Coming off its biggest win of the year, Ohio State is set to return home to take on an Iowa team that is limping to the finish line of the 2017-18 season.
The Hawkeyes have dropped three of their last four games, including a heartbreaking loss to No. 4-ranked Michigan State. Iowa led by as many as eight in the second half against the Spartans before Tom Izzo's squad came back to win, 96-93, in Iowa City.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa (12-14, 3-10) | Value City Arena | 6 p.m. | BTN |
The matchup against Iowa will mark the first of five games in which Ohio State will play a game against a team it has already played this season. The Buckeyes defeated the Hawkeyes, 92-81, in their first conference game of the new year, in which Keita Bates-Diop scored 27 points and 13 rebounds.
Playing a team the second time around doesn't require as much intense preparation, Chris Holtmann said Friday, but he also said that doesn't make it any easier.
"I think typically (the preparation is) quicker maybe because you have played them. It has been awhile since we played Iowa and they are different now," Holtmann said. "I think they are much harder to play right now. We are going to face a different team than what we faced in Iowa City. Having an understanding of that is going to be really important."
Opponent Breakdown
Iowa's struggles this season have come largely because of their inability to slow opponents down on the defensive end. The Hawkeyes rank last in the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing an average of 78.3 points per game; however, they rank third in the league in scoring offense, pouring in 80.7 points per contest.
On the year, the Hawkeyes have been led by sophomore forward Tyler Cook, who is averaging 15.7 points per game, good for 11th in the Big Ten. Against Ohio State on Jan. 4, Cook scored 21 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the loss, despite early foul trouble.
Cook is coming off of a dominant game against the Spartans in which he poured in 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting, as the Hawkeyes nearly pulled off what would have been a colossal upset.
| Player | Pos | HT | WT | Min | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TYLER COOK | F | 6-9 | 255 | 27.1 | 15.7 | 6.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| JORDAN BOHANNON | G | 6-0 | 180 | 31.3 | 13.7 | 2.1 | 5.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| LUKA GARZA | C | 6-11 | 235 | 20.0 | 11.0 | 6.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| ISAIAH MOSS | G | 6-5 | 205 | 23.9 | 10.9 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| NICHOLAS BAER | F | 6-7 | 210 | 22.3 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 |
Holtmann said that guarding Cook will provide a challenge for an Ohio State team that allowed the Hawkeyes to corral 15 offensive rebounds on Jan. 4.
"Numbers-wise, they are the best rebounding team in the Big Ten, and one of the best rebounding teams in the country," Holtmann said. "Cook is a fantastic interior player and (Luka) Garza is a load inside."
On the season, Iowa ranks near the top of the league in rebounding, pulling down 38.3 rebounds per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes' rebounding margin on the season is plus-4.5, also fourth in the conference.
Iowa also boasts one of the deeper teams in the Big Ten, as Fran McCaffery's squad has 11 players that average double-digit minutes per game. The Hawkeyes also have tremendous length, especially at center where Garza checks in at 6-foot-11.
Against Ohio State at home, Garza dropped in 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting while also keeping himself out of foul trouble.
The rest of Iowa's supporting cast features a number of solid shooters from behind the arc, including senior guard Jordan Bohannon who connects on an average of 44.4 percent of his shots from behind the line.
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State's win over Purdue saw the Buckeyes close the game on a 25-10 run, with largely its smallest lineup of the year on the floor as sophomore Andre Wesson was forced to guard Boilermaker center Isaac Haas with Kaleb Wesson and Micah Potter in foul trouble.
The lineup also allowed Ohio State to space the floor better and use its speed to its advantage. Bates-Diop said Friday that while the smaller lineup requires a more intense focus on rebounding, it also creates certain advantages for the Buckeyes.
"You have to rebound a lot better. With me Andre, J.T., we are big wings but they have bigger guys out there so we have to crash the boards more," Bates-Diop said. "I think me, J.T. and Andre can guard threes, fours and fives. With Musa (Jallow) or (Andrew) Dakich in the game, we know we need to help a bit more but all five guys are pretty versatile on defense. On offense, it is hard for bigger guys to guard me or J.T. out on the perimeter."
Andre Wesson's performance in particular on Haas was crucial for Ohio State in its comeback effort against the Boilermakers, as the Westerville, Ohio product also scored a career-high 13 points in the win.
Bates-Diop said he wasn't surprised with the way Andre practices both on the floor and even in the weight room.
"Andre is a lot stronger than he looks. He has heart," Bates-Diop said. "It doesn't matter who he is guarding. He doesn't let a guy score and that is what we love about him."
Should Kam Williams' suspension hold through the Iowa game, it is assumed that Andre would keep his starting role he has been in the last two games with Williams out. However, Jallow could also be due for more playing time after his performance against Purdue, in which he scored 10 points after going scoreless since Ohio State's Jan. 4 win over Iowa.
Bates-Diop said he felt good for Jallow, who knocked down three of his four shot attempts against the Boilers.
"It was a long time coming," Bates-Diop said. "I don't know how many games he didn't score in a row, but we had faith he was going to knock those shots down eventually and it came in the biggest game of the year."
Should Williams miss his third straight, Jallow could be relied on more to score the ball once again off the bench.
How It Plays Out
Ohio State is coming off the biggest win of the year, while Iowa is coming off of a demoralizing loss that could have breathed some life into a season that was already doomed.
The Buckeyes have struggled to start strong in most games during conference play, and especially off of the biggest win of the year, it wouldn't be surprising to see another slow start. However, Ohio State always seems to find a way to give itself a chance to win in the end, and against a struggling Iowa team the Buckeyes should do that once again to win their 13th conference game of the year.
Prediction: Ohio State 83, Iowa 70
