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Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss to Iowa

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Five takeaways from IU basketball’s loss to Iowa


IU basketball lost its third straight game, falling 74-57 on Saturday afternoon to Iowa at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Hawkeyes:

Indiana’s second-half woes continue in third straight loss

For a third consecutive game, Indiana was outscored in the second half.

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While Saturday’s final 20 minutes weren’t as bad as performances against Nebraska or Michigan State, it’s a concerning trend that the Hoosiers can’t finish games strong.

In his postgame press conference, Darian DeVries mentioned fatigue as a possible reason for IU faltering down the stretch.

“It’s been pretty similar, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get a little more rest probably for those guys,” DeVries said. “As we get into the middle of the second half, there’s 10, 12 minutes to go — and it’s been consistent the last three games — we look fatigued. That’s where some of that maybe sloppiness and the turnovers, and that’s where you start to see some of that showing up.”

If fatigue is an issue, that problem doesn’t appear fixable with this roster. Indiana’s depth is limited, as the Hoosiers play only eight players.

Whether it was recruiting misses in the portal or an inability to get anything out of the players deeper on the bench, the Hoosiers have five scholarship players who have been invisible this season.

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Indiana’s defense continues its regression in Big Ten play

Early in the season, the Hoosiers were ranked in the top 20 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency.

That lofty ranking now feels like a distant memory.

After surrendering 1.29 points per possession in Saturday’s loss against Iowa, Indiana is now allowing 1.147 points per possession in conference play.

That number ranks 10th in the league and the Hoosiers haven’t even hit their toughest stretch of the league schedule. Thus far, IU has played the 13th-toughest schedule in league games, per KenPom.

Overall, the Hoosiers rank just inside the top 60 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency.

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Indiana has now given up over 1.24 points per possession in three straight games and in four of its last five.

Struggles continue for Tucker DeVries

Tucker DeVries, a two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year at Drake, was expected to be one of the top forwards in the Big Ten.

DeVries, however, has struggled to find the shooting stroke that has led him to scoring more than 2,000 career points between stops at Drake, West Virginia and now Indiana.

In Saturday’s loss to Iowa, DeVries failed to reach double figures in scoring for the fourth time in five games.

He was just 2-for-9 from the field and finished with seven points in 33 minutes. Through seven Big Ten games, DeVries is 12-for-47 on 3-pointers, which is just 25.5 percent.

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“He’s certainly in one of those shooting slumps that everybody goes through at some point in time, but for him, has been an extended one here for a good chunk of time,” Darian DeVries said. “He’s certainly been putting in the work in our practices and stuff. He’s shooting the heck out of it.

“It’s just one of those things. He’s just got to get it going and got to continue to find those better looks and opportunities that we can get him free a little bit more.”

Indiana can’t stop fouling in Big Ten play

Iowa, a team that isn’t built to get to the free-throw line, got there 23 times on Saturday in its 17-point win against the Hoosiers.

The Hawkeyes posted a free-throw rate (FTA/FGA) of 50 percent on Saturday.

Iowa capitalized on the opportunities the stripe, finishing 21-for-23.

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Indiana now ranks 16th in the league in opponent free-throw rate in conference games at 40 percent.

In five of IU’s six losses this season, the Hoosiers have allowed an opponent free-throw rate of more than 45 percent.

The Hoosiers had no answer for Bennett Stirtz

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, who is showing up as a potential lottery pick in next June’s NBA draft, showed off his well-rounded game on Saturday afternoon.

Stirtz, who began his career at Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school, followed Ben McCollum to Drake last season and established himself as one of the nation’s best mid-major guards.

This season, Stritz is proving himself to be one of the best guards in the country.

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On Saturday, he controlled the game offensively, finishing with 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and a 10-for-11 mark from the free-throw line.

Stirtz also dished out five assists in 38 minutes.

“He was terrific. He’s so good in two-man game actions, and you’re going to see it over and over and over again,” Darian DeVries said. “He just plays until he gets an advantage, either for himself or for a teammate. They do a great job of that. He’s so crafty and smart at being able to take advantage of those and then creating and drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. He certainly was really good tonight.”

(Photo credit: IU Athletics)

See More: Five Takeaways, Iowa Hawkeyes

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Iowa City police seek help identifying persons of interest in vandalism investigation

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Iowa City police seek help identifying persons of interest in vandalism investigation


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation.

Police said a business was vandalized in the alley behind the 200 block of East Washington Street on Sunday at 2:35 a.m.

Investigators would like to speak with the persons of interest pictured. Police ask anyone who recognizes these individuals to contact them.

Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation. (KCRG)

Anyone with information or security camera footage of the incident should contact the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5275. Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

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Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.



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The ‘What Ifs’ of 2025-26 for Iowa State athletics | Hines

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The ‘What Ifs’ of 2025-26 for Iowa State athletics | Hines


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Spring commencement arrives at Iowa State this weekend, with a whole new generation of Cyclones set to get their diplomas and move on to the next things in their lives. 

The options and choices will set their path for, potentially, the years and decades ahead. 

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Which got me thinking about the choices and circumstances of this school year that came for Iowa State athletics. There were no shortages of inflection points at which, it seems, programs and an entire athletics department pivoted to new directions. 

Let’s explore. 

What if Iowa State had hired Taylor Mouser as head football coach? 

This seems to be the most discussed “Sliding Doors” moment for Iowa State football fans regarding head coach Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State. And with good reason. It’s the most obvious, could have had the most immediate impact on the program and would have been largely seen as a continuation of the most successful run in school history. 

Would promoting the Iowa State offensive coordinator, though, have been the right move? 

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If you assume a best-case scenario in which some of the star Cyclone players on offense – think Rocco Becht, Ben Brahmer, Carson Hansen, etc. – stay at Iowa State and a bulk of the coaching staff does as well, there are still likely defections that weaken the roster. Nothing like we saw back in December, but, still, there would be holes – and Campbell’s shoes – to fill by a first-time head coach taking over for a legend. 

The calculation, as I see it, has to be – does the Year 1 continuity and relative stability gained by hiring Mouser provide for better long-term results than hiring Jimmy Rogers, who has the benefit of head-coaching experience? 

It certainly would have made the fan base feel better back in December, but would it have positioned Iowa State to have better results in 2027 and beyond? 

The roster almost certainly would have been “better” in 2026 if Iowa State retained Mouser, but would that have created a more solid foundation for the future or just delayed decay? 

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This “What If” becomes a lot less intricate and interesting if Rogers just wins a ton this fall and going forward. 

What if Penn State had been able to hire Kalani Sitake as its football coach? 

I think this is the most interesting question on the list. 

By reports, Penn State was on the verge of hiring Sitake from BYU when the Cougars’ boosters – led by the Crumbl Cookie fortune – banded together to put together a financial package to keep Sitake in Provo. 

What if they hadn’t, though? 

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Sitake goes to Penn State, and Dec. 5, 2025, is an uneventful day in Iowa State history rather than one of its most feverish. 

But … what happens a few weeks later when Sherrone Moore is fired at Michigan? 

Rather than plucking 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham from Utah/forced retirement, do the Wolverines try to make a Michigan Man out of an Ohioan? Does Campbell inherit the seat of Bo Schembechler? 

And, for the sake of this thought exercise, if Campbell did move to Ann Arbor, does the timing of that decision change athletics director Jamie Pollard’s options and calculus about Iowa State’s opening? Is Jimmy Rogers still available? Or would he have taken a different opening or opted not to leave Pullman at that later date? Is Mouser the answer in this scenario? 

Or is the Buckeye State distaste for the state Up North too much and Campbell returns for Year 11 at Iowa State? 

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Addy Brown on what went wrong in Iowa State’s loss to Syracuse

Iowa State’s Addy Brown talks about her team’s struggles in a loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.

What if Addy Brown doesn’t get hurt? 

Iowa State women’s basketball was 14-0 on Jan. 4 when it played Baylor in Waco, and the season felt sure to realize the potential that was clear before it started with one of coach Bill Fennelly’s best rosters. 

The Cyclones, though, returned home with their first loss and with Addy Brown sidelined with a back injury. 

Four more losses in a row followed, and when Brown returned to the floor after six weeks, the Cyclones’ season was floundering. 

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They salvaged an NCAA Tournament bid, but a first-round exit gave way to a roster collapse with nine players – including Brown and superstar Audi Crooks – leaving via the transfer portal, putting Fennelly’s tenure and future under fire. 

If Brown doesn’t get hurt – or just isn’t out as long – does that change the trajectory of the season? The offseason? And what the eventual end of Fennelly’s Iowa State career looks like? 

What if Joshua Jefferson doesn’t roll his ankle? 

The most recent “What If” I think is also the most straightforward. 

If Jefferson’s ankle doesn’t roll in the early minutes of Iowa State’s first-round NCAA Tournament blowout win over Tennessee State, I think the Cyclones get a long second weekend in Chicago, but the Final Four drought probably remains intact. 

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Jefferson’s rebounding and offensive impact are, I think, enough to give the Cyclones the edge against Tennessee, but Michigan, the Cyclones’ would-be Elite Eight opponent, was just a juggernaut.

I’m not sure even a full-strength Iowa State team would have had more than a puncher’s chance. The Wolverines were just one of the best college basketball teams we’ve seen over the last few decades. 

Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.



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Top Iowa High School Football Prospect Makes His Decision

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Top Iowa High School Football Prospect Makes His Decision


One of the top Iowa high school football prospects in the state has made his college decision official.

Iowa City Regina High School senior-to-be Tate Wallace has announced he has verbally committed to the University of Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference. Wallace picked the Golden Gophers and head coach PJ Fleck over a finalists Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State and Wisconsin.

Wallace narrowed down his list of schools to six at the end of April before making his final decision.

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Iowa City Regina Football Standout Tate Wallace Ranked As No. 2 Overall Prospect In Iowa High School Football

The 6-foot-2, 226-pound linebacker is considered the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Iowa for high school football, and is the No. 21 linebacker in the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports.

In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Wallace is No. 2 in Iowa high school football, No. 29 at linebacker and No. 359 for the Class of 2027.

Along With Minnesota, Tate Wallace Currently Holds Offers From Schools Such As Arizona, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Iowa State

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Wallace currently holds 16 total offers including from the previously mentioned Minnesota, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kansas State, Purdue, Tennessee, West Virginia, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, UNLV, North Dakota and North Dakota State.

As a junior, Wallace registered almost 50 tackles on defense, with 29 of them being counted as solo stops. He had 18 tackles for loss, 8.5 quarterback sacks and forced two fumbles, as Iowa City Regina advanced to the state championship game of the Iowa High School Athletic Association State Football Championships.

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Future Minnesota Golden Gopher Has Been Key Two-Way Starter For Regals

Wallace also hauled in 40 passes for 611 yards with 10 receiving touchdowns on offense for the Regals. As a two-way player for Iowa City Regina during his sophomore season, Wallace had 27.5 tackles, including 16 solo stops, four tackles for loss and a quarterback sack, adding 51 receptions for 752 yards and eight touchdowns.

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Back in March, Wallace announced seven spring visits to Notre Dame, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona, Kansas State and Arizona State. He also visited Tennessee this past fall, taking in an SEC contest with the Volunteers.

Along with his success on the football field, Wallace helped lead the Regals to the Iowa High School Athletic Association Boys State Basketball Tournament this past winter. He earned High School on SI all-state honors in the process.

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