Iowa
Big 12 men’s basketball power rankings: Did loss by Iowa State knock them from top spot?
Winning on the road in college basketball is tough. Doing it in a hostile environment like the one in Morgantown, West Virginia can be nearly impossible – especially if you are riding a win streak and a highly-ranked team.
Iowa State found that out the hard way this past weekend, dropping a low-scoring affair to West Virginia. But instead of letting that lone defeat turn into two, the Cyclones bounced back, throttling UCF with their highest point total of the season.
* How to watch Iowa State’s next game, opponent
So, do you drop them from the top spot in the Big 12 power rankings? Or chalk it up to a one-off letdown like nearly everybody else has had this year?
Below is the latest Big 12 Conference men’s basketball power rankings:
1. Iowa State (16-2, 6-1)
2. Houston (15-3, 7-0)
3. Kansas (14-4, 5-2)
4. West Virginia (13-5, 4-3)
5. Arizona (12-6, 6-1)
6. Texas Tech (14-4, 5-2)
7. Cincinnati (12-6, 2-5)
8. Baylor (12-6, 4-3)
9. TCU (10-8, 3-4)
10. BYU (12-6, 3-4)
11. Utah (11-7, 3-4)
12. Arizona State (11-7, 2-5)
13. UCF (12-6, 3-4)
14. Oklahoma State (10-8, 2-5)
15. Kansas State (7-11, 1-6)
16. Colorado (9-9, 0-7)
Nextgame: at Arizona, Saturday, January 25
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – Cycling and trail use across the state of Iowa brings at least $1.4 billion into Iowa every year. That’s according to a study released today by the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
The Economic Impacts of Cycling and Trails Study, conducted by Scioto Analysis, focuses on how cycling supports Iowa’s local economies, workforce, talent attraction and retention, rural revitalization, and quality of life. It shows an estimated 900,000 Iowans ride their bicycles on Iowa’s 2,000 miles of multi-use trails every year.
Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, said, “This study shows that we are the world capital of trails. Our investments in bicycling infrastructure not only enhance economic and health outcomes, but also position Iowa as a leader in outdoor recreation and bike tourism. Prioritizing safety and expanding infrastructure can further boost quality of life and economic & health benefits for the entire state.”
According to the study, bicycle-related tourism generates $13 million annually, supporting local economies. Trail construction and maintenance investments have a $24 million annual economic impact, supporting rural revitalization with 260 jobs, primarily in construction.
Additionally, Iowa’s bicycle retail sector generates an additional $56 million in economic impact annually, supporting workforce development with 800 jobs statewide and attracting and retaining talent in the state. The study also shows that bicycle commuting prevents at least 1,000–1,500 tons of carbon emissions annually, helping to combat climate change.
Bicycle clubs and organizations contribute 250,000 volunteer hours in Iowa annually, valued at $7.1 million, fostering social and community connectivity.
Cycling also improves health outcomes and quality of life, with active cyclists showing a 28% reduced risk for breast cancer, 77% reduced risk for colorectal cancer, and a variety of other mental and physical health benefits. Most notably, the study demonstrates that active cyclists are 49% less likely to experience chronic poor mental health.
Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.
#2 Iowa will welcome #4 Ohio State to Carver-Hawkeye arena on Saturday, January 25 in what has the potential to be one of the best duals of the weekend. This match will go down at 2:00 pm (ET) and will be streamed live on the Big Ten Network. We’ll be providing real-time updates for this incredible dual for you to follow along in the article below.
Iowa vs Ohio State Probable Starting Lineups
125: #29 Joey Cruz, Iowa vs #12 Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
133: Keyan Hernandez, Iowa vs Ben Davino, Ohio State
141: #20 Ryder Block/Jace Rhodes, Iowa vs #1 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
149: #4 Kyle Parco, Iowa vs #10 Dylan D’Emilio, Ohio State
157: #1 Jacori Teemer/Miguel Estrada, Iowa vs #19 Sammy Sasso/Brandon Cannon, Ohio State
165: #2 Mikey Caliendo, Iowa vs #13 Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State
174: #5 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa vs #6 Carson Kharchla, Ohio State
184: #5 Gabe Arnold/Angelo Ferrari, Iowa vs #20 Ryder Rogotzke, Ohio State
197: #1 Stephen Buchanan, Iowa vs #18 Seth Shumate, Ohio State
285: #11 Ben Kueter, Iowa vs #5 Nick Feldman, Ohio State
125: #29 Joey Cruz, Iowa vs #12 Brendan McCrone, Ohio State
Cruz gets in cleanly on a right side single leg about a minute in but McCrone defends by draping over the top. Cruz can’t get past McCrone’s defense and the ref calls a stalemate. Cruz fires off another single leg but this time he attacks the left side and is in a much better position to finish. Cruz captures the other leg and secures the takedown with 45 seconds to go in the first. After a quick escape by McCrone, Cruz gets right back in on the leg and almost finishes but time runs out and Cruz holds a 3-1 lead going into the second.
Cruz chooses neutral in the second period and gets right back to his attacks finishing quickly to extend his lead to 6-1. Cruz cuts McCrone for the escape but this time it’s McCrone who attacks – he almost finishes but Cruz defends long enough for the stalemate. The pace slows at the end of the second period and it’s 6-2 going into the third.
McCrone chooses top in the third and immediately starts to attack with a leg in and a cross-face cradle. Cruz is called for stalling and hit again to give up a point with 30 seconds to go in the third. McCrone continues to attack on top and Cruz is called for stalling again but there isn’t enough time left for McCrone to get anything going – Cruz gets the big 6-5 upset win.
Team score – Iowa 3, Ohio State 0
133: Keyan Hernandez, Iowa vs Ben Davino, Ohio State
A little surprise for both teams with starters Drake Ayala and Nic Bouzakis out. Davino hits an early short-fireman’s to get out to a quick lead and then immediately cuts Hernandez. Davino hits a smooth misdirection single to secure another takedown. After riding for about 40 seconds, Davion cuts Hernandez again and finishes the period with another takedown to hold a 9-2 lead at the end of the first period.
Hernandez starts the second period down and Davino lets him go for the escape. Davino hits an arm drag for a takedown this time and then immediately gives Hernandez the escape. Davino goes back to his misdirect single to earn his fifth takedown of the match. Davino finishes the second period with a cross-arm tilt to close the match out with a 19-4 tech fall.
Team score – Iowa 3, Ohio State 5
141: #20 Ryder Block, Iowa vs #1 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
Iowa 76, Penn State 75: Saved by the Bell, Thelwell’s 1K
IOWA CITY — After dropping three straight games, Iowa (13-7, 4-5) got back in the win column on Friday night with a 76-75 win over Big Ten rival Penn State (13-7, 3-6).
Behind a strong first half and Drew Thelwell’s renewed, rejuvenating energy that resulted in him reaching the 1,000 career points mark, the Hawkeyes pulled off their first win in nearly two weeks.
Here are Three Takeaways from the win.
Winning the First Half
Prior to the win over the Nittany Lions, The Hawkeyes were 3-1 in games in which they led after 10 minutes and 0-4 in contests where they trailed at that point. Iowa was also 2-0 when leading at halftime in Big Ten games this season and 1-5 when trailing at halftime.
Somebody must’ve shared that stat with the team prior to the game. The Hawkeyes trailed for just 2:11 of the entire contest.
“It felt good,” Payton Sandfort said following the win. “The crowd got into it, they brought a lot of energy. It felt good to see some shots go in and get some stops.”
The last few days leading up to the contest with PSU were extremely important for the guys to come out with a purpose.
“I thought we played hard,” Fran McCaffery said after the game. “We had some consistency defensively, they’re not an easy team to guard. … We got enough stops when we needed them.”
The fast start helped take the weight of the three-game skid off the shoulders of the players.
“Any time you’re going through something like that, it feels unbelievably hard to get the next one,” Sandfort said. “It’s always important to do it. … We’ve got to find a way, and we did that.”
“You learn from [the losses] and you just come back and prepare,” McCaffery added. These guys did a pretty good job winning. The guys that are here. They know how to win. … So we’re just on to the next.
Thelwell Brings the Energy, Reaches 1,000 Career Points
A significant piece of Iowa’s winning efforts in the first and second halves was Thelwell, who scored the first six points of the night for the Hawkeyes and had an incentive to bounce back following his poor performance in the loss to Minnesota on Tuesday, which saw him score just two points on 1-of-7 shooting
“He was terrific tonight,” McCaffery said. “He was really down the other night. … He was locked in in practice for this one. He played great.”
He scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, tying Owen Freeman for the team lead in scoring, and also added five rebounds four assists and two steals against the Nittany Lions.
“[The Minnesota] game is over and done with,” Thelwell said of his mindset during the week. “Move onto the next one. We have a lot of games left — just take a mature approach about it.”
If there’s anyone on this roster who can take a mature approach, It’s Thelwell who has won more than 100 games in his college career and who reached 1,000 career points on a three-pointer with 15:05 left in the second half.
“I’m thrilled for him. It’s an incredible accomplishment and really hard to do,” McCaffery said. “I was probably more impressed with his 100 career wins. That shows what his character is.”
Right in line with what McCaffery’s postgame sentiment, Thelwell was more excited about the win than the career scoring milestone.
“I’ve got to give glory to God,” the Morehead State transfer and fifth-year senior said. “It’s been a long journey. I’ve got to thank my dad — he woke me up so many times in high school, middle school and sacrificed his time. He and my mom. To end it on a win is even better.”
Saved by the Bell
And it was barely a win at that.
Over the final four minutes of the game, Iowa was outscored 10-2. Despite Iowa holding a nine-point lead with just under four minutes left in the game, Penn State got the deficit within one with under a minute remaining.
“I thought we played pretty good defense,” Sandfort said. “It came down to free throws. We had a ton of free throws, that if we make them, we probably win by seven or nine. That’s how it goes sometimes.”
The Hawkeyes shot 1-of-7 from the stripe in the second half.
“Oh, boy,” Thelwell said. “Yeah, [missing free throws] was contagious. We’ve got to be better at that. That starts with me, but we’ve got to be better as a team.”
McCaffery was hoping for his team to extend the lead as well, but even though that didn’t come to fruition, they were still able to pull off the win.
“We couldn’t seemingly get it from 10 to 15,” he said. “Give [Penn State] credit for continuing to come like they did. … I feel bad for our guys who played so hard and so well. When you miss your free throws, you tend to really internalize and blame yourself.”
It wasn’t just free throws, though.
“We did have two bad possessions that I would like to have back,” he added. “And that’s not on them. That’s on me. We ran the clock down. And Payton took a jumper and Josh (Dix) took a jumper. We’re in the bonus. Probably should have drove the ball on something different. But I trust those two guys. So they can shoot it whenever they want.”
NEXT: Iowa will travel to Columbus on Monday next week to take on Ohio State (11-8, 3-5) at 7 pm CT. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
Don’t miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball, and recruiting coverage. Sign up with Hawkeye Beacon here.
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