Indiana gets back on the road on Thursday for a matchup against No. 4 Iowa where the Hoosiers will look for one of the best wins in the country.
Iowa comes in at 12-2 (6-1) and ranks second in the country averaging 92.2 points per game. The Hawkeyes' two losses have come against Gonzaga and Minnesota.
Luka Garza headlines the Iowa roster as he averages 26.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Garza has been nearly unstoppable this year, scoring 25+ points in eight different games. He also has six double-doubles and every game with double-digit scoring. He will overpower opponents on the block, but also connects on 47.9 percent of his 3's, on 3.4 attempts per game.
Iowa then goes smaller with four wing players around Garza. Joe Wieskamp is second on the team with 14.4 points per game. He is an ideal counter-punch to Garza and has scored 15+ points in eight different games. He provides Iowa with great size on the wing and can play both around the perimeter as well as off of the dribble.
Jordan Bohannon returns as a redshirt senior for Iowa and has been someone Iowa can always rely on in big games. After scoring in double-figures once in the first nine games, he has scored 10+ points in the past five, averaging 17.0 points on 62.9 percent from three (22-of-35). He is averaging 10.5 points overall and has seven games of at least five assists, leading the team with 4.9 apg.
CJ Fredrick is another backcourt member who can light it up from three. Averaging 9.8 points per game and shooting 51 percent from deep, he is known for more of a catch and shoot guard, rather than making plays off of the dribble. 54.8 percent of his shot attempts come from being the three point line this year.
Finally, Jack Nunge comes off of the bench as a reserve big man behind Garza and is more of a traditional forward playing around the paint. He can easily spark runs for Iowa with his energy and toughness. Connor McCaffery is a do-it-all wing who is second on the team in assists at 4.4 per game - seven outings with at least five assists. He averages just 3.2 points per game but plays his role perfectly and allows the backcourt of Bohannon, Fredrick and Wieskamp to all play off of the ball.
Iowa Projected Starters:
G - Jordan Bohannon (Sr; 6-1; 175)
Stats: 10.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.9 apg
G- CJ Fredrick (So; 6-3; 195)
Stats: 9.8 ppg, 2.5 apg, 51.0% 3pt
G - Joe Wieskamp (Jr; 6-6; 212)
Stats: 14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 42.1% 3pt
F - Connor McCaffrey (Jr; 6-5; 205)
Stats 3.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.4 apg
C - Luka Garza (Sr; 6-11; 265)
Stats: 26.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 47.9% 3pt
Things To Watch For Indiana:
The one thing that sticks out above all comes from the three point line. Indiana has struggled much of Big Ten play to hold opponents to even just an average percentage from three. In the past five games, IU is allowing opponents to shot 42 percent from deep, including 9.4 made 3's per game. Iowa has made 10+ 3's in 10 of 14 games this year and has four players who have made 23+ 3's on the season.
In its matchup last year, albeit without Jordan Bohannon, Iowa was held to just 4-of-14. If IU wants any chance of winning, it has to do a much better job at containing Iowa, much like it did last year.
Another major point of emphasis Indiana needs to have is the turnover margin. Iowa ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.14) while Indiana ranks just 11th in the Big Ten (1.20). Iowa averages just 10 turnovers per game so don't look for Indiana to get out in transition too often.
Finally, Iowa has made more free throws (239) than its opponents have attempted (201). Indiana's offense, most of the time, revolves around getting to the free throw line, albeit struggling this season with its percentage. If Indiana isn't able to get to the line, it could be a long night for the Hoosiers.
Game Information:
Who: Indiana (8-6; 3-4) at Iowa (12-2; 6-1)
When: Thursday, Jan. 21 @ 9:00 pm ET
Where: Iowa City, IA
TV: FS1 (Adam Amin and Nick Bahe)
Radio: IU Radio Network with Don Fischer, Errek Suhr and Joe Smith
---
QUICK HITTERS
• Indiana leads the all-time series, 103-78. Indiana won the last matchup, 89-77. Three out of the last four matchups have been decided by single-digits.
• Trayce Jackson-Davis is 3rd in the nation in FT's made (86) and in attempts (125).
• Iowa has won 22 of its last 23 games at home, dating back to last season.
• The Hawkeyes have 19 scoring runs of 10-0 or better this season, which includes a 20-0 run against Maryland.
• 10 of Iowa’s 12 victories this season have come by 15 points or more.
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.
