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NCAA Basketball action will continue when the #15 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes face the #25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Both teams have had some lows this season, but are currently ranked. The Hawkeyes are at the lowest spot they have been this season, while Rutgers had to fight back into the rankings after losing their spot.

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The Hawkeyes are 13-6 this season. They are coming off two losses to the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers. This led to their lowest ranking in the AP Poll this season. However, a win here would put them back in top-ten contention instantly.

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The Scarlet Knights had a good run to start the season but fell to a five-game losing streak. They even lost a game to the Hawkeyes in that run, along with dropping games to Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State, among others.

Who wins this crucial Big 10 clash?

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NCAA Basketball: Will the Hawkeyes end their losing streak?

While two games are nothing to lose sleep over, the Hawkeyes’ legitimacy as contenders has been tested. They are losing games they shouldn’t and their record becomes poorer with every loss. However, their team has enough weapons to arrest this sort of a run.

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USA Today via Reuters

The Scarlet Knights are currently on a four-game win streak. This has helped them find their momentum once again. They are one of the most solid defensive teams in the country, and they match up really well against the Hawkeyes. This could possibly be one of the bigger tests for this Iowa team that looks bereft of momentum.

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The Scarlet Knights will line up with Geo Bakers, Paul Mulcahy, Caleb McConnell, Ron Harper Jr., and Myles Johnson. Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes will take the floor with Jordan Bohannon, Joe Wisekamp, Connor McCaffery, newcomer Keegan Murray, and Luka Garza.

For our prediction, we have the Scarlet Knights pulling off a big win. Iowa looks a little out-of-sorts and the defensive matchup against the Knights is just not at the best time. One team is rolling, while the other is struggling.

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Written by

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Ishaan Bhattacharya

1,510 Articles

Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub. Ishaan has a keen interest in theatre and films, and has dabbled in the art, winning several awards for his scripts over the years. He has written for popular YouTube channels such as The Wrestling Hub and WhatCulture. Now, Ishaan also heads the site's NCAA Basketball division.

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