It’s always nice to spread a little optimism. Here lately, the Iowa Hawkeyes (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) have started to spread some of that precious serotonin to the fan base with back-to-back Big Ten wins after an 0-3 start.
Iowa rallied back for a historic comeback against Indiana, erasing a 21-point deficit for a 91-89 win over the then-No. 19 Hoosiers. Kris Murray and Filip Rebraca each had double-doubles against Indiana.
Murray went off for 30 points and 10 boards, while Rebraca added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Connor McCaffery, Payton Sandfort and Tony Perkins all added double-figure scoring against the Hoosiers, scoring 16, 11 and 10, respectively.
Then, the Hawkeyes followed that thriller up with a nice road win over Rutgers. Payton Sandfort finally had a breakout performance, delighting Iowa fans. The 6-foot-7, 215 pound sophomore guard connected on 4-of-5 3-point tries and scored a game-high 22 points.
With the pair of wins, suddenly Iowa is on the mend nationally. CBS Sports writer Kyle Boone included the Hawkeyes as one of seven teams that have struggled so far, but could be about to get hot with a conference-play surge.
Maybe I’m on an island here but I just can’t quit the Hawkeyes. Kris Murray is a superstar. Filip Rebraca and Tony Perkins wildly underrated. And Payton Sandford’s 22-point explosion vs. Rutgers over the weekend suggests he’s on the upswing. I like Iowa’s prospects moving forward even if the first few months have been inconsistent. With three upcoming home games they could very easily jump to 5-3 in the conference and back into the mix as a legit tourney team. – Boone, CBS Sports.
Boone projects Iowa to finish with a record of 20-11. That would likely be a “safely in” NCAA Tournament résumé.
Per Boone, Iowa was included alongside Creighton, Illinois, North Carolina, Duke, Texas Southern and Saint Mary’s as teams that have started slow but will heat up.
Iowa returns to play versus Michigan on Thursday at 6 p.m. CT inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Then, it’s successive home dates against Maryland on Sunday and Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.
Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF
Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Basketball | Hawkeyes Wire…