Game Preview: No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. No. 8 Iowa Hawkeyes
It’s been said many times already this season, as is the nature of Big Ten play ... but No. 7 Ohio State (14-4) faces its toughest test to date when the Buckeyes hit the road to take on No. 8 Iowa (13-4). They then finish off a 2-game road trip on Monday night, tipping off against Maryland in College Park.
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Game Time: 7 p.m.
TV Coverage: ESPN
Radio Coverage: 97.1 The Fan
Ohio State shot into the top-10 following a week that featured wins over Penn State and Michigan State. The Buckeyes played one of their sloppiest games (17 turnovers) and still managed to sneak past the Nittany Lions. They then followed that up with a commanding performance against the Spartans, earning a big win against a team that has given them headaches in recent years.
Ohio State Overview
January was kind to the Buckeyes. After falling to Minnesota by 17 points to start the month, Ohio State has since been on a roll, winning six of its next seven games with its only loss coming to Purdue in the game’s final seconds. The Buckeyes are one of the hottest teams in the nation right now.
The calendar then flipped to February and, as a reward for recent success, Ohio State enters Thursday’s game ranked in the AP Top 10 for the first time in a little over a year (since January 3, 2020 vs. Wisconsin). The Buckeyes are now the second-highest ranked team in the Big Ten, behind No. 4 Michigan.
E.J. Liddell has been a huge key to the Buckeyes’ success all season long and especially over the last five games. The sophomore has played beyond his years, showing poise under pressure and averaging almost 20 points per game over this stretch to become Ohio State’s leading scorer. Liddell has been versatile in his scoring efforts, too. A career-high against Illinois was fueled by 4-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line, while a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line propelled the Buckeyes to their win over Penn State.
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Justice Sueing has been fun to watch in Scarlet and Gray. His heart and hustle don’t go unnoticed as he’s made several memorable plays on both ends of the floor. A pass from his backside that led to a transition triple against Purdue immediately comes to mind. What’s been good to see lately is that Sueing’s scoring is starting to tick up a notch. The junior forward was the Buckeyes’ second-leading scorer with 17 points, his best performance since his Ohio State debut in the season opener.
It’s time for Duane Washington Jr. to come out of his slump. He’s shot a combined 16.7 percent from the floor over the last three games (5-for-30) and hasn’t reached the double-digit scoring mark since the Purdue game. While the Buckeyes haven’t necessarily missed his production (thanks to big showings from Liddell), they’ll need the offense firing on all cylinders tonight and that most definitely includes Washington.
Iowa Overview
In his pre-game press conference, Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann called the Iowa Hawkeyes probably the best offensive team he’s ever coached against - for good reason. Iowa boasts the nation’s second-best scoring offense at just under 90 points per game and they have an embarrassment of riches on the floor. Only undefeated No. 1 Gonzaga ranks better than the Hawkeyes in that category.
Iowa has stumbled a bit lately, though, dropping two of its last three games, and the Hawkeyes are looking to get back on track against the Buckeyes.
Luka Garza’s name headlines every Naismith College Player of the Year conversation, rightly so. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American is the nation’s leading scorer at 26.5 points per game and the next closest player is not even close - more than four points away. Garza is the focus of every opponent’s game plan, drawing double and triple teams on the regular, and he still puts up jaw-dropping numbers. There aren’t enough superlatives and accolades in the world to adequately describe Garza's game. Chris Holtmann called him the best offensive player in college basketball and compared him to former North Carolina star Tyler Hansbrough.
A team is more than just one player, though, and the Buckeyes cannot overlook any of Garza’s teammates. Joe Wieskamp gives the Hawkeyes versatility, spreading the floor as he can play either guard or forward. He’s failed to reach double digits only four times this season, one of which was in Iowa’s last game against Michigan State. Ohio State can’t expect that kind of performance from Wieskamp again, though.
One name that doesn’t immediately jump off a season stat sheet is Connor McCaffery, but you can be sure he's on Ohio State's scouting report. He has started all 17 games and he’s only averaging 3.7 points per game, ninth on the team. Yet McCaffrey finds other ways to impact the game, most especially with his ball-handling skills. He currently owns the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 4.87 after leading the nation in that category a season ago.
Ohio State Keys
- On guard - Iowa leads the Big Ten in turnover margin (+3.18) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.10). Ohio State has been bitten by the turnover bug of late, with a season-high 17 in the win over Penn State and then eight turnovers alone in the second half against Michigan State. Both of those teams made life difficult on the Buckeyes in that regard too. With the offensive efficiency the Hawkeyes have played with all year, Ohio State can’t give away too many possessions if they want to keep pace on the scoreboard.
- On (Hawkeyes’) wings - Iowa doesn’t have too many weaknesses but the Hawkeyes do rank last in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percent defense. Thankfully, the Buckeyes have Justin Ahrens, who shoots an even 50 percent from beyond the arc. When he’s in rhythm, it’s nothing but net. Ahrens will need to knock down a couple of big treys to give Ohio State the advantage here.
- SOS - Thursday is the first of two remaining games against Iowa and the Buckeyes also have both games against Michigan still on the schedule (for now). Holtmann knows the next month is going to be a grind, to say the least. A win against the Hawkeyes would certainly give Ohio State a huge boost heading into the final stretch.
Matchup to Watch
Iowa’s Luka Garza vs. Ohio State’s Kyle Young (or really anyone else guarding him) - Garza may be the toughest assignment any big can draw in the entire country. Young and E.J. Liddell have already had their fair share of tough matchups this season between Kofi Cockburn, Trevion Williams and a few others - and they've held their own for the most part. Young in particular has been in foul trouble in the past two games though and they really need to keep him on the floor to help guard against Garza. Defense will be Young’s focus and any offensive output will be an added bonus for Ohio State.
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