Iowa will see Penn State for the second time in the Big Ten basketball season today.
A lot has changed since then, since the last time the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions faced off was back in the first weekend of December.
"I think everybody's different," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "That was a long time ago."
It was the Big Ten opener for both teams in the quirky schedule of this season, when everybody played two conference games that weekend and then didn't play another league game until early January.
There was hope for everyone back then. Now, the Hawkeyes (12-12 overall, 3-8 Big Ten) and Penn State (15-9, 5-6) are scrambling for any sort of postseason bid along with seeding in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hawkeyes have won two of their last three games, a signal that maybe they have gotten things pointed in the right direction.
McCaffery, though, was hesitant to make any sort of proclamation.
“It’s been an issue all year long," McCaffery said. "We’ve not been consistent pretty much in anything. We’ve been really, really good in everything at times. And that’s why we’re sitting at .500.
"You want to be better. You want to be better consistently. I hope it's a big step for us."
Penn State has lost three of its last five games, but the Nittany Lions will be a tough cover for an Iowa team that has struggled defensively all season.
The five Nittany Lions who start all average in double figures in scoring, led by Tony Carr's 19.6 points per game.
"It's a very good team," McCaffery said. "It's why they have 15 wins."
McCaffery especially appreciates the play of Carr, a sophomore who has developed into one of the top players in the Big Ten.
"He's got great pace," McCaffery said. "He knows when to go and when not to go."
The Hawkeyes are coming off a 94-80 home win over Minnesota. They have only won once on the road this season, and if they want to have any postseason hopes, that has to change.
"If you want to be a good team," McCaffery said, "that's what you have to do."