THAT is the signature win Hawkeye hoops fans have been waiting for!
Ben McCollum has been extremely active in the community and has consistently emphasized that the program needs fan support to succeed.
Build it, and they will come!
All McCollum does is win, and Iowa's struggling defense and lack of any semblance of an offense are very atypical of a McCollum-coached team.
That all changed when Iowa earned a signature 57-52 win over Nebraska on Tuesday night.
Iowa's defense is still elite
The Iowa defense has struggled over the past few games after holding every other opponent under its season scoring average.
It was clear from the start of the game that Iowa focused on increasing its defensive intensity to get back to where it wanted to be.
Iowa harassed Nebraska shooters all night, holding them to a season-low 52 points in the victory.
The Hawkeyes allowed only 5 made threes on the night, holding Nebraska to a woeful 21 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Hawkeyes also held old friend Pryce Sandfort in check, which was one of our keys to a Hawkeye victory.
Iowa's defense was locked in, and it showed on Tuesday night.
Bennett Stirtz is THAT DUDE
The Hawkeyes offense struggled mightily for a third straight game, but that did not stop Bennett Stirtz from hitting shots when it mattered most.
Stirtz finished with 25 points, even though he shot only 36 percent from the floor, including making only two of eight three-point attempts.
Even though Stirtz did not have his best shooting game, he managed to get to the basket a will and knock down multiple clutch free throws.
Stirtz is at his best when the lights are the brightest, and he had a direct role in sealing Iowa's victory.
Ben McCollum continues to give fans something to cheer about
McCollum is a winner, plain and simple.
Wherever he has been, he has won, and Iowa basketball is trending in that direction with McCollum at the helm.
Fans have not been this excited about Iowa Men's Basketball in quite some time, and McCollum has had a hand in that excitement.
From his first introductory press conference to his postgame press conference after upsetting Nebraska, McCollum has truly appreciated the increasing fan support.
This won't be Iowa's last signature win under McCollum, and the excitement continues to build around the program.
Iowa's offense must improve going forward
Even though Iowa ultimately won against Nebraska, the offense was atrocious in the victory.
It is actually astonishing that Iowa held on to win with how poorly the offense played, especially in the second half.
Iowa shot 33 percent from the field and 26 percent from three-point range, but still found a way to win by driving to the basket and knocking down free throws.
It is a testament to Iowa's resilience and defensive effort because they could have easily hung their heads when shots weren't falling, but the entire squad stuck to the game plan.
Iowa definitely cannot keep playing that poorly on offense and hope to succeed, but hey, as long as we beat Nebraska, no one is complaining!
Taking the ball to basket to draw fouls needs to continue
Iowa's offense was so poor, but they made up for it with intensity on the defensive end and knocking down free throws.
In atypical Iowa fashion, the squad made a concerted effort to drive to the basket to draw fouls, especially when shots weren't falling.
Iowa made 94 percent of its free throws against the Cornhuskers, knocking down 17 of 18, and that is a great strategy moving forward.
Iowa is not going to outshoot anyone, but if they continue making an effort to get to the foul line, they can slow the game down and rack up fouls on the opposing team.