The hit at No. 9 Iowa this season has been his defense, which entered Sunday’s game with No. 4 Ohio State ranked 80th national in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom. Simply put, the Hawkeyes began their showdown with the Buckeyes ranked 248 nationally in points allowed per game in 73 and emerging from a humble 22 point loss in No. 3 Michigan.
But the Hawkeyes recovered against Ohio State with a 73-57 victory that showed that they can play a little in defense, after all. The Buckeyes (18-7, 12-7 Big Ten) entered as seeded number 1 in the NCAA Tournament, but failed to reach 60 points for the first time this season against an Iowa team that has now won five of the last six games.
When they met earlier this month, Ohio State won 89-85, but the Hawkeyes (18-7, 12-6) looked like a different team this time. Iowa held the state of Ohio with just 5 of 17 shots from a 3-point streak after giving up 14 three in the first meeting. Iowa also held Ohio State star EJ Liddell out of the basket for the past 13:35. Liddell led Ohio State with 15 points. Luka Garza, on the other hand, led the Hawkeyes with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and was aided by a 19 point performance by Joe Wieskamp.
The victory keeps the Hawkeyes in contention for a double-bye in the Big Ten tournament, which begins March 10 in Indianapolis. Iowa can solidify its position for the event as it closes the regular season with games against Nebraska and Wisconsin on Thursday and Sunday. The last game of the regular season scheduled for the state of Ohio is on Saturday against Illinois in an end-of-season clash that could have implications for the race for the No. 1 final in the NCAA tournament.
Staggering Buckeyes
There is no shame in losing to Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa, as Ohio State has done in its last three games. That’s just life at the most brutal college basketball conference. But the moment of the Buckeyes’ recent fall is far from ideal, with the postseason approaching. This is a team that won 10 of 11 games between 9 January and 18 February thanks to a high-powered attack, and this firing sequence led the Buckeyes to the No. 1 projected seed line. There is no doubt that this team is heading towards a favorable position in Big Dance, but it’s hard to imagine Ohio State going back to seed number one.
The current slide places great emphasis on the next game in Illinois. Ohio State won the first clash 87-81, but the Illini have won nine out of ten since then and are clearly playing better basketball now, even with star guard Ayo Dosunmu away from the pitch recently with a broken nose.
Iowa’s second star
Wieskamp has consistently been Iowa’s second top scorer after Garza this season, and this team looked unbeatable on Sunday with both clicking at the same time. The pair combined to make 17 of 29 field attempts, including 7 of 12 3-point shots. Wieskamp only made 2 of 10 3-point attempts in Iowa’s two previous games before Sunday, but his return to form against the Buckeyes was a good reminder that this team is better when it isn’t a one-man band. When Wieskamp is hitting, he prevents opponents from collapsing in Garza and opens the ground for the entire attack.
Life without nunge
The Hawkeyes learned on Friday that center-back Jack Nunge will miss the rest of the season with a broken meniscus in Thursday’s loss to Michigan. The 1.80m junior is the team’s top scorer, and his latest setback in a career full of injuries could have affected Iowa’s morale.
Instead, Iowa faced the challenge of playing without him. Freshman striker Keegan Murray came in with an average of 16.3 minutes per game, but he registered 21 on Sunday and made impressive contributions with eight points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. Garza also played 38 minutes, the most he has achieved since playing 39 in the Minnesota defeat on Christmas Day. Playing without Nunge will be a challenge, but Iowa has shown that it must be able to survive very well.