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A fun Thursday night showdown between to rivals is on tap for the B1G, as No. 11 Iowa travels to No. 21 Wisconsin. It’s a huge game with NCAA Tournament and B1G Tournament seeding implications.
Plus, the Hawkeyes and Badgers really don’t like each other.
College basketball analyst Dick Vitale broke down the biggest keys to Thursday night’s matchup in Madison, which is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. It comes down to how tough life is for Luka Garza and whether the Badgers can contain Joe Wieskamp.
In game btw Iowa & Wisconsin / Badgers MUST make @LukaG_55 get a tough 20 & they MUST contain Joe Wieskamp who in the last 4 games is avg . 20.5 / Badgers 2nd in nation in least # turnovers & Hawkeyes 3rd . Iowa 3rd in nation scoring at 87.4 but are 3-4 in last 7 games.
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) February 18, 2021
Garza comes into the game averaging 24.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Wieskamp has had a strong season as well, averaging 15.4 points and 6.7 boards. The Hawkeyes are 15-6 on the season.
Wisconsin is getting production from multiple players, too. The Badgers are led in scoring by D’Mitrik Trice, who averages 13.6 per contest. The only other player averaging double digits is Micah Potter at 11.6 per game.
The Badgers are 15-7.
Right now, Iowa is 9-5 in B1G play and Wisconsin is 9-6. This is an important game for both teams and should be an incredibly fun matchup.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB