Game Awards: Iowa Basketball Wins Third Straight Conference Game

Starter of the Game: Tyler Cook

Jordan Bohannon played great and set the Iowa record for most threes in a season by a freshman, but Tyler Cook dominated from the start on offense and single-handedly got Nebraska into foul trouble.

With starting big man Ed Morrow out, the Hawkeyes knew they had a chance to exploit Nebraska’s post defense. Jordy Tshimanga and Michael Jacobson are decent players, but they’re young and combine to average 1.5 blocks per game compared to Morrow averaging 1.5 blocks per game by himself.

Cook had his way in the paint and could have finished with more than 13 points if he didn’t pick up a questionable fourth foul with over five minutes to play. Still, Cook shot 6-of-10 from the field and had a monstrous dunk to cap off a solid offensive outing.

He did struggle defensively, though. Nebraska attacked the Hawkeyes’ big men to start the game. Tshimanga and Jacobson combined for 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting as Cook had a hard time offering much resistance in the paint without fouling.

It’s evidently a part of his game that he needs to work on, but the Hawkeyes need his offense to be successful and he scored double-digit points for a third straight game in just 17 minutes. Iowa is now 5-3 in conference play when he scores in double-figures.