MBB Preview — Ohio State

 

OPPONENT	Ohio State (13-8, 3-7) at Iowa (12-9, 4-6)
LOCATION	Carver-Hawkeye Arena | Iowa City, Iowa
DATE	Friday, Feb. 2
TIP-OFF	6 p.m. (CT)
RADIO	Hawkeye Radio Network | KRUI
TV	FS1

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team returns to Iowa City to host Ohio State on Friday night on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tipoff is slated for 6:01 p.m. (CT).
• Tickets are available for $20-85 (adults) and $10-15 (youth).

FOLLOW LIVE

Radio: Friday’s game will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bobby Hansen (color) on the call. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Friday’s game will be televised on FS1 with Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellis (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes return home to host Ohio State on Friday night on Mediacom Court. The Hawkeyes have won three of the last five games against Ohio State and are 8-3 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season.
• Iowa will play four of its next six games on the road before playing two of its final three games at home.
• Senior Tony Perkins has scored 20+ points in four consecutive games — a first by a Hawkeye since Keegan Murray in the 2021-22 season. The guard is averaging 22.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals, while committing just six turnovers in the four-game stretch. He is shooting 55.2 percent from the floor and 85.2 percent from the free throw stripe.
• Perkins became the 52nd player in Iowa history to surpass the 1,000 career points mark in the victory at Michigan on Jan. 27.
• In Big Ten play, Perkins is sixth in the league in scoring (18.5), fifth in steals (2.2) and eighth in assists (4.3).
• Perkins is currently the only player in the Big Ten (and one of six nationally) with 325+ points, 85+ assists, 80+ rebounds and 35+ steals. He is the only player among the six with fewer than 35 turnovers.
• Junior Payton Sandfort has back-to-back 20+ point games for the second time in his career. He tied a career-high with 26 points in the road win at Michigan and had 24 points at Indiana. Sandfort made 11 3-pointers in the two games.
• Iowa tied a single game free throw percentage school record by making 18-of-18 free throw attempts at Michigan.
• Head coach Fran McCaffery is the winningest coach in program history, winning 273 career games, including 130 Big Ten victories.
• Freeman earned his seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Jan. 29 after averaging 14.5 points and nine rebounds in games against Maryland and Michigan. The seven honors are tied for the second-most in league history.
• Freeman has three double-doubles this season — the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Luka Garza.
• Iowa is one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 84.4 points in 21 games. The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten and rank 16th nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in 13 games, averaging 94.3 points in wins and 71.2 points in losses.
• The Hawkeyes are third in the Big Ten and rank ninth nationally, averaging 18.5 assists per game. Iowa is leading the nation with a 1.89 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Iowa is one of 10 teams in the country to make the last four NCAA Tournaments and one of only three Big Ten teams to accomplish the feat (Purdue, Michigan State).

SCOUTING OHIO STATE

• The Buckeyes have lost six of their last seven games to fall to 13-8 overall and 3-7 in Big Ten play. Ohio State is on a three-game losing streak with its last win coming at home over Penn State, 79-67, on Jan. 20.
• Ohio State, which opened the season winning 12 of its first 14 games, has lost its last three games by 14, 25 and 12 points. The Buckeyes are winless in true road games this season (0-5 record).
• Three Buckeyes are averaging in double figures with Bruce Thornton leading the way with a 15.7 scoring average. The guard has a team-high 91 assists and 30 steals and has made a team-high 85 free throws. Thornton leads the league and ranks second nationally with a 4.33 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle averages 14.1 points with 60 3-pointers (tied for first in B1G), while Roddy Gayle, Jr., scores 14.1 points per contest. Felix Okpara averages a team-best 6.9 rebounds to go along with 50 blocks, ranking in the top 10 nationally.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday’s game is the 169th meeting in the all-time series between Iowa and Ohio State. The series is currently tied at 84.
• Iowa and Ohio State split two meetings last season during the regular season. The Buckeyes won 93-77 in Columbus and Iowa won 92-75 in Iowa City. Ohio State claimed a postseason matchup, winning 83-75 in the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago.
• The Hawkeyes have won three of the last five and five of the last nine meetings.

 

LAST GAME | INDIANA 74, IOWA 68

The Hawkeyes erased a 17-point first-half deficit and a 12-point second-half deficit before ultimately falling 74-68 at Indiana on Tuesday night. The Hawkeyes led 68-66 with 1:42 remaining before the Hoosiers scored the final eight points of regulation. Senior Tony Perkins and junior Payton Sandfort combined for 48 of Iowa’s 68 points. The Hawkeyes committed just three turnovers, but the team shot a season-low 35.4 percent and was out-rebounded, 45-32.

MORE NOTABLES…

• The Hawkeyes are 28th nationally in pace of play in 2023-24, averaging 75.3 possessions per 40 minutes.
• Iowa is 0-6 in Quad 1 games, 4-1 in Quad 2, 1-2 in Quad 3 and 7-0 in Quad 4 games this season.
• Senior Tony Perkins has started 68 consecutive games dating back to the 2021-22 season.
• Iowa has played two games decided by seven or fewer points this season (0-2 record).
• The Hawkeyes have had six players hit the 20-point mark this season (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix).
• Iowa has three players ranked in the top 14 in the Big Ten in scoring — Perkins (10th), Krikke (14th), Sandfort (14th).
• Since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 10 against Michigan, freshman Owen Freeman is averaging 11.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks, while shooting 65.6 percent from the field.
• Ahoy 100. Iowa has reached the century mark in four games this season. The Hawkeyes have scored 100+ points 13 times since the start of the 2021-22 season.
• The team is 6-1 when attempting at least 20 free throws, 9-2 when shooting 50+ percent from the field and 7-1 when making eight or more 3-pointers.
• Iowa has had at least four players reach double digits in 12 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes are 8-3 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and 22-6 in its last 28 home games.
• Iowa has won 89 of its last 95 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• The Hawkeyes have held four opponents under 40 percent shooting this season. The team is undefeated in the four contests.
• Iowa held Florida A&M to 52 points on Dec. 16 in Des Moines — the fewest points allowed since giving up 51 points to Portland State in 2021.
• Senior Tony Perkins has four games with seven or more assists this season and seven games with at least five assists. He is leading the team with 86 assists against 32 turnovers.
• Junior Payton Sandfort has attempted 152 3-point field goals — the most in the Big Ten. He has 60 makes — tied for first in the conference.
• The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, making 77.1 percent of their attempts this season. The team tied a single game free throw percentage (min. 13 makes) school record, making all 18 of its free throw attempts at Michigan on Jan. 27.
• Sandfort has been Iowa’s leading rebounder (or tied for the team lead) in nine games this season. The forward is averaging a career-best 6.9 rebounds per game, which ranks 11th in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have earned eight Big Ten weekly honors this season — Ben Krikke (Player of the Week – 11/20) and Owen Freeman (Freshman of Week (11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/18, 1/8, 1/15, 1/29). Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the award in consecutive weeks and the seven honors are a single season school record and tied for the second-most in league history.
• Iowa has placed fifth or better in the Big Ten standings in five straight and 10 of the last 11 years, and the program has won 10 or more Big Ten games in eight of the last nine seasons.
• The Hawkeyes have led the Big Ten and was 18th nationally in scoring offense (80.1). Iowa has led the league in scoring in seven of the last 11 seasons, including six straight years.

B1G TONY

Senior Tony Perkins is averaging a team-best 18.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists in Big Ten play. The guard is shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 83.6 percent from the charity stripe.
• Over his last four games, Perkins is averaging 22.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals, while committing just six turnovers.
• He has scored 20+ points in four straight games for the first time in his career. It’s the first by a Hawkeye since Keegan Murray during the 2021-22 season.
• The Indianapolis native has scored in double figures in every Big Ten game with five 20-point contests and seven15+ games. He has six games with three or more steals against league opponents.
• Perkins ranks fifth in league games in steals (2.2), sixth in scoring (18.5), eighth in assists (4.3).
• Overall, Perkins has been in double figures in 12 straight games and in 19 of 21 games this season.

PAYTON CATCHES FIRE

After scoring a season-low six points in the home loss to Maryland on Jan. 24, junior Payton Sandfort responded with back-to-back 20-point games in road games at Michigan and at Indiana.
• The Waukee, Iowa, native matched a career-high, scoring 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting. He went 6-of-8 from 3-point range, tying a career-high with six makes.
• In the second half, Sandfort was deadly. He made eight of his 10 field goal attempts, including 5-of-6 3-pointers. He played all 20 minutes.
• Against Indiana, Sandfort again matched his career-best with 26 points, making 7-of-16 field goals, including five 3-pointers. His 11 3-pointers over a two-game stretch is a career best performance.