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Indiana seeks an appearance in the Big Ten Tournament championship game but will need to defeat a hot Iowa team to get there.

Iowa (23-9) has found its stride at the right time of the season. The Hawkeyes have won seven of their last eight games, with their only loss coming by just two points at Illinois. They have put on two dominant showcases against Northwestern and Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament.

When Indiana battled Iowa earlier this season, the Hawkeyes earned an 83-74 victory at home. Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds but had just eight shot attempts. Race Thompson added 13 and Parker Stewart hit a few threes to give him 11.

The Hoosiers lost their first game against Iowa due to a lights-out performance by Kris Murray (10.1 ppg). Murray scored a career-high 29 points along with 11 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. He shot 66 percent from the field. Murray can create off of the dribble but isn't someone who will play with his back to the basket. He shoots 40.6 percent on 3s this season and can really stretch the defense.

It is usually Murray's brother, Keegan Murray (23.4 ppg), who does the majority of the work in the scoring column. Murray is a lock for the NBA lottery due to his scoring ability at 6-foot-8. He led the NCAA in scoring for the majority of the season but finished fourth in the regular season in that category. Murray was in foul trouble for the greater part of the game against Indiana but still managed to put up 12 points and nine rebounds in 22 minutes. His versatility allows him to play on the perimeter, hit outside shots, take defenders off of the dribble and still utilize a back-to-the-basket game.

Jordan Bohannon (11.2 ppg) is capable of scoring 20+ points on any given night if his jumpshot is rolling. The sixth-year senior has limitless range and be dangerous when confident. He struggled in game one against the Hoosiers, scoring just 11 points on 2-of-11 shooting. Overall, Bohannon is shooting 39.1 percent from deep

Guard Tony Perkins (7.3 ppg) is a new addition to the starting lineup since the Hoosiers last played Iowa. Perkins is fifth on the team in scoring but has been playing at a high level lately. He is averaging 13.0 points per game over his last four games and has had two 5+ assist games in that stretch as well. He is terrific getting into the lane and distributing from the middle of the floor. He is averaging 3.8 assists to just 1.0 turnover in the last four games. He's a good shooter and can create for himself off of the dribble. He's shooting lights out in the last four games at 77.8 percent on three (7-of-9).

Filip Rebraca (6.1 ppg) is the sole big man consistently in the rotation at 6-foot-9. He is joined in the frontcourt by coach's son Patrick McCaffery (10.2 ppg). McCaffery is consistent but has not had many outbursts this season in any particular statistical category.

Fran McCaffery typically uses a deep bench consisting of Connor McCaffery (2.6 ppg), Joe Toussaint (4.4 ppg), Payton Sandfort (5.1 ppg), and Ahron Ulis (3.4 ppg). It is not uncommon for Fran McCaffery to go 13 players deep off the bench, and only four players on the roster average more than 20 minutes per game.

G- Jordan Bohannon (Sr; 6-1; 175)

Season Stats: 11.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 1.7 apg

G - Tony Perkins (So; 6-4; 210)

Season Stats: 7.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg

F- Keegan Murray (So; 6-8; 215)

Season Stats: 23.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.0 bpg

F - Patrick McCaffery (So; 6-9; 200)

Season Stats: 10.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg

F - Filip Rebraca (Sr; 6-9; 222)

Season Stats: 6.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Exploiting matchups. Iowa is among the nation's best offensively, but their defense is far from elite. There is a massive matchup down low with Rebraca guarding Jackson-Davis. Jackson-Davis must be feeling himself after a 21-point game against All-American Kofi Cockburn and could easily dominate Rebraca.

Furthermore, Xavier Johnson has been attacking the rim at an elite level. Even first-team Big Ten All-Defense selection Trent Frazier couldn't contain Johnson the whole game, and Iowa has no one who can keep up with him in the open court. Pick and rolls should also be a go-to in this game for the Hoosiers.

If Indiana forces Iowa to guard them in one-on-one or two-on-two situations, then I'm not confident in Iowa's ability to stop them. If the Hoosiers can continue their play on both ends from the previous two games, then they should come out victorious.

Who: Indiana (20-12) vs. Iowa (24-9)

When: Saturday, March 12th, 1:00 p.m. ET

Where: Indianapolis, IN

TV: CBS

Radio: IU Radio Network with Don Fischer, Errek Suhr and Joe Smith

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QUICK HITTERS

• Indiana is 70-59 all-time against Iowa

• Iowa defeated Indiana 83-74 in January

• Keegan Murray is fourth the NCAA in points per game with 23.4

• Iowa ranks 4th in the NCAA in points per game with 84.2

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