Iowa
Breaking Down How MSU Can Attack Iowa’s Strengths
The Michigan State Spartans are looking to remain undefeated as they take on the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight.
Iowa is also undefeated, and while the Hawkeyes have not played as tough a schedule as MSU, Ben McCollum’s team looks impressive in his first season leading the squad. This win would be good for Tom Izzo’s team if it can pull it off.
Iowa looks far different this season than it did with Fran McCaffery, who was at Iowa for 15 seasons before he was let go this past offseason. McCollum brought in several players, including a star transfer at point guard in Bennett Stirtz.
What are some of the Hawkeyes’ biggest strengths, and how can MSU prevent them from using those? Let’s break down where Iowa might give the Spartans problems.
Iowa shoots the three-ball exceptionally well as a team, connecting on 38 percent of its shots from the outside. Like McCaffery’s teams, McCollum’s Hawkeyes are connecting on their long shots.
The Spartans are good at defending shots from beyond the arc, so Izzo’s team will try to limit the Hawkeyes from getting many good looks. The Spartans have done a nice job of that so far this season, so expect them to make life difficult for Iowa.
Stirtz has played like one of the best players in the conference, averaging nearly 19 points and five assists per game. He will face Spartan point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who will most certainly bring defensive intensity to try to slow down the future NBA Draft pick.
One area Iowa is not strong in is rebounding. The Hawkeyes are ranked last in the Big Ten in defensive rebounds per game, only grabbing about 22.
The Spartans are a better rebounding team, as it is a staple of Izzo’s philosophy. His teams have always been strong on the glass, and this team is no different.
MSU will out-effort Iowa on the glass and create more offensive opportunities, leading to more buckets.
Iowa has been one of the best defensive teams in the conference, allowing the fewest points per game in the Big Ten at 61.1. The Spartans are right behind them at 61.6 points allowed per game.
McCollum has done what McCaffery has not: built a high-level defense in Iowa. MSU occasionally struggles in the half-court, so finding open looks and connecting on them will be key.
Iowa will not be an easy opponent for this Spartan team, so MSU must be on its A-game to remain undefeated.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on the game against Iowa when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Don’t forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
The regular season for Iowa high school girls basketball is in the books, and with it a historic chapter in the history of the sport.
Several players in each of the five classifications of Iowa high school girls basketball were worthy nominees for the player of the year award from High School on SI, but we have cut the list down to five in each class.
The High School on SI Iowa Girls Basketball Player of the Year in Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A will be announced in March alongside all-state teams in each class.
Here are the nominees for the player of the year award in Iowa high school girls basketball for the 2025-26 season. Stats are based off those uploaded to the Bound website by Monday, February 23, 2026.
What is Iowa’s legislative ‘funnel’ and how does it work? (2026)
What is Iowa’s legislative ‘funnel’ and how does it work? (2026)
The Iowa Legislature’s first “funnel” deadline is finished — and so are hundreds of proposed bills that failed to make the cut.
3 surprising bills that survived funnel — and 1 that didn’t
Republican bills placing new restrictions on local libraries, public assistance programs and local civil rights ordinances survived the self-imposed legislative deadline.
But a measure to ban all abortions and make it a crime for doctors to perform the procedure did not.
What the heck is ‘funnel,’ anyway?
Friday, Feb. 20, was the Iowa Legislature’s first funnel deadline, which requires most bills to pass a full committee in order to remain eligible for consideration this year.
Tax and spending bills are exempt, which gives lawmakers more time to find agreement on a trio of property tax cut proposals from House and Senate Republicans and Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Want to read more? Read it here
Want a more complete list of bills that lived and died? Read our complete roundup of education, health care, business, state government and law enforcement and courts legislation.
Portions of this article appeared in the Des Moines Register’s politics newsletter. Don’t miss out. Sign up here.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.
Iowa State wrestling closed out its dual season with a 20-14 victory over No. 14 Missouri on Feb. 22 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
The fourth-ranked Cyclones (12-2, 8-1 Big 12) won six of 10 bouts against the Tigers (12-8, 5-3) and now will prepare for the Big 12 Championships, scheduled for March 6-7 in Tulsa, Okla.
Eight Cyclones were recognized following the dual during senior-day festivities — Yonger Bastida, Rocky Elam, Vinny Zerban, Stevo Poulin, Isaac Dean, Manny Rojas, Rowan Udell and Xavier Bruening.
Elam, Bastida, Poulin and Zerban accounted for four of the Cyclones’ six wins on Sunday.
Top-ranked heavyweight and lineup mainstay Yonger Bastida closed out his last match in Hilton Coliseum with a 22-6 tech fall in 5:43. Bastida tallied seven takedowns, pushing his season total to 102, as he secured his nation-leading 13th tech fall.
- 197: No. 2 Rocky Elam (ISU) dec. No. 13 Evan Bates (MIZ), 7-3
- 285: No. 1 Yonger Bastida (ISU) TF Sampson Stillwell (MIZ), 22-6 (5:43)
- 125: No. 10 Stevo Poulin (ISU) dec. No. 30 Mack Mauger (MIZ), 9-4
- 133: Garrett Grice (ISU) dec. No. 28 Gage Walker (MIZ), 7-3
- 141: No. 3 Anthony Echemendia (ISU) dec. Easton Hilton (MIZ), 3-2
- 149: Seth Mendoza (MIZ) dec. No. 10 Jacob Frost (ISU), 8-2
- 157: No. 7 Vinny Zerban (ISU) dec. No. 15 Teague Travis (MIZ), 5-3
- 165: Max Mayfield (MIZ) dec. No. 14 Connor Euton (ISU), 8-6
- 174: No. 9 Cam Steed (MIZ) dec. No. 12 MJ Gaitan (ISU), 4-3
- 184: No. 3 Aeoden Sinclair (MIZ) TF Jacob Helgeson (ISU), 21-5 (2:56)
Iowa State sports information contributed to this report.
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