Men's Basketball: Close doesn’t count, despite Hawkeyes’ improvements

IOWA CITY — There isn’t any spot in the Big Ten standings for “showing improvement.” It’s just wins and losses.

The Iowa men’s basketball team has had plenty of losses, not nearly enough wins. Being close is something the Hawkeyes are good at, but it just hasn’t translated into victories.

Iowa is coming off a 68-58 loss Sunday at then-No. 13 Ohio State. That followed a 57-49 home loss to Illinois last Wednesday, a game in which the Hawkeyes rallied from 11 points down to make it a one-possession game three times in the final minutes.

There’s the 70-63 loss at Michigan State, when the Hawkeyes fought back from 19 points down to make it a one-possession game in the final minutes.

There’s the 65-57 loss at home to Ohio State, when the Hawkeyes led late in the second half before the Buckeyes pulled away.

Iowa (8-16, 2-9 Big Ten) will host Northwestern (16-7, 5-6) tonight at 7:35.

Being close, Iowa coach Todd Lickliter said, shows progress. It’s just not showing up in the standings.

“We’re a competitive team right now, but unable to turn the corner and get the wins,” Lickliter said. “And that’s tough on our guys, because we’ve got such good guys.

“They’ve approached it the way they should — they keep fighting, they keep playing and keep competing. And that’s why they keep getting better.”

Getting better, though, is little consolation to the Hawkeyes (8-16, 2-9 Big Ten), who will host Northwestern (16-7, 5-6) tonight at 7:35. They are tired of falling short.

“It’s definitely draining,” junior center Jarryd Cole said. “We’re not ready to quit yet. We want to keep fighting. We have to push and get over that edge.”

“Everybody’s playing tough,” freshman forward Eric May said. “But showing how we can play whole games is a big deal. Obviously, you want to win the games.”

The Hawkeyes have seven regular-season games and at least one Big Ten tournament game to get that elusive big win that seems to escape them.

“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing,” Cole said. “We’re playing pretty good basketball right now.”

But it’s always something, Lickliter said. For example, in Sunday’s loss to Ohio State, the Hawkeyes shot 52.4 percent in the first half and trailed by just five at halftime but shot 34.6 percent in the second half and committed 14 turnovers for the game.

Iowa’s recent run of close-but-not-enough has also come against some of the best teams in the nation, and in the Big Ten. Michigan State is ranked 10th nationally, while Ohio State is 13th. Illinois is locked in a three-way tie for second place in the conference.

“(Sunday), especially, we played some tough basketball, and some good basketball in stretches,” Lickliter said. “We’re just playing the best of the best. We’re playing the best in the nation.

“I just think we’re playing with some good toughness. And we’re showing some poise.”

Toughness, poise, and playing solid basketball in stretches, though, isn’t adding up to victories.

“It’s really demanding for us to go ahead and get a win,” Lickliter said. “But we’re making progress, we’re becoming a better team. Hopefully, we can start to get it in line.”

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