MBB Preview \\ Nebraska

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team returns to Mediacom Court to host Nebraska on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The game will be streamed on NBC’s Peacock.
• Tickets are $20-50 for adults and $10-15 for youth.
• Tuesday’s game is Super Heroes Night in Carver.

FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Tuesday’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.
Television: Tuesday’s game will be streamed on Peacock with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes return home to host Nebraska on Tuesday night in Iowa City.  Iowa has won nine of the last 10 meetings in Carver-Hawkeye Arena between the two schools.  
• Iowa has rallied from second half deficits to win three games this season.  
• The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in seven victories and better than 60 percent three times, including a season-best 62.7 percent in the win over New Orleans on Dec. 15.  The team is unbeaten when shooting at least 50 percent from the field. 
• The Hawkeyes had a 62-point first half in the win over New Hampshire.  Iowa has scored 50+ seven times in a half this season. 
• Graduate Drew Thelwell scored a season-high 25 points -- one off a career high -- making 9-of-14 field goals in Iowa’s road game at Wisconsin.  He is the sixth Hawkeye to score 20+ in a game this season.
• Sophomore Owen Freeman made 10-of-12 field goals to tie a career high with 22 points in the win over New Orleans. He is leading the team with a 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, while shooting 65.2 percent from the field, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally. 
• Junior Josh Dix is averaging a team-best 18 points and five rebounds in three Big Ten games.  He is shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from long range.  He scored 22 points and had a buzzer-beating 3 in the win over Northwestern on Dec. 3.  
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten and is third nationally, averaging 89.4 points per game.  The team’s 50.9 field goal percentage is second-best in the league (sixth in country).
• The Hawkeyes have made at least eight 3-point field goals in 13 games, including 10+ in seven contests. Iowa made 18 in the win over Southern -- the most since 2022 -- and 14 against New Orleans.  Iowa is second in the Big Ten (23rd nationally), averaging 10.4 per game.  
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten in assists (19.6, 3rd in NCAA) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95, 4th in NCAA). The team has had 20+ assists in six games. 

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• The Huskers have won six straight games to improve their record to 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play this season.  Nebraska beat No. 15/18 UCLA, 66-58, on Saturday in Lincoln behind 16 points and eight rebounds from Brice Williams.
• Nebraska has home Big Ten wins over Indiana (86-68) and UCLA (66-58) and a road loss at Michigan State (89-52).
• The Huskers are 2-1 in true road games and 2-1 on a neutral court, which includes a road win at Creighton, 74-63, on Nov. 22.
• Williams leads a trio of Huskers in double figures, averaging 18.8 points (fifth in the Big Ten) and 3.6 rebounds.  He is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from 3-point range.  The guard is 86-of-95 from the free throw line (90.5 percent).
• Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian averages 11.6 points with a team-best 35 3s and Juwan Gary averages 11.6 points.  Essegian is third in the league in 3-point percentage (.412), 3-pointers per game (2.5) and total 3s (35).
• Nebraska is second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.381) and third in 3-point percentage defense (29.2).  
• The Huskers shot 46.2 percent from the field and average 7.4 3-pointers per game.  Nebraska is + 3.2 (37.0-33.8) on the glass this season.
• Former Iowa guard Ahron Ulis is a Husker reserve, averaging 3.3 points and 1.8 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

SERIES HISTORY

• Tuesday’s game will be the 41st game in the all-time series between Iowa and Nebraska.  The Hawkeyes lead the series, 25-15.  
• Iowa is 17-4 against the Huskers in Iowa City, including winning nine of the last 10 meetings.  Nebraska edged the Hawkeyes, 81-77, in 2023.  
• Last season, the Hawkeyes blasted Nebraska, winning 94-76 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the lone meeting in the season series.

LAST GAME: WISCONSIN 116, IOWA 85

Wisconsin notched its first Big Ten win of the season, downing the Hawkeyes, 116-85, on Jan. 3 in Madison.  The 116 points were the Badgers’ most ever in the Big Ten game and in the Kohl Center.
• The Badgers were blistering from 3-point range, making a Big Ten and school record 21 3-point field goals.  Wisconsin shot 64.5 percent as a team and 67.7 percent from long range.
• Iowa had four players land in double figures with graduate Drew Thelwell leading the way with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting.  He was 9-of-14 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
• Wisconsin out-rebounded Iowa, 37-21, in the game.

HIGH FLYING HAWKS

Iowa is the highest scoring offense in the Big Ten and No. 2 nationally, averaging 89.4 points.  It would be the team’s highest scoring average since 1988-89 (89.6 points).
• The Hawkeyes have averaged 80+ points in each of the last four seasons.

MR. THELWELL

Graduate guard Drew Thelwell has been a valuable addition to the Iowa backcourt, averaging 10.1 points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.5 rebounds per game as a Hawkeye.  He is shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 41 percent from long range.
• The Florida native has been in double digits in eight games this season, including scoring a season-high 25 points -- one off his career high -- in a road game at Wisconsin.  He made 9-of-14 field goals and three 3-pointers in the game.
• Since moving into the starting lineup on Dec. 12 against Iowa State, Thelwell is averaging 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while shooting 62.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.
• Thelwell has four games with three or more steals and seven games with 2+ steals.  He is third in the Big Ten with 29 steals.  
• As a distributor, Thelwell has five games with 4+ assists and is third on the team with 45 assists (against 11 turnovers).  His 4.09 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the Big Ten and third nationally.

THELWELL APPROACHES 1K
Graduate transfer Drew Thelwell has scored 953 career points in 127 career games at Morehead State and Iowa.  He is 47 points shy of the 1,000 point milestone.