Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, it looked like they never got off the plane in an inexcusable 81-69 loss to USC in Southern California.
There were multiple factors working against the Hawkeyes in this game, including having to fly to Southern California, which is in a different time zone, losing senior leader Taylor McCabe for the season, and coming off an extreme high after beating Ohio State easily at home.
Everything that could go wrong for Iowa did in its first Big Ten Conference loss of the season, and even a career night from freshman Journey Houston could not save them.
Houston dropped 16 points in 26 minutes off the bench, and added eight rebounds and two assists.
One key stat doomed the Hawkeyes in the first game of their California road trip, and it has become a startling trend over the past few games.
Turnovers continue to be a big problem for the Hawkeyes
When everything is clicking for the Hawkeyes, they are one of the most lethal offensive teams in college basketball.
Entering the game against USC, Iowa averaged 81.0 points per game (No. 19 overall), shooting 49.4 percent from the field (No. 3 overall) and 36.8 percent from beyond the three-point line (No. 17 overall).
Even with all the success Iowa has experienced on offense, one thing continues to stick out: the number of turnovers.
The Hawkeyes are one of the worst Power Four teams in turnovers per game, averaging 15.2 per game (No. 111 overall).
Their 17 turnovers nearly cost them the game against Maryland, and they racked up 13 costly turnovers against USC.
While 13 is below their season average, USC scored 19 points off those turnovers, while Iowa scored only three off five turnovers.
This is not the way the Hawkeyes wanted to play ahead of a monumental showdown with No. 2 UCLA this weekend, and if the sloppiness with the ball continues, Iowa will have a hard time beating top-tier teams going forward.