It’s been almost a week and a half since Iowa’s last game, will they be rested or rusty?  We’ll find out tonight as the Hawkeyes meet the Cornhuskers for the first time ever in B1G play, and the first time since 1976.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (11-9; 3-4) vs Nebraska (10-9; 2-6)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 98, Nebraska – 131
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 110, Nebraska – 103
CBS RPI: Iowa – 120, Nebraska – 98
MASSEY RANKING: Iowa – 95, Nebraska – 101
Tip Off: Wednesday, January 26th, 2012; 6:02 PM CST
Iowa City, IA; Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 15,400
TV: ESPN-U
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  Sirius: 92 | XM: 191
Iowa leads 12-7 in the all-time series.

LINE: Iowa is a 5 point favorite at home. Pomeroy predicts a 7 point Iowa win.

LIVE CHAT IS BACK – Click HERE for the Link!

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

NEBRASKA

G – Bo Spencer, 6’1″,196 lb, SR

G – Brandon Richardson, 6’0″, 190 lb,  SR

G  – Caleb Walker, 6’4″, 205 lb, SR

G/F – Toney McCray, 6’6″, 215 lb, SR

F – Brandon Ubel, 6’10″, 235 lb, JR

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game – Iowa 73.9, Neb 60.7
• FG % – Iowa 44.7, Neb 41.9
• Points per Poss: – Iowa, 1.05, Neb 0.96
• eFG% – Iowa 48.8, Neb 47.8
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 51.1, Neb 48.2
• 3 pt% – Iowa 34.3, Neb 31.7
• Opp 2 pt %: Iowa 51.1, Neb 47.8
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 34.1, Neb 32.7
• FT% – Iowa 72.2, Neb 75.0
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 17.8, Neb 22.4
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 21.0, Neb 20.6
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 32.9, Neb 29.3

Here’s a look at a graphical comparison of the teams from statsheet.com

Nebraska and Iowa rank #1 and #2 respectively in regards to conference SOS.  Both have played an absolutely brutal schedule so far in the B1G, so it’s not surprising that both teams are sub .500 in conference at this in the season.

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- The Rested and the Wary.   Iowa is coming back from nine days off, a well-rested crew.  On the contrary, Nebraska is now halfway done with their B1G schedule.  The Huskers haven’t had more than 4 days off in a row since the conference slate started.  They’ve had the busiest schedule in the conference (and the most difficult).  The Cornhuskers are an above average defensive team, but the main component of defense is effort.  I’m not sure the Huskers have the legs to play lockdown D against Iowa’s uptempo offense for an entire 40 minutes.  Iowa will go on some runs and that will be the deciding factor.

-  Up the Tempo.  Nebraska isn’t Bo Ryan slow, but they are slow.   The Badgers and Huskers combined to score 95 points up in the Kohl Center a few weeks ago.   If Iowa can get out on the break, they’ll be able to build a lead against an anemic Nebraska offense.  They aren’t a very good shooting team and they don’t get a lot of possessions (note their sub 1.0 point per possession stat).  They don’t get to the line at very good clip and they don’t shoot the long ball well.  If Iowa scores their season average, I don’t see how they lose this game.

- Stay Home on D.   If you’ve watched the Huskers, they run an odd style of motion offense.  It’s almost like a weave that they run side to side – a borderline 4 corners offense.  I would actually pick Todd Lickliter’s offense over Doc Sadler’s offense, as much as that pains me to say.  Iowa needs to stay home on the D end of the court and not overplay the cuts.  Be patient and make them work, but don’t wear yourself out, especially considering they turn the ball over so much.  I think 3-2  zone will work perfectly for Iowa.  Spencer is going to put up some numbers, but you can’t let guys like Richardson and McCray beat you.

PREDICTION:  If you’ve followed Nebraska Basketball under Doc Sadler, they are team that steals wins.  Texas knows about this all too well.  By that, I mean Nebraska isn’t an easy out.  I akin them to Northwestern, except the Cornhuskers have actually won a conference title and made it to the NCAA Tournament.  Iowa has to go into this game focused and cannot overlook the Huskers.  I think Iowa will be rested, not rusty.  I think Nebraska is ready for a break – they get a week off after this game.  The Huskers have been better since they have healed up, but they still aren’t a great team.  Expect the Hawkeyes to control the tempo of the game; I like Iowa in this one.  FINAL SCORE: Iowa 71,  Nebraska 61

The Hawkeyes are coming off back-to-back blowout losses to two of the best teams in the conference and nation.  They look to right themselves today inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena against another Top 15 team in Michigan.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (10-8; 2-3) vs Michigan (14-3; 4-1)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 115, Michigan – 29
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 117, Michigan – 14
CBS RPI: Iowa – 123, Michigan – 24
MASSEY RANKING: Iowa – 104, Michigan – 21
Tip Off: Saturday, January 14th, 2012; 12:01 PM CST
Iowa City, IA; Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 15,400
TV: BTN HD; BTN2GO.com
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  Sirius: 93 | XM: 191
Iowa trails 57-89  in the all-time series.

LINE: Iowa is a 3 point underdog at home. Pomeroy predicts a  4 point Iowa loss.

NO LIVE CHAT – visit the Iowa – Michigan Game Thread instead.  Also, follow Jon Miller (@Hawkeyenation) and myself (@storminspank) on Twitter during the game.

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

** – anticipate a change in the starting lineup, I expect Aaron White to move into a spot.

MICHIGAN

G – Trey Burke, 5’11″, FR

G – Tim Hardaway Jr., 6’6″, SO

G/F – Zack Novak, 6’4″, SR

F – Evan Smotrycz, 6’9″, SO

F – Jordan Morgan, 6’8″, SO

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game – Iowa 74.2, UM 69.9
• FG % – Iowa 44.6, UM 46.5
• Points per Poss: – Iowa, 1.05, UM 1.09
• eFG% – Iowa 48.6, UM 54.7 (#15 in nation)
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 51.7, UM 48.0
• 3 pt% – Iowa 33.6, UM 35.8
• Opp 2 pt %: Iowa 51.2, UM 44.6
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 35.2, UM 36.2
• FT% – Iowa 72.9, UM 69.1
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 17.9, UM 18.2
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 21.5, UM 21.1
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 33.1, UM 32.1

Here’s a look at a graphical comparison of the teams from statsheet.com

Quick Hitters:

UM has not lost to an unranked team yet this year.
This is the only game between Iowa and Michigan during the regular season.

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- The Long Ball.  Michigan is very good at shooting the three ball.   Smotrycz, Nowak, Douglass, Burke, Hardaway – they can all stroke it from the outside.  But as good as they are hitting from the outside, they are equally poor at defending it (ranking in the bottom 1/3 of the nation).  The three ball could be the deciding factor in the game.

-  Grab the Boards and Convert.  Iowa should win the battle on the boards.  UM doesn’t have a lot of height and their strategy isn’t to crash the boards either (rebounding out of the 1-3-1 is odd, too).  I fully expect Iowa to be 8-10+ on boards in the one.  The key will be if Iowa can actually do something with the ball once they get the extra possessions.

- Get UM Frantic.  The Wolverines are a really efficient ball club.  They shoot the ball well, they get points on a lot of their possessions, and they do pretty well at hanging onto the ball.  If the Hawks (and the crowd) can get the Wolverines out of their comfort zone, it will create opportunities for Iowa.

-  Devyn Marble has to be Better.    After really coming to life at the end of the non-conference action and into the very beginning of the B1G slate, Devyn has slid back a bit in his productivity.  He is forcing it a bit and not hitting his shots. He has more turnovers in his last three games than he did in the previous six combined.  He needs to the let the game come to him.  An early home game could help him get back on track.

- Attack on the Offensive Side of the Ball.   Michigan is going to likely come out in their 1-3-1 zone defense (unless something has drastically changed recently).  UM doesn’t create a lot of turnovers with the zone, but they make you pass/slash with intent.  Lazy passes and just dribbling around will play right into the Wolverines’ hand.

Here’s an example of UM’s D, in case you haven’t watched them in the past…

Iowa needs to be direct with what they want to do with the ball.  Also, getting out on the fast break will be very beneficial to the Hawks, as well.

PREDICTION:  Michigan is a legitimate Top 20 basketball team, but they aren’t on the same level as Ohio State and Michigan State.  I don’t expect things to get out of hand like they did in the previous few games for the Hawkeyes.  Before the season started, I saw this game as a loss, and that was assuming the Wolverines wouldn’t be a Top 25 team (a Morris-less team didn’t look promising).  That said, I like Iowa in this one.  Michigan hasn’t won on the road yet this season and almost lost at home to Northwestern last time out.  If the Hawks can contain Michigan’s stellar back court, they should be able squeak out a win.  The Wolverines are the better team right now, but I like the Hawkeyes at home.  FINAL SCORE: Iowa 71,  Michigan 68

The Iowa Hawkeyes (winners of five out their last six games) host one of the best team in the nation this afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The #6 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes will face a confident Iowa team in front of one of the better crowds in recent memory.  This is the 150th time these two teams have played each other.  Iowa has lost six straight games to Ohio State.  The Buckeyes have an impressive streak of 56 consecutive wins over unranked teams.  The last time these two teams played, Iowa lead by 6 at half but couldn’t hold on, losing by 5.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (10-6; 2-1) vs Ohio State (14-2; 2-1)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 95, Ohio State – 1
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 102, Ohio State– 4
CBS RPI: Iowa – 149, Ohio State- 11
MASSEY RANKING: Iowa – 109, Ohio State- 5
Tip Off: Saturday, January 7th, 2012; 2:06 PM CST
Iowa City, IA; Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 15,500
TV: BTN HD; BTN2GO.com
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.
Iowa leads 75-74 in the all-time series.

LINE: Iowa is an 11.5 point underdog at home. Pomeroy predicts a 15 point Iowa loss.

NO LIVE CHAT – visit the Iowa – Ohio State Game Thread instead.  Also, follow Jon Miller (@Hawkeyenation) and myself (@storminspank) on Twitter during the game.

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

OHIO STATE

G – Aaron Craft, 6’2″, 190, SO

G – Lenzelle Smith, Jr, 6’4″, 205, SO

G – William Buford, 6’6″, 220, SR

F – Deshaun Thomas, 6’7″, 225, SO

F – Jared Sullinger, 6’9″, 265, SO

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game – Iowa 76.7, OSU 78.1
• FG % – Iowa 45.8, OSU 49.5
• Points per Poss: – Iowa, 1.09, OSU 1.14
• eFG% – Iowa 49.9, OSU 53.6
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 50.1, OSU 44.7
• 3 pt% – Iowa 34.3, OSU 32.2
• Opp 2 pt %: Iowa 50.2, OSU 44.1
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 33.3, OSU 30.7
• FT% – Iowa 73.6, OSU 68.4
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 16.6 (#12 in nation), OSU 16.9
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 21.6, OSU 26.7 (#7 in nation)
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 33.2, OSU 22.2 (#1 in nation)
• Offensive Steal% – Iowa 6.3 (#2 in nation), OSU 6.4 (#3 in the nation)
• Offensive Block% – Iowa 6.3, OSU 5.3 (#2 in the nation)

Here’s a look at a graphical comparison of the teams from statsheet.com, the two teams are basically mirror images of each other in regards to stats…

IOWA’S BIG TEN TEAM STAT RANKINGS (through ALL games):

• Scoring – 3rd
• Scoring D – 12th
• Scoring Margin – 9th
• FT% – 2nd
• FG% – 6th
• Opp FG% – 12th
• 3 pt% – 6th
• 3 pt Made – 10th
• Opp 3 pt% – 5th
• Reb Margin – 9th
• Assists – 5th
• Steals – 3rd
• TO Margin – 5th
• A/TO Ratio – 5th
• OREB% – 8th
• DREB% – 7th

IOWA’S BIG TEN INDIVIDUAL STAT RANKINGS (through ALL games):

• Points – Gatens 16th, Marble 23rd
• Rebs – Basabe 9th
• FG% – Basabe 15th
• Assists -Cartwright 5th, Marble 9th
• FT% – Gatens 4th, Cartwright 5th,
• Steals – Marble 7th, Gatens 10th
• 3pt% – Oglesby 15th
• Blocks – Basabe 14th
• A/TO Ratio – Marble 2nd, Cartwright 5th
• OREB – McCabe 7th, White 11th
• DREB – Basabe 9th

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Continue the Terrific Perimeter D.  Whether it’s the increased communication, better rotation, or just pure luck – Iowa’s opponents have been shooting awful from behind the arc lately. Wisconsin shot 3-28 and Minnesota shot 4-23 from 3 point land.  Couple that with the fact that last time out Ohio State shot an ugly 2-17 from the outside, it’s possible that trend continues.  If it does, Iowa will be great position in this game.

-  Basabe vs. Sullinger.  The last time these two faced off, it was a real treat.  Mel and Sully went toe to toe, point for point, rebound for rebound.  Sullinger is one of the best players in the nation, if Basabe can duplicate his efforts from last year, it will take the pressure of Marble and Gatens to have to do too much.  Sullinger was in foul trouble in the loss to Indiana on the road, something like that can’t hurt Iowa if it happens today.

- Limit Mistakes and Execute.  No this isn’t a line from Kirk Ferentz, not verbatim at least.  There’s a reason Ohio State is ranked in the Top 10 and is a favorite to win the B1G.  They’re good – really good.  Iowa needs to be focused and needs to play mistake-free basketball, very similar to how they played on the road vs. Wisconsin.  They will need an effort like that to have a chance in the ballgame.  Empty Iowa possessions and allowing Ohio State 2nd chance points will severely handicap the Hawkeyes’ chances.

- Slash. Penetrate. Dish/Score.   If you watched the Ohio State – Indiana game, you saw the Hoosiers expose Ohio State’s defense.  Indiana was able to get into the lane, get the shots they wanted, get bunnies, etc…  That puts some focus toward Devyn Marble and Bryce Cartwright this afternoon – those two need to get into the lane and make OSU’s bigs make quick decisions on their defensive rotation.

PREDICTION:  It’s tough to bet against the Hawkeyes right now.  They are playing pretty good basketball on both ends of the court, and if they can put together 40 minutes of solid basketball, the wins are going to continue to come.   The last time Iowa played the #1 Pomeroy-rated team in the nation, they won on the road.  Can they accomplish the same feat at home today? I think they come up short to an incredibly talented Buckeye team.  Hawks beat the spread, but not Ohio State.  FINAL SCORE: Iowa 69,  Ohio State 77

Winners of  four out of their last five games, the Iowa Hawkeyes head north to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  Here’s a quick look at how the teams match up.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (9-6; 1-1) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-3; 0-2)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 99, Minnesota – 46
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 117, Minnesota – 38
CBS RPI: Iowa – 149, Minnesota – 18
MASSEY RANKING: Iowa – 109, Minnesota – 41
Tip Off: Wednesday, January 4th, 2012; 8:06 PM CST
Minneapolis, MN; Williams Arena, 14,625
TV: BTN HD; BTN2GO.com
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800. SiriusXM 190.
Minnesota leads the series 100-88.

LINE: Iowa is an 8.5 point underdog on the road. Pomeroy predicts a 9 point Iowa loss.

Live Chat for the Game – RIGHT HERE

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

MINNESOTA

G – Julian Welch, 6’3″, 195 lb, JR

G  – Austin Hollins, 6’4″, 185, SO

G – Maverick Ahanmisi, 6’2″, 192, SO

F -  Rodney Williams, 6’7″, 200, JR

F – Ralph Sampson III, 6’11″, 241, SR

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game – Iowa 77.5, Minn 69.6
• FG % – Iowa 45.8, Minn 47.9
• Points per Poss:  – Iowa, 1.09, Minn 1.08
• eFG% – Iowa 49.9, Minn 52.6
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 50.2, Wisc 47.2
• 3 pt% – Iowa 34.4, Minn 35.6
• Opp 2 pt %: Iowa 49.4, Minn 43.5
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 34.6, Minn 36.1
• FT% – Iowa 74.6, Minn 70.5
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 16.4 Minn 22.0
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 21.8, Minn 23.5
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 33.0, Minn 37.1
• Offensive Steal% – Iowa 5.8 (#1 in nation), Minn 10.3
• Offensive Block% – Iowa 5.9, Minn 9.3

Here’s a look at a graphical comparison of the teams from statsheet.com:

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Check the Transfer.  Julian Welch has picked up a lot of the slack since All-Big Ten Trevor Mbakwe went down for the season due to injury.  He’s a really nice shot from the outside, but isn’t particularly that great of a slasher.  Iowa’s guards need to be aware of where he is at all time, as he shoots over 47% from behind the arc.

- Go at Ralph.   Ralph Sampson III is going to go down as one of Minnesota’s most prolific shot blockers in the history of the program.  Because of that, and the inside presence he brings, Iowa needs to go at him and get him in foul trouble. Beside Rodney Williams, he’s really the only Gopher that rebounds the ball either.

- Keep the Crowd Tame.   Iowa took out the crowd when they played at the Kohl Center last time out, it certainly contributed to their win.  The Hawks need to keep Minnesota’s intensity and that of the crowd as low as possible.  If Rodney Williams starts jumping over everyone, it could get loud and ugly quickly.

- Rebound and Run.   Minnesota is not a great rebounding team, but their team defense is still a big staple (thanks to Tubby Smith).  Their perimeter defense is worse that Iowa’s (that’s not a typo) – however, Iowa shoots the three ball at one of the worst clips in the nation.  So the key is for Iowa to get out an run, avoid letting the Gopher set up in their tough man to man defense.

PREDICTION:  Iowa has lost the last six meetings against the Gophers.  Unfortunately for Iowa, I think the trend continues.  Then again, any team that can go into Madison and beat the Badgers has potential to hang with any team in the nation.  Iowa is going to get a ton of extra possession in this game, if they can turn those into points, they have a shot.   FINAL SCORE: Iowa 64, Minnesota 69

The Iowa Men’s Basketball team travels to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers inside the Kohl Center.  Iowa will bring their uptempo game, while Wisconsin plays the slowest basketball in the nation.  Usually teams that play such a deliberate style of basketball such as the Badgers, even a higher possession team cannot increase the tempo.  Wisconsin will undoubtedly be able to dictate the flow of the game.  Can Iowa adjust?

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (8-6; 0-1) vs. #11 Wisconsin Badgers (11-2; 1-0)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 130, Wisconsin – 1
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 130, Wisconsin – 11
CBS RPI: Iowa – 201, Wisconsin – 24
MASSEY RANKING: Iowa – 136, Wisconsin – 10
Tip Off: Saturday, December 31st, 2011; 12:01 PM CST
Madison, WI; Kohl Center, 17,230
TV: BTN HD; BTN2GO.com
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800. SiriusXM 193.
Wisconsin leads the series 77-76.

LINE: Iowa is a 17 point underdog on the road. Pomeroy predicts an 24 point Iowa loss.

Live Chat for the Game – RIGHT HERE

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

WISCONSIN

G – Jordan Taylor, 6’1″, 195 lb, SR

G  – Josh Gasser, 6’3″, 190 lb, SO

F – Ryan Evans, 6’6″, 210 lb, JR

F – Mike Bruesewitz, 6’6″, 222 lb, JR

F – Jared Berggren, 6’10″, 235 lb, JR

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game – Iowa 77.9, Wisc 67.9
• FG % – Iowa 45.6, Wisc 46.0
• eFG% – Iowa 49.9, Wisc 53.9
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 51.4, Wisc 36.1 (#1 in nation)
• 3 pt% – Iowa 34.4, Wisc 41.1 (#12 in nation)
• Opp 2 pt %: Iowa 49.2, Wisc 36.1 (#1 in nation)
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 37.1, Wisc 24.1 (#3 in the nation)
• FT% – Iowa 74.8, Wisc 69.5
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 16.5 (#15 in nation), Wisc 14.3 (#1 in the nation)
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 22.4, Wisc 21.6
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 32.9, Wisc 31.6
• Offensive Steal% – Iowa 5.9 (#3 in nation), Wisc 7.1 (#13 in nation)
• Offensive Block% – Iowa 5.7 (#9 in nation), Wisc 8.3

Take a look at the radar, for teams that play such different styles of play, they are crazy similar.

From statsheet.com:

Wisconsin’s defense is averaging a nation’s best 44.4 points per game.  Keep in mind, though, that their offensive style helps enable their D to give up fewer points.  Opponents have far fewer possessions, resulting in far fewer scoring opportunities.  On average, teams get 8-10 fewer possession versus Wisconsin that the national average.  By comparison, this year’s Wisconsin team averages almost 4 full possessions less than Iowa under Todd Lickliter.  I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s absolutely true.  And, yes, it’s absolutely just as brutal to watch at time.  But, hey, they are winning, right?

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Get to 60. That’s the magic number, folks.  Only two teams have gotten to that 60 point threshold this season against the Badgers, and both won.  Granted those two teams were UNC and Marquette, so that shows you what type of team you have to be in order to put up those numbers.

- Possessions are a Premium.  I’m not worried about Iowa turning the ball over.  I don’t expect Iowa to get a lot of takeaways either.  However, Iowa must find ways to get extra possessions and limit the Badgers from getting second chance points.  Rebounding will be at a premium, especially defensive boards.  If you give Wisconsin free possessions, they will make them count.  I don’t think either team gets over 60 possessions in this game – that heavily favors Wisconsin.  Guys like McCabe will have to show up on the OREB stat line and get easy buckets.  Wisconsin does not get a lot of offensive rebounds, however they rarely give up offensive rebounds on the D end (they are one of the best in the nation at this).

- The Ball Has to Find the Bottom of the Net.  There’s no other way to say it.  Iowa needs to shoot lights out in this game to stay with Bucky.  The three ball needs to go in and the mid-range jumpers need to be going in and bunnies need to go in.  There aren’t going to be enough extra possessions for Iowa to shoot poorly, and to top it off, opponents are only making 1/3 of their shots vs. the Badgers (that’s the best D FG% allowed in the nation).  Teams shoot really, really bad against Wisconsin.  REALLY. BAD.

- Melsahn Needs to Be Big.   Maybe Iowa will feed him the ball, maybe not.  Regardless, Iowa isn’t a good enough 3 point shooting team to win the game by dropping bombs from the outside (although doing so would be huge).  The Hawks will need to get high percentage shots, Basabe has been hitting some buckets down low as of late.  Tough to do, though, as Wisconsin’s D is holding opponents to 36.1% from inside the arc (tops in the nation). This is the prototypical scenario for a big game from Melsahn.  On the road, low expectations for Iowa.  He relishes these types of games.  Expect him to have a chip on his shoulder coming in and it will get him flowing early.  Sustaining it is another thing completely.

PREDICTION:  Last time these two teams played, Iowa took the Badgers into overtime and had several chances to win the game (granted that game was inside Carver).   Guys like Ben Brust and Josh Gasser are probably going to knock down some threes.  Jordan Taylor is going to hit some ridiculous shots and get into the lane at will.  If Iowa can stay composed up in Madison, and if they play their best game of the year they might be able to keep it close.  That just doesn’t look a possibility.  Fran might get tossed in this one, as the environment will be hostile, and not to mention there is absolutely no love lost between these staff – there will be fire today.   FINAL SCORE: Iowa 54, Wisconsin 69

The Hawkeyes enter the B1G conference slate at 8-5, probably a couple losses more than most expected.  However, Iowa is playing better in recent weeks thanks to finally getting out of the “game every three day” part of their schedule.  The Hawks kick off the conference schedule against the 10-3 Purdue Boilermakers.  This is the third straight year the Boilers have opened the B1G on the road.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (8-5) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (10-3)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 127, Purdue – 23
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 120, Purdue– 64
CBS RPI: Iowa – 163, Purdue – 69
MASSEY RANKING:  Iowa – 138, Purdue- 45
Tip Off:  Wednesday, December 28th 2011; 8:36 PM CST
Iowa City, IA; Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 15,500
TV:  BTN HD
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  SiriusXM 92.
Purdue leads the series 83-71.

LINE:  Iowa is a 4 point underdog.  Pomeroy predicts an 8 point Iowa loss.

Live Chat for the Game – RIGHT HERE

Projected Starters

IOWA

G – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

PURDUE

G – Lewis Jackson, 5’9″, 165 lb, SR

G – Ryne Smith, 6’3″, 189 lb, SR

G – Kelsey Barlow, 6’5″, 200 lb, JR

F – Robbie Hummel, 6’8″ 215 lb, SR

F – Sandi Marcius, 6’9″, 257 lb, SO

STATS COMPARISON:

• Points Per Game -  Iowa 78.1, Purdue 74.2
• Opp Points Per Game – Iowa 70.2, Purdue 59.6
• FG % – Iowa 45.4, Purdue 44.4
• Opp FG% – Iowa 44.7, Purdue 39.4
• eFG% – Iowa 49.9, Purdue 51.4
• Opp eFG% – Iowa 51.1, Purdue 44.9
• 3 pt% – Iowa 34.8, Purdue 36.0
• Opp 3 pt% – Iowa 37.7, Purdue 33.6
• FT% – Iowa 75.1, Purdue 62.1
• Offensive Turnover% – Iowa 16.7, Purdue 14.8
• Defensive Turnover% – Iowa 23.3, Purdue 23.4
• Offensive Reb% – Iowa 33.6, Purdue 35.1

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Hummel and Smith and the Three Ball.   The two seniors are both ranked in the Top 5 in the B1G from behind the arc.  Last time Iowa went to West Lafayette, Smith went crazy on them.  As any casual Iowa basketball fan can attest, Iowa has a penchant for letting outside scorers rain triples at will.  Purdue is making over 8 three balls a game. If Iowa can’t do a better job closing on the shooters, the Boilers will put up double-digit treys in this one.  I don’t know who guards Hummel when you’ve got McCabe and Basabe on the court.  You’d like to stick Matt on him, but that leaves the 4 or 5 guarding a wing player… so there are going to be some match-up problems for Iowa.

-  Gatens and Oglesby and the Three Ball.    I really see this game turning into a half court battle.  If that’s the case, Iowa will need to make their three point shots.  Matt and Josh are 40-108 combined from behind the arc.  Compare that to the Hummel/Smith connection at 70-162, and you’ll see that the Hawks will need to be wearing their sharp shooter hats in the game tonight.

-  It’s Devyn Marble’s Team.   He’s just 14 games into his second year of college, but at age 19, Devyn is being looked to as the go-to-guy for this team.  He’s creating, he’s slashing, he’s finding open guys, but more importantly he’s improving.  He’s not turning the ball over.  He has a long way to go in becoming an All-B1G player, but he is playing inspired basketball right now.  Marble needs to continue to do the things he has in the last 5+ games.  The competition is about to step up, will he?  We’ll find out tonight.  Iowa’s chances certainly improve if he does.

PREDICTION:   A lesser Iowa team beat a better Purdue team last time these two teams played inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  It’s not far-fetched to think Iowa has a chance in this contest.  If Iowa can stop the outside shot, they will be in this game.  I think, in the end, LewJack and Hummel will be too much for the Hawkeyes.  Ryne Smith goes nuts from behind the arc.  Purdue’s defense is too good to allow Iowa to run up and down the court, this game will be decided in the half court.   FINAL SCORE: Iowa 68,  Purdue 77

By Justin VanLaere

The Drake Bulldogs come into Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on the Iowa Hawkeye in men’s hoops action.  Both teams have had over a week between games because of Finals Week.  Iowa will finish up its non-conference slate with 3 games in 6 days.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (5-5) vs. Drake Bulldogs (6-3)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 143, Drake – 159
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 205, Drake– 70
CBS RPI: Iowa – 217, Drake- 75
MASSEY RANKING:  Iowa – 209, Drake- 123
Tip Off:  Saturday, December 17th 2011; 8:06 PM CST
Iowa City, IA; Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 15,500
TV:  BTN HD
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  SiriusXM 85.
Iowa leads the series 55-10.

LINE:  Iowa is a 6.5 point favorite.  Pomeroy predicts Iowa to win by 5 points.

Live Chat?  Ok, then.  Live Chat.  LIVE CHAT DURING THE GAME HERE.

Projected Starters

IOWA

PG – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO*****

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

Drake

G – Karl Madison, 5’10″, FR

G – Rayvonte Rice, 6’4″, SO

F – Jordan Clarke, 6’8″, JR

F –  Aaron Hawley, 6’8″, JR

F –  Ben Simons, 6’8″, JR

***** A note on the projected starters for Iowa – it’s very possible that Bryce Cartwright returns to the starting lineup after being out with a hammy injury.  I’m not sure if Fran moves Marble to the 3 and puts May on the bench if that happens.  It’s tough to see McCaffery not start Marble, who has been Iowa’s best player the last few weeks.

DRAKE              STATS COMPARISON              IOWA

66.6……………………Scoring Offense……………………..74.7
64.2……………………Scoring Defense……………………..70.9
45.4%………………………….FG%………………………….. 43.5%
41.5%…………………….. Opp. FG%……………………… 46.5%
35.4%…………………….. 3-Pt. FG%……………………… 35.6%
37.2%…………………….Opp. 3-Pt%……………………… 37.8%
65.2%………………………….FT%………………………….. 73.6%
31.9…………………………Reb. Avg……………………………36.0
32.4……………………….. Opp. Reb…………………………..34.3
10.3………………………. Assist Avg………………………….14.7
15.2…………………………. TO Avg…………………………….12.2
3.4………………………….. Blk. Avg……………………………..1.6
7.4…………………………. Steal Avg…………………………….9.1

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Rely on the Press.   Drake gives up the ball almost once every four possessions.  They are in the bottom 20% of the nation in turnover %.  Freshman Karl Madison has gotten better with the ball as of late, but has struggled turning the ball over.  The Bulldogs are not a guard-intensive basketball club.  They have good height and below average ball-handlers.  Iowa is in the Top 30 in the nation in steals.

-  Ben Simons is Going to Score, Forget About Him.    Ok, maybe not forget about him completely, but if you are on help D, perhaps stay home a little bit.  Simons has scored in double figures in each and every single one of Drake’s games this year.  He takes a lot of shots and plays a ton of minutes without every getting into much foul trouble.  At 6’8″, he’s a matchup problem for Iowa.  He can hit from the perimeter (shooting 47% behind the arc) with almost 1/2 of his point coming from the three-ball.  If you’ve never seen Simons, here’s a montage from his high school days.  He’s Drake’s guy. He’s going to score. Just don’t let him put up 40 and Iowa should be fine.  Let Rayvonte Rice and the rest of Drake’s guard shoot all night long from downtown (I can’t believe I’m saying that).

-  Foul Jordan Clarke.   Jordan Clarke will get to the FT line.  He gets there a lot. In fact, his FTRate is #2 in the nation at an incredible 109.8 rating.  What does that mean?  It means he shoots more FTs than FGs.  Luckily for Iowa, he’s terrible at shooting FTs.  Currently on the season he is 20/45 from the line and 22/41 from the field. Hack a Clarke could be in order, especially if this is a tight game late.

-  Let Devyn Marble Do His Thing.   Marble has had some trouble finishing at times, but it’s painfully obvious that he is Iowa’s only pure scorer on the team (notice I didn’t say shooter).  Dev can get into the lane very effectively.  His floater has looked really good, and his 14 foot jumper is improving.  Even his passing has seen marked improvement – 32 assists to just 8 turns.  The last few games have allowed Marble to flow, if he can hit more of his shots Iowa will be in really good shape.

PREDICTION:   Iowa has only lost to Drake three times inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the history of the series.  I don’t expect that number to increase when this one is over.   Drake has yet to win a game on the road this season, however Carver-Hawkeye hasn’t been that friendly to Iowa lately. I have no idea what to expect for a crowd, but anything that Hawkeye fans can do to help will be a big boost to this team and program.    FINAL SCORE: Iowa 74,  Drake 63

By Justin VanLaere

The Iowa State Cyclones will host the Iowa Hawkeyes tonight inside Hilton, as the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series continues.  The Hawks are coming off a hard-to-swallow loss to UNI, while the Cyclones recently came away with a 25 point win over Prairie View A&M.  This very well could be the last time these two teams play each other for the foreseeable future.  This week, Coach McCaffery talked about looking at the “big picture”, which could include dropping the in-state games to enable greater flexibility in scheduling.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (5-4) at Iowa State Cyclones (6-3)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 137, ISU– 84
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 187, ISU– 106
CBS RPI: Iowa – N/A, ISU- 62
MASSEY RANKING:  Iowa – 178, ISU- 75
Tip Off:  Friday, December 9th 2011; 7:05 PM CST
Ames, IA – Hilton Coliseum (14,356)
TV:  CTN/ESPN3/ESPN FullCourt/Clone Zone
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  SiriusXM 85 (ISU broadcast).
Iowa leads the series 42-22.

LINE:  Iowa is an 8.5 point underdog.  Pomeroy predicts Iowa to lose by 9 points.

JOIN US FOR A LIVE CHAT DURING THE GAME!

Projected Starters

IOWA

PG – Devyn Marble, 6’6”, 194 lb, SO

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

ISU

G – Chris Allen, 6’3″, 205 lb, SR

G – Scott Christopherson, 6’3″, 195 lb, SR

G – Chris Babb, 6’5″, 225 lb, JR

F –  Royce White, 6’8″, 270 lb, SO

C –  Percy Gibson, 6’9″, 245 lb, FR

Iowa goes from playing a well-disciplined, well-coached team in UNI to a less organized, not-so-well coached team in ISU.  Speaking of Northern Iowa, both teams have lost to Panthers already this year.  ISU dropped a 9 point affair in Ames, while Iowa lost by 20 inside the McLeod Center.  However, if you actually watched both of the games, you could argue that the Hawkeyes looked better against UNI than did ISU… the final score notwithstanding.

Iowa State boasts four transfers in their starting lineup.   Three came from B1G programs (Allen – MSU, Babb – PSU, White – Minn), while Christopherson is from Marquette.

Both teams will feature a non-point guard playing the 1 spot.  Iowa State has given up on the Scotty Experiment and handed the PG duties off to Chris Allen.  For Iowa, it’s highly, highly unlikely Bryce Cartwright will be able to go, so that means Devyn Marble will retain the starting spot.  Bryce hasn’t done much of anything since he tweaked his hammy during the Brown game, including practing or even running.

The Cyclones are really, really good on offense and really, really bad on defense.  Most of their offensive efficiencies are in the Top 75 in the nation, while most their defensive efficiencies are in the bottom 250 in the nation.  Iowa has proven they can score in buckets against poor defenses.

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Close Out on the Shooters.   The Cyclones are an excellent shooting ball club.  Don’t let the last few games fool you, they can really stroke it from the outside.  Iowa has proven that they can and will allow good shooting teams (and even bad shooting teams) to abuse them from the perimeter.  With someone like Royce White down low, it will make it even more difficult for the Hawkeyes to commit to stopping the outside shot.  This will not be an easy task for Iowa.

-  Pick Your Poison Inside.    Royce White is a very talented big man, we know this.  He leads Iowa State in pretty much category he can and is their go-to-guy.  Recently, freshman Percy Gibson has emerged as a nice option in the paint for the Cyclones.  If Iowa puts too much focus on White, Gibson could reap a lot of the benefits.

-  Take the Crowd Out of It.    There’s some magic still alive in Hilton.  It might not be at the level it was back in the 90′s, but there is some in there.  Hilton can be a very, very tough place to play.  If Iowa can get on a run and sustain some success, it will help Iowa overcome the hostile environment they are about to face.

PREDICTION:   Iowa State is not a complete team, far from it.  However, they do have the better talent and they will be at home.  You never know which Cyclone team is going to show up, but the same thing can be said about the Hawkeyes.  Both of these teams have been so very inconsistent through the first 1/3 of the season.  Iowa is better than the 8.5 point spread, but it’s tough to take them on the road inside Hilton.    FINAL SCORE: Iowa 81,  ISU 86

By Justin VanLaere

This game starts off the battle of the Big Four for the Iowa Hawkeyes, as they travel north to face the UNI Panthers.  The Panthers and Hawkeyes will tip-off in the “RMHC Classic presented by Eastern Iowa Elite Chevy Dealers” tonight.  This will be another stiff test for the Hawks, similar to that of the Creighton game.   Iowa fans are hoping this game doesn’t turn out like the one last month inside The Well.

Game Info

Iowa Hawkeyes (5-3) at Northern Iowa Panthers (7-1)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 126, UNI – 50
REALTIMERPI: Iowa – 185, UNI – 51
CBS RPI: Iowa – N/A, UNI – 4
MASSEY RANKING:  Iowa – 184, UNI – 29
Tip Off:  Tuesday, December 6th 2011; 7:05 PM CST
Cedar Falls, IA – McLeod Center (6,650)
TV:  7.1, 5.2, 9.2
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.  SiriusXM 138.
Iowa leads the series 33-8.

LINE:  Iowa is an 8.5 point underdog.  Pomeroy predicts Iowa to lose by 9 points.

JOIN US FOR A LIVE CHAT DURING THE GAME RIGHT HERE!

Projected Starters

IOWA

PG – Bryce Cartwright, 6’1”, 188 lb, SR

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

UNI

G – Anthony James, 6’0″, 175 lb, JR

G – Johnny Moran, 6’1″, 190 lb, SR

G – Deon Mitchell, 6’1″, 190 lb, FR

F –  Seth Tuttle, 6’8″, 210 lb, FR

F –  Jake Koch, 6’9″, 245 lb, JR

Two contrasting styles will show up inside the McLeod Center.  B1G, uptempo, high risk – high reward vs. MVC, slow-it-down, take care of the ball.   UNI is coming off a 6 point win over Colorado State, while Iowa just beat Brown by 21 points.  Neither team has beaten a premier team yet.  In fact, the Hawks and Panthers are 0-3 against the teams in the Top 65 of the Pomeroy Ratings (Iowa lost to Creighton and Clemson; UNI lost to St. Marys).

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Turn UNI Over.   While the Panthers are extremely efficient with their possessions, they are very limited in those afrementioned possessions.  They are very “Wisconsin-like” with how deliberate they are with the ball… very similar to Iowa under Lickliter, but much, much, much, much better at it.  They are fewer teams in the nation with a slower tempo than UNI; Iowa will need to further limit the number of possessions UNI gets.  Iowa has been great at forcing turnovers so far this season, while limiting their own (they rank in the top 10% in the nation in both categories).  Freshman Deon Mitchell has a penchant for giving the ball away, while veteran Anthony James goes a terrific job holding onto it.

-  Guard the Perimeter.   Iowa has not been good at guarding the perimeter since… ever.  Several teams have had their best games of the season from the outside against the Hawkeyes.  When Iowa gets into their zone, they aren’t quick enough side to side to defend the three.  Fran might need to stay primarily M2M in this game and hope his guards can contain the few slashers UNI has.  We’ve seen poor shooting teams light up Iowa from the outside, it could get ugly if a good shooting team like UNI gets hot.  The Panthers not only shoot the ball well from outside, they get a lot of their points from behind the arc.

-  Be the Better Bench.   Right now Iowa is getting about 40% of their minutes played from their bench.  This has been partly because Coach McCaffery has tried to find the right combination on the floor, but it’s also because Iowa actually has some depth this season.  Iowa can comfortably go 9 deep on this team.  If they want to run (should they be able to) or if they want to press (guaranteed they will), they’ll need bench help in this one.  Like Iowa, UNI can go 9 deep easily on their bench, and even 10 or 11 without much problems.  They’ve had role players step up in past games for them, as well.

PREDICTION:   Iowa has yet to play in a close game so far this season.  All of their wins have been by more than 10 points, while all of their losses have been by more than 15 points – this game could buck that trend.  This is a winnable game for the Hawkeyes, especially if we see the Melsahn Basabe from the end of the last year.  If Iowa gets that from Mel, and he gets a boost from a couple other players (maybe Marble and Gatens), the Hawkeyes could finally get a win inside the McLeod Center.  If not, it could be a long, long night in Cedar Falls for the Hawks, especially if Iowa allows UNI to go off from downtown.  Unfortunately, I think the Panthers slow the tempo down to a crawl and shoot the ball much better than Iowa.   FINAL SCORE: Iowa 57,  UNI 65

By Justin VanLaere

The 2011 B1G/ACC Challenge is upon us, and the Iowa Hawkeyes hope to help give their conference some bragging rights.  The Hawks are matched up with the Clemson Tigers.  This year’s Challenge involves 12 games for the first time ever, therefore a tie is possible.  In the event of a tie, the previous year’s winner is crowned the champ (the B1G won it in 2010).  The B1G has won the series just twice in twelve years.  Iowa is 2-7 all-time in the Challenge, while Clemson sits at 8-4 all-time.

Game Info

Clemson Tigers (3-2) vs Iowa Hawkeyes (4-2)
POMEROY RATINGS: Iowa – 109, Clemson – 50
RPI: Iowa – 123, Clemson – 55
Tip Off: Tuesday, November 29th 2011; 8:20 PM CST
Iowa City, IA – Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500)
TV:  ESPN-U, ESPN3
Radio: AM 600, 1040, and 800.
Iowa leads the series 2-0.

LINE:  This is a pick em game. Pomeroy predicts a 1 point loss for Iowa.

JOIN US FOR A LIVE CHAT DURING THE GAME RIGHT HERE!

NOTES:
It’s Bryce Cartwright Bobblehead night. 
All University of Iowa students get into the game FREE.
It’s also dollar dog night.  Hot dogs, not real dogs.

Probable Starters

IOWA

PG – Bryce Cartwright, 6’1”, 188 lb, SR

G – Matt Gatens, 6’5”, 212 lb, SR

G – Eric May, 6’5”, 217 lb, JR

F – Melsahn Basabe, 6’7”, 225 lb, SO

F – Zach McCabe, 6’7”, 232 lb, SO

CLEMSON

G – Andre Young, 5’9″, 170 lb, SR

G – Rod Hall, 6’1″, 210 lb, FR

G – Tanner Smith, 6’5″, 210 lb, SR

F – Milton Jennings, 6’9″, 225 lb, JR

F – Devin Booker, 6’8″, 245 lb,  JR

This game will be a true contrast of styles.  Guard-oriented, up tempo Iowa vs. interior-oriented, deliberate Clemson.  Whoever dictates their own style of play will likely come away with the W.  Sure, this is a Clemson program that has been a staple in the NCAA Tournament the last half-decade, but this year’s team isn’t at that caliber yet.  The Tigers are returning roughly half of their offensive and defensive efficiencies from last year’s squad. Clemson was picked to be a middle of the pack ACC team this season, however they haven’t lived up to that standard yet.  The Tigers lost to College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina already this season.  They also struggled last game against Furman, as they were tied at the half.  It’s not as if Iowa has been that impressive in their last three game either, though, getting blown away by Creighton, not showing up vs. Campbell, and struggled at times with IPFW.  Neither of these teams have found a real sense of identity in the early part of the season.

Clemson has some really good talent in their starting lineup.  Andre Young is a shooting guard and is undoubtedly their biggest threat to score on the offensive end; he’s pretty deadly from behind the arc.  He also takes really good care of the ball.   Tanner Smith is a pretty decent ball-handler, but he will take some ill-advised shots and give the ball up frequently.  The two players that will likely give Iowa the most fits are Milton Jennings and Devin Booker.  Jennings has a ton of athleticism and will be a match-up problem for Melsahn Basabe.  Booker, while not as talented as Jennings, is a force on the block for the Tigers.  Rebounding will be a huge edge for Clemson in this game, Iowa will need to hit their shots and also get plenty of transition buckets.

KEYS TO GAME FOR IOWA:

- Get Melsahn Basabe Going.  Mel is sick of hearing how he isn’t performing.  Fran is sick of having to answer questions about Mel’s performance.  Iowa fans are sick of seeing a sophomore slump from Melsahn.  It’s not a secret that Basabe is a momentum-type of player.  When he gets going, he can be really, really good.  When he starts off slow (and/or gets in foul trouble), he rarely gets back into the game, both physically and mentally.  Here’s your breakout game for Melsahn.  He has a hefty challenge in regards to the Tigers’ bigs, but he’ll be ready to go, and Iowa will need him.

- Improvement in Interior Defense.  If Iowa cannot guard the ball down low, they will have a tough, tough time winning this ballgame.  Clemson has a couple big men who will hit the glass hard and maintain great position on the block.  If Iowa is too busy playing help defense and not getting bodies on Tiger players, it could get ugly under the basket.

- Ramp up the Press.  If Iowa can force Clemson’s freshman guard to make mistakes with their on-ball pressure, the extra possessions will be a big boost in their favor.  The Tigers can be prone to mistakes with the ball, especially from their guards (sans Young).

- Score Points.  Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Joe Buck / Jon Gruden.  But let me explain.  Clemson is 3-0 when they hold their opponents under 50 points so far this season.  While breaking the 50 point mark won’t guarantee an Iowa victory, a higher scoring affair will certainly favor the Hawkeyes.  Iowa is going to need to knock down the outside shot, as Clemson does a very good job protecting the paint.

PREDICTION:  Neither of these teams are playing terrific basketball right now.  If Iowa can get out and run, they should win the ball game.  However, if Clemson can slow the ball down and feed its bigs, Iowa will have a tough time going possession for possession vs. the Tigers.  If Andre Young gets hot, say goodnight to the Hawkeyes.  Gatens is playing good ball, Bryce seems to be getting back to his old self, and I think Basabe steps up.  FINAL SCORE: Iowa 71, Clemson 68.