Ridiculously Deep Big Ten Conference Schedule Begins For Iowa Tonight

The Big Ten schedule begins tonight for the Iowa men's basketball team in a conference that is loaded with great teams.

The 14 teams that make up the Big Ten have a combined record of 68-14, excluding conference games played to this point. Seven teams, half the conference field, are ranked in this week's AP Top 25, and four more received votes. Only Maryland, Nebraska, and Penn State didn't at least receive a mention. Get ready for a wild ride.

Fourth-ranked Iowa begins at home tonight against 6-2 Purdue. The unranked Boilermakers are one of the teams that received votes in this week's AP poll. The Hawkeyes haven't beaten Purdue since January 12, 2017. The four-game losing streak to the Boilermakers includes defeats of 23, 16, 36, and nine points.

Purdue will bring a big, and I do mean a big challenge for Iowa center Luka Garza. Boilermaker big man Trevion Williams stands 6'10" and weighs 265 pounds. That's nothing compared to 7'4" Zach Edey, a freshman, who checks in at 285 pounds. Combined, they average 25 points and 14 rebounds per game. They're two of four Purdue players that average in double figures in scoring.

Tonight's Iowa-Purdue Big Ten opener tips off just after 8 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

Iowa's schedule for the Big Ten Conference is below, including this week's AP ratings information for each. Eight of Iowa's final ten regular season games are against teams currently ranked in the Top 25. Start times have not been announced for all the games below without a time indicated:

• Tuesday, December 22, 8 p.m. vs. Purdue (received votes) Big Ten Network
• Friday, December 25, 7 p.m. at Minnesota (received votes) Big Ten Network
• Tuesday, December 29, 8 p.m. vs. Northwestern (received votes) FS1
• Saturday, January 2 at Rutgers (#11) ESPN/ESPNU
• Thursday, January 7, 6 p.m. at Maryland (unranked) ESPN2
• Sunday, January 10 vs. Minnesota (received votes) Big Ten Network
• Thursday, January 14, 8 p.m. vs. Michigan State (#12) FS1
• Sunday, January 17 at Northwestern (received votes) Big Ten Network
• Thursday, January 21 vs. Indiana (received votes) FS1
• Sunday, January 24 vs. Nebraska (unranked) Big Ten Network
• Friday, January 29 at Illinois (#18) FS1
• Thursday, February 4 vs. Ohio State (#23) ESPN/ESPN2
• Sunday, February 7 at Indiana (received votes) Fox Sports
• Wednesday, February 10 vs. Rutgers (#11) Big Ten Network
• Saturday, February 13 at Michigan State (#12) Fox Sports
• Thursday, February 18 at Wisconsin (#9) ESPN/ESPN 2
• Sunday, February 21 vs. Penn State (unranked) FS1
• Sunday, February 28 at Ohio State (#23) CBS
• Thursday, March 4 at Michigan (#19) ESPN/ESPN2
• Sunday, March 7 vs. Wisconsin (#9) Fox Sports