Iowa

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

Published

7 months 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

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Iowa

Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren joins growing 2nd District GOP field

Published

3 days ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren joins growing 2nd District GOP field

Iowa Rep. Shannon Lundgren, R-Peosta, announced her run for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District Tuesday, joining a growing field of Republicans aiming to take the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson. In a social media post Tuesday morning, Lundgren announced her U.S. House campaign, kicking off by stating her early support for President Donald […]

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Iowa

Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson launches campaign for U.S. Senate

Published

2 weeks ago

September 14, 2025

Press Room

Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson launches campaign for U.S. Senate

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson officially launched her campaign for U.S. Senate at the Radisson Hotel in Cedar Rapids on Sunday.

“In the Senate, I will fight to make America look more like Iowa,” Hinson said. “Here, we know the difference between boys and girls. We know that families deserve to keep more of what they earn, and we know the people, not the government, always come first,” she said.

Right now, Ashley Hinson represents northeast Iowa’s 2nd District in Congress.

She’s running to replace Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who announced earlier this month she would not run for re-election.

“Ashley Hinson gives me hope. Someone that I know fights for me. Someone that has my back. And somebody that will have your back,” the Jones County Sheriff, Greg Graveler said about Hinson.

Hinson told Sunday’s crowd she wants to keep deporting illegal immigrants, cut taxes, and defend farmers in agriculture.

She also addressed Democrats who she said may consider her an extremist.

“If it’s extreme to want parents in charge of our kids’ education, if it’s extreme to want safe borders and safe streets, if it’s extreme to believe that there are only two genders, then they can go ahead and call me whatever they want,” Hinson said.

While Hinson will face plenty of competition for the Senate spot from other Republicans and Democrats, she said she’s confident in her campaign.

“We can only deliver on these critical wins, and make America safer and stronger for a generation to come if we win this seat. Or correction – when we win this seat,” Hinson said.

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