Wins aside, Iowa has improved recently (seriously)

IOWA CITY - Coaches often shuffle through statistics to justify a team's improvement that few recognize beyond the final outcome.

It's easy to judge Iowa by its wins and losses. The team has lost four straight, is 2-9 in Big Ten play and 8-16 overall. Iowa needs one more victory just to keep from equaling its lowest Big Ten win total since 1931. By all accounts, this is a lost season.

Before the season, most people recognized Iowa was too inexperienced with only two upperclassmen to compete in the Big Ten. Wins and losses aside, Iowa actually has improved recently in several key areas.

The Hawkeyes have lost four straight games and five of its last eight, but Iowa has competed in seven of those eight games. Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said much of the team's improvement comes from strides made on defense, and the statistics show he's right.

Eight games ago, Iowa's opponents scored on 47 percent of its shots, which ranked among the nation's worst. Iowa has improved its field-goal defense to 45.1 percent overall by holding its last eight opponents to just 41.4 percent from the field.

“I think our team defense has grown,” Lickliter said. “It's improved, and we're able to we're doing a better job of recognizing and able to support one another with an appropriate amount of help.”

Likewise, Iowa allowed 66.9 points a game before its recent eight-game stretch. Now, it allows 65 points a game after keeping opponents to 61.1 points over that span.

Iowa also has cut down on its turnovers, going from an average of 14.75 per game to 12.8 over the last eight games. Opposing Big Ten coaches have taken notice.

“They've done pretty well the last two or three weeks in the conference since the first time we've played,” said Illinois Coach Bruce Weber, whose team blistered Iowa 59-42 five weeks ago.

Iowa has played three ranked teams over the eight-game stretch - No. 13 Ohio State twice and No. 10 Michigan State - plus Illinois, which is tied for second in the Big Ten. Iowa lost those games by an average of 9 points a game but either led or were within a handful of points late in the second half.

“I saw them dismantle Indiana at Indiana,” Northwestern Coach Bill Carmody said. “(Sunday) they played a team that really smacked us pretty good in Ohio State, and it was a lot closer than when we played them. So they're very well-coached. I like their individual players, and it's going to be a really tough game for us. I think we know that.”

With four of his five starters underclassmen and his most highly touted recruiting class on deck, Lickliter has to weather the current difficulties and temper his future optimism. But Lickliter is excited about the current improvement and his team's efforts.

“One thing I don't want to do is sell them out - ever,” he said. “If you do that, then you'll lose the edge now and the opportunity ahead of you. ... We're going to prepare and compete and expect to be successful right now. With that said, with that approach, with the approach that we've had, with the players we have, the ones we are recruiting, I don't think you can deny that there's a future out there that should be bright.

“I heard somebody say the other day that patience to most people is three days. I don't know if that's true, but it is very difficult in these situations where you're competing to have patience and it is excruciating.

“Losing is something I'll never get used to. I never accept and that it's painful. But winning is exhilarating.”