No. 10 Iowa hosts Maryville in an exhibition Thursday night as the Hawkeyes tune up for the Nov. 2 regular-season opener against Towson. Iowa is coming off a 27-7 season and returns five players, led by All-Big Ten forward Ava Heiden, while adding six newcomers. Maryville, the reigning Great Lakes Valley Conference champion, brings back standout guard Lindsey Schadewalt and has beaten three Division I teams in exhibition play since 2022.

By the Numbers
  • Iowa finished 27-7 overall and 15-3 in Big Ten play in 2025-26.
  • Heiden averaged 18.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game; newcomer Dani Carnegie averaged 17.8 points at Georgia last season.
  • Maryville went 25-7, including 16-4 in conference play, and Schadewalt averaged 14.4 points per game.
  • Iowa has won its last 4 exhibitions and scored at least 100 points in each of its last 3.
Yes, But

Maryville is a Division II opponent, but the Saints are no automatic tune-up: they’re coming off a school-record season and have defeated three Division I teams in exhibitions over the past four years. Iowa, meanwhile, is integrating six newcomers into a roster with five returning players.

State of Play
  • Iowa opens the season ranked No. 10 in both the AP and coaches polls, its highest preseason AP ranking since 2023-24.
  • Heiden and returning guard Chit-Chat Wright headline the Hawkeyes; Carnegie is among the key additions.
  • Thursday’s exhibition tips at 7 p.m. CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and streams on B1G+.
What’s Next

Iowa opens the regular season at home against Towson on Nov. 2, then hosts Eastern Illinois before traveling to UConn on Nov. 8.

Bottom Line

The exhibition gives a highly ranked Iowa team its first chance to test a reshaped roster—and Maryville’s recent success against Division I opponents makes it a more meaningful early check than a routine preseason scrimmage.