Iowa recovered from shaky beginnings to run past visiting Texas A&M Commerce in Monday's season opener. While the Hawkeyes aspire to be sharp throughout when Southern visits Iowa City on Thursday, they now know there's precedent for overcoming early struggles.
Payton Sandfort and the Hawkeyes will likely look to their veteran leaders for guidance as they navigate the early season teething pains. Despite struggling to find their rhythm early on, the Hawkeyes eventually cruised past Texas A&M Commerce, demonstrating the depth and resilience that has defined Fran McCaffery's teams in recent years.
The Hawkeyes have long been known for their ability to win games with a potent combination of defensive grit and perimeter shooting, but it's the ability to overcome adversity that truly sets them apart. As they prepare to take on Southern on Thursday, McCaffery will be looking to his team to build on the positives from their season-opening victory.
The visiting Jaguars, meanwhile, will be looking to spoil Iowa's party and hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. Led by their own crop of dynamic players, Southern will be looking to prove themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the early going.
For Payton Sandfort and the Hawkeyes, Thursday's matchup against Southern represents a chance to build on their promising start to the season. With a victory, Iowa would move to 2-0 on the young season and establish themselves as a contender in the Big Ten. The question is, can they avoid the slow start that nearly derailed their season opener and come out strong against a Southern team looking to make a statement?