Iowa Basketball Looks Disconnected

Breaking news: Injury update as a player lost two of his legs during the tr….

Hawkeyes Sideways in Blowout Losses at Purdue, Iowa State This Week

IOWA CITY, Iowa – When Iowa Basketball is playing well, coach Fran McCaffery often points to the players being connected on the court. Right now, the Hawkeyes appear terribly disconnected on both ends of the court.

There is too much talent on the roster to look as bad as they have in blowout losses at Purdue and Iowa State this week. It’s one thing to be defeated as an underdog in two of the toughest road environments they’ll play in this season. It’s another to look so lost as a team.

McCaffery’s squads succeed when the whole is better than the sum of their parts. That’s because the guys play well together. This week, they’re five pieces moving independently of each other.

A learning curve could be expected in 2023-24 with half of the 10-man rotation being new to the roster. Iowa also was replacing its top two scores from a season ago in Kris Murray, an NBA first-rounder, and Filip Rebraca. Under-appreciated captain Connor McCaffery also exhausted his eligibility.

Those are factors in what we’re seeing, not excuses. There’s no excuse for what we saw the last two games. And not matching your opponents’ intensity and effort is inexcusable.

If you’re a Hawkeye, you’re hoping this is rock bottom. Two thirds of the season remains. Grow from these experiences. There’s time.

That starts Sunday against Michigan at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A win is needed to avoid an 0-2 Big Ten start with the next conference game not until Jan. 2 against No. 23 Wisconsin in Madison. The Hawkeyes are 2-6 in their last eight trips to the Kohl Center.

The Wolverines are 4-5 with a home loss to Long Beach State. They’re 54th in Friday morning’s Ken Pom rankings, six spots behind Iowa.