Iowa hasn't beaten Wisconsin on the road since 2021, but it comes into this one flying high after upsetting No. 9 Nebraska on Tuesday.
Even after an emotional victory over Nebraska on Tuesday, Ben McCollum isn't satisfied.
Iowa basketball's first-year coach isn't used to court-storming (he's usually been on the other side in his career), but he does want Tuesday's postgame celebration to be a preview of what he wants to build in Iowa City.
"At this point in the season, if you get too high and low, we probably haven't done a great job of of teaching you," McCollum said during a Zoom press conference Friday. ..."Beating Nebraska is very similar to beating anybody else."
The next step of McCollum's rebuilding process begins on Sunday when the Hawkeyes (19-7, 9-6) venture to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the red-hot rival No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers (18-8, 10-5).
A win would give Iowa a fourth Quadrant 1 victory on its NCAA tournament resume and also push it ahead of Wisconsin in the Big Ten standings.
Game Notes/Information
Sunday's game will tip at 3 p.m. CST on FS1 (Jack Kizer, Nick Bahe).
Wisconsin leads the all-time series by a close 90-87 margin, but the Badgers have fared much better in Madison, holding a 58-29 edge. Iowa hasn't won at the Kohl Center since 2021 - Luka Garza's senior season.
It is the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Hawkeyes have played three straight ranked foes. A win Sunday would give Iowa back-to-back ranked wins for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
The Hawkeyes have 19 wins and nine in Big Ten play. Iowa is looking for its first 20-win season since the 2021-22 season.
Senior point guard Bennett Stirtz is second in the Big Ten in scoring in league-only games, averaging 23.4 points to go along with 3.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a .515/.389/.838 shooting clip. He has three 30-point and 10 20-point contests in league play.
The rundown
Greg Gard has been a terrific successor to Hall of Fame coach Bo Ryan, and his 2025-26 squad may be one of his best coaching jobs in his 11-year tenure as Wisconsin's head coach.
The Badgers started the year with a measly 10-5 (2-2) record, but everything changed on Jan. 10. Wisconsin stormed into Ann Arbor and knocked off previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Michigan. It remains the Wolverines' only loss, and the Badgers have won seven of their last 10 games since then - a stretch that includes wins over Michigan State and Illinois.
A 17-point loss last time out against a desperate Ohio State team definitely dampened the positive momentum Wisconsin had, but the Badgers have the comfort of playing in front of the home fans - where they've lost just once all season.
Ryan's Final Four teams were known for playing at slow paces, but this Wisconsin team plays at anything but a snail's pace. The Badgers rank 18th in the country in adjusted offense (124.8) - scoring an average of 83.1 points per game (third-most in the Big Ten)
Wisconsin's defense has struggled this year, allowing opponents to score 76 points per game (fourth-most in the league), a figure that ranks 58th on EvanMiya.
John Blackwell (18.8 PPG) and Nick Boyd (20.3 PPG) have played a major role in the Badgers' resurgence. Both are among the Big Ten's leading scorers, and combined with 7-foot junior Nolan Winter's presence down low (8.9 RPG), it's a tough assignment for teams to prepare for.
"They [Wisconsin] just get so downhill. They just live in the paint. And then those bigs really shoot it. They do a good job of putting in position to get in the paint. They play fairly fast, probably middle tier the league, I think," McCollum said. "They pose a lot of problems - their whole offense does. They're just really good offensively. They can beat you in so many different ways."
Prediction: Wisconsin 73, Iowa 59
These two teams come into this game fresh off opposite results, but I think Wisconsin has the upper hand at home. The Hawkeyes have been putrid on offense, and unless they can find a second scorer to pair with Bennett Stirtz, it's hard to see Iowa pulling one out against a good Badger team.
Looking for a FREE Hawkeyes community?
Don't miss out on our Roundtable community and the latest news! It's completely FREE to join.
Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the FREE Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!