Go Iowa Awesome – Preview: Iowa MBB vs Ohio State (Big Ten Tournament)

WHO: Ohio State Buckeyes (14-18, 6-15 Massive Ten)
WHEN: approx. 1:30 PM CT (Thursday, March 9, 2023)
WHERE: United Middle (Chicago, IL)
TV: BTN
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Community (Gary Dolphin and Bobby Hansen) | XM TBD or SXM TBD
MOBILE: www.foxsports.com/cellular
ONLINE: www.foxsports.com/dwell
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaHoops | @IowaonBTN
LINE: Iowa -4.5
KENPOM: Iowa -2 (56% likelihood of successful)

Iowa
G Tony Perkins (12.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.4 bpg, 44.2 FG%, 33.9 3FG%)
G Ahron Ulis (6.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.1 bpg, 40.3 FG%, 32.8 3FG%)
F Connor McCaffery (6.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 0.0 bpg, 38.3 FG%, 33.6 3FG%)
F Kris Murray (20.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.1 bpg, 48.7 FG%, 34.3 3FG%)
F Filip Rebraca (13.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 57.1 FG%, 33.3 3FG%)

Ohio State
G Bruce Thornton (10.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.1 bpg, 45.4 FG%, 38.4 3FG%)
G Roddy Gayle (3.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.3 bpg, 39.7 FG%, 31.6 3FG%)
F Justice Sueing (12.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.4 bpg, 43.0 FG%, 23.1 3FG%)
F Brice Sensabaugh (16.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.2 apg, 0.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 48.1 FG%, 41.5 3FG%)
C Felix Okpara (3.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.4 spg, 1.1 bpg, 59.8% FG, 50.0 3FG%)

Iowa’s Massive Ten Match title protection will get underway with an opponent that the Hawkeyes did not face in final 12 months’s Massive Ten Match title run — Ohio State. The Buckeyes obtained right here by defeating Wisconsin 65-57 on Wednesday within the first spherical of the match.

Ohio State toppled Wisconsin by leaping out to an early lead — the Buckeyes led 18-10 on the midpoint of the primary half — after which pouring it on. After main 34-18 late within the first half, the Buckeyes used a 13-2 run earlier than and after halftime to open up a 27-point lead (47-20) early within the second half. After which Ohio State… stopped scoring, kind of.

The Buckeyes scored solely 10 factors over the following 10 minutes, and ultimately the Badgers put collectively an 18-2 run within the last 10 minutes to chop Ohio State’s result in a precarious 57-52. The Buckeyes held on to win, regardless of going the ultimate 4:29 with zero subject targets, three turnovers, and taking pictures simply 8/14 on the free throw line.

Wednesday’s win continued a mini-uptick in late season kind for Ohio State — the Buckeyes have now gained three of their final 4 video games. That follows a nine-game dropping streak and a run of 14 losses in 15 video games that crushed their season.

Two Buckeyes particularly have stood out over the last 4 video games: Bruce Thornton, a 6’2″ freshman guard, and Justice Sueing, a 6’6″ senior wing. Thornton has hit for 20 factors in two of Ohio State’s final 4 video games and is averaging 16.3 ppg, on 52% taking pictures (39% 3FG), with 3.0 rpg and a couple of.0 apg. Sueing has been averaging 14.0 ppg on 46% taking pictures (37.5% 3FG), whereas grabbing 7.8 rpg and handing out 2.3 apg. They have been a really productive pair for Ohio State over the previous few weeks.

Ohio State has made a couple of lineup modifications since they final performed Iowa. Massive man Zed Key obtained injured within the Iowa-Ohio State recreation again on February 16; he hasn’t performed since. Felix Okpara, a uncooked 6’11” freshman massive from Nigeria, has changed Key within the lineup, although his minutes are inclined to fluctuate. Okpara has performed 31 minutes in two of Ohio State’s final 4 video games — however simply 17 minutes and eight minutes within the different two. His finest efficiency got here in OSU’s win over Maryland, when he had 12 factors on 5/8 taking pictures, 8 rebounds, and three blocks in 31 minutes.

Sean McNeil, a 6’4″ switch guard from West Virginia, has moved to a bench function, however he is nonetheless a key contributor. Regardless of not being an official starter, McNeil has performed 26 or extra minutes in 5 of the seven video games he is performed since being faraway from the beginning lineup. McNeil has scored double figures in 5 of seven video games since transferring to the bench (he had simply two double-figure scoring video games in his final seven video games as a daily starter) and is hitting for 11.7 ppg on 48% taking pictures (36% 3FG).

His spot within the beginning lineup has been stuffed by 6’4″ freshman guard Roddy Gayle, although Gayle has performed in 25+ minutes in simply three video games since changing into a starter. Gayle has added a bit extra defensive stability to Ohio State’s lineups — he leads the workforce in steal fee — although he hasn’t added a lot by way of offensive manufacturing — he is averaging simply 3.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg, and 1.0 apg as a starter.

That is the third assembly between Iowa and Ohio State this 12 months, with every workforce successful comfortably at residence. In Columbus, Ohio State took management of the sport with a 15-2 run within the first half and blew the sport open with a 13-2 run early within the second half. OSU scored 1.3 factors per possession in that recreation, had 92 factors on 56% taking pictures (50% from lengthy vary), and shredded Iowa across the rim and within the paint (50-32 edge in factors within the paint).

In Iowa Metropolis, the tables have been turned and Iowa had the molten-hot offense. The Hawkeyes scored nearly 1.4 factors per possession and had 92 factors on 57% taking pictures (together with 71% on 2-point pictures). Iowa beat Ohio State on factors within the paint (44-36), however the true benefits got here through offensive rebounds and turnovers.

Iowa had an 11-2 benefit in offensive rebounds and turned that right into a 15-4 edge in second likelihood factors. Ohio State additionally had 14 turnovers (towards solely seven for Iowa), which the Hawkeyes become a 16-4 edge in factors off turnovers. Iowa additionally used good passing and sharp ball motion (23 assists on 37 made subject targets) to slice aside the OSU protection.

Discover the Capturing Contact. Dominating second likelihood factors and factors off turnovers is an efficient technique to win a recreation — nevertheless it’s not foolproof, both. In Iowa’s final recreation, towards Nebraska, the Hawkeyes had a 21-10 benefit in factors off turnovers and 31-11 edge in second likelihood factors (because of a 21-7 edge in offensive rebounds)… and nonetheless misplaced.

How? As a result of the Hawkeyes shot simply 36.5% from the sector and 32.4% from past the arc — numbers that have been even worse within the second half (29.7% FG, 18.8% 3FG). The torrid taking pictures streak that carried Iowa via the tip of the Michigan State recreation, your complete Indiana recreation, and stretches of the primary half towards Nebraska utterly evaporated within the second half.

Iowa wants that taking pictures contact to reassert itself or the Hawkeyes may have a really temporary keep within the Massive Ten Match. Final 12 months’s 4 wins-in-four video games run within the Massive Ten Match began with an all-timer of an offensive efficiency from Iowa: 112 factors on 61% taking pictures, together with an unimaginable 19/29 show from three-point vary. Discovering a few of that very same magic would go an extended technique to serving to Iowa get a victory.

Simply Sufficient Protection. In Iowa’s loss to Ohio State this season, the Hawkeyes could not cease dribble penetration and could not get in entrance of Ohio State’s guards and wings — the Buckeyes ran a layup line on the Iowa protection. In Iowa’s loss to Nebraska on Sunday, the Hawkeyes gave up too many open three-pointers and attractiveness to a Husker workforce that was red-hot from behind the arc.

OSU has one of many lowest three-point try charges within the convention, however the Buckeyes will certainly take the pictures in the event that they’re as broad open as Nebraska was towards Iowa on the weekend. Iowa has to do a greater job of rotating and shutting out on protection to contest pictures towards Ohio State.