Reality check for Iowa men against Creighton

DES MOINES - Iowa's men's basketball team got smacked with a backfist of unkind reality Sunday afternoon. The question for the Hawkeyes moving forward is how do they respond?

Creighton (4-0) outplayed Iowa (3-1) in every facet and at every end in an 82-59 win at Wells Fargo Arena in a neutral-site game. The final score didn't represent Creighton's true dominance as much as it showed Iowa's inability to guard both the post and the perimeter and miss open shots with regularity.

It was an alarming wake-up call for a team that coasted by a 31-point average margin of victory in its first three games. With in-state rivalries, an ACC-Big Ten match-up and a grinding 18-game Big Ten schedule on the horizon, sophomore forward Melsahn Basabe said the team needs to get better - fast.

"It puts us back in reality," Basabe said. "We're not where we need to be. Guys look at themselves and need to step it up because those are the real games. Anybody can beat them bums and teams of lower caliber. We're a Big Ten team. We're supposed to beat them by 40-50 points."

Basabe was part of the problem Sunday in a high-profile matchup with Creighton sophomore forward Doug McDermott. Both had tried out for the national under-19 team last summer, and only McDermott qualified for the team. McDermott torched Iowa for 25 points, including 17 by halftime. He hit 10-of-15 shots overall and a pair of 3-pointers.

"He's got a very interesting game because very few players are as gifted as he is, both in the post and on the perimeter," Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. "Very few I've ever coached against, quite frankly. He's got an uncanny ability to feel where the defender is in the post and get his shot off without ever getting it blocked."

Basabe played 17 minutes but scored just two points, grabbed three rebounds and had four fouls and two turnovers. Basabe was Iowa's second-leading scorer last year with 11 points and 6.8 rebounds a game. McCaffery said foul trouble contributed to Basabe never looking comfortable on the court.

"I don't really know how to say it," Basabe said. "Foul trouble does put a part in it. I only took three shots. So I wasn't in any kind of rhythm as far as that."

"I wasn't really doing anything. I wasn't being effective."

But Basabe hardly was the entire problem. Creighton drilled nine 3-point shots and hit 55.2 percent from the field. The Bluejays killed Iowa in the paint 40-16 and with second-chance points 18-3. Creighton outrebounded Iowa 43-27.

Other tangible problems for Iowa began with point guard Bryce Cartwright playing only 20 minutes. Cartwright left the game for a long first-half stretch and didn't feel well. The Hawkeyes trailed just 12-10 when he left the game, but Creighton went on a 10-0 run to blow the game open. Iowa never got in sync the first half and trailed by 16 at halftime.

The second half was worse for Iowa. During a 10-minute, 13-second stretch, Iowa scored just two baskets and missed 14-of-16 shots. The Bluejays' 22-5 run during that span buried Iowa.

Creighton Coach Greg McDermott said the game is pivotal for the Bluejays and their postseason hopes.

"Let's be honest, games like this for us are essentially a play-in game to the NCAA tournament," McDermott said. "When March rolls around, if you have a good enough year, these are the games they come back and look back on. So this is a big win for us because we think Iowa is going to have a good year. They're much improved. They didn't play as well today as they've been playing."

Iowa now must regroup as their season enters another level. After games this week with Campbell and Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne, the Hawkeyes face Clemson next week. The challenge grows and the stakes get higher. After Sunday, the Hawkeyes know improvement is not an option; it's a necessity.

"It shows us where we need to be and how we need to improve," Iowa forward Eric May said. "It's a hard lesson to learn. You don't want to learn it with a loss."