Iowa basketball: Hawks have tough draw in 2019-2020 Big Ten Conference schedule

The Big Ten announced conference games for next year, and the Iowa basketball team drew a considerably tough slate of games for the 2019-2020 season.

Yesterday afternoon the Big Ten released each school’s 20 conference matchups for the season, and after reviewing the slate that the Iowa basketball team received, it’s not going to be an easy one.

Each Big Ten school gets seven home and away contests and three solo home games and three solo away games. What I would have liked to see is some of the “weaker” teams in the Big Ten being given two games versus the Iowa basketball team and more favorable home and away matchups.

Instead, we got a mixed bag.

Here are the games according to the Big Ten.

"Home: Ohio State, Rutgers, WisconsinAway: Indiana, Michigan State, NorthwesternHome/Away: Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue"

Not having to go to the Kohl Center is a big win for an Iowa basketball program that has beaten the Badgers just twice in Madison this century. Rutgers is an up and coming team that gives Iowa fits, but they aren’t scary enough to only want to face once, and Ohio State is a middle of the pack team without Kaleb Wesson, who declared for the NBA Draft.

Going on the road to Indiana and Michigan State, even without a few of their players who declared (specifically Romeo Langford at Indiana) is incredibly difficult. Both venues are two of the toughest road venues to play at in the country, and the Iowa basketball team’s records there prove it. The Hawkeyes are just 6-10 at Indiana, 1-14 against Michigan State, and 5-10 at Northwestern this century.

The Home/Away matchups are middling at best. Illinois has plenty of talent but is still young. Maryland is possibly losing Bruno Fernando and Anthony Cowan but returns five-star forward Jalen Smith. Michigan is always tough and is restocking with two top-100 players. Minnesota is fresh off an NCAA Tournament appearance and is always competitive against Iowa. Nebraska will likely struggle in their first year unless Fred Hoiberg pulls an Iowa State and brings in a bunch of transfers. Penn State meanwhile will be down in the dumps if Lamar Stevens leaves, but the Iowa basketball team always struggles in State College, Pennsylvania. That leaves us with Purdue who showed us this season, they can never be counted out.

What does this mean for an Iowa basketball team that has high hopes heading into the 2019-2020 season?

Well, it means the road will not be easy and with their tougher non-conference schedule, the Iowa basketball team is going to be battle tested next season.

If they can survive their tough slate of games though, this team will be ready to make a run in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.