Championship Math: Big Ten Basketball edition

IOWA CITY — First, you start with the atmosphere.

Assembly Hall was rocking. Before the loudest and most active crowd Iowa has faced this year — or almost any year — the Hawkeyes stumbled 85-78 at Indiana on Thursday. At times the roar was deafening in the notorious old Bloomington, Ind., arena, and it impressed both sides.

'I think that decibel level was broke (Thursday) a couple times in the game because it was excruciatingly loud and it was tremendous,' Indiana Coach Tom Crean said.

'To be honest, this game was a blast,' Iowa point guard Gesell said. 'This atmosphere was awesome, even though we didn't come out with a 'W.' We're going to be a better team because of this game, and we're still in a good spot.'

It was loud, and with good reason. The game's outcome evened the Big Ten race among the Hawkeyes, Hoosiers and Maryland Terrapins. Entering this weekend, all three sit at 10-2 (Maryland plays Wisconsin on Saturday), but all three face different challenges over the season's final three weeks.

Iowa's last six opponents have a 35-35 record in Big Ten play. Maryland's opponents are 36-34, and Indiana's are 43-28. It's almost a flip from the season's first 12 games where Iowa faced the toughest schedule (73-69), Maryland is close behind (69-72) and Indiana's opponents were 54-86. That includes the Hoosiers' win against 10-2 Iowa.

'We didn't have anything to do with the schedule,' Crean said. 'We got the schedule that the computer gave us. We have our non-league schedule that we pick. But we got the schedule that the computer gave us.'

Iowa dropped games to the other two, but both were on the road. It was Iowa's only meeting with Maryland, but the Hoosiers return to Iowa City on March 1. The Hawkeyes swept Michigan State (7-5) and Purdue (8-4), and Indiana plays both just once in two of its next three games. The Hoosiers also end the season at home against Maryland.

Maryland faces two tough road trips in its final three games. The Terrapins travel to Purdue, which it rallied to beat at home last weekend, on Feb. 27 before closing the season at Indiana.

Both Iowa and Maryland face four opponents with winning league records over their final six games. For Iowa that includes home games against Indiana and Wisconsin and road trips to Ohio State (7-5) and Michigan (8-4).

Right in front of the Hawkeyes is Minnesota (0-12), followed by a road trip to Penn State (3-8). Gesell said there's no chance for a hangover against the Gophers, who beat Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena last year.

'We've got too much experience to not be up for that one,' he said. 'We've been through this before, we've lost games before, we know how to handle it in a professional way. It's a quick turnaround, but that's honestly what you like when you lose a game. You want to get back on the floor right away.

'We get Indiana down the road, but we've got to focus on one game at a time.'

Teams want to peak in the season's final weeks leading into March. Even with the loss to Indiana, Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said his team improved.

'I think you always get better,' McCaffery said. 'Even in defeat I think you learn something about yourself. I think you learn something about your team. It's all part of the journey, it's all part of the process. You can't help but benefit from the experience that we had last night. As long as you approach it the right way and affect change with some of the things that we didn't do and remember what we didn't do well.'

Three weeks, six games and one Big Ten regular-season championship. Plenty is at stake in this three-team race.

UPCOMING SCHEDULES

(league record entering Saturday)

IOWA

Sunday — Minnesota (0-12)

Wednesday — at Penn State (3-8)

Feb. 24 — Wisconsin (7-4)

Feb. 28 — at Ohio State (7-5)

March 1 — Indiana (10-2)

March 5 — at Michigan (8-4)

INDIANA

Sunday — at Michigan State (7-5)

Wednesday — Nebraska (5-7)

Feb. 20 — Purdue (8-4)

Feb. 25 — at Illinois (3-8)

March 1 — at Iowa (10-2)

March 6 — Maryland (10-2)

MARYLAND

Saturday — Wisconsin (7-4)

Thursday — at Minnesota (0-12)

Feb. 20 — Michigan (8-4)

Feb. 27 — at Purdue (8-4)

March 3 — Illinois (3-8)

March 6 — Indiana (10-2)

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com