Tom's preview.
https://iowa.n.rivals.com/news/hawkeye-tip-time-18
Iowa Hawkeyes (19-4, 10-1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (19-5, 9-2)
Tip Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN – Rece Davis, Dick Vitale, and Kaylee Hartung on the call.
Location: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
History: Indiana leads the overall series between the two schools 98-75. The Hoosiers hold a 58-29 advantage in games played in Bloomington. Iowa won the last meeting between the two schools last year on March 5th, 77-63 in Bloomington and have split the last six meetings at Assembly Hall. The two schools have split the last eight meetings overall, but Iowa has won six of the last ten. Fran McCaffery is 4-5 against Indiana. Tom Crean is 5-7 against Iowa.
THE LINE: Indiana is a 2 point favorite
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Adam Woodbury – 8.5 ppg
Jarrod Uthoff – 18.4 ppg
Peter Jok – 15.5 ppg
Anthony Clemmons – 8.9 ppg
Mike Gesell – 8.4 ppg
INDIANA
Thomas Bryant – 12. 1 ppg
Troy Williams – 12.8 ppg
Colin Hartman – 4.8 ppg
Robert Johnson – 7.8 ppg
Yogi Ferrell – 17.3 ppg
PLAYER TO WATCH
Thomas Bryant – The big freshman is a load in the post. He’s the old school type player with size and strength that can finish plays around the rim. Bryant has soft hands and a variety of post moves that make him hard to guard in the paint. One thing to watch with Bryant is can the Hawkeyes get him in foul trouble early in the game. The Hoosiers don’t have a lot of depth in the size department this year and Bryant has been saddled with foul trouble in four of the last six games, including fouling out in the loss to Wisconsin. This season, Bryant is averaging over 12 points a game and 6 rebounds. Given the drop off in production in the post when he’s not on the floor, I would suspect that Iowa will try to do two things, attack him and make him run the floor. This will be an interesting spot for the Hawkeyes as senior Adam Woodbury tries to take a young and very talented freshman to school. If Woodbury can get Bryant in foul trouble in the first half it will certainly help the Hawkeyes chances on Thursday evening.
KEY MATCH-UP
Anthony Clemmons vs. Yogi Ferrell – In Big Ten play, Clemmons has embraced becoming Iowa’s shutdown defender and more importantly he has become a stopper. Clemmons has always been an above average defender, but he’s at another level right now. He’s shut down former high school teammate Bryn Forbes from Michigan State twice. He slowed down Maryland’s Melo Trimble, and on Sunday, he locked up Illinois Kendrick Nunn. But, this will be his biggest challenge, but there’s not a quicker more dynamic guard in the conference than Ferrell. The small and speedy Indiana point guard is the rare combination of blinding quickness and the ability to pull up from three and drain shots. Make no mistake, Ferrell makes the Hoosier attack go. He’s shooting 45% from three point range, dishes out nearly six assists a game, and shoots 83% from the foul line. There might not be a more important player to a team in the Big Ten this season than Ferrell is to IU. When he gets going, especially in the transition game, he can pull up from three, drive to the rim and finish or get fouled, or load up an open shooter on the wing for a three. Indiana has had some huge games when Ferrell gets going, witness the drilling of Michigan last week in Ann Arbor. Clemmons might not shut down Ferrell, but he’s going to have to limit what he can do on the floor if Iowa is going to leave Bloomington with a victory.
STATS AND NOTES
Iowa moved to #2 in the KenPom.com rankings this week. They are currently ranked 4th in the Associated Press Poll and 5th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The last time Iowa was in 1st place in the Big Ten this deep into a season was February 23, 2006. Iowa has six wins this season over RPI Top 50 teams. The Hawkeyes have five wins this season over AP Top 25 teams, which is the most in the country. Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff is on the midseason Wooden Award Watch list. Uthoff moved up to 34th on Iowa’s all-time scoring list. He now has scored 1,097 points. He has also moved up to 4th in Iowa’s all-time blocked shots list with 157 blocks. He has 67 blocked shots this season, which ranks 7th on Iowa’s all-time list for a single season. Mike Gesell is 2 points away from 1,000 career points. He would be the 45th player in school history to achieve this mark. Gesell is also 9 assists away from 500 career assists. He would be the fifth player in school history to have scored 1,000 points and dished out 500 assists. Iowa is 3-3 this season in games played on Thursday nights. Iowa is 1-1 this season in games played on ESPN.
THE PICK
Prior to last weekend, it looked like Iowa and Indiana were on a collision course with the winner of this game taking sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Then Indiana was stunned at Penn State and Iowa defeated Illinois to take over first place in the Big Ten all by themselves.
That doesn’t diminish the importance of this game. Regardless of the outcome, Iowa will still be in first place, but the question is will they be alone at the top or tied for the lead with six games left in league play?
If Iowa can get a win, that driver’s seat to a possible Big Ten title gets a little bit more comfortable. The question is can they get a win at Assembly Hall for the second straight year? It’s one of the toughest places in the country to play and after the loss to Penn State, you know the Hoosier fans are going to be loud and the place will be full. You also know that the Hoosiers realize this is a game they have to have if they are going to stay in the Big Ten race, so their backs are against the wall. By the way, Indiana has not lost at home this season, so the task for the Hawkeyes is going to be difficult and challenging.
But, it’s not impossible.
What is Iowa’s path to victory on Thursday night? Well, it’s pretty simple. Both teams want to run and get out in transition, so the team that ends up playing better defense is going to win. Both teams will even try to push tempo off made shots, so expect a fast paced game. Iowa and Indiana lead the Big Ten in points per game, so it’s going to be an up and down game probably filled with several runs by both clubs. In addition, both teams like to shoot the three ball and they both shoot it at a pretty high percentage. The Hoosiers have five players in their rotation that shoot better than 40% from three point range and that doesn’t even include Nick Zeisloft, who is a three point specialist shooting 37% from beyond the arch. Iowa hasn’t been shy about shooting the three ball either, making 40% from three this year.
The key stats to watch in this game will be three pointers made and turnovers. You could probably say that about just about every game, but in this one, it will be very important and perhaps deciding the outcome.
Couple of things to watch in this one beyond Iowa trying to control Yogi Ferrell because if he gets going it’s going to be a tough night for Iowa. Can Iowa’s 1-2-2 press be effective against him? Iowa has used it a lot this season to create tempo and it’s generally been very effective.
Peter Jok could have a pretty good game. It will be interesting to see who Indiana throws on him. If they try to have Hartman guard him, I think Jok has a big game. Will the Hoosiers try and go a little bigger at times with Williams and O.G. Anunoby on the court at the same time? That would give them more length on both Uthoff and Jok. By the way, Anunoby, who is a former Iowa recruiting target, has been playing very good basketball. On the offensive end, keeping Williams and Anunoby in check will be important, especially Williams. When he plays well, generally, IU plays well. Look for some shot fakes by Uthoff on Williams, who has a tendency to fly at shooters. Iowa needs big games for both Jok and Uthoff.
This is a winnable game for the Hawkeyes. The Hoosiers are a team that can get sideways fairly easily, especially if the three ball isn’t falling. I think Iowa needs to run when it can, but they need to grind the Hoosiers a bit on the offensive end because while their defense has improved, they aren’t as good when you force them to play long stretches of defense.
Having said, that, I think Iowa’s going into a real hornet’s nest on Thursday evening. Their fans will be into this one and the Hoosiers know they have to get this one. I think it’s a true coin flip type game, but I fear that Iowa ends up getting too caught up in the race horse game and that proves to be costly. INDIANA 78 IOWA 75.
https://iowa.n.rivals.com/news/hawkeye-tip-time-18
Iowa Hawkeyes (19-4, 10-1) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (19-5, 9-2)
Tip Time: 8:05 p.m.
TV: ESPN – Rece Davis, Dick Vitale, and Kaylee Hartung on the call.
Location: Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
History: Indiana leads the overall series between the two schools 98-75. The Hoosiers hold a 58-29 advantage in games played in Bloomington. Iowa won the last meeting between the two schools last year on March 5th, 77-63 in Bloomington and have split the last six meetings at Assembly Hall. The two schools have split the last eight meetings overall, but Iowa has won six of the last ten. Fran McCaffery is 4-5 against Indiana. Tom Crean is 5-7 against Iowa.
THE LINE: Indiana is a 2 point favorite
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Adam Woodbury – 8.5 ppg
Jarrod Uthoff – 18.4 ppg
Peter Jok – 15.5 ppg
Anthony Clemmons – 8.9 ppg
Mike Gesell – 8.4 ppg
INDIANA
Thomas Bryant – 12. 1 ppg
Troy Williams – 12.8 ppg
Colin Hartman – 4.8 ppg
Robert Johnson – 7.8 ppg
Yogi Ferrell – 17.3 ppg
PLAYER TO WATCH
Thomas Bryant – The big freshman is a load in the post. He’s the old school type player with size and strength that can finish plays around the rim. Bryant has soft hands and a variety of post moves that make him hard to guard in the paint. One thing to watch with Bryant is can the Hawkeyes get him in foul trouble early in the game. The Hoosiers don’t have a lot of depth in the size department this year and Bryant has been saddled with foul trouble in four of the last six games, including fouling out in the loss to Wisconsin. This season, Bryant is averaging over 12 points a game and 6 rebounds. Given the drop off in production in the post when he’s not on the floor, I would suspect that Iowa will try to do two things, attack him and make him run the floor. This will be an interesting spot for the Hawkeyes as senior Adam Woodbury tries to take a young and very talented freshman to school. If Woodbury can get Bryant in foul trouble in the first half it will certainly help the Hawkeyes chances on Thursday evening.
KEY MATCH-UP
Anthony Clemmons vs. Yogi Ferrell – In Big Ten play, Clemmons has embraced becoming Iowa’s shutdown defender and more importantly he has become a stopper. Clemmons has always been an above average defender, but he’s at another level right now. He’s shut down former high school teammate Bryn Forbes from Michigan State twice. He slowed down Maryland’s Melo Trimble, and on Sunday, he locked up Illinois Kendrick Nunn. But, this will be his biggest challenge, but there’s not a quicker more dynamic guard in the conference than Ferrell. The small and speedy Indiana point guard is the rare combination of blinding quickness and the ability to pull up from three and drain shots. Make no mistake, Ferrell makes the Hoosier attack go. He’s shooting 45% from three point range, dishes out nearly six assists a game, and shoots 83% from the foul line. There might not be a more important player to a team in the Big Ten this season than Ferrell is to IU. When he gets going, especially in the transition game, he can pull up from three, drive to the rim and finish or get fouled, or load up an open shooter on the wing for a three. Indiana has had some huge games when Ferrell gets going, witness the drilling of Michigan last week in Ann Arbor. Clemmons might not shut down Ferrell, but he’s going to have to limit what he can do on the floor if Iowa is going to leave Bloomington with a victory.
STATS AND NOTES
Iowa moved to #2 in the KenPom.com rankings this week. They are currently ranked 4th in the Associated Press Poll and 5th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The last time Iowa was in 1st place in the Big Ten this deep into a season was February 23, 2006. Iowa has six wins this season over RPI Top 50 teams. The Hawkeyes have five wins this season over AP Top 25 teams, which is the most in the country. Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff is on the midseason Wooden Award Watch list. Uthoff moved up to 34th on Iowa’s all-time scoring list. He now has scored 1,097 points. He has also moved up to 4th in Iowa’s all-time blocked shots list with 157 blocks. He has 67 blocked shots this season, which ranks 7th on Iowa’s all-time list for a single season. Mike Gesell is 2 points away from 1,000 career points. He would be the 45th player in school history to achieve this mark. Gesell is also 9 assists away from 500 career assists. He would be the fifth player in school history to have scored 1,000 points and dished out 500 assists. Iowa is 3-3 this season in games played on Thursday nights. Iowa is 1-1 this season in games played on ESPN.
THE PICK
Prior to last weekend, it looked like Iowa and Indiana were on a collision course with the winner of this game taking sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. Then Indiana was stunned at Penn State and Iowa defeated Illinois to take over first place in the Big Ten all by themselves.
That doesn’t diminish the importance of this game. Regardless of the outcome, Iowa will still be in first place, but the question is will they be alone at the top or tied for the lead with six games left in league play?
If Iowa can get a win, that driver’s seat to a possible Big Ten title gets a little bit more comfortable. The question is can they get a win at Assembly Hall for the second straight year? It’s one of the toughest places in the country to play and after the loss to Penn State, you know the Hoosier fans are going to be loud and the place will be full. You also know that the Hoosiers realize this is a game they have to have if they are going to stay in the Big Ten race, so their backs are against the wall. By the way, Indiana has not lost at home this season, so the task for the Hawkeyes is going to be difficult and challenging.
But, it’s not impossible.
What is Iowa’s path to victory on Thursday night? Well, it’s pretty simple. Both teams want to run and get out in transition, so the team that ends up playing better defense is going to win. Both teams will even try to push tempo off made shots, so expect a fast paced game. Iowa and Indiana lead the Big Ten in points per game, so it’s going to be an up and down game probably filled with several runs by both clubs. In addition, both teams like to shoot the three ball and they both shoot it at a pretty high percentage. The Hoosiers have five players in their rotation that shoot better than 40% from three point range and that doesn’t even include Nick Zeisloft, who is a three point specialist shooting 37% from beyond the arch. Iowa hasn’t been shy about shooting the three ball either, making 40% from three this year.
The key stats to watch in this game will be three pointers made and turnovers. You could probably say that about just about every game, but in this one, it will be very important and perhaps deciding the outcome.
Couple of things to watch in this one beyond Iowa trying to control Yogi Ferrell because if he gets going it’s going to be a tough night for Iowa. Can Iowa’s 1-2-2 press be effective against him? Iowa has used it a lot this season to create tempo and it’s generally been very effective.
Peter Jok could have a pretty good game. It will be interesting to see who Indiana throws on him. If they try to have Hartman guard him, I think Jok has a big game. Will the Hoosiers try and go a little bigger at times with Williams and O.G. Anunoby on the court at the same time? That would give them more length on both Uthoff and Jok. By the way, Anunoby, who is a former Iowa recruiting target, has been playing very good basketball. On the offensive end, keeping Williams and Anunoby in check will be important, especially Williams. When he plays well, generally, IU plays well. Look for some shot fakes by Uthoff on Williams, who has a tendency to fly at shooters. Iowa needs big games for both Jok and Uthoff.
This is a winnable game for the Hawkeyes. The Hoosiers are a team that can get sideways fairly easily, especially if the three ball isn’t falling. I think Iowa needs to run when it can, but they need to grind the Hoosiers a bit on the offensive end because while their defense has improved, they aren’t as good when you force them to play long stretches of defense.
Having said, that, I think Iowa’s going into a real hornet’s nest on Thursday evening. Their fans will be into this one and the Hoosiers know they have to get this one. I think it’s a true coin flip type game, but I fear that Iowa ends up getting too caught up in the race horse game and that proves to be costly. INDIANA 78 IOWA 75.
