Big Ten foes will collide when the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes (16-4) play the Northwestern Wildcats (15-7) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Action begins at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 31 and can be seen on BTN.
The Hawkeyes are hoping to rebound after their 74-68 loss to Maryland on Thursday. Anthony Clemmons had a solid performance, putting up 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists for Iowa. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 76-45 loss against Michigan State on Thursday. Aaron Falzon had a good game for Northwestern, registering 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists.
Over the last five games, Peter Jok has taken his game to another level for the Hawkeyes, averaging 19.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.8 steals, and 3.0 three-pointers.
The Hawkeyes could put on a ball-control clinic in this one. They’re ranked second in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of only 14.3%). Additionally, Northwestern forces the 67th-fewest turnovers in the nation (17.0%). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Wildcats. They are 313th in the nation in FTA rate (30.8), while the Hawkeyes are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 25.8, ranking 15th in the country).
This one isn’t expected to be close when Iowa, a substantial 14-point favorite, takes on Northwestern. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 139 points for this matchup. The Hawkeyes have gone 16-4 Straight Up (SU) and 10-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hawkeyes are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .400 from beyond the arc. Iowa is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 17.4 assists per game. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Hawkeyes prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 13th in the nation with a .299 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Hawkeyes, ranking 13th in the country in blocks per game with 5.8. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Iowa offense, which averages just 9.9 turnovers per game.
In the other locker room, the Wildcats have 15-7 SU and 8-9-2 ATS records. Offensively, the Wildcats have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 72.8 points per game after averaging only 63.7 during that stretch. The Wildcats are an unselfish team with an average of 16.3 assists per game, ranking 33rd in Division I. Taking care of the basketball is something the Wildcats do very well, averaging just 10.3 turnovers per game.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Iowa won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 6-4 over Northwestern in their most recent meetings. Furthermore, Iowa holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Over the last five matchups, Iowa held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice. Northwestern performed this feat one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa, O/U – Over
Notes
Iowa is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa’s last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Iowa’s last 5 games at home.
Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Iowa is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Northwestern.
Iowa holds a 7-1 SU record against the Big Ten Conference this season, while Northwestern has a losing 3-6 SU record against the conference.
Iowa scores 82.2 points per home game (ranked 67th). Northwestern ranks a poor 101st in points allowed on the road, allowing 72.0 points.
Ranked 16th, the Iowa Hawkeyes have an offensive rating of 116.6. The Northwestern Wildcats rank 118th with a defensive rating of just 100.3.
On average, Iowa has 69.5 possessions per game and scores 1.166 points on each possession. Northwestern has both fewer possessions (65.7) and scores fewer points during those possessions (1.108).
The Northwestern Wildcats average an effective field goal percentage of 51.9% this season. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a losing record of 1-3 when opponents have an eFG% of 51.9% or greater.
The Iowa Hawkeyes average 22.0 three point attempts per game, and the Northwestern Wildcats attempt 23.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Iowa is 12-4 and Northwestern is 13-6.
Iowa ranks among the best in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.74 (ranked third). Northwestern is ranked in the top 25 at eighth with an A/TO of 1.58.
Northwestern ranks 166th in offensive rebounds, while Iowa ranks at 88th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 19.6% when playing Iowa this season. Northwestern is undefeated (4-0) when its TO% is 19.6% or higher.
