Analyzing Iowa's men's basketball schedule

The Big Ten released the men's basketball schedule today. Here are some facts and anecdotes about the schedule:

Iowa will open Big Ten play against long-time rival Illinois at 8 p.m. Dec. 29 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa will play three of its first four Big Ten games at home before playing four of its next five on the road.

Iowa's Big Ten men's basketball schedule eases up just a tad this year, if only because the single-play games are flipped locations.

Iowa hosts Wisconsin and plays at Penn State this year. Last year, with the locations flipped, Iowa flopped in its annual appearance at the Kohl Center while knocking off Penn State at home. Traditionally, even in tough times, are potential wins for Iowa. Expect a "maddening" atmosphere for Iowa-Wisconsin this year.

In the non-conference slate, Iowa plays a pair of mid-major powers in Xavier and Northern Iowa. Wake Forest, Iowa's opponent in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, was 20-11 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's second round. Louisiana Tech was 24-11 and played in the postseason

Limping is in Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (5-23), Idaho State (7-22), South Dakota State (14-16), Louisiana-Monroe (14-16).

As for the in-state rivals, Iowa plays host to Northern Iowa and Iowa State, while traveling to Drake. Iowa blew out both UNI and Iowa State by dougle digits in their last meetings in Iowa City, but both throttled the Hawkeyes last year. Iowa ended a three-game losing streak to Drake before winning last winter.

Here's a look at Iowa's schedules, with a Big Ten analysis.

IOWA NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

• Nov. 7-- Illinois-Springfield (exh.)
• Nov. 14 -- South Dakota State
• Nov. 16 -- Louisiana-Monroe
• Nov. 19 -- vs. Xavier, 7:35 p.m. (Paradise Jam Tournament, Virgin Islands)
• Nov. 20/21/22 -- vs. TBA at Paradise Jam Classic
• Nov. 26-- vs. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
• Nov. 30 -- at Wake Forest (ESPNU), 6:05 p.m. (ACC-Big Ten Challenge)
• Dec. 4 -- vs. Idaho State
• Dec. 7 -- vs. Northern Iowa
• Dec. 10 -- vs. Iowa State
• Dec. 18 -- at Drake, 7:05 p.m.
• Dec. 21 -- vs. Louisiana Tech

BIG TEN BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

• Dec. 29-- vs. Illinois (BTN), 8 p.m. -- Iowa has lost two straight to the Fighting Illini and is 2-4 in its last six at home against Illinois. Fairly unusual trend in a series where the home team usually rolls over the visitor. 
• Jan. 4-- vs. Ohio State (BTN), 8 p.m. -- Iowa played its best game last year against the Big Ten champions, even in an eight-point loss. The Hawkeyes led most of the game but couldn't match the Buckeyes' athletes. Iowa lost at home in 2009 against Ohio State in similar fashion to the road game (last-second layup failed to go in). Iowa had won four straight at home against the Buckeyes before the last two defeats.
• Jan. 9 -- at Purdue (BTN), 11 a.m. -- Iowa has lost four of five and last year's drubbing should have counted for two losses. Iowa scored only 40 points and that was Purdue being merciful.
• Jan. 12 -- vs. Northwestern (BTN), 7:30 p.m.-- Iowa has won five straight against the Wildcats in Iowa City. Insert sarcastic football reference here.
• Jan. 16 -- at Minnesota (BTN), 5 or 6 p.m. -- The Gophers took out their football frustration on Iowa's basketball team, ripping the Hawkeyes by 35. Minnesota has beaten Iowa the last two in Williams Arena and four of five. 
• Jan. 19-- at Ohio State (BTN), 5:30 p.m. -- Iowa has lost five straight in Columbus. Iowa nearly knocked off the Buckeyes on Dec. 31, 2008 when a last-second shot sailed wide of the basket. Last year, the overmatched Hawkeyes played hard in a 10-point loss.
• Jan. 23-- vs. Indiana (BTN), 2 p.m. --  Iowa's final win under Coach Todd Lickliter came at the Hoosiers' expense on Feb. 28. The Hawkeyes have beaten Indiana five of the last six times at Carver-Hawkeye Arena 
• Jan. 26 -- at Penn State (BTN), 5:30 p.m. -- Iowa has lost its last three at Penn State but they have come by a total of seven points.
• Jan. 30-- at Michigan (BTN), 3 p.m. -- Iowa suffered its toughest loss emotionally last year in an 80-78 overtime loss to Michigan. The teams have played two consecutive overtime games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and have split their last 10 meetings in Iowa City.
• Feb. 2-- vs. Michigan State (BTN), 7:30 p.m. -- Historically Iowa has performed well against the Spartans at home. The Hawkeyes have lost their last two to Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena but won five of six meetings before 2009. 
• Feb. 5-- at Indiana (ESPN/2), 3 p.m. -- Iowa ended a 15-game road losing streak (11 straight in the Big Ten) with a win at Indiana, but the Hawkeyes have lost 7 of their last 10 in Bloomington 
• Feb. 9 -- vs. Wisconsin (BTN), 7:30 p.m. --  Iowa beat Wisconsin at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in overtime the last time the schools met in early 2009. It's the only meeting for the clubs this year with Iowa holding a 77-75 series edge.
• Feb. 13-- vs. Minnesota (BTN), 5 p.m. -- Iowa has lost two straight at home to Minnesota but previously won four straight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
• Feb. 17  -- at Northwestern (BTN), 8 p.m. -- Iowa has lost five of six in Evanston, and I would argue last year's 17-point loss started the final stretch of the Lickliter era.
• Feb. 19/20 -- at Michigan (BTN/CBS), 3:30 p.m. or noon -- Iowa has lost two straight in Ann Arbor, but on the bright side, there's no DeShawn Sims this year. 
• Feb. 27-- at Illinois (ESPN/TBA), TBA  -- There is no house of horrors for Iowa quite like Assembly Hall. Iowa has lost nine straight, 20 of 21 and is 59-14 lifetime in Champaign, Ill.
• March 2 -- at Michigan State (BTN), 5:30 p.m. -- Iowa has lost 15 straight in East Lansing and very few have been close. 
• March 5-- vs. Purdue (ESPN/TBA), TBA -- Iowa has lost three straight to the  Boilermakers in Iowa City. The last two games Iowa clearly was overmatched, but forced Purdue to play at its tempo and lost by 11 last year and by four in the 2008-09 season.