Indiana men’s basketball has lost consecutive games for the second time this season. After suffering its first defeat of the season to Minnesota on Dec. 3, the Hoosiers lost again three days later to the then-No. 6 University of Louisville.
The Cream and Crimson’s third loss of the season came a week later in the first matchup of their renewed rivalry with the University of Kentucky. But in its next four games, none of the Hoosiers’ opponents kept the deficit within single digits.
However, Indiana’s three-game Big Ten winning streak was upended as then-No. 10 Nebraska stormed back from a 16-point second-half deficit to defeat the Hoosiers and remain undefeated. Three days later, the Cream and Crimson lost again as No. 12 Michigan State went on a 28-2 run in the second half to complete its dominant victory.
Against Michigan State, fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson — who leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game — led Indiana with 19 points, ending a streak of five straight games with 20 or more. Wilkerson was the only Hoosier in double digits, as redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries scored only nine points while shooting 3-for-10 from the field.
DeVries’ performance against the Spartans was emblematic of his struggles in Big Ten play. In four of Indiana’s six conference games, DeVries has been held to single digit scoring, marking over a month since he reached 20 points in a game.
Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway has also taken a step back in the Hoosiers’ last two games. In each of Indiana’s first four conference matchups, Conerway posted 17 or more points. But against Nebraska and Michigan State, he scored three and five points, respectively.
Amid the slump, the Cream and Crimson are set to take on Iowa, the No. 23 ranked team in the coaches poll.
Ben McCollum and Darian DeVries
The Hawkeye’s are led by head coach Ben McCollum, who — like Indiana head coach Darian DeVries — is in his first season at the helm. McCollum is a four-time NCAA Division II national championship winning coach at Northwest Missouri State University, where he played from 2001-2003.
McCollum and DeVries also share a history at Drake University. DeVries coached the Bulldogs from 2018-2024 before leaving for West Virginia University. Upon his departure, McCollum was hired to replace him.
In his lone season at Drake, McCollum guided the Bulldogs to a school-record 31 victories. After being eliminated in the NCAA Tournament round of 32, McCollum departed for Iowa, joining DeVries — and fellow former Drake head coach Niko Medved — in accepting Big Ten head coaching jobs.
The Hawkeyes
Iowa (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) has had an up-and-down season. Like Indiana, the Hawkeyes’ eighth game of the season marked their first loss — a 19-point defeat to Michigan State. Both the Hoosiers and the Hawkeyes have lost to every ranked opponent they’ve played. Iowa has losses to No. 12 Michigan State, No. 2 Iowa State University, No. 13 Illinois and No. 5 Purdue.
However, the Hawkeyes have been within seven points of each ranked opponent since being blown out by the Spartans. Senior guard Bennett Stirtz — a transfer from Drake who followed McCollum — is the lone Hawkeye in double figures, averaging 17.7 points per game. Stirtz’s 39 3-point makes on the season rank ninth in the Big Ten, as he knocks down 37.9% of his shots from beyond the arc.
Junior forward Cam Manyawu leads Iowa with 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field. Behind Stirtz, senior guard/forward Tavion Banks averages 9.6 points per game, and junior forward Alvaro Folgueiras scores 8.7 points per contest off the bench.
Iowa began the season 12-2, but enters the matchup with Indiana on a three-game losing streak. Both teams will look to halt their slides down the conference standings as the Hoosiers host the Hawkeyes at 2 p.m. Saturday inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Coverage will be available on FOX.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
