The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center on Sunday afternoon, with tip-off set for 3:00 p.m. on FS1.
Wisconsin is coming off a rough 86-69 loss on the road against the Ohio State Buckeyes in a game where they fell behind early and could never recover. After the game, head coach Greg Gard said the team wasn’t physical enough and didn’t play with enough pace in the loss, which was apparent from the jump.
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Now, the Badgers will look to bounce back against an Iowa team that has gone 19-7 this season, including 9-6 in the Big Ten. Iowa is coming off a 57-52 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, which snapped a two-game losing streak. But, prior to that, the Hawkeyes were on a six-game winning streak, gaining some steam in the Big Ten.
Under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes look far different than the Iowa teams under Fran McCaffrey. Iowa plays with one of the slowest paces in the country and is much more reliant on its defense, which has been stellar this season.
The Hawkeyes also have one of the best point guards in the nation with Bennett Stirtz, who is averaging 20.5 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field.
This game script feels similar to Wisconsin’s against Michigan State. The Badgers need to hit some threes and embrace the physicality defensively. Against a slower team like Iowa, runs will be extremely beneficial, especially if they come early, like against Michigan State.
Can the Badgers bounce back with a win? Join us as our game thread is officially open!
