Iowa basketball can still salvage its West Coast trip with a win over UCLA on Friday, but the Hawkeyes will need to fix their road struggles to do it.

It’s increasingly difficult to take Iowa seriously this season if it continues to be a punching bag for opposing offenses.

Wisconsin, up for the challenge, swiftly took control of the game and cruised to an ever-so-feel-good victory. The Badgers continue to win in a variety of ways, and, with 116 points, 21 three-pointers and an emerging sense of confidence, Wisconsin took a massive stride in realizing its full potential.

After a crushing win over Wisconsin in Madison on Sunday, the No. 2 Iowa men’s wrestling team walks into its toughest test of the season thus far in No. 9 Illinois. Now an undefeated 7-0, the Hawkeyes are just hanging onto the second spot in the team rankings behind Penn State.

When it comes to Iowa men’s wrestling, more often than not the Hawkeyes are the ‘hammer’ rather than the ‘nail.’ That was certainly the case on Sunday afternoon in Madison, as #2 Iowa blanked hosts Wisconsin,

Ranked as Intermat's No. 10 dual team in college wrestling (No. 13 as a tournament team), the Fighting Illini present a worthy challenge for the No. 2 Hawkeyes with nine-ranked wrestlers, eight of whom are ranked 20th or higher.

The second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team shutout Wisconsin, 45-0, on Sunday afternoon at the UW Field House. The Hawkeyes improved to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten competition.

USC hosts the No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers after Desmond Claude scored 25 points in USC's 99-89 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wisconsin traded blows with Iowa for the first stretch of the opening half after entering the matchup having played just once game since its Dec. 14 win over Detroit Mercy. As it did in that contest, the Badgers orchestrated a dominant scoring stretch to blow the game open and did not look back.

Wisconsin basketball recruit Hayden Jones, center, of New Zealand, with his dad, Phill, left, and sister, Ava, get a shout out on the big screen during the first half of a Wisconsin Badgers basketball game against Iowa Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL

Wisconsin caught a scheduling break with Oregon visiting Madison. While the Badgers’ two West Coast road games are against struggling teams, getting the Ducks at home could be a factor that significantly tips the scales in Wisconsin’s favor. This could be a game Wisconsin will need to win down the stretch of the season.

The 2nd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes kick off a big Friday night of wrestling on BTN with a top-10 Big Ten battle with the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.