Iowa Hawkeye Basketball One Loss from Worst Record in School History

It's been argued that taking a break from your passion from time to time is a good thing.

A break can help bring new clarity, new enthusiasm, new hope. It can refresh the mind and re-energize the body. 

Well, that's the theory anyway.

The nine-day break wasn't a good thing for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team. Rather than provide some much-needed rest for the young players, it appeared the break allowed the dust to collect and the pace to drastically slow. 

"You'd think we'd be ready to go," Iowa sophomore guard Matt Gatens told reporters after the Hawkeyes loss to the Wildcats. That's what a lot of fans thought, too.

Gatens combined with Eric May to miss 13 three-point shots in Iowa's loss to Northwestern. For a team that lives or dies by the three, that's a signed death certificate.

So much for that theory about breaks.

Aaron Fuller fouled out of yet another game, which didn't help the Hawkeyes' chances at survival much either.

Northwestern played stellar defense and had a hard time missing the basket on offense.

As the Chicago Tribune pointed out, "Iowa was so over-matched that at one point the Hawkeyes had 6-foot-5 Eric May guard the 6-11 Mirkovic and 6-1 Cully Payne on 6-9 Davide Curletti."

John Shurna had 29 points, 12 of those points coming in less than three minutes during a stretch in the first half of the game. Shurna looks like he should be collecting comic books for a living, not having a near-career game against the Hawkeyes on national television.

No offense meant to Shurna. He is good, real good. He just doesn't look like he should be.

The loss puts Iowa at 9-19 overall and 3-12 in the Big Ten. The loss also tied the school record for most losses ever in a season. 

With three games left, two of those being road games, it looks as though the Hawkeyes will set the school record...and then some. They started the season with the worst start in 80 years, so it's only fitting they end on a record-breaking note.

It also looks like the Iowa football team will record more wins than the basketball team this year.

That's fantastic.