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The No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes will head to Columbus to take on the No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes in their final road game of the regular season.
In the two teams' first meeting this season, the Buckeyes earned an 89-85 victory over the Hawkeyes. Fran McCaffery and his side will definitely be looking to even out the season series on Saturday.
Match Details
Fixture: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Ohio State Buckeyes - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date and Time: Sunday, February 28, 4:00 PM ET
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State Buckeyes Preview
The Ohio State Buckeyes are currently going through a slump. They have now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
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Although the Buckeyes remain one of the country's top teams, they have recently been exposed in the frontcourt.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are one of the smallest teams in the Big Ten. They do not have a player in their starting lineup that is over 6'7. This results in the question: How do they guard Luka Garza?
Here is what CBS analyst Clark Kellogg believes to be the answer:
"With Garza, you have to make him work, minimize his angles, fight him early so he doesn’t get that deep post up where he has you on his back."
Key Player - E.J. Liddell
Kyle Young, senior forward for the Ohio State Buckeyes, is still questionable for Saturday's game due to a concussion that he suffered in the battle against the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday.
If Young is unable to play, it will mean that E.J. Liddell will see an increased workload on both offense and defense. Lidell had a strong showing against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the first game this season, scoring 16 points and collecting seven rebounds.
Ohio State Buckeyes Predicted Lineup
F Justice Sueing, F Justin Ahrens, F E.J. Liddell, G Musa Jallow, G Duane Washington Jr.
Iowa Hawkeyes Preview
The Iowa Hawkeyes will be looking to bounce back from their 79-57 loss to the Michigan Wolverines on Thursday night.
The Hawkeyes' 57 points were their lowest scoring total of the season. They finished the game with a field goal rating of just 35.6%.
What caused the highest-scoring Big Ten team to score 29 points under their season scoring average in their previous game was their lack of off-ball movement. The Iowa Hawkeyes finished with a season-low four assists and had just three players score over double-digit points.
The Hawkeyes will have to regain their rhythm and should be willing to reset their offensive sets against the Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend.
Key Player - Luka Garza
According to the oddsmakers, Luka Garza remains the favorite to win the John Wooden Award at the end of the season. However, he was a non-factor in the previous game against the Michigan Wolverines. Garza converted on just 31.6% of his 19 attempts and only brought down four rebounds.
For the Michigan Wolverines to avoid the season sweep against the Ohio State Buckeyes, he will need to control the boards and allow the Iowa Hawkeyes to get out on the break early.
Iowa Hawkeyes' Predicted Lineup
C Luka Garza, G Jordan Bohannon, G Connor McCaffery, G CJ Fredrick, G Joe Wiedkamp
Iowa vs Ohio State Prediction
We expect a high-scoring game this Saturday as the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Iowa Hawkeyes are both ranked in the top three for adjusted offensive efficiency, according to kenpom.com.
What will separate these two teams is the battle between the bigs. With the Buckeyes missing key defenders in the frontcourt, Luka Garza will be able to control the paint and give his team the edge.
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the Iowa Hawkeyes have a 51.7% chance of beating the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday.
Where to watch Iowa vs Ohio State
The game will be broadcast live on CBS.
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