The Iowa women kicked off hate week with a big time win on Wednesday night as they took down #18 Iowa State 75-69 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tonight, it’s the men’s turn as they play host to the #3 Cyclones.
For Iowa, they’re looking to bounce back after suffering an 85-83 loss in their first conference road game at Michigan over the weekend. They’re also looking to remain unbeaten at home on the season after starting 6-0.
For ISU, this will be their first true road game of the year. Their lone loss on the season did come away from the friendly confines of Hilton Coliseum. Notably, however, it came on a neutral site at the hands of #4 Auburn.
The Cyclones enter the night at 7-1 overall and boast a win over #5 Marquette on the young season. It’s no surprise ISU boasts a very good defense, giving up fewer than 65 points per game and ranking 8th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating. But what is perhaps a bit surprising is Iowa State averaging more points per game on the offensive end than our Hawkeyes. The Cyclones are ranked 7th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency.
ISU has multiple ways to win with five players averaging in double figures on the year, led by guard Keshon Gilbert at 17.4 points per game. Notably, starting PG Tamin Lipsey is not among them while 6th man Curtis Jones is second on the team in scoring at 16.3 ppg.
The Hawkeyes will need to ratchet up the defense and hit the glass if they want to slow down what is perhaps the best offensive team we’ve seen under Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger. On the other end, Iowa will need to catch fire from deep.
The Hawkeyes rank rank ninth in college basketball with 19.3 assists per game. They’ll need to keep the ball moving and shoot above their season average of 37% from beyond the arc. Making free throws for a change wouldn’t hurt either.
While the Cyclones have certainly found success in recent years, the Hawkeyes have won four straight in the series at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Each of the last six meetings between these two rivals have been decided by at least 14 points with Iowa winning by an average of 18.8 points in those home contests.
Statistical Comparison
OFFENSE:
IOWA STATE – 87.8 PPG, 50.8% FG, 35.1% 3 PT FG
IOWA – 86.1 PPG, 49.1% FG, 36.9% 3 PT FG.
DEFENSE:
IOWA STATE – 64.8 PPG, 40.9% FG, 31.9% 3 PT FG
IOWA – 73.3 PPG, 45.9% FG, 27.4% 3 PT FG.
Projected Starting Lineups
Iowa State
Dishon Jackson, C, 6’11” – 11.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Joshua Jefferson, F, 6’9” – 10.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG
Milan Momcilovic, F, 6’8” – 12.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG
Keshon Gilbert, G, 6’4” – 17.4 PPG 2.6 RPG
Tamin Lipsey, G, 6’1” – 8.6 PPG, 3.9 APG
Iowa
Owen Freeman, F, 6’10” – 16.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG
Ladji Dembele, F, 6’8” – 3.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG
Payton Sandfort, F, 6’7” – 16.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG
Josh Dix, G, 6’5” – 13.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG
Brock Harding, G, 6’0” – 10.0 PPG, 6.0 APG
Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 PM CT. Here’s a look at the full details for tonight’s matchup.
Date: Thursday, December 12th
Time: 6:30 pm CT
Matchup: Iowa State Cyclones (7-1, 1-0) at Iowa Hawkeyes (7-2, 1-1)
Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA
TV: FS1
DraftKings Line: Iowa State -5.5, O/U 161.5
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.
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Go Hawks!
