Can the Badgers carry their success back on the road against Iowa?
The 21st-ranked Wisconsin Badgers are aiming to sweep the season series against the Iowa Hawkeyes this Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tip-off is scheduled at 12:00 p.m. on NBC, and Wisconsin is a 3.5-point favorite.
Last Tuesday, Wisconsin did what they have continued to do since March 2000: Beat Indiana at the Kohl Center. The Badgers got off to a 26-4 scoring start and coasted to a 76-64 win over the Hoosiers. Three starters, John Tonje, Max Klesmit, and Nolan Winter, finished with 10+ points, while Carter “Gilly James” Gilmore finished with 10 points off the bench and connected on all three three-point attempts.
On January 3rd, the Badgers trounced the Iowa Hawkeyes 116-85 in the greatest offensive performance in Kohl Center history. What has happened to the Hawkeyes since that game?
Opponent Preview
Fran McCaffery’s Hawkeyes squad has drifted toward the bottom third of the Big Ten standings. Iowa has gone 3-5 since their loss at Wisconsin. All three of those wins have been at home against Nebraska in overtime, Indiana, and Penn State. However, with road losses mounting up this year, fan apathy has increased among the Hawkeye faithful.
The biggest news regarding the Hawkeyes has been the loss of their leading scorer and rebounder, Owen Freeman, who will miss the rest of the season with finger surgery. Before the news was announced, Freeman led Iowa with 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The Hawkeyes have a massive hole in their offense without their star big man.
In their 90-81 loss to no. 7 Purdue, the Hawkeyes were tied at halftime and were down three with under three minutes left in the game. Josh Dix (27 points) and Payton Sandfort (23 points) were tremendous in Iowa’s near-upset.
Score Prediction
If their performance against Purdue showed us anything, it’s that the Hawkeyes haven’t quit on the season. Iowa still boasts the top offense in the Big Ten at 85.5 points per game and is 11-3 in Iowa City this year. If Dix and Sandfort keep hitting shots like they did against Purdue, an upset could be brewing.
That said, just like Kamari McGee inferred back on January 3rd, Iowa is still a terrible defensive team, allowing the most points per game in the Big Ten and is ranked 165th in KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency. While the Hawkeyes will have the motivation to atone for their loss at Madison, look for Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter to have strong games in Freeman’s absence as Wisconsin sweeps the season series.
Prediction: Wisconsin 89-81.