IOWA CITY, Ia. — There are usually a couple games and a few weeks before Iowa plunges into its trio of in-state matchups. Easing into the familiar showdowns allows time for missteps to be corrected.
Not this year.
As the college basketball world readies for should be a wacky, challenging year ahead amid the coronavirus pandemic, schedules all over look as obscure as ever. Such is the case this week in Iowa City, as the Hawkeyes and Northern Iowa battle Wednesday in their earliest meeting since the series resumed its current annual status in 2002.
No one is objecting, given the turbulence absorbed to get here.