To say that Iowa did not show up against Maryland might be an understatement.
The Hawkeyes were definitely looking ahead to Saturday's matchup against Purdue at home, and Maryland took them to task.
The Terrapins put up 77 points on 53 percent shooting, both better than their season averages, and held the Hawkeyes to 70 points on 42 percent shooting from the field.
Ben McCollum is a very no-nonsense kind of coach, and he was less than happy with Iowa's performances on both ends of the floor.
McCollum called Iowa's defense "horrendous"
Everyone appreciates how straightforward McCollum is, and you know he was getting after his guys during halftime and after the loss to Maryland.
During a radio interview following the loss, McCollum had some choice words to describe Iowa's effort on both ends of the court.
Ben McCollum on the postgame radio show:
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) February 12, 2026
"We didn't guard anybody. Our defense was horrendous. We missed a lot of wide-open, point blank threes, and that's going to get you."
According to 247Sports' Hawkeye Insider Eliot Clough, in a postgame radio interview, McCollum said that Iowa "didn't guard anybody," and its defense was "horrendous."
McCollum was also unhappy with their offensive effort, saying the team missed a lot of wide-open, point-blank threes, which cost them.
Not one on the team or on the coaching staff will admit they were looking ahead to Purdue and got trapped by a feisty Maryland team, but their play suggested that they were not fully invested in this game.
The Big Ten is one of the top leagues in men's college basketball, with every game being a challenge, and Iowa certainly did not meet that challenge tonight.
The Hawkeyes have a quick turnaround before welcoming the Purdue Boilermakers to Carver-Hawkeye, fresh off an upset win over Nebraska this week.
If Iowa plays as poorly against Purdue as it did against Maryland, the Boilermakers will crush them in front of the home crowd.