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The No.8 Iowa Hawkeyes will host the Michigan State Spartans on their home court, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, this Tuesday in a Big Ten showdown.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. However, the college basketball committee only dropped them down one spot in the AP Top 25 Poll.
Meanwhile, the Michigan State Spartans continue to struggle after coming off their COVID-19 hiatus. They sit in second to the last place in the Big Ten and have lost three consecutive games.
Match Details
Fixture: Michigan State Spartans vs Iowa Hawkeyes - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021, 7 PM ET
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes Preview
The Iowa Hawkeyes have fallen into a slump lately, losing their previous two outings. They now find themselves in fourth place in the Big Ten conference.
One of the issues causing the high flying Hawkeyes to stay falter, of course, has been the thing they have relied on all season, their offensive efficiency,
Iowa ranks number two, behind the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs, in offensive efficiency, scoring 124.6 points per 100 possessions, via kenpom.com. However, in the Hawkeyes' last two games, they have scored no more than 75 points in each outing and are shooting just 40.6% from the field.
The Iowa Hawkeyes will need to find their offensive rhythm back to get back on track in the Big Ten with a victory over the Michigan State Spartans on Tuesday.
Key Player - Luka Garza
Luka Garza had one of his rare off games in their previous defeat to the Illinois Fighting Illini.
The senior center finished with 19 points and suffered from foul trouble throughout the game. He was called for his third foul early into the second half, forcing him to sit over seven minutes.
Here is what he had to say post-match, via ESPN,
I've never been one to make excuses. I've got to be better for my team and not put myself in a position to be in foul trouble.
Garza will need to get back to his normal scoring average of 26.4 points to earn the Iowa Hawkeyes their seventh win in conference play.
Iowa Hawkeyes Predicted Lineup
F Connor McCaffery, C Luka Garza, G Jordan Bohannon, G Joe Wieskamp, G Keegan Murray
Michigan State Spartans Preview
The Michigan State Spartans were ranked as high as No.4 in the AP Top 25 Poll this season but will now find themselves battling for a position in the NCAA tournament come to the end of the season.
One reason for the Spartans' downfall this season is the pandemic. The Michigan State Spartans came off a 20-day program pause due to COVID-19 last week.
Since then, they lost to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights by 30, where they shot a woeful 28.6% from the field. On Sunday, in their loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, they showed improvements but still were cold from the field and converted just 32.1% of their shots.
Here is what Michigan State head coach, Tom Izzo, shared post the match about his teams current cold-streak,
We took a small step forward in some ways but the shooting woes continue. When you don't make shots, it's hard to go down to the other end and defend.
If the Michigan State Spartans are to return to the impressive form they displayed earlier in the season, they will need to find back their shooting touch and put in effort on both sides of the ball against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Key Player - Aaron Henry
Aaron Henry is the key player for the Michigan State Spartans. He is the teams leading scorer with 13.1 points per game.
However, the junior forward has found himself struggling from the field with the rest of the team. He has scored just 17 points in his last two outings and has gone 27.5% from the floor.
With the Michigan State Spartans' other starting forward Gabe Brown still sidelined due to COVID-19 related issues, Aaron Henry is going to need to up his game by several notches if they are to upset the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Michigan State Spartans Predicted Lineup
F Aaron Henry, F Thomas Kithier, F Joey Hauser, G Joshua Langford, G Rocket Watts
Michigan State vs Iowa Prediction
The Iowa Hawkeyes have an 89.6% chance of winning Tuesday nights Big Ten showdown over the Michigan State Spartans according to ESPN Basketball Power Index.
The Hawkeyes should also have a big matchup advantage with Luka Garza in the frontcourt, allowing them to control the rebounding battle and get easy baskets in the paint.
However, expect the Michigan State Spartans to come out with a lot of energy as every game matters for them moving forward, if they are to make the NCAA tournament. Still, their shooting struggles will be an issue against the high-powered offense of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Where to watch Michigan State vs Iowa
The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports One (FS1).
