The Iowa Hawkeyes are baaaaack.
On Monday, the team cracked the top 10 for the first time since Caitlin Clark graduated after coming close to doing so a few times this season. Iowa is fresh off a 75-68 victory against Michigan State, yet another win to add to their six-game streak. The Hawkeyes are undefeated in the Big Ten and boast a 16-2 overall record so far this season.
Hannah Stuelke played a major role in Iowa's latest win
At the heart of the squad is Hannah Stuelke, the 6'2" senior who has been grabbing the attention of college basketball fans for the last four years. She was easily the team's best player on the floor during Sunday's match against the Spartans, and can be credited with being the reason the Hawkeyes put an end to Michigan State's robust nine-game win streak.
Stuelke walked away from that game with 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals. She led the game in terms of points, rebounds, and assists, shot a strong 10-14 from the field.
If Stuelke continues to play the way she has been — and it's fully reasonable to believe that she can and will — the Hawkeyes will be in a solid position to take on any team in the country by the time tournament season rolls around. This Michigan State win put the rest of the Big Ten on notice, and likely got plenty of attention from teams in other conferences, too.
Iowa also relied on Ava Heiden
Stuelke was aided in her effort by sophomore Ava Heiden, who racked up 20 points and six rebounds during the team's game against Michigan State (she's averaging 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds so far this season). Sunday's game was her fifth in which she's had at least 20 points this season, and Heiden currently leads the entire team in terms of points.
Heiden's getting plenty of attention across the board this season, and is considered a strong contender for Player of the Year. Her second season with the Hawkeyes has so far proven to include a major leap in terms of growth, and there's no telling just how far she will go before the season has concluded.
The Hawkeyes are beating back naysayers
Plenty of people were unsure about the Hawkeyes this season only a month ago after they suffered a tough 90-64 loss to the UConn Huskies in December, but the team's recent efforts have made it clear they are playing the long game.