Iowa Basketball: Preview, prediction against Iowa State

Iowa basketball hosts the Iowa State Cyclones on Friday night. Here’s a preview and prediction for the game.

The battle for state supremacy will once again take place on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena when the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes (4-0) take on the Iowa State Cyclones (1-1). Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 pm CT on Big Ten Network.

The Hawkeyes couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2020-21 season after defeating all four of their opponents so far by double digits. Iowa is currently averaging a whopping 98 points with 70.3 points allowed.

On the other side, Iowa State has split their first two results, having defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff and falling to South Dakota State. The Cyclones have scored 80 and 68 points, respectively, over their first two contests, and allowed 63 and 71 points.

Iowa is a heavy favorite headed into Friday. As of Thursday evening, the Hawkeyes are a 14-point favorite, according to Action Network. The over/under for the game is set at 159.5 points.

The Hawkeyes have been elite offensively thanks to spreading the ball around and, of course, the performance from their standout center Luka Garza (29.5 ppg). Iowa ranks second in KenPom’s offensive efficiency ratings through four games.

A big reason for Iowa’s success on offense has been due to their 3-point shooting. The Hawkeyes average 40 percent from beyond the arc, including four players that are averaging over 50 percent. Forward Joe Wieskamp and guard CJ Fredrick were both on fire against No. 16 North Carolina on Tuesday night. Both were 5-of-7 from downtown.

The Hawkeyes will see a new face against the Cyclones in DePaul transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands. A sixth-year guard, Coleman-Lands leads the team in scoring (14.5 ppg) through two games.

Forward Solomon Young will be another player to watch for the Cyclones. Young went 11-of-17 for 24 points against South Dakota State. Overall, the Cyclones have four players averaging double-digit points.

Iowa State is a much better shooting team than UNC, so if the Hawkeyes aren’t able to consistently knock down some threes, the Cyclones could keep this close headed into the second half.

That said, Steve Prohm and Co. will likely need to shoot lights out in order to keep up with Iowa’s offensive pace. Iowa State has shot 29 percent from three in their first two games, so even if the Hawkeyes aren’t feeling it from downtown, it’s unlikely the Cyclones will make them pay.

Entering Friday night, Iowa leads the all-time series with a record of 46-27. The Hawkeyes have won two in a row against their in-state rival.

Prediction: Iowa 95, Iowa State 78

The Hawkeyes have yet to show much promise defensively. Against a poor shooting team in North Carolina, Iowa gave up 80 points and actually had a lower field goal percentage than the Tar Heels. Where the Hawkeyes made up for that was in their 3-point shooting. Still, even if the Cyclones manage to score around 80 in this game, it’s hard to see them outpacing Iowa’s elite offense.