Basketball is alive and well in Iowa

As the temperature gets colder, basketball in the state of Iowa is ramping up.

And the Division I collegiate teams in this state so far are playing about as well collectively as I can remember.

That includes the women’s teams. Three of the four D-1 programs in the state are ranked in the women’s game.

Iowa is currently 14th and doesn’t even have its second best player yet. The Hawkeyes will get a tough challenge on Thursday against top-ranked Notre Dame.

Drake was able to play with Notre Dame for a half last week. The Bulldogs came into the rankings last week and blitzed Creighton on Wednesday. Drake is now 5-1 and ranked 24th overall.

Iowa State is ranked 23rd and currently 5-1. The Cyclones moved into the rankings after wins over Auburn and previously ranked Miami. The loss to South Dakota on Wednesday though may drop the Cyclones out of the rankings.

Iowa is led by all-American center Megan Gustafson, who has been the Big Ten Conference Player of the Week in all three weeks this season.

Gustafson leads five players who average double figures in points. She is averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Drake is headlined by Sara Rhine, who is averaging almost 18 points and nine rebounds per game off the Bulldogs’ bench. Iowa girl Becca Hittner, a Dowling Catholic graduate, is scoring 16 points per game and had 23 in the win over Creighton.

Iowa State’s best player is once against Bridget Carleton, who averages 16.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Iowa City native and true freshman Ashley Joens is the second leading scorer at 11.8 points per game.

The good news for women’s basketball fans in Iowa is that these three teams all will play each other.

Iowa hosts Iowa State, Iowa State hosts Drake and Drake hosts Iowa. That could set up a situation where everyone gets a win at home and loses on the road. It should be fun.

The men’s basketball is good, too.

The Iowa men are a big surprise so far. The Hawkeyes are 6-0 and ranked 14th in the nation. No one saw that coming. Not even the biggest and most hardcore Hawkeye fan.

They brought back 95 percent of their scoring and added elite freshman Joe Wieskamp, who is showing why he was Mr. Basketball last year in Iowa.

Iowa State is not full strength yet but are still 6-1 with its only loss coming to Arizona.

Drake, which includes Newton’s Garrett Sturtz and the injured Connor Gholson, is off to a 5-1 start. The Bulldogs are fun to watch and should be much improved this season.

It remains to be seen if any of these teams end up making a deep run in the postseason come March. But it does feel good to be back in the national conversation again.

In a few weeks, we will get the final Hy-Vee Classic at Wells Fargo Arena. Iowa State plays Drake in the opener and Iowa takes on Northern Iowa in the nightcap.

This season, the better game may be the first one as Northern Iowa is only 3-4 so far, and the Panthers don’t have a quality win. Iowa will be heavily favored in that one.

Drake may give Iowa State a better game, but the Cyclones will get a few players back before then. Lindell Wigginton is not expected be back though.

My predictions for the instate matchups ... I think the Iowa women defeat Iowa State at home, but I think Iowa State beats Drake at home and Drake beats Iowa in Des Moines.

The Cy-Hawk men’s basketball series has been lopsided in recent years. The Cyclones have controlled things, but I think the Hawkeyes win at home this season. I also think Iowa handles UNI and Iowa State beats Drake at the Classic.

Drake and UNI play twice in both men’s and women’s basketball because they are in the same conference. I think the Drake women sweep UNI and the men’s teams split with each winning at home.

Contact Troy Hyde
at thyde@newtondailynews.com