Hawkeye Tip Time
Tom Kakert | Editor
Illinois Fighting Illini (14-18) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (21-9)
Tip Time: Approximately 1:30 p.m.
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler, Jon Crispin, and Rick Pizzo
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
History: Illinois leads the overall series 82-71. Iowa has won five of the last six meetings with the Illini, including a 77-65 victory in Champaign on February 7th. Iowa and Illinois have met one other time in the Big Ten Tournament and that was in 2012 and the Hawkeyes won that game, 64-61.
THE LINE:Iowa is a 10 1/2 point favorite
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Adam Woodbury – 7.9 ppg
Jarrod Uthoff – 18.8 ppg
Peter Jok – 15.8 ppg
Anthony Clemmons – 9.3 ppg
Mike Gesell – 8.5 ppg
ILLINOIS
Maverick Morgan – 7.8 ppg
Malcom Hill – 18.6 ppg
Kendrick Nunn – 15.6 ppg
Jalen Coleman-Lands – 10.3 ppg
Khalid Lewis – 3.9 ppg
The Hawkeyes start their Big Ten Tournament journey on Thursday afternoon.
USA Today Sports
PLAYER TO WATCH
Peter Jok – In the first meeting with the Illini this season, Jok was Iowa’s top scorer, netting 23 points and pulling down 5 rebounds. He also did had a pair of steals in the victory. Jok has been struggling with his shot in the past couple of weeks. In the last three games he has made 11-38 field goal attempts (29%) and just 5-19 from three point range (26%). That’s a significant drop from his 40% from the floor and 42% from three this season. Prior to this rough stretch, Jok had scored more than 20 points in four of the previous five games. In the last three games, he’s averaging just 10 points a game. For the season he’s averaging almost 16 a game. Jarrod Uthoff looked like he was back on track in the final game of the regular season and if the Hawkeyes are going to make a run this week in Indianapolis, they are going to need Jok to find his shot once again.
KEY MATCH-UP
Jarrod Uthoff vs. Malcom Hill – This is a marquee match-up between two of the top players in the Big Ten this year. Both average over 18 points a game and are volume scorers who can not only get to the basket, but shoot the ball from deep. Uthoff had been slumping, but on Saturday night in the final game of the regular season, he poured in 29 points, including making 4 three pointers in a game for the first time since January 24th against Purdue. Uthoff had a double-double, 18 points and 12 rebounds, in the first meeting against the Illini. Hill had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the first meeting, but struggled to get his shots when he was guarded by Uthoff and his length gave him problems. This will be a good matchup, but if the good Uthoff shows up and is making shots, it will be a real boost for the Hawkeyes chances.
STATS AND NOTES
Iowa is ranked 18th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 20th in the Associated Press Poll this week. Iowa has a 15-16 record in the Big Ten Tournament, winning the event twice and playing in the title game one other time. The Hawkeyes have lost their first game in the Big Ten Tournament the last two years, including as a 5 seed last year, falling to Penn State. Jarrod Uthoff has scored 1,238 career points, which is 20th on Iowa’s all-time list. Uthoff has 172 blocks in his Iowa career, which is the 4th highest total in school history. He has 81 blocks this season, which is the 6th highest single season total for an Iowa player. Mike Gesell has scored 1,059 points, which is 40th on Iowa’s all-time list. Gesell is closing in on the single season assist record for an Iowa player. He has 186 career assists and the single season record is 193 by Andre Woolridge in 1996. Gesell now has 538 career assists, which is the 4th highest total in school history. Gesell also have 156 career steals, which is the 8th most in Iowa Basketball history. Anthony Clemmons is 14 points away from 700 career points as a Hawkeye. Iowa is 2-2 this season in neutral court games. Iowa is 3-4 in games played on Thursday this season. The Hawkeyes are 11-2 in games played on the Big Ten Network this season.
THE PICK
After losing four straight, the Hawkeyes may have a little momentum coming with them to Indianapolis after their win in Ann Arbor on Saturday. They needed it because Iowa wasn’t shooting it well or guarding at the level they needed to for a couple of weeks. One thing I mentioned prior to the game on Saturday was that Iowa needed to get back to shooting 45% or better from the floor. They shot 45% from the floor against Michigan and won by double figures. In the four game losing streak, Iowa was shooting in the mid 30’s and we all saw the result. In the first meeting with Illinois, Iowa shot 43%, which is in the neighborhood, and won by 12 in Champaign.
Illinois comes in with a little momentum coming off a win on Wednesday over a depleted Minnesota team that had just five scholarship players due to suspensions and injuries. The Illini made 14 three point field goals in the game, which is an impressive number, but you also have to factor in the competition in their 32 point blowout victory. One key player that did not see much action in the first meeting was Michael Finke, who comes off the bench for the Illini. He played just 17 minutes and was coming off an ankle injury. Wednesday he scored 17 points and was 5-7 from three. Iowa will need to do a good job of closing out on him to cool him off after his hot shooting effort.
One of the match-up’s to watch will be Anthony Clemmons guarding Kendrick Nunn. The athletic wing is the Illini’s second leading scorer and the first time around, Clemmons locked him up and held him to 2-13 from the floor and just 6 points. Another player Iowa will have to do a better job of identifying is Coleman-Lands, who scored 17 in the first meeting, including knocking down five three’s in the game. Iowa hasn’t done a great job against the three recently and they need to keep the Illini under 8 made three’s, which is what they had in the first contest. If the number reaches double figures, Iowa risks being one and done in the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight year.
What does Iowa have to do to win? We already covered the shooting angle and it’s going to be important to make shots and get both Uthoff and Jok going. That opens up the floor for everyone else. Iowa’s bench needs to come to play and it will be interesting to see how some of the young players react to this bigger stage. In the first meeting they gave the Hawkeyes 8 points and 4 rebounds. They need to get into double figures off the bench for Iowa to feel good about their performance. Iowa also needs to dominate the glass once again. In the first game, Iowa won the boards 43-32 and that included 12 offensive rebounds for the Hawkeyes. Adam Woodbury really dominated the backboard with 14 boards and finished with a double-double.
I think the Hawkeyes will get tested in this game. Illinois has talent and a healthy Finke give them another solid shooting weapon. I think the first half will be tight, but playing back to back will lead the Illini to a sloppy second 20 minutes and the Hawkeyes pull away for the victory. IOWA 72 ILLINOIS 63.
Tom Kakert | Editor
Illinois Fighting Illini (14-18) vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (21-9)
Tip Time: Approximately 1:30 p.m.
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler, Jon Crispin, and Rick Pizzo
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
History: Illinois leads the overall series 82-71. Iowa has won five of the last six meetings with the Illini, including a 77-65 victory in Champaign on February 7th. Iowa and Illinois have met one other time in the Big Ten Tournament and that was in 2012 and the Hawkeyes won that game, 64-61.
THE LINE:Iowa is a 10 1/2 point favorite
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Adam Woodbury – 7.9 ppg
Jarrod Uthoff – 18.8 ppg
Peter Jok – 15.8 ppg
Anthony Clemmons – 9.3 ppg
Mike Gesell – 8.5 ppg
ILLINOIS
Maverick Morgan – 7.8 ppg
Malcom Hill – 18.6 ppg
Kendrick Nunn – 15.6 ppg
Jalen Coleman-Lands – 10.3 ppg
Khalid Lewis – 3.9 ppg
The Hawkeyes start their Big Ten Tournament journey on Thursday afternoon.
USA Today Sports
PLAYER TO WATCH
Peter Jok – In the first meeting with the Illini this season, Jok was Iowa’s top scorer, netting 23 points and pulling down 5 rebounds. He also did had a pair of steals in the victory. Jok has been struggling with his shot in the past couple of weeks. In the last three games he has made 11-38 field goal attempts (29%) and just 5-19 from three point range (26%). That’s a significant drop from his 40% from the floor and 42% from three this season. Prior to this rough stretch, Jok had scored more than 20 points in four of the previous five games. In the last three games, he’s averaging just 10 points a game. For the season he’s averaging almost 16 a game. Jarrod Uthoff looked like he was back on track in the final game of the regular season and if the Hawkeyes are going to make a run this week in Indianapolis, they are going to need Jok to find his shot once again.
KEY MATCH-UP
Jarrod Uthoff vs. Malcom Hill – This is a marquee match-up between two of the top players in the Big Ten this year. Both average over 18 points a game and are volume scorers who can not only get to the basket, but shoot the ball from deep. Uthoff had been slumping, but on Saturday night in the final game of the regular season, he poured in 29 points, including making 4 three pointers in a game for the first time since January 24th against Purdue. Uthoff had a double-double, 18 points and 12 rebounds, in the first meeting against the Illini. Hill had 14 points and 8 rebounds in the first meeting, but struggled to get his shots when he was guarded by Uthoff and his length gave him problems. This will be a good matchup, but if the good Uthoff shows up and is making shots, it will be a real boost for the Hawkeyes chances.
STATS AND NOTES
Iowa is ranked 18th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 20th in the Associated Press Poll this week. Iowa has a 15-16 record in the Big Ten Tournament, winning the event twice and playing in the title game one other time. The Hawkeyes have lost their first game in the Big Ten Tournament the last two years, including as a 5 seed last year, falling to Penn State. Jarrod Uthoff has scored 1,238 career points, which is 20th on Iowa’s all-time list. Uthoff has 172 blocks in his Iowa career, which is the 4th highest total in school history. He has 81 blocks this season, which is the 6th highest single season total for an Iowa player. Mike Gesell has scored 1,059 points, which is 40th on Iowa’s all-time list. Gesell is closing in on the single season assist record for an Iowa player. He has 186 career assists and the single season record is 193 by Andre Woolridge in 1996. Gesell now has 538 career assists, which is the 4th highest total in school history. Gesell also have 156 career steals, which is the 8th most in Iowa Basketball history. Anthony Clemmons is 14 points away from 700 career points as a Hawkeye. Iowa is 2-2 this season in neutral court games. Iowa is 3-4 in games played on Thursday this season. The Hawkeyes are 11-2 in games played on the Big Ten Network this season.
THE PICK
After losing four straight, the Hawkeyes may have a little momentum coming with them to Indianapolis after their win in Ann Arbor on Saturday. They needed it because Iowa wasn’t shooting it well or guarding at the level they needed to for a couple of weeks. One thing I mentioned prior to the game on Saturday was that Iowa needed to get back to shooting 45% or better from the floor. They shot 45% from the floor against Michigan and won by double figures. In the four game losing streak, Iowa was shooting in the mid 30’s and we all saw the result. In the first meeting with Illinois, Iowa shot 43%, which is in the neighborhood, and won by 12 in Champaign.
Illinois comes in with a little momentum coming off a win on Wednesday over a depleted Minnesota team that had just five scholarship players due to suspensions and injuries. The Illini made 14 three point field goals in the game, which is an impressive number, but you also have to factor in the competition in their 32 point blowout victory. One key player that did not see much action in the first meeting was Michael Finke, who comes off the bench for the Illini. He played just 17 minutes and was coming off an ankle injury. Wednesday he scored 17 points and was 5-7 from three. Iowa will need to do a good job of closing out on him to cool him off after his hot shooting effort.
One of the match-up’s to watch will be Anthony Clemmons guarding Kendrick Nunn. The athletic wing is the Illini’s second leading scorer and the first time around, Clemmons locked him up and held him to 2-13 from the floor and just 6 points. Another player Iowa will have to do a better job of identifying is Coleman-Lands, who scored 17 in the first meeting, including knocking down five three’s in the game. Iowa hasn’t done a great job against the three recently and they need to keep the Illini under 8 made three’s, which is what they had in the first contest. If the number reaches double figures, Iowa risks being one and done in the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight year.
What does Iowa have to do to win? We already covered the shooting angle and it’s going to be important to make shots and get both Uthoff and Jok going. That opens up the floor for everyone else. Iowa’s bench needs to come to play and it will be interesting to see how some of the young players react to this bigger stage. In the first meeting they gave the Hawkeyes 8 points and 4 rebounds. They need to get into double figures off the bench for Iowa to feel good about their performance. Iowa also needs to dominate the glass once again. In the first game, Iowa won the boards 43-32 and that included 12 offensive rebounds for the Hawkeyes. Adam Woodbury really dominated the backboard with 14 boards and finished with a double-double.
I think the Hawkeyes will get tested in this game. Illinois has talent and a healthy Finke give them another solid shooting weapon. I think the first half will be tight, but playing back to back will lead the Illini to a sloppy second 20 minutes and the Hawkeyes pull away for the victory. IOWA 72 ILLINOIS 63.
