Iowa's six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on the road to an unlikely opponent earlier this week.
The Hawkeyes were on the road in College Park, Maryland, to battle the Maryland Terrapins, and they did not look good on either end of the court.
Iowa's offense looked sluggish, and they were getting beaten way too easily on the defensive end, something that angered head coach Ben McCollum.
The Hawkeyes welcome the Purdue Boilermakers to Iowa City for the final game of the regular season matchup this season, and the game will have to go perfectly for a Hawkeye W.
Limit Purdue on the offensive glass
The Boilermakers apparently have a farm somewhere that grows seven-foot-plus big men, as they always seem to have at least one dominating post player down low.
This year is no different, with Oscar Cluff, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and seven-foot-four freshman Daniel Jacobson controlling the paint.
Purdue is excellent on the glass, which was showcased during their thrilling overtime victory over Nebraska earlier this week.
The Boilermakers easily won the rebounding battle 54-37 including a massive 21 offensive rebounds.
The Hawkeyes already struggle on the glass, but if they cannot hold Purdue under 10 offensive rebounds in the game, it is going to be difficult to notch the upset.
Get Bennet Stirtz going early and often
Star guard Bennet Stirtz has been unstoppable on offense during Iowa's last seven games, and even though they ultimately lost to Maryland in their most recent game, Stirtz still put up 32 points.
After his 32-point performance against the Terrapins, Stirtz notched back-to-back 30-plus-point games.
If the Hawkeyes want to have a chance to upset Purdue, Stirtz has to have the ball in his hands on every possession and take efficient shots.
No one is expecting him to put up another 30-piece, especially against a stout defensive team like Purdue, but if he can cross the 25-point threshold, Iowa has a way better chance in this game.
The other guys have to show up on offense
Over Iowa's past two games, the rest of the squad has been caught watching or waiting for Stirtz to do something, leading to stalled offensive possessions.
Iowa is at its best offensively when the ball is moving around quickly and doesn't get stuck for too long in one spot.
The Hawkeyes do not have the offensive firepower to overcome massive deficits, and if they get into an early hole, it will be too difficult to crawl out of.
Purdue has had a bad habit of taking their foot off the gas late in games, and if Iowa can get a solid performance from one or more of Tavion Banks, Alvaro Folgueiras, Isaia Howard, or Kael Combs, it will take some of the pressure off Stirtz.
Final predictions
Call me crazy, but I think Iowa has a more pf a chance in this game than most people think.
Yes, they did not look good against Maryland, but that game was a trap game with Purdue on the horizon, and McCollum will not allow his guys to play that poorly again.
The Hawkeyes found something in the first matchup in West Lafayette, and if it wasn't for some questionable refereeing and some poor decisions late in the game, they could already have a victory over Purdue on their resume.
Iowa will play much better on both ends of the floor against Purdue and will come away with a close victory in front of a sold-out crowd.
Final score: Iowa 67, Purdue 65