Iowa hasn't won at the Bryce Jordan Center since 2019. Tip off is set for 11:00 a.m. CST on Big Ten Network.
After a 17-point home triumph over Ohio State on Wednesday, Iowa basketball is back in action Saturday for a road matchup against Penn State.
The Nittany Lions (11-17, 2-15) are in the midst of another rough season, but they've had the upper hand against the Hawkeyes (20-8, 10-7) at home in recent years. Iowa hasn't won at the Bryce Jordan Center since 2019 - a three-game losing streak.
When including the Hawkeyes' defeat at The Palestra in 2020, the road losing streak to Penn State extends to four. The notoriously quiet crowd (or lack thereof) in State College could be the primary reason for the struggles.
Despite the Nittany Lions' poor record, they've had several near-upsets at home this year - losing to Michigan and Michigan State by a combined six points.
"They've got talent, big and physical. Coach [Mike Rhoades] has won a lot of games in his career, and I guess the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results," McCollum told The Daily Iowan at a Zoom press conference Friday. "When you go on the road, you got to make sure that you're ready to go and tuned up to start the game."
Penn State ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten in offense, scoring 74.9 points per game. While the offense has been pedestrian, the defense has been disappointing, yielding a league-worst 79.5 points per contest. Bart Torvik has the Lions' defensive efficiency rating at 242 - the worst rate among Power Four conference teams.
Game Information/Notes
Game start: 11:00 a.m. CST
TV: BTN (Jason Horowitz, Austin Johnson)
Iowa notched its first 20-win season since 2021-22 in its 74-57 victory over Ohio State on Wednesday in Iowa City.
It is head coach Ben McCollum’s 15th straight 20-win season and he is now one of two Hawkeye head coaches (Dr. Tom Davis) to win at least 20 games in year one.
Senior Bennett Stirtz has scored 30+ points three times and 20+ points in 10 of the last 11 games (17 times this season; tied for second-most in Big Ten). His 36 points against Northwestern are the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza in 2021 and are tied for the fourth-most in a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history.
Over his last 10 games, Stirtz has played 40 minutes six times and has been on the court for all but 5:05 of the possible 400 minutes of game action.
The Hawkeyes are allowing 64.8 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and 12th-fewest nationally. Iowa, who has held two of its last three opponents to season lows in points, has held eight opponents at 60 points or less this season -- the most since 2014-15.
Prediction: Iowa 71, Penn State 65
This game has "trap game" written all over it. Iowa's final two regular season games against No. 3 Michigan and No. 12 Nebraska will be major resume-boosting opportunities, but it has to get by Penn State first.
It's going to take all 40 minutes, but the Hawkeyes will find a way to pull this one out and lock up an NCAA tournament bid.
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