MBB Notes - Ohio State

 

OPPONENT	Ohio State at Iowa
DATE	Wednesday, Feb. 25
LOCATION	Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
KICKOFF	8 p.m. (CT)
TV	BTN
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: Wednesday’s game will be televised on BTN with Cory Provus (play-by-play) and Jordan Taylor (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• Iowa hosts Ohio State in a key game for Big Ten seeding on Wednesday on Mediacom Court.  Both teams are 9-7 overall and tied for eighth in the league standings.
• The two teams have split the last 20 meetings in the series, but Iowa has won three of the last four inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• 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 nine of the last 10 games (16 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 3.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a .518/.388/.831 shooting clip. He has three 30-point and 11 20-point contests in league play.
• Over his last nine games, Stirtz has played 40 minutes six times and has been on the court for all but 3:39 of the possible 360 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 23rd nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 49.4 percent.  The team also is 23rd in effective field goal percentage (.567).
• The Hawkeyes are allowing 66.2 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and 12th-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 two opponents below its team season scoring average on the year.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
• Since Jan. 20, Ohio State has alternated wins and losses, dropping the team’s record to 17-10 overall and 9-7 in Big Ten play.  The Buckeyes beat No. 24 Wisconsin, 86-69, on Feb. 17 before falling at Michigan State, 66-60, on Sunday.
• The Buckeyes are 4-5 in true road games this season.  The team’s Big Ten road wins have come at Northwestern, Rutgers, Oregon and Maryland.
• Senior guard Bruce Thornton leads Ohio State in scoring (20.4), rebounding (5.4), assists (3.9) and steals (1.3) with .546/.386/.822 shooting marks.  He has scored 20+ points 13 times, including three 30+ point contests.  He is second (to Bennett Stirtz) in the Big Ten in minutes. 
• Thornton led all scorers, finishing with 32 points on 12-of-22 shooting in East Lansing on Feb. 22.  He was the only Buckeye in double figures.  He surpassed the 2,000-career point mark in the Ohio State win over Wisconsin.
• Guard John Mobley, Jr., who has missed the last three games because of injury, is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points with a team-high 70 3-point field goals.  He is third in the league in 3-point percentage (.400) and 3-pointers per game (2.92).
• Devin Royal averages 14 points and 5.6 rebounds, while Christoph Tilly averages 11.3 points and 4.8 rebounds.
• Ohio State averages 80.4 points, while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor (fourth-best in Big Ten, No. 30 nationally) and 34.3 percent from long range.  The Buckeyes are +40 in points at the free throw line, shooting 77.7 percent.  
• The Buckeyes out-rebound their opposition, 34.3-32.6 and have 109 more assists than turnovers on the year.

SERIES HISTORY
• Wednesday’s meeting is the 173rd in the all-time series between Iowa and Ohio State, dating back to 1915.  The series is tied, 86-86.
• The two teams have split the last 10 and last 20 meetings.  Iowa has won three of the last four in Iowa City, including a 79-77 win in last meeting in Carver on Feb. 2, 2024.  
• Iowa is 54-28 all-time against the Buckeyes in Iowa City.
• The Hawkeyes split the season series in 2024-25, falling 82-68 in Columbus on Jan. 27 before eliminating the Buckeyes from the 2025 Big Ten Tournament with a 77-70 win on March 12.

LAST GAME: #24/25 WISCONSIN 84, IOWA 71
The Badgers used a late 10-0 run, turning a three-point lead to 78-65 with under four minutes to play en route to an 84-71 victory on Sunday in Madison.  Wisconsin shot 53.8 percent from the floor and made 10 3-pointers en route to 84 points, becoming just the second Iowa opponent to surpass its season scoring average.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz paced Iowa with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, while Tate Sage (11), Alvaro Folgueiras (11) and Tavion Banks (10) all landed in double figures.  
• The Badgers were +10 at the free throw line in the game, making 18-of-20 attempts.  Iowa was 8-of-11 and didn’t attempt a free throw in the second half.

IOWA'S BENNETT STIRTZ IS...
• seventh among active players (all levels) with 2,175 career points.  He eclipsed the 2,000-point mark on Feb. 1 at Oregon.
• the only player in the nation with 550+ points, 120+ assists, 65+ rebounds, 65+ 3s and 35+ steals.
• one of four players in the nation with 550+ points, 120+ assists,  65+ rebounds and 35+ steals.
• the only player in the Big Ten (one of three power conference players) with 550+ 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... 
• 16-3 when scoring 70+ points this season.  The three losses were at No. 5 Purdue, at Maryland and at No. 24 Wisconsin.
• 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.
• 16-3 when leading at halftime.
• 11-1 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 27 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