The Hoosiers take on Iowa in Iowa City today in their sixteenth Big Ten game of the season.
Tipoff is set for 9:00 p.m. ET and will be aired on FS1.
TheHoosier.com has gathered previews and predictions for the game below.
1. Packline discipline -- Four of Iowa's five starters are a threat to score from beyond the arc with the exception of Tyler Cook and his four attempts. Though Luka Garza is only shooting 30.7 percent from 3-point range, he's still someone Indiana can't afford to ignore. Teams with that makeup have given IU problems this year and stressed its packline defense.
2. Turnovers -- Iowa likes to throw multiple zone looks teams and that can cause a lot of confusion for teams that don't make a concerted effort to make the smart pass and take care of the basketball. The Hawkeyes' decision to go from man-to-man to zone in the first media led to a crippling scoring drought by the Hoosiers that they ended up not being able to overcome.
3. Plan for Jordan Bohannon -- After torching Indiana for 25 points in the first matchup, you better believe the junior guard has Indiana's full and undivided attention. Above all else, Indiana has to account for him in transition, regardless of whether he's bring the ball up the court, because that's where he seemingly hurt Indiana the most - especially on 3-point attempts.
Two weeks ago, Iowa hung a 77-72 loss on the Hoosiers in Bloomington. It’s part of a stretch of play that has seen the once-ranked team lose 11 of 12 games.
Wieskamp had 13 points in that one, 12 coming in the first half. He was often matched up with Hoosiers star freshman Romeo Langford, who scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half.
“Romeo’s a very good defender, especially on me the second half,” Wieskamp said. “I’ve just got to watch film and see ways I can exploit their defense.”
Wieskamp’s back soreness has subsided considerably, he said. He was calm and confident when talking with reporters, showing no signs that his two-point outing in Tuesday’s 66-65 loss to Maryland was still bothering him.
That may be a bad sign for the beleaguered Hoosiers. Wieskamp averages 11.4 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting. He’s been held without a field goal only two times previously this season. Each time, he made six in his next outing.
3. Bombs away. -- In conference play, only Maryland is shooting better from beyond the arc than Iowa. The Hawkeyes are making 38.1 percent of their 3-point attempts in Big Ten games. Indiana, meanwhile, is allowing league opponents to shoot 34.3 percent from the perimeter, a mark that ranks 11th in the conference. Joe Wieskamp has made 43.6 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, while Jordan Bohannon is making 40 percent of his outside shots. Isaiah Moss is also seeing success from outside. Moss is 20-for-35 (.571) from 3-point range during the last nine games.
Predictions and Probabilities
TheHoosier.com Staff Predictions
Jon Sauber: Iowa 81, Indiana 76
Stu Jackson: Iowa 75, Indiana 60
KenPom
Iowa 77, Indiana 70 (74 percent chance Iowa wins)
Thrill Score: 56.0 (No. 1 among Friday's games)
ESPN
Iowa 75.9 percent
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