Men's Basketball Breakdown: Iowa vs. Michigan
Breaking down Friday's game between Iowa and Michigan.
Game facts
Time and place — 8:07 p.m. (CST), Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City
TV — FS1
Radio — Hawkeye Radio Network
Records — Iowa 12-5 (3-3 Big Ten), Michigan 11-5 (2-3)
Rankings — Michigan is No. 19 in the Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the USA Today coaches poll. Iowa is No. 24 in the USA Today coaches poll.
Series — Michigan leads, 96-64.
Earlier this season — Michigan won, 103-91, on Dec. 6.
The lineups
Iowa — Joe Wieskamp (F, 6-6, Soph., 14.5 ppg.), Luka Garza (C, 6-11, Jr., 22.3 ppg.), Joe Toussaint (G, 6-0, Fr., 6.8 ppg.), CJ Fredrick (G, 6-3, Fr., 10.4 ppg.), Connor McCaffery (G, 6-6, Soph., 7.1 ppg.)
Michigan — Brandon Johns Jr. (F, 6-8, Soph., 5.1 ppg.), Jon Teske (C, 7-1, Sr., 14.3 ppg.), Zavier Simpson (G, 6-0, Sr., 12.6 ppg.), Franz Wagner (G, 6-9, Fr., 9.7 ppg.), Eli Brooks (G, 6-1, Jr., 10.3 ppg.)
The lines
Spread — Iowa -5 1/2
Over/under — 146 1/2
Moneyline — Iowa -240, Michigan +190
The analytics
NET — Michigan 28, Iowa 29
KenPom — Iowa 15 (Adjusted offense, 4; adjusted defense, 75), Michigan 19 (Adjusted offense 20, adjusted defense, 40)
Sagarin — Iowa 17, Michigan 24
What to watch
Garza went off for 44 points the last time these two teams played, but the Hawkeyes didn't play much defense.
"They scored 103 points," Fredrick said. "We know that’s not good."
The Hawkeyes will have to be better, and they have been in the last week. Iowa held Maryland to 49 points last Friday and Northwestern to 62 points on Tuesday.
Simpson will be a big focus of Iowa's defense, He averages 12.6 points, but also 8.9 assists.
"For them, it sort of depends on Simpson," Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. "He's the key to it all. It's been that way for a while now. He's really good with the ball. He's as good as anybody I've scouted over the years at finding people, making plays, making plays for himself, and he's got some weapons around him. Teske is playing really well. Eli Brooks has really blossomed this year with the opportunity to play more."
The Hawkeyes get three consecutive home games. In a league where the home teams have been dominating, it's important for Iowa to protect its home court.
