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By the Numbers:
|
Iowa |
Team |
Indiana |
|
19-8(8-6) |
Record |
15-12(5-9) |
|
20 |
Ranking |
N/A |
| 36 |
RPI |
94 |
| 14 |
BPI |
71 |
| 12 |
KenPom |
69 |
| 12 |
Sagarin |
64 |
Feb. 27, 2014 - Assembly Hall, Bloomington, Indiana
9:00 PM EST - ESPN/WatchESPN
Skinny:
Assembly Hall has been declared safe to play in, but the rescheduled game tonight means these two teams are playing for the second time in three days. Both teams are coming off tough losses on Tuesday. Iowa played pretty well against a desperate Minnesota team, but the hot shooting Gophers came away with a 95-89 victory. Meanwhile in Madison, the Hoosiers had a 10 point lead at halftime, and ended up losing by 11. This will be the first and only meeting between the two teams.
Projected Starting Lineups:
|
Iowa |
Pos. |
Indiana |
|
Mike Gesell |
G |
Yogi Ferrell |
|
Josh Oglesby |
G |
Stanford Robinson |
|
Roy Devyn Marble |
G |
Will Sheehey |
|
Aaron White |
F |
Troy Williams |
|
Adam Woodbury |
C |
Noah Vonleh |
Players to Watch:
Roy Devyn Marble: Marble has played well in Hawkeyes last two losses, scoring a combined 45 points and 17 assists. Expect him to continue his good play in Bloomington.
Mike Gesell: Gesell is going to be an important part of the defensive effort for Iowa. The sophmore is going to spend most of the game matched up with POTY candidate Ferrell. Gesell will need to frustrate Yogi on defense and try to get good looks on offense.
Will Sheehey: To put it bluntly, Sheehey has been a disappointment this year. He hasn't been horrible, but IU fans expected more from the senior. This was supposed to be the year he emerged and took the leadership role, but that hasn't happened. Look for him to give his best effort in the last few home games he has left, starting tonight.
Noah Vonleh: Despite the down year for the Hoosiers, there have been a few bright spots. The brightest of them all may be Vonleh. The freshman has almost averaged a double-double and looks like a lock for B1G FOTY.
Iowa Perspective:
The Hawkeyes need to bounce back and a win at Assembly Hall would certainly help get them more ready for the post-season. However, a loss to a slumping IU squad could really damage the confidence of a team that has lost some tough games recently.
Indiana Perspective:
Hoosier fans are looking for something to be happy about at the end of this game. It doesn't even have to be a win. At this point, the team needs to defend their home court in the next three games or risk not even qualifying for the NIT. A fate that was unfathomable at the beginning of the year.
Prediction:
This one could get ugly in favor of Iowa, or it could be a strong win for the Hoosiers. That is just how this B1G season has been going, but I think the most likely outcome is a Hawkeye controlled game with IU keeping it respectable. Iowa: 80 Indiana: 72
