Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Game Preview

The Iowa Hawkeyes haven’t taken the floor in a week, but they’ll be back in action tonight when they welcome in the red hot Wisconsin Badgers.

Other than Michigan State and possibly Indiana, I’m not sure there is a team in the Big Ten right now that is as hot as the Wisconsin Badgers are. The Badgers have rattled off 8 wins in their last 9 games with their only loss coming to the Michigan State Spartans, which was in East Lansing.

The Badgers are starting to resemble those old Bo Ryan teams that just simply find a way to get it done. Early on this season, they struggled to find an identity. They lost to Western Illinois, Milwaukee, and Northwestern, which is extremely uncharacteristic. Since that loss to NU, the Badgers went on their hot streak.

You can give a lot of credit to the trio of Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig, and Ethan Happ. Hayes and Koenig are two good players that got to experience a lot of success last season with Wisconsin’s run at the national title, and Happ is fresh off a redshirt season and is a candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

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Start Time: 8:06 p.m. CT

TV: BTN

All-Time Series: 82-79 Wisconsin

Line: Iowa -8

Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok have been constants for this Iowa basketball team. They currently rank second and third respectively in terms of scoring average in Big Ten play. Iowa’s only issue has been getting help from others. Adam Woodbury has struggled in his last couple games, and the bench has nearly been nonexistent. Dom Uhl, Nicholas Baer, and Ahmad Wagner are three young players, but they have to give Iowa something off the bench in this game.

X-FACTORS

For Wisconsin, it’s Ethan Happ. Happ is a very athletic big man and could give Iowa a lot of issues down low. He paced the Badgers in their last win over the Illinois Fighting Illini with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals. If Greg Gard is getting consistent play from Happ, who will most likely be guarded by Adam Woodbury, Wisconsin will have a much better shot at winning this game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Woodbury doesn’t play much in this one due to Happ’s athleticism. It will all depend on how Iowa is doing on the offensive and defensive glass.

For Iowa, it’s Dom Uhl. Uhl was money to start Big Ten play off the bench. He was hitting threes, playing good defense, and playing with a lot of confidence. In the last three games, Uhl has given Iowa just eight total points, that number must be higher. Dom has shown he has the skill and he’s shown the aggressiveness to get to the rim, he just has to do it. Every sophomore hits a little bit of a slump, but Iowa needs Dom to bust out of it tonight.

Next: Weekly Big Ten Power Rankings

PREDICTIONS

Right now, Iowa is favored by eight points, which I think is too high. Wisconsin is going to slow things down and try and make Iowa play their pace. The Badgers come in only averaging 69.2 points per game, which is good for 12th in the league. So you know they want to slow the game down and execute their sets. If they get in a running match with Iowa, I don’t think it serves them well.

Last I heard there were still tickets available, but I’m sure it will be sold out tonight inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and I expect Iowa to use that to their advantage. I think Uthoff and Jok both have outstanding nights once again and they finally get some help from the others.

Iowa: 75

Wisconsin: 70

These two teams will tip off tomorrow night rather late, the game is set for 8:06 p.m. CST in Iowa City, IA. We’ll provide pre and post game coverage for you, so remember to stay locked into Dear Old Gold for constant coverage of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Oh, and don’t forget to wear your black and gold considering tonight is the annual spirit game.

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Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Wisconsin Badgers: Game Notes, Preview, and X-Factors

By Dylan Burn | Feb 24, 2016

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