FanPulse Week 14: Despite MSU loss, confidence in Iowa basketball grows (slightly)

Last week, confidence in No. 18 Iowa basketball clocked in at 96 percent — a very high mark.

This week, that number rose to 97 percent, the second-highest mark of the season.

Iowa enters the weekend having lost 78-70 to No. 24 Michigan State on the road. Before that, the Hawkeyes took down No. 25 Ohio State 85-76 in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes nearly pulled off the road win over the Spartans, but things fell apart offensively late. Makes you wonder what the outcome would have been if CJ Fredrick was healthy, or even if Joe Wieskamp didn’t go 1-for-8 from the field.

Fredrick isn’t done for the year and I truly believe Wieskamp’s shot isn’t a loss cause. When Fredrick is healthy and Wieskamp is hitting on all cylinders, Iowa’s starting five is arguably the most dynamic and balanced in the conference.

Regardless, the Hawkeyes are still in an excellent position to close out the year. Iowa hosts No. 16 Penn State Saturday before losing out the year with a home contest against Purdue on March 3 and a road trip to Illinois on March 8.

In addition to asking about your confidence in Iowa basketball, SB Nation asked which Big Ten team is the best in the conference. Here are the results:

Maryland came out as the No. 1 team, earning 71 percent of the votes. The rest of the list went Michigan (8 percent), Michigan State (6 percent), and Penn State (5 percent) and Iowa (5 percent). I won’t complain too much, but I think the Spartans are the better team than the Wolverines.

Anyway, why did your confidence in Iowa rise or fall? Disagree with the Big Ten confidence voting? Let us know in the comments below.