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Iowa issues 'court storm warning' for Michigan game, but odds don't favor an upset

Michigan basketball plays at Iowa on Thursday and the Hawkeyes are talking about storming the court before the game has even started.
ByChris Peterson|
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Feb 17, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May watches the game action during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Feb 17, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May watches the game action during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Third-ranked Michigan basketball plays its final road game of Big Ten play on Thursday night against Iowa.

The Wolverines shouldn't need any extra motivation. They are aiming to stay a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tournament. They also have the chance to post a perfect 10-0 on the road in Big Ten play, which would be a significant achievement.

However, if the Wolverines needed any further motivation, Iowa might have handed it to Michigan basketball by issuing a warning about a potential court storming.

Iowa warns of court storming against Michigan basketball

Iowa fans stormed the court after a recent win over a Nebraska team ranked in the top 10. Yet, it led to an altercation between Fred Hoiberg, the Husker head coach, and an Iowa fan who walked into the handshake line to video Hoiberg.

So hopefully, if there is a court storming, Iowa handles it better. Preferably, that won't happen, though. Michigan basketball will surely have something to say about that, especially as a 9.5-point favorite going into Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes are a solid team. They are 20-9 overall and 10-8 in the Big Ten. This would be another quad-1 victory over a team ranked in the top 30 in the NET rankings.

Iowa likes to play at a much different pace than the Wolverines, which should make this game tough on the Hawkeyes. Michigan also has an X-factor on defense in Yaxel Lendeborg, who could guard Iowa's top offensive weapon, Bennett Stirtz, who averages 20.5 points per game. Only one other Iowa player averages more than 10.

Michigan's 2-point offense should be able to take advantage against an Iowa team that ranks 15th in the Big Ten, allowing 56.1 percent during the season. The Hawkeyes have the sixth-best 2-point offense in the Big Ten, but haven't faced a defense like Michigan's, which might have the best rim protection in all of college basketball.

Winning on the road in the Big Ten isn't easy, so a court storming could be on the table, but it feels like Iowa was a little premature with that, and Michigan could make them regret it.

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