Iowa Finally Earns First Quad 1 Win

ESPN Analytics didn't like Iowa's chances away from home, but whatever McCollum said to the team regarding their three-game losing streak was more than enough to get the job done.

The broadcast kept mentioning it was McCollum's first three-game skid since 2013, which doesn't even seem real. Iowa's head coach hadn't lost three straight games in 13 years, but that's the harsh reality of competing in the B1G.

Regardless, he put that behind him as the likes of Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks combined for 53 of the team's 74 points. In the end, they came out on top, 74-57.

Iowa's Favorable Schedule

Even if some of their next opponents wouldn't give them a Quad 1 win, the Hoosiers were a step in the right direction. Iowa finally got over that hump, and now they get to enjoy six straight unranked opponents.

Arguably, their toughest stretch is Feb. 1-4 when they'll be on the west coast at Oregon and Washington. Neither team's record is that great, but that's still a ton of traveling and we all know how well Iowa has played away from home.

Iowa is still 5-3 in their last eight and has a chance to really gain momentum ahead of their rematch with Purdue. Feb. 14-17 could be a huge breaking point in their season as they're set to host No. 5 Purdue and No. 8 Nebraska, two games that would be massive home wins to get them back into the Top 25.

For now, Iowa has to focus on stringing together wins and keeping their tournament hopes alive. The goal this year was to make the tournament, and it would take a catastrophic collapse in order for that not to happen.