Can the Badgers start off the new year on the right note?
The Wisconsin Badgers enter 2025 looking to earn their first conference victory of the season as they host the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center on Friday, January 3rd. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
Despite shooting 7-for-35 from the three-point line, the Badgers overwhelmed the Detroit Mercy Titans 76-53. Nolan Winter continued his impressive sophomore season by adding his second double-double this year with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
What should Badger fans know about Iowa?
Opponent Preview
Fran McCaffery is in his 15th season as Iowa’s head coach, hoping to return to the NCAA tournament after an NIT appearance last season. The Hawkeyes have a 10-3 record with notable wins over Northwestern, Utah, and Washington State. Last Monday, Iowa won their final non-conference game of the season, blistering New Hampshire 112-70. Joe Lunardi has the Hawkeyes as one of his First Teams Out of his New Year’s Eve Bracketology.
Iowa got a boost before the season when sharp-shooting forward Payton Sandfort returned for his senior season. Sandfort was the Hawkeyes’ lone All-Big Ten preseason selection and Lute Olson National Player of the Year Early Season’ Watch List nominee. Through thirteen games, Sandfort has averaged 16.5 PPG.
The Moline, Illinois duo of Brock Harding and Owen Freeman have paced the Hawkeyes this season. Freeman, last season’s Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year, averages 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, leading the team. Harding took over point guard duties after Tony Perkins transferred to Missouri and is the Hawkeyes’ leader in 5.8 assists per game and steals with 2.2 per game.
One news item to monitor is the health status of Freeman, who sat out last Monday’s win over New Hampshire with an ankle injury. The injury is “not expected to be serious.”
At guard will be junior Josh Dix, who has continued to improve his all-around game each year in Iowa City. Dix is averaging 13.3 points per game through 12 games and delivered one of college basketball’s most memorable shots this season against Northwestern.
IOWA WINS IT AT THE BUZZER!
JOSH DIX JUST DID THAT! pic.twitter.com/qhK33QBIVO
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 4, 2024
Drew Thelwell has emerged as a high-energy player in the Hawkeyes’ last four games and is third in the nation with a 4.20 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Morehead State transfer came off the bench in Iowa’s first nine games of the season before starting against no. 3 Iowa State in place of Ladji Dembele.
Score Prediction
Iowa teams under McCaffery have always featured high-scoring and high-tempo offenses, which has not changed in 2024-25. The Hawkeyes come into this game second in the nation with 89.7 points per game and 20.2 assists per game. Wisconsin’s defense has not been what Badger fans expected, so Iowa will cause issues for Greg Gard’s crew if their shots fall.
While the Hawkeyes have made modest improvements on the defensive end compared to the last two seasons, they are still 95th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The Badgers and Hawkeyes will be a good back-and-forth game between two of the better offenses in the Big Ten, but Wisconsin will get enough stops to come away with their first conference win.
Prediction: Wisconsin 84-80.