NCAAB Game Preview - Iowa at Maryland
Thu Jan 30, 2020 8:30 PM EST

Gonz
87
SCla
72
F
Oreg
77
Cal
72
F
Iowa
72
MD
82
F
Minn
51
Ill
59
F
Colora
68
UCLA
72
F
MtStM
53
SacHr
58
F
GWebb
70
UNCA
56
F
Charl
87
JMU
68
F
Stetsn
65
NFla
78
F
FlGlf
63
JU
61
F
Radf
67
Longw
55
F
N AL
78
NJIT
74
F
IL-C
90
YSU
83
F(OT)
NE
58
W&M
59
F
FaDi
68
Merrim
63
F
UNCW
66
Tows
77
F
CenCT
77
StFPA
84
F
Bry
54
RobM
64
F
USC-Up
77
Presb
74
F
KennSt
45
Lib
83
F
USA
73
GASt
76
F
Troy
57
GaSo
86
F
W Ky
65
FAU
69
F
Marsh
84
FIU
74
F
Hof
86
Elon
63
F
IUPUI
62
Clev
72
F
HiPt
62
Campbl
57
F
UNCC
59
LaTec
72
F
CoCar
79
ArkLR
96
F
UND
68
IPFW
72
F
TN-M
86
E KY
99
F
Winth
77
ChaSo
60
F
SEMO
74
MorSt
90
F
App
71
ArkSt
64
F
GrCan
87
UTRGV
79
F
UL
66
TexAr
65
F
UAB
76
UTSA
68
F
ULM
51
TxSt
71
F
ODU
68
USM
58
F
Pepp
80
BYU
107
F
NDSU
70
W IL
49
F
TNSt
72
JSU
62
F
E IL
70
Murr
73
F
Ariz
75
Wash
72
F
MTSU
66
UTEP
67
F
Web
75
S UT
65
F
IdaSt
67
N CO
83
F
CSBak
57
NMSt
61
F
SDak
93
Denv
87
F
Belm
92
TNTec
84
F
SIU-E
58
APSU
82
F
Utah
52
USC
56
F
CS-Ful
100
CAPoly
101
F(OT)
UCIrv
80
UCDav
65
F
Portl
64
StMar
86
F
USF
69
USD
44
F
LoyMa
50
Pacif
62
F
LongB
69
UCRiv
77
F
Mont
81
PorSt
88
F
UCSB
67
CSNor
79
F
OrSt
68
Stan
63
F
No. 18 Iowa, No. 15 Maryland look to climb Big Ten standings
Thu Jan 30, 2020 11:46 AM

Two of the Big Ten's hottest teams will meet Thursday when No. 18 Iowa visits No. 15 Maryland in College Park, Md.

With four teams within two games of Big Ten-leading Illinois and Michigan State, surging Iowa (15-5, 6-3) and Maryland (16-4, 6-3) will try to keep pace in what certainly looks like the country's leading basketball conference top-to-bottom this season. Six teams are ranked, four more are receiving votes, and 12 already have 11 or more victories.

Iowa has won five games in a row, including Monday's dramatic comeback to beat Wisconsin, 68-62. And the streak began Jan. 10 with a 67-49 pasting of Maryland in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes held the Terrapins to 32.7 percent shooting -- just 4-of-22 from 3-point range -- and pounded them on the boards 44-32.

"Our defense was really good, our activity. We got some transition opportunities and really moved the ball," said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery after that first meeting. "When you look at this game, I think our rebounding was really critical."

And the boards should be vital again as the two teams ranked sixth and seventh in the Big Ten's rebound margin clash. The Terps are +6.1, while the Hawkeyes are next at +4.8. The offensive rebounds also are close, with Maryland third in the conference at 12.5 and Iowa next with 12.2. It's just one indication of how evenly matched these teams are.

The difference for Maryland's resurgence of late has been improved shooting -- 13 threes against Northwestern and 12 against Indiana. Defense remains the Terrapins' calling card, though. Can Maryland, still last in the Big Ten at 41.4 percent shooting from the field, bring that improved long-range touch back home?

They'll need to. The Hawkeyes are scoring a conference-best 79.6 points per game and are second in 3-point shooting, converting 35.2 percent on the season.

The Hawkeyes were deadeyes in that first meeting, hitting 6 of 10 first-half 3-point attempts and jumping out to a 14-point halftime lead. Joe Wieskamp had 26 points, hitting 5 of 9 3-point attempts in the game. Center Luka Garza did his typical damage inside with 21 points and 13 rebounds and Iowa ran away with the game. Jalen Smith led Maryland with a modest 13 points and had just five boards in what Maryland coach Mark Turgeon termed "one of the worst games" that one of his teams ever played.

Now the 6-foot-10 sophomore Smith is coming off Big Ten Player of the Week honors after back-to-back career highs of 25 points at Northwestern and then 29 at Indiana. More significantly, Maryland, which hadn't won on the road this season before those contests, is coming off back-to-back road victories and brimming with confidence after three consecutive Big Ten wins. Oh, and the Terrapins are 11-0 at home.

"(Smith) has been phenomenal, offensively, defensively, decision-making," Turgeon said. "He's walking around with a little bit more of a swagger between games so he's feeling good about himself. He's just more confident."

The Hawkeyes return home Feb. 2 to host league-leading and 19th-ranked Illinois. Maryland stays home to meet upstart Rutgers, ranked No. 25 this week, on Feb. 4.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Iowa  
Maryland  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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