Hawkeye Hoops Figuring It Out

Iowa Basketball Sharp in Monday's Win at Minnesota

By no means is Iowa Basketball on easy street. That said, the Hawkeyes finally are on the right track. 

After dropping their first three Big Ten games, they've bounced back with three conference victories. The latest triumph came Monday night at rival Minnesota, 86-77.

An Iowa outfit that looked disconnected a month ago has hooked up. That chemistry shined through Monday with 23 assists on 35 field goals. The performance passed the eye test on both ends of the court. 

The Hawkeyes look like they're on the same page and playing for each other. Guys are moving better without the ball and their teammates are finding them. The fast-break is clicking. 

Again, it's not all sunshine and roses. We're still witnessing valleys. That happened Monday when Iowa fell behind 10-1. It was loose with the basketball, committing careless turnovers and crumbling in front of Gopher pressure. 

A month ago, Tony Soprano would have said "Fuhgeddaboudit." However, a team that took its lumps earlier this season displayed progress in settling down. After turning the ball over four times in Monday's first two minutes, they gave it up just seven times the rest of the way. 

Five guys that weren't on the roster last season now are in the rotation. The returning players all are in new roles from a year ago. Gelling can take time as roles are defined. 

Tony Perkins and Owen Freeman figuring out what was needed from them has keyed the recent surge. The former, a senior guard, has grown in running the point. The latter, an athletic freshman post, entered the starting lineup and became a go-to-guy with a relentlessness that's infectious. 

They performed well Monday despite foul trouble limiting Freeman to 17 minutes. He and Perkins combined for 25 points on 11 of 15 shooting from the floor with 11 rebounds and six assists against just two turnovers. 

The Hawkeyes have received their most consistent play from Valparaiso transfer Ben Krikke. He was dealing again Monday, scoring a game-high 25 points to go with five boards and three dimes. 

And then there's the emergence of sophomore combo guard Josh Dix. The Council Bluffs product dropped a career-high 16 points on Nebraska Friday night. He topped that Monday with 21. 

Dix does more than score as evidenced by his five assists and four rebounds against Minnesota. He also defends. 

Perkins and Dix handling the ball for the starting five allows backup guards Dasonte Bowen, a sophomore, and freshman Brock Harding to share those duties on the second unit. It takes pressure off of them as they develop. 

It nice watching the Hawkeyes win a road game with senior starter Patrick McCaffery (ankle) sitting out and junior sharp-shooter Payton Sandfort experiencing an off night. That's encouraging. 

The team evolving pleases veteran coach Fran McCaffery, who won his 272nd game at Iowa on Monday, a new program record. He would want that achievement being mentioned 500 words into this column and not making it the focus. 

The guy who rebuilt Iowa into a consistent winner took satisfaction in how the squad has performed of late. Monday's show proved to be its best yet. 

The Hawkeyes have given themselves a chance for a fifth NCAA tournament bid in a row, which would match a program record (1985-89). Next up is Saturday's shot at second-ranked Purdue in a matinee at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

Two of Iowa's three conference losses occurred at Purdue and at No. 11 Wisconsin. That's added perspective on its standing in a league marked by parity. 

Iowa is the Undertaker meme after defeating the Gophers. Let's see what it can do now that it's back up on its feet.