During the most important stretch of the season, Iowa has answered the call. The Hawkeyes have been one of the more surprising teams in the B1G this season, having some talking about Fran McCaffery being the leader for conference Coach of the Year consideration.

Iowa posted another win on Friday night, defeating Nebraska 88-78 in Lincoln. It was a third-straight victory for the Hawkeyes, which defeated Ohio State and Michigan State, as well.

The Hawkeyes are 6-1 in the month of February with a home game against Northwestern on Monday to close out the month. They’ve developed from a bubble team to a Top 25 squad and NCAA Tournament lock.

Following Friday’s road win, Connor McCaffery was asked if his father deserved Coach of the Year consideration. He provided a pretty simple response, “Absolutely.”

Connor pointed to the media’s preseason projection for Iowa. Many thought the Hawkeyes would finish near the bottom of the B1G and would have to squeak into the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa currently owns a 10-7 mark in B1G play and is 20-8 overall. The Hawkeyes close out the season with games against Northwestern, Michigan and Illinois.