Time is running out for Rutgers and Iowa to turn things around as the Big Ten season winds down. The two struggling programs meet Wednesday night in Piscataway, N.J., with both needing a spark to stay in postseason contention. The Hawkeyes (13-10, 4-8 Big Ten) squandered a late lead in Saturday’s 74-63 home loss to then-No. 21 Wisconsin, going scoreless for the final 4:29 as the Badgers closed the game on a 16-4 run. Iowa continues to adjust without leading scorer Owen Freeman, who is out for the season following finger surgery. That puts more pressure on Payton Sandfort (15.9 points, 5.8 rebounds per game) and Josh Dix (13.9 ppg), but Sandfort struggled against Wisconsin, shooting just 2-of-11 from the

No. 3 Duke looks to bounce back from its first ACC loss of the season when it hosts Cal on Wednesday night in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils (20-3, 12-1 ACC) still sit atop the conference standings, but their 16-game winning streak came to an end with a 77-71 road loss to Clemson on Saturday. It was Duke’s first true road loss of the season. Freshman star Cooper Flagg had a chance to put Duke ahead with 14 seconds left but lost control of the ball after slipping on a wet spot on the floor. Despite the tough break, he wasn’t making excuses. Indeed, Clemson dominated inside, outscoring Duke 40-22 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 36-23. Flagg

Wake Forest has put itself in a strong position in the ACC and NCAA Tournament conversation. The Demon Deacons look to build on that momentum when they host Florida State on Wednesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Demon Deacons (18-6, 10-3 ACC) have reached double-digit conference wins for the fourth straight season. Their latest victory came in a 76-66 road win over Cal on Saturday, which completed a sweep of the ACC’s new Bay Area members, Cal and Stanford. Cameron Hildreth has been on fire lately, recording at least 20 points in five of his last seven games. He led Wake Forest in scoring during the West Coast swing, posting 22 points against Stanford and 23 against Cal while shooting

For the first time in over two decades, Georgia Tech and Stanford will clash on the hardwood when they meet Wednesday night in Atlanta for an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. The Yellow Jackets (11-13, 5-8 ACC) are coming off a 75-61 road loss to Virginia, snapping their momentum from upset wins over then-No. 21 Louisville and Clemson earlier this month. With a season plagued by injuries, Georgia Tech was forced to roll out a six-man rotation against the Cavaliers. Second-leading scorer Javian McCollum (12.2 ppg), Kowacie Reeves Jr., and Luke O’Brien were all sidelined. George has been on fire lately, averaging 20.8 points and 6.5 assists over the past four games. Meanwhile, leading scorer Lance Terry (14.9 ppg) played through