What a year it has been for the Big Ten. The twenty in conference games for the Big Ten sure has a way of creating drama throughout the tail end of the season, and the upset wins for Iowa and Indiana have both teams looking to carry the momentum.
Signature Win for Iowa
Iowa comes into the game against the Hoosiers with that signature win that everyone said they were lacking, a 74-59 victory over Michigan. This was without a doubt the best game the Hawkeyes have played from top to bottom, holding the Wolverines to 32% shooting from the field. Joe Wieskamp and Ryan Kriener were the two players that stood out for the Hawks, with a combined 31 points and 17 rebounds.
Indiana Stays Alive
Indiana made sure to let Iowa and the rest of the Big Ten know that they were no pushover, beating a Michigan State team who recently beat Iowa soundly. The Hoosiers have been struggling of late, and being 3-7 in conference play made the win against Michigan State a must. If Indiana wants any chance of making a tournament push, they will need to win not only against Iowa, but every game from here on out. Indiana will be playing for their lives against the Hawkeyes
Keys to the Game: Iowa
Iowa comes into the game on an all time high after the big win against Michigan, but the key is to keep playing at that level. If there has been one knock for this Iowa team this year, it is that you don’t know which team you are going to get. You hope to get the team that beat Michigan, but you know very well you could get the team that gave up 92 to Minnesota. Joe Wieskamp has proven to be the spark that ignites this Iowa team, and when they are struggling, it’s usually because he isn’t getting involved enough.
After losses to Michigan State and Minnesota, coach McCaffery told Wieskamp he needs to be more aggressive, and it paid off against Michigan. Luka Garza has been quietly putting up great numbers this year as well, averaging 15.1 points a game. That said, it isn’t as much about the points that Garza has been putting up, but rather how diverse his game is. Those who have watched this Iowa team know that Garza isn’t afraid to let it rip from deep, and this has allowed the entire team to spread the floor. This has given the Iowa shooters more space to operate, and it has given Tyler Cook more room to operate down low. I’ll be keeping my eye on Wieskamp and Garza in this one.
Keys to the Game: Indiana
Indiana is playing under pressure, and that’s because they have put themselves in a situation that requires them to win each and every night. Why am I saying this? Because under pressure, players tend to play a different style of game than they otherwise would. Players try to do things that they aren’t capable of doing and it is an easy way to play yourself right out of a game. I will be looking to see how Romeo Langford handles the pressure against the Hawkeyes. Langford is without a doubt the best scorer on the Hoosiers roster, but he has struggled all year from behind the arc. If the Hoosiers fall behind early, it will be key for Langford to play to his strengths and not shoot ill advised three pointers that will lead to Iowa pulling away in the game. Langford’s play is going to be huge in this game.
Matchup to Look For
The matchup of the game will undoubtably be Tyler Cook and Juwan Morgan. These two have put up monster numbers from the forward position all year long, and I don’t expect that to change in this one. With Juwan Morgan nursing a sore shoulder, Tyler Cook will need to test him early and often. This will be a big test for both players, and the winner of this matchup could go a long way in determining the outcome.
Betting Lines
Iowa +2 1/2 (that’s right, Iowa is the underdog)
Over/Under: 148 points
Big Ten Standings
- Michigan
- Purdue
- Wisconsin
- Michigan State
- Maryland
- Iowa
- Minnesota
- Ohio State
- Indiana
- Rutgers
- Illinois
- Northwestern
- Nebraska
- Penn State
