Tip Time
Tom Kakert | Editor
IOWA (9-6, 1-1) at NEBRASKA (8-6, 2-0)
TIME: 8:00 pm
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler and Steven Bardo on the call.
SERIES: Iowa leads the all-time series 18-9. Since joining the Big Ten, Iowa holds a 6-2 record against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes won the meeting last year in Iowa City. Iowa defeated Nebraska 74-46 in their last trip in Lincoln. The Hawkeyes are 2-1 in games in Lincoln since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten.
The Line: Nebraska is a 3 point favorite.
The Numbers
OFFENSE: NEBRASKA– 70.3 PPG, 42% FG, 31% 3-PT FG. IOWA – 83.5 PPG, 46.1 % FG, 37.5 % 3 PT FG.
DEFENSE: NEBRASKA–68.6 PPG, 42.4 % FG, 37.3 % 3 PT FG. IOWA – 77.3 PPG, 42.2% FG, 35.1% 3 PT FG
Tyler Cook will need to be attack the glass against Nebraska.
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Cordell Pemsl – 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Tyler Cook – 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Peter Jok – 22.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Isaiah Moss – 7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
Jordan Bohannon – 9.1 points and 4.7 assists per game.
NEBRASKA
Michael Jacobson – 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Ed Morrow – 10.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Evan Taylor – 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Glynn Watson – 13.9 points and 2.8 assists per game.
Tai Webster – 17.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
PLAYER TO WATCH – Tai Webster – There might not be a hotter player in the Big Ten to open the season. Webster earned Big Ten Player of the Week this past week, averaging 19.5 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals a game in road wins over Indiana and Maryland. He shot over 50% from the floor in those two games. Webster is shooting the ball very well right now and has always been pretty good at using his quickness to get to the rim. He’s a barometer type player for Nebraska where when he’s making shots and playing well, then the Huskers tend to play well. Iowa will have to try and keep the ball out of his hands and more importantly, keep him from scoring, which will be a difficult task.
KEY MATCH-UP – Tyler Cook vs. Ed Morrow – This will be one of the most interesting matchups on the floor at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday evening. Morrow was a long time Iowa recruiting target who opted for the Huskers. Cook was the jewel of Iowa’s freshman class this year. Morrow is one of the top rebounders in the conference and he will attack the glass. He has ten total offensive rebounds in the first two Big Ten games this season and hauled down 18 boards recently against Gardner Webb. If there’s one part of Cook’s game that Fran McCaffery would like to see improve, it’s his work on the glass. He took a step in the right direction against Michigan, pulling down eight rebounds. This will be a matchup to watch between a pair of bouncy young forwards.
STATS AND NOTES – The Hawkeyes picked up their first win of the Big Ten season on New Year’s Day, beating Michigan in overtime. Nebraska upset Indiana and Maryland on the road to open the Big Ten season 2-0. This is the first time the Cornhuskers have started 2-0 since joining the Big Ten.
A strange scheduling note, this is the third straight year that Iowa and Nebraska have played on January 5th.
After missing the last seven games of the non-conference season, Tyler Cook returned to action in the Big Ten opener against Purdue. Cook had a broken finger that sidelined him for a few weeks. He scored 12 points against the Boilermakers and then scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against Michigan. Iowa started four freshmen in their last game, which is the first time since the 1944-45 season that they have done that with their starting lineup.
Forward Dale Jones remains sidelined after a broken wrist. He is expected to return in a few weeks.
Peter Jok continues to move his way up Iowa’s scoring list. He now has 1,204 career points and is the 46th player in Iowa basketball history to reach that mark. He is now 22nd on the all-time scoring list. Jok has also made 179 three point field goals in his Hawkeye career, which is 7th on Iowa’s all-time list. He is averaging 22.1 points per game, which is 16th in the country. Jok has been named to the preseason watch lists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Cordell Pemsl continues to make shots at a high rate early in his playing career. The freshman from Dubuque is making 67.8 % of his field goal attempts this season and has scored in double figures in six of his eight starts.
Jordan Bohannon continues his strong play at point guard. Bohannon scored 17 points, dished out 6 assists, and had zero turnovers in Iowa’s win over Michigan on Sunday. He is averaging 9.3 points, 5 assists, and less than one turnover per game.
Nebraska starting center Michael Jacobson is from Waukee, IA.
THE PICK
The Big Ten has been turned on its head in the first week of the season. Nebraska went on the road and won at Indiana and at Maryland. That’s a heck of a start for a Cornhusker team that recent lost to Gardner Webb at the end of the non-conference season.
The key for the Huskers is they have shot the ball much better in the last week and have really defied their overall numbers this season. Are they simply getting better or did they have a hot week of basketball? More importantly, can they keep this trend going on Thursday evening?
Iowa certainly hopes that cool off when they face Nebraska.
Size won’t be an issue for the Hawkeyes in this game. The Huskers just don’t have much in terms of bigs in their frontcourt. Morrow and Jacobson are comparable to Pemsl and Cook as far as height. Iowa seems to have a bit of an offensive edge up front and probably a bit more depth. Keep an eye on freshman Isaiah Roby for the Huskers. He’s a pretty talented player off the bench that seems to be getting more minutes. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds against Indiana. Jeriah Horne is also another player that gives them 15-20 minutes per game up front.
Still feels like Iowa has the depth and talent advantage up front.
An area that will be interesting to watch, is how they plan to defend Peter Jok. The natural fit would be for Webster to guard Jok. He would be giving up a couple of inches and that means the Hawkeyes leading scorer will have an opportunity to shoot from the outside. It will also mean that Webster will have to expend a lot of energy on that defensive end of the court. I think there’s potential for a pretty good night for Jok.
Jordan Bohannon has been playing really well. His performance and fearless shooting against Michigan made a difference in that game. He will be matched up with Glynn Watson, who has developed into a very solid point guard in his sophomore season. Watson likes to drive the ball to the basket, so Bohannon will need to keep him out of the lane where he can get to the rim or find shooters on the wing. In the Michigan game, Bohannon had foul issues in the first half. With Christian Williams questionable due to a sore back, he’s going to have to avoid picking up two quick fouls in this game.
Tempo will also be important in this game. If the Hawkeyes can make this into more of a track meet, advantage Iowa. If it turns into a grinder game played in the 60’s, then it will be an advantage for Nebraska.
The spread in this one suggests not only a close game, but that it’s basically a toss-up on a neutral court. This is a game that Iowa can certainly win. Having said that, the Huskers are playing really well since losing to Gardner Webb and having a close call against close call against Southern. The big question is which Nebraska team shows up. If it’s the one that won on the road, then Iowa is in trouble. If it’s the one that showed up for their last two home games, then Iowa has a very good shot to win. This will be a tight one. NEBRASKA 71 IOWA 69.
Tom Kakert | Editor
IOWA (9-6, 1-1) at NEBRASKA (8-6, 2-0)
TIME: 8:00 pm
TV: BTN – Kevin Kugler and Steven Bardo on the call.
SERIES: Iowa leads the all-time series 18-9. Since joining the Big Ten, Iowa holds a 6-2 record against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes won the meeting last year in Iowa City. Iowa defeated Nebraska 74-46 in their last trip in Lincoln. The Hawkeyes are 2-1 in games in Lincoln since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten.
The Line: Nebraska is a 3 point favorite.
The Numbers
OFFENSE: NEBRASKA– 70.3 PPG, 42% FG, 31% 3-PT FG. IOWA – 83.5 PPG, 46.1 % FG, 37.5 % 3 PT FG.
DEFENSE: NEBRASKA–68.6 PPG, 42.4 % FG, 37.3 % 3 PT FG. IOWA – 77.3 PPG, 42.2% FG, 35.1% 3 PT FG
Tyler Cook will need to be attack the glass against Nebraska.
THE LINEUPS
IOWA
Cordell Pemsl – 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Tyler Cook – 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Peter Jok – 22.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Isaiah Moss – 7 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
Jordan Bohannon – 9.1 points and 4.7 assists per game.
NEBRASKA
Michael Jacobson – 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Ed Morrow – 10.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Evan Taylor – 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Glynn Watson – 13.9 points and 2.8 assists per game.
Tai Webster – 17.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
PLAYER TO WATCH – Tai Webster – There might not be a hotter player in the Big Ten to open the season. Webster earned Big Ten Player of the Week this past week, averaging 19.5 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals a game in road wins over Indiana and Maryland. He shot over 50% from the floor in those two games. Webster is shooting the ball very well right now and has always been pretty good at using his quickness to get to the rim. He’s a barometer type player for Nebraska where when he’s making shots and playing well, then the Huskers tend to play well. Iowa will have to try and keep the ball out of his hands and more importantly, keep him from scoring, which will be a difficult task.
KEY MATCH-UP – Tyler Cook vs. Ed Morrow – This will be one of the most interesting matchups on the floor at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Thursday evening. Morrow was a long time Iowa recruiting target who opted for the Huskers. Cook was the jewel of Iowa’s freshman class this year. Morrow is one of the top rebounders in the conference and he will attack the glass. He has ten total offensive rebounds in the first two Big Ten games this season and hauled down 18 boards recently against Gardner Webb. If there’s one part of Cook’s game that Fran McCaffery would like to see improve, it’s his work on the glass. He took a step in the right direction against Michigan, pulling down eight rebounds. This will be a matchup to watch between a pair of bouncy young forwards.
STATS AND NOTES – The Hawkeyes picked up their first win of the Big Ten season on New Year’s Day, beating Michigan in overtime. Nebraska upset Indiana and Maryland on the road to open the Big Ten season 2-0. This is the first time the Cornhuskers have started 2-0 since joining the Big Ten.
A strange scheduling note, this is the third straight year that Iowa and Nebraska have played on January 5th.
After missing the last seven games of the non-conference season, Tyler Cook returned to action in the Big Ten opener against Purdue. Cook had a broken finger that sidelined him for a few weeks. He scored 12 points against the Boilermakers and then scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against Michigan. Iowa started four freshmen in their last game, which is the first time since the 1944-45 season that they have done that with their starting lineup.
Forward Dale Jones remains sidelined after a broken wrist. He is expected to return in a few weeks.
Peter Jok continues to move his way up Iowa’s scoring list. He now has 1,204 career points and is the 46th player in Iowa basketball history to reach that mark. He is now 22nd on the all-time scoring list. Jok has also made 179 three point field goals in his Hawkeye career, which is 7th on Iowa’s all-time list. He is averaging 22.1 points per game, which is 16th in the country. Jok has been named to the preseason watch lists for the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
Cordell Pemsl continues to make shots at a high rate early in his playing career. The freshman from Dubuque is making 67.8 % of his field goal attempts this season and has scored in double figures in six of his eight starts.
Jordan Bohannon continues his strong play at point guard. Bohannon scored 17 points, dished out 6 assists, and had zero turnovers in Iowa’s win over Michigan on Sunday. He is averaging 9.3 points, 5 assists, and less than one turnover per game.
Nebraska starting center Michael Jacobson is from Waukee, IA.
THE PICK
The Big Ten has been turned on its head in the first week of the season. Nebraska went on the road and won at Indiana and at Maryland. That’s a heck of a start for a Cornhusker team that recent lost to Gardner Webb at the end of the non-conference season.
The key for the Huskers is they have shot the ball much better in the last week and have really defied their overall numbers this season. Are they simply getting better or did they have a hot week of basketball? More importantly, can they keep this trend going on Thursday evening?
Iowa certainly hopes that cool off when they face Nebraska.
Size won’t be an issue for the Hawkeyes in this game. The Huskers just don’t have much in terms of bigs in their frontcourt. Morrow and Jacobson are comparable to Pemsl and Cook as far as height. Iowa seems to have a bit of an offensive edge up front and probably a bit more depth. Keep an eye on freshman Isaiah Roby for the Huskers. He’s a pretty talented player off the bench that seems to be getting more minutes. He had 8 points and 6 rebounds against Indiana. Jeriah Horne is also another player that gives them 15-20 minutes per game up front.
Still feels like Iowa has the depth and talent advantage up front.
An area that will be interesting to watch, is how they plan to defend Peter Jok. The natural fit would be for Webster to guard Jok. He would be giving up a couple of inches and that means the Hawkeyes leading scorer will have an opportunity to shoot from the outside. It will also mean that Webster will have to expend a lot of energy on that defensive end of the court. I think there’s potential for a pretty good night for Jok.
Jordan Bohannon has been playing really well. His performance and fearless shooting against Michigan made a difference in that game. He will be matched up with Glynn Watson, who has developed into a very solid point guard in his sophomore season. Watson likes to drive the ball to the basket, so Bohannon will need to keep him out of the lane where he can get to the rim or find shooters on the wing. In the Michigan game, Bohannon had foul issues in the first half. With Christian Williams questionable due to a sore back, he’s going to have to avoid picking up two quick fouls in this game.
Tempo will also be important in this game. If the Hawkeyes can make this into more of a track meet, advantage Iowa. If it turns into a grinder game played in the 60’s, then it will be an advantage for Nebraska.
The spread in this one suggests not only a close game, but that it’s basically a toss-up on a neutral court. This is a game that Iowa can certainly win. Having said that, the Huskers are playing really well since losing to Gardner Webb and having a close call against close call against Southern. The big question is which Nebraska team shows up. If it’s the one that won on the road, then Iowa is in trouble. If it’s the one that showed up for their last two home games, then Iowa has a very good shot to win. This will be a tight one. NEBRASKA 71 IOWA 69.
