Ben McCollum acknowledged Iowa was lacking in one key area in the win over Rutgers

After a dominating display against Indiana on the road, the Hawkeyes had a prime opportunity to earn their fourth Big Ten Conference win.

The Hawkeyes welcomed a struggling Rutgers squad that has limped to only two wins in conference play at this point in the season.

Everything was set up for Iowa to walk away with a big win, and things definitely did not go according to plan.

Iowa looked lethargic through most of the game, but was able to hold off the Scarlet Knights 68-62 to earn its fourth Big Ten Conference win.

While Ben McCollum appreciated the effort, he was not pleased with the team's concentration.

Concentration was the 'biggest issue' in Iowa's narrow victory over Rutgers

McCollum has been very straightforward about his expectations for his team's play in wins and losses, and he was not happy with the squad's concentration on Tuesday night.

During a postgame radio interview, McCollum stated that sometimes, you have to win games when you don't play your best.

He followed that up by stating he thought the effort was pretty good, but the biggest issue was the concentration.

Iowa, including normally sure-handed guard Bennett Stirtz, made some uncharacteristic mistakes and turnovers throughout the game, and McCollum was quick to point that out in his postgame comments.

It was not all bad for the Hawkeyes as they beat Rutgers in nearly every statistical category (excluding rebounds), but Iowa's new head man still wants to hold his team accountable.

A win is a win, and those are challenging to come by in one of the toughest conferences in men's college basketball.

Iowa will stay at home for its final game of January against USC on Wednesday, January 28, at 6:00 p.m. Central Time, before hitting the road to battle Oregon in Eugene on February 1.