column that are not familiar with PerMar, it’s basically like if your grandma wore a yellow blazer and came to Assembly Hall and was the security presence.
Crean also stated in that article that “I’ll be very disappointed, OK, for them, for individuals that don’t come out tomorrow understanding that we better have some toughness and fight in this game.”
Well, after watching this one, Crean is going to be reaaal disappointed.
While both teams see roughly 80 to 81 percent of their scoring come from underclassmen, Iowa’s youngsters just seemed quite a bit tougher. Sure, this was just a few days after one of the worst showings in Iowa basketball history (loss to Northwestern). However, the kids have not given up on their coaching, even if some others have. In fairness, I have been close myself a time or two, but haven’t closed the book.
Iowa forced the Hoosiers into 20 turnovers while committing just 11 themselves (+11 in points off turnovers). Iowa was +6 on the offensive glass and they got to the free throw line 38 times. That was partly due to the fact Iowa led the Hoosiers by 21 with just over 4:00 to play in the game, and Crean knew that he needed to show at least something to the people back home, otherwise he might be walking back from the airport.
Alright, let’s finish this up without any smarmy commentary. After all, Iowa is just 4-12 in Big Ten play and 10-19 on the season, the 19 losses tied for the most in school history with the record for most losses in a season likely to come this week. Let’s hope this is a record that is never broken.
As it stands right now, the Hawks are in the 9th seed position for the Big Ten Tournament, and they would play 8th seeded Michigan. The winner of that game gets #1 seed Ohio State. Purdue would be the two seed with Michigan State the three seed. Wisconsin and Illinois would be 4 & 5 and play each other. Northwestern (7) and Indiana (10) would play with the winner getting Purdue, while Minnesota (6) and Penn State (11) would play with the winner getting Michigan State.
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