Fifth-ranked Iowa looks for season sweep at Northwestern on Sunday
Iowa has won four games in a row, while Northwestern has lost four straight
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Remember that feel-good Northwestern story?
You know, the one where the Wildcats start a surprising 3-0 in conference play and show signs of possibly being a Big Ten contender following a season in which they had finished 3-17 in the Big Ten?
It was a great story, one that inspired.
But sadly, for Northwestern fans, the plot has changed.
Northwestern is mired in a four-game losing streak and there hasn’t been much to feel good about lately.
And the team that started Northwestern on its current tailspin is up next on the schedule as fifth-ranked Iowa (11-2, 5-1) will look for a season sweep on Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.
Iowa defeated Northwestern 87-72 on Dec. 29 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
For Iowa, it was the start of a four-game winning streak, while for Northwestern, it was the start of a four-game losing streak.
Momentum is wonderful when it’s on your side, and right now, Iowa has it and Northwestern doesn’t.
Iowa is proving to be a serious contender for the Big Ten regular-season title, something it hasn’t won since the 1978-79 season, while Northwestern is descending, and showing signs that it’s successful start in conference play might have been a fluke, or at least, misleading.
The Wildcats (6-5, 3-4) are struggling to defeat ranked opponents, and that’s a problem in the Big Ten where more than half of the 14 teams are currently ranked.
Each of Northwestern’s four losses have come against ranked opponents, and Sunday’s game will be the seventh time in eight games the Wildcats will be playing a ranked foe, including six straight.
That’s just life in the Big Ten this season.
But on the other hand, Northwestern has shown what it can do when it plays well and deserves Iowa’s full respect and attention.
And while this could be Iowa’s best chance of winning the Big Ten regular-season title in years, if not decades, a lot can happen, good and bad, over the course of 14 games.
And then, of course, the COVID-19 global pandemic still is raging and forcing games to be canceled, including Iowa’s game against Michigan State, which was scheduled for this past Thursday.
On Thursday, the Big Ten changed the time of Sunday’s Iowa-Northwestern game in Evanston, Ill., from 8 p.m. to 11 a.m. The game was moved to CBS to replace the scheduled Indiana-Michigan State game in that network’s time slot.
“We obviously appreciate the opportunity to be on CBS,” said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery.
The Big Ten race is starting to reveal itself with Michigan and Iowa separating from the pack just a little.
But it’s still way too early to make any assumptions, or to crown any champions.
Iowa just needs to take care of business on Sunday.
A win would be Iowa’s third on the road in the Big Ten this season after having finished 2-7 in Big Ten road games last season.
A win would help Iowa keep pace with Michigan, and would continue to build momentum.

Iowa showed its depth in the first game against Northwestern as All-America senior center Luka Garza had his streak of scoring at least 20 points against Big Ten opponents snapped at 18 games.
But it didn’t matter as senior guard Jordan Bohannon equaled a season-high with 24 points and made six 3-point baskets.
Garza finished with 18 points in the first game against Northwestern, while sophomore guard C.J. Fredrick scored 17 points.
This season’s first meeting marked the first time in the 180-game
series history that Iowa and Northwestern played with both
teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Iowa was ranked 10th in the first game, while Northwestern was ranked 19th.
Garza has passed ten former players (Dean Oliver, Adam Haluska, Jess Settles, Matt Gatens, Ronnie Lester, Devyn Marble, B.J. Armstrong, Greg Stokes, Acie Earl, and Aaron White) on Iowa’s all-time scoring list this season. Only one player in program history has scored more points than Garza (Roy Marble).
Iowa vs. Northwestern
When: Sunday, 11:02 a.m.
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.
TV: CBS
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network
All-time series: Iowa holds a 120-60 advantage over Northwestern in the series. The Hawkeyes have won
12 of the last 15 meetings, including five straight.
Iowa holds a 48-41 edge in games played in Evanston. The two teams have split the
last four meetings in Evanston, dating back to 2015. The Hawkeyes have won the last two
contests in Welsh-Ryan Arena, including a 75-62 triumph a year ago on Jan. 14, 2020.