MBB Notes - at No. 24/25 Wisconsin

 

OPPONENT	Iowa at #24/25 Wisconsin
DATE	Tuesday, Feb. 22
LOCATION	Madison, Wis. | Kohl Center
KICKOFF	3 p.m. (CT)
TV	FS1
RADIO	Hawkeye Radio Network

 

ON THE AIR
Radio: Games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bobby Hansen (color) on the call.  The network includes1 more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and includes portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.  The Hawkeye Radio Network includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Sunday’s game will be televised on FS1 with Jack Kizer (play-by-play) and Nick Bahe (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• Iowa returns to action Sunday, traveling to Madison to face No. 24/25 Wisconsin in its third straight game against a ranked opponent. 
• It is the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Hawkeyes have played three straight ranked foes.  A win Sunday would give Iowa back-to-back ranked wins for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
• The Hawkeyes posted a signature victory, downing No. 9 Nebraska, 57-52, on Feb. 17 in Iowa City. It was the program’s first top 10 home win since 2019.
• Iowa is in the midst of a stretch where it is facing five Quad 1 opponents in a seven-game stretch to close out the regular season. 
• The Hawkeyes have 19 wins and nine in Big Ten play. Iowa is looking for its first 20-win season since the 2021-22 season.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz has scored 30+ points three times and 20+ points in eight of the last nine games (15 times this season). His 36 points against Northwestern are the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza in 2021 and are tied for the fourth-most in a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history.
• Stirtz is second in the Big Ten in scoring in league-only games, averaging 23.4 points to go along with 3.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a .515/.389/.838 shooting clip. He has three 30-point and 10 20-point contests in league play.
• Over his last eight games, Stirtz has played 40 minutes five times and has been on the court for all but 3:39 of the possible 320 minutes of game action.
• Stirtz has been named to the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year Late-Season Team, the Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 10 lists
• Iowa ranks 24th nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 49.5 percent.  The team also is 23rd in effective field goal percentage (.568).
• The Hawkeyes are allowing 64.4 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and 10th-fewest nationally. Iowa has held seven opponents at 60 points or below this season -- the most since the 2019-20 season.
• Iowa has held all but one opponent below its team season scoring average on the year.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• The Badgers have won nine of their last 12 games to improve to 18-8 overall and 10-5 in Big Ten play.  Wisconsin loss 86-69 at Ohio State on Feb. 17 in Columbus.
• Wisconsin has won three straight at home to move to 13-2 at the Kohl Center this season. The team is 6-2 in Big Ten home contests with the two losses coming against Purdue (89-73) and USC (73-71).
• The Badgers have two of the best wins in the nation, winning 91-88 at Michigan and 92-90 in overtime at Illinois.  
• Wisconsin’s backcourt tandem of Nick Boyd (20.3) and John Blackwell (18.8) combine to average 39.1 points per game.  They are fourth and seventh in the league in scoring.  
• Boyd has a team-high 93 assists, while Blackwell leads the Badgers in 3-pointers (66) and steals (32).  The duo has combined to shoot 301 free throws, shooting a combined 82.7 percent.
• Nolan Winter averages 13.6 points on 57 percent shooting to go along with a team-high 8.9 rebounds and 32 blocks.  He has 12 double-doubles on the year, which are second-most in the Big Ten and 17th-most nationally.
• The Badgers have scored 90+ points in 11 games and average 83.1 points (44th nationally) with a .450 field goal percentage and a .351 mark from 3-point range.  Conversely, Wisconsin allows 76 points (238th in the nation) and allows opponents to shoot .443/.335. 
• Wisconsin shoots 31.5 3-point field goals per game -- 11th-most in the NCAA -- and the team is 10th in the country with 11 makes per contest.
• Wisconsin is +2.1 on the glass (36.4-34.3) and the team is 22nd nationally with a 1.68 assist-to-turnover ratio with 409 assists to 243 turnovers.  The 9.3 turnovers per game are the 13th-fewest in the nation.

SERIES HISTORY
• Sunday’s game is the 178th meeting in the all-time series between Iowa and Wisconsin, dating back to 1909.  The Badgers hold a three-game lead in the series,  leading 90-87.
• Wisconsin has won six of the last seven in the series, dating back to the 2021-22 season.  Iowa’s lone win was an 88-86 victory in overtime in Iowa City on Feb. 17, 2024.
• The Badgers lead Iowa 58-29 all-time in Madison.  Wisconsin  has won the last four at home in the series, eight of the last 10.  Iowa has won three times in Madison since the 2000-01 season (2011-12, 2016-17, 2020-21).

 

LAST GAME: IOWA 57, #9 NEBRASKA 52
The Hawkeyes picked up their first ranked win in two years and their first top 10 home win since 2019, downing No. 9 Nebraska, 57-52, on Tuesday night in Iowa City.  Iowa held the Huskers to a season-low 52 points, just five 3-point field goals and dominated the action on the glass, 37-24.  It was the team’s largest rebounding margin in a Big Ten game this season.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz led the team with 25 points on 8-of-22 shooting, while redshirt freshman Cooper Koch scored 10 points with a pair of 3s.  Senior Tavion Banks led all players with 10 rebounds, tying a season high.

IOWA'S BENNETT STIRTZ IS...
• seventh among active players (all levels) with 2,152 career points.  He eclipsed the 2,000-point mark on Feb. 1 at Oregon.
• the only player in the nation with 530+ points, 120+ assists, 65+ rebounds, 60+ 3s and 35+ steals.
• one of three players in the nation with 530+ points, 120+ assists,  65+ rebounds and 35+ steals.
• the only player in the Big Ten (one of three power conference players) with 530+ points and 120+ assists.
• averaging 23.4 points in Big Ten play this season.  In the last 20 years, only Luka Garza (26.2 ppg.) in 2019-20 averaged more points than Stirtz in Big Ten contests.
• the first Hawkeyes since Keegan Murray (2021-22) to record 500+ points, 60+ 3-pointers and 35+ steals.  He is the first Iowa guard to do it since Matt Gatens (2011-12).
• looking to become the first Hawkeye in 26 years to lead the team in scoring, assists and steals.  Dean Oliver led the team in all three categories during the 1999-00 season. (The last player to lead the team in points and assists was Devyn Marble during the 2012-13 season).

IOWA IS... 
• 16-2 when scoring 70+ points this season.  The two losses were at No. 5 Purdue and at Maryland.
• 15-1 when allowing fewer than 69 points this season.
• 15-0 when shooting more free throws than its opponents.
• 15-0 when leading with 10 minutes to play.
• 14-1 when having a higher field goal percentage.
• 14-2 when out-rebounding its opponent.
• 16-2 when leading at halftime.
• 11-0 when junior Alvaro Folgueiras scores in double figures.

MARQUEE WIN; RANKED DUB
Iowa’s 57-52 victory over No. 9 Nebraska on Feb. 17 snapped the program’s 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents, dating back to the 2023-24 season.
• The win was the program’s first over a ranked foe since beating No. 20 Wisconsin on Feb. 17, 2024.  
• It was the first win over a top 10 ranked opponent since March 13, 2022, (No. 9 Purdue) and the first home win over a top 10 ranked foe since downing No. 5 Michigan on Feb. 1, 2019.
• It was Iowa’s 75th win all-time against a top 10 opponent.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points in the victory, becoming the first Hawkeye since Mike Gesell against No. 1 Michigan State to tally 25+ points in a win against a top 10 opponent (Dec. 29, 2015).

MOST WINS BY A FIRST-YEAR HAWKEYE
Through 26 games, Iowa’ Ben McCollum has the third-most wins by a first-year head coach in program history with 19 victories.

Dr. Tom Davis (1986-87) - 30
Bucky O’Connor (1951-52) - 19
Ben McCollum (2025-26) - 19