Ben McCollum's cryptic update surrounding Tavion Banks' injury puts his status in doubt

After narrowly escaping USC at home, the Hawkeyes hit the road for a two-game Pacific Northwest road trip.

Iowa's first game of the road trip was against Oregon on February 1, and the Ducks provided little resistance.

It was a big night for Bennett Stirtz, who put up a career-high 32 points and joined the 2,000 point club in the 84-66 win.

Even with a big win and Stirtz's big night, guard Tavion Banks was noticeably absent in the second half and played only 11 minutes all game.

After the win over Oregon, head coach Ben McCollum gave an update about his injured senior guard, creating more questions than answers.

McCollum stated that Tavion Banks is 'dealing with some stuff'

Iowa fans were questioning why Banks was on the bench for the entire second half, and we now know why.

Banks is dealing with an unknown injury, and after the game against Oregon, his future status remains in question.

According to the Des Moines Register's Tyler Tachmann, McCollum said postgame that Banks is "dealing with some stuff, so hopefully, we'll get him back healthy."

McCollum followed that statement up by stating that Banks dealt with a similar situation last season at Drake, and it took some time to work through.

McCollum also noted that there is "nothing he can do" in terms of a rehabilitation process.

In one of the scarier portions of Banks' injury update, McCollum also noted that "we just have to give him rest and hope it goes away."

Banks has emerged as Iowa's second-best player this season behind Bennett Stirtz, and any games he misses will be a big blow to the Hawkeyes.

Through Iowa's 21 games this season, Banks is averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game, and is shooting 53. 8 percent from the field and a team-leading 52 percent from beyond the arc.

If Banks misses time with an injury, look for Isaia Howard and Tate Sage to play expanded roles in his absence.