Video: Iowa coach Fran McCaffery previews matchup with Nebraska
Head coach Fran McCaffery previews Iowa’s matchup with Nebraska.
IOWA CITY — After its worst defensive performance of the season, Iowa men’s basketball will look to respond against rival Nebraska on Tuesday.
The Hawkeyes gave up 116 points to Wisconsin in a steamrolling, which was leaps and bounds above the previous high Iowa had given up this season, against Iowa State (89). Wisconsin netted a program-record 21 3-pointers, shooting a nearly unfathomable 67.7% from deep.
The dreadful showing raised serious red flags about Iowa’s defense, something that has been a recurring issue for the program over the years.
“Our closeouts have to be better,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said Monday. “Our rotations have to be better. Because you’re dealing with ball screen and roll and then you’ve got to rotate out of it. And so we just have to do a better job with that action.”
Nebraska is not exactly a high-powered 3-point machine, shooting 33.9% from deep as a team this season. For comparison, Iowa is near the top of the Big Ten at 38.3% from long range.
But those numbers don’t always indicate how a team will shoot against Iowa, and Wisconsin serves as a prime example of that. The Badgers entered the matchup with the Hawkeyes shooting just 32.5% from distance but put on an explosive display from beyond the arc.
Iowa (10-4, 1-2) is now tasked with trying to avoid that fate again against Nebraska.
“They run really good stuff,” McCaffery said of Fred Hoiberg’s team. “We’ve got to have a little bit more ball pressure. Because they move it well. They’ve got some really good offensive players that we have to pay attention to. But they got a lot of weapons. So they’re not an easy team to defend.”
Scouting Nebraska
Nebraska comes to Iowa City riding a hot streak, winning its last six games, including victories over Indiana and UCLA. Nebraska’s last loss came to Michigan State on Dec. 7.
That’s just one of only two losses Nebraska has taken this season — with the other being to Saint Mary’s at a neutral site. Nebraska (12-2, 2-1) enters the matchup with Iowa just outside the top 25 in the AP Poll.
Brice Williams has played a key part in Nebraska’s success, emerging as one of the best players in the Big Ten. Williams is averaging 18.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season. The Hawkeyes need to contain Williams in a way they weren’t able to with Wisconsin’s John Blackwell, who tallied 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists on Friday.
Williams is one of three Nebraska players averaging double-figure scoring this season — with Juwan Gary being another in that trio.
“Brice Williams is playing about as well as anyone that I’ve seen this year anywhere,” McCaffery said. “Veteran guy. He and Gary, in particular, have been tremendous.”
Winning on the road is not easy, making it all the more important that Iowa can hold serve at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A loss on Tuesday would again put Iowa in an unfavorable position in conference play by starting 1-3.
Familiar faces for Cornhuskers
Former Hawkeye Ahron Ulis will be back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Ulis played three seasons at Iowa before transferring out of the program in 2023. Ulis, who was involved in the state of Iowa’s sports wagering investigation, did not play for Nebraska during the 2023-24 season.
Ulis recently returned from injury and is averaging 3.3 points across 10 games this season for Nebraska.
Another Nebraska player Iowa will recognize is Connor Essegian. The former Wisconsin Badger stayed in the Big Ten after transferring last offseason. Essegian, who leads Nebraska in 3-point percentage at 41.2%, is one of three Nebraska players shooting at least 35% from deep — with the other two being Williams and Gary.
Essegian would be a prime candidate to get hot from beyond the 3-point arc against Iowa. So would Williams, who is shooting 40.4% from distance this season. The Hawkeyes need to show some significant defensive growth from the Wisconsin game or else it could be another long night.
Drew Thelwell looks to build on season-best performance
Thelwell was one of the few bright spots in Iowa’s loss to Wisconsin. The Morehead State transfer scored a season-high 25 points on Friday.
Video: Drew Thelwell was one of few bright spots in loss to Wisconsin
Drew Thelwell discusses a variety of topics after Iowa’s loss to Wisconsin.
During his five games in Iowa’s starting lineup, a move made starting against Iowa State, Thelwell is averaging 13.6 points per game.
“We play a completely different style than they played (at Morehead State) — than what he was used to,” McCaffery said of Thelwell’s growth at Iowa. “And he was playing OK. But he wasn’t playing as well as he was capable of playing. And a lot of times, guys blame everybody else. He took responsibility and just kept grinding and kept working. You could see it coming. It was there and he kept believing in himself. We stayed positive with him and he’s been really good. Most importantly, really consistent.”
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
