Coming off their best win of the year against Maryland, Wisconsin travels to Iowa for a showdown with the Hawkeyes. Iowa is coming off a 75-56 win over Iowa State. Tip time is 5:30 tomorrow evening on BTN. Here’s a preview of tomorrow’s game.
Will Kris Murray Play?
Everything Iowa does on the offensive side starts with junior Kris Murray. He was over-looked the last two seasons because of his twin brother Keegan, Keegan was one of the best players in the country last season and is currently with the Sacramento Kings. Now, Kris is showing what he can do and he’s shown to be the best player on this Iowa team.
Murray suffered a lower leg injury against Duke on Tuesday. He did not play Thursday against Iowa State. It’s been revealed he will likey miss multiple games. If he can’t go, it’s 19 points a game Iowa needs to replace. How Iowa plays on that side of the ball will be interesting to see.
Contain the Iowa Offense
Even with Murray out Thursday, Iowa still scored 75 points and beat in-state rival Iowa State by 19 at home. Iowa is a very good team at home and leads the Big Ten with 82 points a game. I think Wisconsin can score enough to win this game, but they will have to contain Iowa’s offense.
If Kris Murray can’t play, Wisconsin needs to key in on players such as Patrick McCaffery, Tony Perkins, and Filip Rebraca. The Hawkeyes had no issue without their best player in one game, but will it be enough against a very good Wisconsin defense?
Prediction
Defense always travels in college basketball. That’s why I think the Badgers have a good chance to win at an arena that is always hard to win at. Iowa also shoots 46% from the field as a team. It reminds me a lot of what Maryland did prior to coming to the Kohl Center. Wisconsin’s defense clamped down and was tremendous that night.
Wisconsin will also have to make shots to win. They were able to do that a Marquette in a hostile environment. But can they do it consistently? A 2-0 start would be really good for a young Badger team.
Assuming Kris Murray does not play, I think that is the difference in this game. Wisconsin has been able to dictate tempo and pace of play in just about every game they’ve played this year. I think they can do that tomorrow on the road. Iowa is coming off a big rivalry win themselves. Could we see a potential let down? I think scoring 75 points again without your best player against this Wisconsin defense is really hard to do. Give me the Badgers in a road win.
Wisconsin 70 Iowa 67
Follow me on Twitter @DylanBuboltz and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
