Tag: Iowa Basketball

Iowa basketball remains on bubble despite Washington State win

Despite its win over Washington State, Iowa basketball remains on the bubble in ESPN’s updated bracketology.

Despite an impressive win over Washington State this past Friday, the Iowa Hawkeyes remain on the wrong side of ESPN’s latest bracketology bubble.

Just like a week ago, Iowa remains among ESPN’s “first four out” in its lastest bracketology. Iowa joins UCF, New Mexico and fellow Big Ten foe Maryland among ESPN and Joe Lunardi’s first four teams out.

With their 76-66 win over Washington State, Iowa improved to 4-0 to start the season. The Hawkeyes also have wins over East Texas A&M (89-67), Southern (89-74) and South Dakota (96-77).

In his return from a one-game illness absence, sophomore forward Owen Freeman was sensational versus the Cougars. Freeman registered his sixth career double-double and his first of the season after scoring 21 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

Freeman knocked down 9-of-15 from the field in the win over Washington State.

The Big Ten ties the SEC for the most projected bids nationally in ESPN’s latest bracketology with 10. Here’s a look at all of the projected NCAA Tournament bids for Big Ten squads along with their seedings.

Big Ten teams in latest ESPN bracketology

Iowa hosts Rider on Tuesday night before closing its November slate with dates against Utah State on Nov. 22 and South Carolina Upstate on Nov. 26.

Then, the Hawkeyes will face their first two Big Ten tests to begin the month of December with games versus Northwestern on Dec. 3 and at Michigan on Dec. 7. Iowa will host No. 5 Iowa State on Dec. 12.

A couple of wins in those final three games should be enough to push Iowa onto the right side of the bubble early in this 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Iowa basketball without starting guard vs. Rider

Iowa basketball will be without starting guard Josh Dix vs. Rider per its Big Ten availability report.

Per its Big Ten availability report, Iowa basketball will be without starting guard Josh Dix versus Rider on Tuesday night.

Dix injured his wrist in Iowa’s 76-66 Friday night win over Washington State. Afterwards, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery commented on the severity of Dix’s wrist injury.

“Hopefully Josh’s injury will be taken care of relatively quickly. We’ll have to see,” McCaffery said.

Dix played 23 minutes against Washington State, scoring just two points and missing both of his field goal attempts.

On the season, the 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 12.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Dix is shooting 51.5% from the field, 44.4% from 3-point distance and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

The Council Bluffs product has scored 414 points, grabbed 113 rebounds, dished out 103 assists, come away with 31 steals and blocked 15 shots during his Hawkeye career. Dix owns career averages of 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Dix has started 24 games over the past two seasons for the Hawkeyes and has appeared in 69 games over the course of his Iowa career. Dix inked with Iowa as a three-star signee and was rated as the nation’s No. 24 shooting guard and as the top player in Iowa according to 247Sports.

Iowa freshman forward Chris Tadjo was also listed out on Iowa’s availability report versus Rider. Tadjo has been listed out since the Hawkeyes’ Nov. 12 date versus South Dakota.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Three stars of Iowa men’s basketball’s gritty 76-66 win vs. Washington State

Three stars from Iowa basketball’s Friday night win over Wazzu.

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team (4-0) won their first true challenge of the season on Friday vs. Washington State (3-1) when they defeated the Cougars 76-66 from Moline, Ill., as part of the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown at Vibrant Arena.

While the game ended with a 10-point differential, most of the game was highly contested as both sides displayed spirited efforts on the court.

Both Iowa and Washington State had a relatively poor shooting night as the Hawkeyes shot 25-for-60 (41.7%) from the field and 8-for-25 from deep, which was only slightly higher than the Cougars’ 26-for-66 (39.4%) and 5-for-28 3-point mark.

For Iowa, the Hawkeyes’ tenacious defense truly willed the team to victory vs. Washington State by forcing a total of ten steals and five blocks, many of which came during critical junctures of the game.

Considering the total team effort from Iowa, below are the three stars that allowed the Hawkeyes to improve to 4-0 on the campaign.

Owen Freeman

Friday’s game was not only a homecoming for the Moline, Ill., native, but also a birthday celebration as the sophomore celebrated his 20th birthday by leading the team with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field while collecting 11 rebounds. Freeman’s double-double is also the sixth of his career at Iowa.

Freeman, who won an Illinois High School Association (IHSA) basketball title alongside teammate Brock Harding in 2023, was able to be a spark plug for the Hawkeyes in his 29 minutes for what was an otherwise difficult shooting night for the team.

Drew Thelwell

While not a large part of the scoresheet with only seven points on 2-of-4 shooting in 19 minutes, Thewell’s two clutch 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter jumpstarted a 16-7 Hawkeyes run in the final 3:55.

Thelwell also contributed to the Hawkeyes’ defensive effort by adding three steals and one block to the team’s total.

The performance of the graduate transfer from Morehead State is exactly what head coach Fran McCaffery will need moving forward from his bench, especially with conference play starting later this month.

Iowa Fans

Considering Friday’s game was the first time Iowa has played in Moline since 1998, the large contingent of Hawkeye fans that packed Vibrant Arena truly spurred the team to victory, especially late in the game.

With Moline roughly 61 miles from Iowa City, Iowa fans flocking to watch the Hawkeyes made the game almost feel like a second home court.

As the Western Illinois area has proved to be a valuable recruiting ground for Iowa recently, the turnout of 8,488 also aids the Hawkeyes’ efforts on the recruiting trail.

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa’s next game will be Nov. 19, when the Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff vs. the Rider Broncs (3-1).

The game will be broadcast on BTN+ (paid subscription required) and will also be available on radio through the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

Three stars in Iowa basketball’s win vs. South Dakota

As Iowa readies for Washington State on Friday, a look back at three stars from Tuesday night’s 96-77 win vs. South Dakota.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) earned another dominant win against the South Dakota Coyotes by a score of 96-77 on Tuesday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena thanks to contributions from up and down the lineup.

While the Coyotes kept the game close by only trailing 42-36 at halftime, the Hawkeyes were able to slam the door shut in the second half to improve to 3-0 on the campaign.

As a team, Iowa shot 37-for-68 (54.4%) from the field, 13-for-31 (41.9%) from 3-point range, and 9-for-12 (75%) from the free throw line.

The impressive shooting performance from the Hawkeyes has been a trend over the first three games and one that head coach Fran McCaffery would certainly like to continue.

Even with an all-around team effort, three Hawkeyes stood out to help guide Iowa to victory.

Josh Dix

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dix powered the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack by contributing 23 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 27 minutes played. He had an impressive shooting performance of 8-for-10 from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Dix’s outstanding mid-range jumper and confident 3-point shot shined for Iowa Tuesday night, especially in the second half as the Hawkeyes pulled away from the Coyotes.

Ladji Dembele

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dembele had a career-high in both points and rebounds versus South Dakota, finishing with 11 points on a 5-for-8 shooting night and eight total rebounds in 22 minutes.

The sophomore forward showed off a confident mid-range jump shot that the Hawkeyes will look to utilize moving forward, especially as the scheduled competition gets more challenging.

Seydou Traore

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Traore made his season and Hawkeye debut on Tuesday night, posting 12 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and an assist in 22 minutes. He shot 5-for-9 from the field, which included 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Traore, originally scheduled to receive minutes off the bench, was thrust into the starting lineup when forward Owen Freeman missed with an illness. Although he served as a fill-in for Freeman, Traore delivered a much-needed sense of athleticism to the Hawkeyes game.

One of his many highlights from Tuesday night’s win over South Dakota was an emphatic alley-oop slam off a beautiful Brock Harding pass with about 14:29 left in the second half that expanded a growing Hawkeyes lead to 61-43.

While Traore didn’t have one of the most impressive stat lines of the evening, he is a perfect fit for what the Hawkeyes want to run on both ends of the floor and has a very high ceiling moving forward.

Iowa’s next game will be against Washington State (3-0) as part of the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown from Moline, Ill., inside Vibrant Arena at the Mark.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network as well as the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

Iowa basketball begins 2024-25 on ESPN’s bracketology bubble

Iowa basketball begins the 2024-25 campaign squarely on ESPN’s bracketology bubble.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have handled their business to start the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season.

Iowa dispatched of Texas A&M-Commerce (89-67), Southern (89-74) and South Dakota (96-77) to capture the Kenny Arnold Classic championship to begin its campaign.

Over the Hawkeyes’ three wins, senior forward Payton Sandfort has led the way with 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 45.9% from the floor and 43.5% from 3-point range.

Junior guard Josh Dix is averaging 15.7 points per game and shooting 54.8% from the field and 44.4% from beyond the arc after erupting for a team-high 23 points in the Hawkeyes’ win over South Dakota.

Though he missed Iowa’s win over South Dakota due to illness, sophomore forward Owen Freeman is off to a nice start to his season as well, averaging 15.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game.

Still, Iowa is looking to continue proving doubters wrong in the early going of this season. After a 19-15 (10-10 Big Ten) finish last year, the Hawkeyes saw their stretch of four straight NCAA Tournament berths snapped.

As a result, Iowa entered this year flying under the radar. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish 11th in the 18-team Big Ten preseason media poll.

That type of finish would have Iowa squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

At least for now, ESPN is in line with that thinking for the Hawkeyes. Iowa is among ESPN’s “first four out” in its latest bracketology update.

Iowa joins San Diego State, UCF and fellow Big Ten member Wisconsin among ESPN’s first four out. USC is within ESPN’s “next four out.”

Below is a look at all of the Big Ten teams that ESPN currently has inside its latest bracketology along with their seedings.

Big Ten teams in latest ESPN bracketology

Iowa returns to action on Friday, Nov. 15 with a date against Washington State (3-0) in the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown in Moline, Ill. The Cougars own wins over Portland State (100-92), Bradley (91-74) and Idaho (90-67).

Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

4-star center announces commitment to Iowa basketball

Boom! Iowa basketball picked up its first commit in the 2025 class as four-star center Badara Diakite announced his pledge to the Hawks.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are on the board in their 2025 recruiting class.

Four-star, class of 2025 center Badara Diakite announced his commitment to Iowa basketball on Tuesday afternoon.

The 6-foot-10, 205 pound center is out of South Kent High School in Hartford, Conn. Diakite chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Boston College, Connecticut, Missouri, Penn State and Washington.

ESPN ranks Diakite as a four-star talent, as the No. 72 player nationally, as the No. 11 power forward and as the No. 2 player from Connecticut.

Rivals also rates Diakite as a four-star commit. According to Rivals, Diakite is the country’s No. 127 player and the No. 12 center.

Both 247Sports and On3 regard Diakite as a three-star commit. On3 ranks Diakite as the No. 22 center, while 247Sports rates Diakite as the nation’s No. 32 center. Both rank Diakite as the No. 3 player from Connecticut.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCSdA6Sy–c/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Diakite took his official visit to Iowa on Oct. 11 for the “Hawkeyes from Downtown” festivities, which served as the unofficial kickoff to the Iowa men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9NiH0BuYdc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Diakite joins class of 2026 guard Navon Shabazz as recent Iowa basketball commits. Shabazz committed to Iowa on Sept. 16 and chose the Hawkeyes over offers from

As a sophomore, Shabazz helped lead Assumption to a class 3A state championship. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field and 34% from deep. Shabazz transferred to Iowa United Prep in Des Moines for the 2024-25 school year.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF

Photos from Iowa basketball’s win vs South Dakota

Iowa basketball downed South Dakota 96-77 on Tuesday night. Here’s a look back at the night through the best photos.

Iowa basketball rolled after halftime en route to a 96-77 win over South Dakota.

The Hawkeyes are 3-0 on the young season and will return to action on Friday night in the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown versus Washington State.

Minus sophomore forward Owen Freeman due to illness, Iowa saw junior guard Josh Dix author his best scoring night of the young season with 23 points. Dix knocked down 8-of-10 field goals, including 5-of-6 on 3-pointers.

The Hawkeyes also saw the season debut of sophomore forward Seydou Traore who transferred in from Manhattan. Traore flashed some of the athleticism that has Hawkeye fans excited about what he can bring to this Iowa team.

Traore finished with 12 points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks. The 6-foot-7 forward knocked down a pair from beyond the arc.

Sophomore forward Ladji Dembele also netted a career-high 11 points in the win.

Here’s a look back at Iowa’s 96-77 win over South Dakota in pictures.

Five Big Ten teams ranked in latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll

Five Big Ten schools are ranked in the new USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

As the college basketball season finally returns, Iowa men’s basketball again finds itself out of the most recent listing of the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.

Iowa has had a pleasant start to the campaign with wins over Texas A&M-Commerce (89-67) and Southern (89-74). The Hawkeyes have received massive offensive contributions from Payton and Pryce Sandfort, who have combined to make 17 3-point field goals in Iowa’s first two games and 72 of the team’s 178 points so far.

On the defensive side of the ball, they are led by Brock Harding’s 2.0 steals per game and Owen Freeman’s average of 3.0 steals. Regarding rebounding, Payton Sandfort leads the program with 9.5, followed by Freeman with 8.5.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Among Big Ten programs ranked inside the latest USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, Purdue ranks the highest at No. 12 nationally. The Boilermakers were last season’s regular season Big Ten champion and the NCAA runners-up.

Indiana slots in at No. 16, Illinois is ranked No. 20, Ohio State at No. 22 and Rutgers rounds out Big Ten schools at No. 24.

Here’s a look at the full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll:

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Kansas 2-0 759 (21)
2 Alabama 2-0 724 (4)
3 UConn 2-0 702 (3)
4 Auburn 2-0 660 (2)
5 Gonzaga 2-0 651 (1)
6 Duke 2-0 608
7 Iowa State 1-0 576
8 Arizona 2-0 516
9 Tennessee 2-0 502
10 Houston 1-1 488
11 North Carolina 1-1 456
12 Purdue 2-0 437
13 Creighton 2-0 385
14 Baylor 1-1 328
15 Marquette 2-0 308
16 Indiana 2-0 234
17 Cincinnati 2-0 230
18 Kentucky 2-0 182
19 Florida 2-0 179
20 Illinois 2-0 151
21 Arkansas 1-1 150
22 Ohio State 1-0 148
23 Texas A&M 1-1 99
24 Rutgers 1-0 84
25 St. John’s 2-0 79

 Schools Dropped Out

No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss;

Others Receiving Votes

Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

Taylor McCabe carries the Caitlin Clark torch with a logo 3 in Iowa’s win

“Taylor McCabe. Logo 3. Bingo!”

Caitlin Clark’s fingerprints are still all over Iowa basketball. On Wednesday, junior Taylor McCabe drained a silky logo 3-pointer.

If you were wondering what Iowa would look like without Caitlin Clark, the early results are promising. The Hawkeyes are in a new era, but that didn’t stop them from doing what they do best — putting up points.

During the Hawkeyes’ first win of the season against Northern Illinois, Iowa guard Taylor McCabe launched a beautiful three from the mid-court logo. It was a beauty, and Taylor was stoked that it swished in. Here’s the awesome moment it happened:

(Feature image courtesy of Big Ten Plus)

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393237]

Iowa basketball forward sidelined ahead of season opener

Iowa forward Seydou Traore appears to be sidelined ahead of the Hawkeyes’ season opener.

As Iowa men’s basketball gets ready to tip off their 2024-25 campaign tonight, they will do so without forward Seydou Traore, who appeared in a walking boot and was not warming up.

Traore joined the Hawkeyes this offseason through the transfer portal from Manhattan after playing one season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

In his lone season with the Jaspers, Traore averaged 11.9 points and 8.1 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game to go along with 62 assists and 34 blocks. He also shot 43.3% from the field and 80% from the free throw stripe.

During Iowa’s annual media day in October, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery broke down what Traore, Ladji Dembele and Cooper Koch will provide for the Hawkeyes at the four spot.

“Well, all the guys that are competing for playing time there, they’re all really good, and they’re all different. Ladji, Cooper, Seydou. But, again, all three of them, they’re not four men. They can play the four spot. They can play the three spot. They can play the five spot.

“Ladji maybe more four, five. Coop and Seydou, maybe three, four. I would be comfortable playing Seydou in the back court. Same thing with Coop. Somebody is going to start there, but there are going to be a lot of different guys there,” McCaffery said of the Hawkeyes’ versatility at the four spot.

With Iowa facing off against a weaker opponent, the injury should not be a major factor in the outcome, but it is certainly something to keep an eye on moving forward.

The Hawkeyes’ season and home opener tonight against Texas A&M-Commerce from Carver-Hawkeye Arena is set to begin at 7 p.m. CT and will air on BTN+.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions.

Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews