Iowa

Iowa basketball vs. Northwestern is crucial step in Hawkeyes’ path to Big Ten Tournament

Published

1 year ago

February 28, 2025

Iowa basketball vs. Northwestern is crucial step in Hawkeyes’ path to Big Ten Tournament

IOWA CITY — Iowa basketball’s season was in a dramatically different place the last time it faced off against Northwestern.

Their first meeting this season, which came back on Dec. 3, 2024, ended in theatrics. Down by two with less than one second remaining, Josh Dix’s long-range 3-pointer splashed through the net to deliver a dramatic victory.

With the win, Iowa improved to 7-1 on the season, including 1-0 in Big Ten play. There was still plenty of optimism surrounding what the Hawkeyes could accomplish. At least for one night, Iowa seemed like a team of destiny.

A lot has changed since then.

Iowa and Northwestern will play for the second time this season on Friday. This time, in Evanston, Illinois. The tenor of Iowa’s season is drastically different than it was after that December matchup.

The Hawkeyes (15-13, 6-11) have seen their season take a plunge. Since those back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Indiana, Iowa is just 3-9 over its last 12 games. Barring an improbable run, making the NCAA Tournament is not in the cards for the Hawkeyes.

The more relevant picture is that of the Big Ten Tournament. Friday’s matchup with Northwestern will be crucial to Iowa’s chances of making the event, which includes 15 of the league’s 18 teams.

Here is a look at the bottom of the Big Ten standings, as of Friday morning:

Nebraska (7-10)
Rutgers (7-11)
Minnesota (6-11)
Northwestern (6-11)
USC (6-11)
Iowa (6-11)
Penn State (5-13)
Washington (4-13)

Iowa is currently in a four-way tie with Minnesota, Northwestern and USC. But the Hawkeyes can gain some separation from the Wildcats with a win on Friday. If Iowa loses, it would face even more uncertainty.

After Friday’s contest, Iowa hosts Michigan State, who is in the race to win the Big Ten regular-season title. Then the Hawkeyes play at Nebraska, which doesn’t provide much hope, given Iowa’s shortcomings on the road.

That raises the stakes for Friday’s contest at Northwestern.

Scouting Northwestern basketball

Friday will be a clash between two depleted teams.

Iowa is without Owen Freeman for the rest of the season after the big man underwent finger surgery. Drew Thelwell has been in and out of the lineup recently due to an ankle injury, but Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said he expects Thelwell to play on Friday.

Northwestern hasn’t avoided an unfavorable injury situation, either. Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach are both out for the season, both of whom were starters when healthy. Barnhizer was among the best players in the league, averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, Leach packed another scoring punch, averaging 14.3 points per game.

Despite the injury situation, Northwestern has actually found success recently. The Wildcats enter Friday’s matchup off back-to-back road wins, the first of which came in blowout fashion over Ohio State.

The Wildcats are spearheaded by leading scorer Nick Martinelli (20.1 points per game) and sharpshooter Ty Berry. But they’ve also gotten contributions from a supporting cast that includes emerging freshman K.J. Windham.

Northwestern features one of the better defenses in the league by points allowed per game, which could present a challenge for Iowa’s offense. Without Freeman, the Hawkeyes are even more reliant on Payton Sandfort and Dix to score. If they don’t play like stars, Iowa’s offense can suffer.

That was on display in Iowa’s 20-point loss to Illinois on Tuesday. Sandfort and Dix combined for just 18 points as the Hawkeyes scored a season-low 61 points. That came after Illinois had given up at least 95 points in each of its previous two contests.

Update on Owen Freeman’s injury recovery

Freeman is not playing for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. The big man will finish his sophomore campaign averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in 19 appearances.

After undergoing finger surgery in early February, Freeman is in recovery mode.

“He was actually shooting (Wednesday),” McCaffery said of Freeman. “So he was able to catch the ball, shoot the ball. It’s coming well. It’s one of those things where essentially it’s a 2-3 month rehab before you can go out and compete and risk somebody chopping your hand and getting similar situations to happen before it completely heals. But he’s progressing well.”

Iowa vs. Northwestern prediction

Friday is Iowa’s best opportunity to pick up a win for the remainder of the regular season, though KenPom only gives the Hawkeyes a 30% chance. The Michigan State and Nebraska games trail just behind. That’s pretty revealing about what Iowa faces the rest of the way. The Hawkeyes could really use a bounce-back performance from Sandfort on Friday, who was just 2-of-10 from the field against Illinois.

For a team whose resilience is one of its redeeming qualities, Friday should be another test to Iowa’s character with its Big Ten Tournament life hanging in the balance and considering the team’s road struggles this season. Sandfort described Iowa’s victory over Rutgers on Feb. 12 as a “culture win.” Friday has a chance to be another. Iowa 81, Northwestern 77.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

Source link

Click to comment

Iowa

Harkin backs Turek for Iowa Senate

Published

4 hours ago

May 8, 2026

Press Room

Scoop: Iowa Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek snagged a major endorsement for his Senate bid from former Sen. Tom Harkin.

Harkin, who retired in 2015, was the last Democrat to represent Iowa in the Senate. Turek is locked in a competitive primary with state Sen. Zach Wahls in a race that has divided major factions of the Democratic Party.

“I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to win an election, and then to faithfully represent all Iowans, not just those who voted for you,” Harkin said in his endorsement. “That’s why I’m supporting Josh Turek.”

Harkin served in the Senate for 30 years and is the author of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Turek, who was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, was 11 when the ADA was enacted.

Harkin is a widely sought after endorsement in the Hawkeye State. His decision to wade into the race is notable because Harkin also has a relationship with Wahls.

Wahls called Harkin “one of my closest political mentors,” and said the former senator officiated his wedding in 2021.

Iowa’s Senate primaries are June 2.

Source link

Iowa

Former eastern Iowa city clerk pleads guilty after state audit finds $66K in theft

Published

16 hours ago

May 7, 2026

Press Room

Former eastern Iowa city clerk pleads guilty after state audit finds K in theft

CONESVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) – A former Conesville city clerk has pleaded guilty to theft and financial crimes after a state audit found nearly $66,000 in improper payments she allegedly made to herself and her family.

Yamira Martinez, of Columbus Junction, pleaded guilty to ongoing criminal conduct, unauthorized use of a credit card over $10,000, and first-degree theft. A forgery charge will be dismissed under the plea agreement.

Martinez served as Conesville’s city clerk from June 2022 through March 2024. Officials in Conesville requested an audit from State Auditor Rob Sand, which covered the period of July 1, 2022, through April 30, 2024.

Sand’s audit found nearly $66,000 in improper payments, more than $53,000 in uncollected and undeposited utility billings, and more than $7,500 in unsupported payments.

“Miss Martinez was interviewed about this. She stated that the 24 checks that were unauthorized payroll and were made to appear like payroll checks, she admitted, were unauthorized. She also stated that the checks were for her kids. When she was asked about personal Amazon purchases, she stated that that was her fault,” Sand said.

The nearly $66,000 in improper payments includes more than $45,000 in payroll and reimbursements paid to Martinez, as well as nearly $12,500 in purchases made using the city’s debit card.

According to Sand’s office, it is unknown whether additional utility transactions were improperly recorded or if there were additional improper payments, as city records were not well-maintained.

Martinez was originally charged with two counts of ongoing criminal conduct, two counts of theft, and two counts related to forgery and fraud.

Martinez is scheduled to be sentenced July 10 at the Muscatine County Courthouse.

Source link

Iowa

Bennett Stirtz named University of Iowa Men’s Athlete of the Year

Published

1 day ago

May 7, 2026

Press Room

Bennett Stirtz named University of Iowa Men’s Athlete of the Year

After a spectacular senior year with Iowa basketball, point guard Bennett Stirtz won Iowa Athletics’ men’s Athlete of the Year and men’s Hawkeye of the Year awards at the athletic department’s 10th annual Golden Herky awards ceremony.

Stirtz, who made stops at Northwest Missouri State and Drake before his lone season at Iowa, finished with a career Division I average of 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game on 48.7% field goal shooting, 37.2% 3-point shooting, and 82% from the free-throw line.

This past season, the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder from Liberty, Missouri, averaged 19.8 points and 4.4 assists per game on 47.7% field goal shooting and 35.8% 3-point shooting, to accompany 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals through approximately 37:44 of action in his 37 games played.

At the end of the season, Stirtz’s play earned him AP and USBWA honorable-mention All-America honors, first-team All-Big Ten recognition, and the winner of the prestigious Chris Street Award.

In addition to Stirtz’s men’s Athlete of the Year award, Iowa’s men’s basketball team took home four additional Golden Herkys.

Redshirt freshman Cooper Koch was named men’s Breakthrough Athlete, freshman Tate Sage was named men’s Freshman of the Year, and the team earned the awards for men’s Outstanding Team and Best Moment for defeating No. 1 seed Florida to advance to the Sweet 16 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews

Source link