Four Things To Know About Ohio State’s First-Round Big Ten Tournament Matchup vs Iowa

Ohio State will face Iowa on Thursday, March 12 at 11 a.m. CT, marking the fourth consecutive year that the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes have faced off in the Big Ten Tournament.

Iowa’s second-half surge

Iowa defeated Maryland to advance. After trailing by one point at halftime, the Hawkeyes went on a 20–0 run in the second half to win 75–64.

Cooper Koch led Iowa’s offense, scoring his career-high 19 points and shooting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. Multiple Hawkeyes stepped up offensively—Stirtz had 17 points, Tavion Banks scored 12, and Cam Manyawu finished with 10 points.

Ohio State and Iowa’s last meeting

Iowa’s scoring run against Maryland resembled how the Hawkeyes overwhelmed Ohio State in February.

The Buckeyes had built a lead of 14-2 to start the game before the Hawkeyes went on a 35-9 scoring run and won 74-57.

In Ohio State’s lowest-scoring game of the season, Iowa’s ball pressure held Bruce Thornton scoreless in the first half.

Head coach Jake Diebler said this game is not about redemption—he said his team doesn’t need any extra motivation to win this one. Instead, they’re just referencing their last meeting to find points of improvement.

A healthier lineup

The last time the Buckeyes faced Iowa, they were without Tilly in the starting lineup. This time, they could have a fully healthy lineup for the first time in months. Diebler confirmed that the entire team practiced today—including Brandon Noel, who has been out with an injury since early January. At 6’8”, 240 pounds, his size inside would be substantial for the Buckeyes in the tournament.

“We’ve been trending in a positive direction analytically in spite of missing really important players in multiple games,” Diebler said.

Noel is playing in short bursts in practice to work back to game conditioning. Diebler said they have to be realistic about his return and meshing with the flow of current players who have stepped up in his absence.

One player who has stepped up in Noel’s absence is freshman Amare Bynum, who is contributing nearly 10 points per game while leading the team in blocks.

Buckeyes entering tournament with momentum

The Buckeyes are playing at a high level on both sides of the ball. Diebler noted they’ve especially picked up their defensive efforts during this last stretch of the season.

In their final three wins of the season, the Buckeyes appeared to rediscover their offensive connectivity as well. They’re currently shooting 49.5% from the field, third-best in the conference.

“What I told our team after we beat Purdue, Penn State, and Indiana…we have to approach this the same way, because that’s been successful for us. We can’t change now.”

The winner will advance to face Michigan on Friday, March 13 at 11 a.m. CT.