- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 365,782
- Reaction score
- 43
Iowa's run in the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament came to a close on Thursday night as the 15th-seeded Hawkeyes fell to No. 7 seed and 25th-ranked Illinois, 106-94, in the second round.
Iowa shot 54.9% from the field and 45.8% from 3-point range, but the Hawkeyes couldn't find consistent answers on the defensive end. Illinois (21-11, 12-8 Big Ten) scored 49 and 57 points in the two halves on 53.8% shooting and 46.2% marksmanship from beyond the 3-point line.
The Illini knocked down 12 shots from beyond the arc en route to their second win over the Hawkeyes this season. As Iowa (17-16, 7-13 Big Ten) bows out of the Big Ten Tournament, here's some takeaways.
Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort put together a magical performance, scoring 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including 8-of-13 from 3-point range.
As Sandfort exited with just 1:01 remaining and Iowa trailing 106-90, the emotions poured out of the Hawkeye senior as he made his way to the bench. Sandfort certainly looked like someone that knew it was his final moment wearing the black and gold.
"It’s the greatest honor of my life to be able to represent the Black and Gold. And that’s why I gave it everything I did every day. The chance to play for coach and the chance to play with so many great Hawkeyes. It’s the honor of my lifetime. I wish I could repay this place as much as it gave to me. But I gave it everything I had," Sandfort said afterwards.
Sandfort has been a consummate Hawkeye. If this was final act at Iowa, what a way to go out.
Junior guard Josh Dix scored 21 points on a 10-for-17 shooting night. Graduate guard Drew Thelwell added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and sophomore forward Pryce Sandfort finished in double figures with 11 points.
Similar to so many other instances, Iowa just couldn't get consistent defensive stops or slow down the Illini from beyond the arc. Illinois connected on a dozen 3-pointers and rarely faced much resistance from Iowa's defense.
Meanwhile, the Illini dominated the battle on the boards, 41-24. Illinois had 14 offensive rebounds to Iowa's seven and the Illini turned that into 17 second chance points.
With Iowa down 69-60 to Illinois with 13:33 left to play, Iowa head men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery received double technical fouls and was ejected. Those four free throws allowed Illinois to expand their lead to double figures and the Illini never looked back from there.
If this was McCaffery's final game at Iowa, it was stereotypically fitting with his ejection and the defensive shortcomings preventing an excellent offensive night from guiding Iowa into the win column.
With the way the regular season unfolded, Iowa needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to punch a ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
That's now out of the picture. What does it mean for the Hawkeyes? What does it mean for coach McCaffery's future? Is Iowa committed to McCaffery sticking around for season No. 16?
If the answer is yes to that final question, then maybe Iowa accepts a postseason invite to the College Basketball Crown or the National Invitation Tournament. But, if Iowa is moving on from McCaffery, it might make the most sense for the season to be over for the Hawkeyes.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways as Illinois bounces Iowa basketball from Big Ten Tournament
Continue reading...
Iowa shot 54.9% from the field and 45.8% from 3-point range, but the Hawkeyes couldn't find consistent answers on the defensive end. Illinois (21-11, 12-8 Big Ten) scored 49 and 57 points in the two halves on 53.8% shooting and 46.2% marksmanship from beyond the 3-point line.
The Illini knocked down 12 shots from beyond the arc en route to their second win over the Hawkeyes this season. As Iowa (17-16, 7-13 Big Ten) bows out of the Big Ten Tournament, here's some takeaways.
Payton Sandfort authored a magical performance
You must be registered for see images
Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort put together a magical performance, scoring 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including 8-of-13 from 3-point range.
As Sandfort exited with just 1:01 remaining and Iowa trailing 106-90, the emotions poured out of the Hawkeye senior as he made his way to the bench. Sandfort certainly looked like someone that knew it was his final moment wearing the black and gold.
"It’s the greatest honor of my life to be able to represent the Black and Gold. And that’s why I gave it everything I did every day. The chance to play for coach and the chance to play with so many great Hawkeyes. It’s the honor of my lifetime. I wish I could repay this place as much as it gave to me. But I gave it everything I had," Sandfort said afterwards.
Sandfort has been a consummate Hawkeye. If this was final act at Iowa, what a way to go out.
Josh Dix, Pryce Sandfort and Drew Thelwell had nice offensive nights
You must be registered for see images attach
Junior guard Josh Dix scored 21 points on a 10-for-17 shooting night. Graduate guard Drew Thelwell added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and sophomore forward Pryce Sandfort finished in double figures with 11 points.
Defensive lapses, rebounding were the downfall once more
You must be registered for see images attach
Similar to so many other instances, Iowa just couldn't get consistent defensive stops or slow down the Illini from beyond the arc. Illinois connected on a dozen 3-pointers and rarely faced much resistance from Iowa's defense.
Meanwhile, the Illini dominated the battle on the boards, 41-24. Illinois had 14 offensive rebounds to Iowa's seven and the Illini turned that into 17 second chance points.
Fran McCaffery was ejected
You must be registered for see images
With Iowa down 69-60 to Illinois with 13:33 left to play, Iowa head men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery received double technical fouls and was ejected. Those four free throws allowed Illinois to expand their lead to double figures and the Illini never looked back from there.
If this was McCaffery's final game at Iowa, it was stereotypically fitting with his ejection and the defensive shortcomings preventing an excellent offensive night from guiding Iowa into the win column.
Is the Iowa basketball season over?
You must be registered for see images
With the way the regular season unfolded, Iowa needed to win the Big Ten Tournament to punch a ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
That's now out of the picture. What does it mean for the Hawkeyes? What does it mean for coach McCaffery's future? Is Iowa committed to McCaffery sticking around for season No. 16?
If the answer is yes to that final question, then maybe Iowa accepts a postseason invite to the College Basketball Crown or the National Invitation Tournament. But, if Iowa is moving on from McCaffery, it might make the most sense for the season to be over for the Hawkeyes.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Takeaways as Illinois bounces Iowa basketball from Big Ten Tournament
Continue reading...
