The Hawkeyes are making their first trip to Matthew Knight Arena since the 2012 NIT.
After a roller coaster win over USC on Wednesday, Iowa basketball will make the trek to the West Coast for its annual two-game roadtrip.
First on the docket is a matchup against the Oregon Ducks (8-13, 1-9) in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday. Iowa (15-5, 5-4) leads the overall series, 6-3, but the Ducks have owned the recent series, which began with a 108-97 win in the 2012 National Invitation Tournament.
The Hawkeyes got revenge in the 2018 matchup in New York City, but Oregon broke Iowa's hearts in the following meetings. The Ducks' 95-80 win in the second round of the 2021 NCAA tournament remains infamous among Hawkeye fans, as Oregon didn't have to play its first round game due to VCU backing out due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Both teams met for the first time as conference opponents in Iowa City last season, but the Ducks squeaked out a two-point win in the final seconds and rode that momentum to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Sunday's tip off is set for 7 p.m. CST on FS1. ESPN analytics gives the Hawkeyes a 69 percent chance to win.
The rundown
Dana Altman has done wonders with this Oregon program in his 16-year tenure, winning 378 games and reaching the Final Four in 2017, but he's running out of options in 2025-26. Stars Nate Bittle and Jackson Shelstad have missed the majority of the season due to injuries, leading to a disastrous campaign.
The Ducks' lone win in league play was a 64-54 triumph at Maryland on Jan. 2. A seven-game losing streak has followed, and Oregon is struggling to stay competitive. It played No. 4 Michigan well at home, but the Ducks have lost their last three contests by at least 15 points. The most recent defeat in the stretch was a 73-67 home drubbing at the hands of UCLA - a game where Oregon shot just 9/32 from three-point range.
Numbers to watch
Bittle and Shelstad's absences have left much of the scoring load to Kwame Evans Jr. The 6-foot-10, 220-pound junior has thrived in that role and leads the Ducks in nearly every statistical category - scoring (13.3 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), assists (2.2 APG), steals (1.1 SPG), and blocks (1.3 BPG).
Senior Takai Simpkins has followed close behind with 12.4 points per game, but the rest of the roster has struggled to keep up. Evans Jr. was the lone player to reach double figures in the UCLA loss, and he collected four of Oregon's nine triples.
Not surprisingly, the Ducks rank near the bottom of the Big Ten in points per game (16th at 72.3 PPG). Defense has also been an issue for Oregon, as it's allowing opponents to to record 74.1 points per game.
Prediction: Iowa 68, Oregon 59
The Hawkeyes' recent slow starts are a bit concerning considering they are making a long roadtrip, but it's hard to see the Ducks pulling out a win here. Iowa is going to struggle to score at times, but I think it flusters Evans Jr enough to pull away in the second half.