Ohio State basketball vs. Iowa preview, prediction, and odds

Ohio State is in Iowa City to take on a top ten Iowa ballclub. We preview the game with key players, gameplans, and a prediction.

Records

Ohio State 14-4 (8-4), Iowa 13-4 (7-3)

Broadcast, TV, Game Time

Date: Thursday, Feb. 4
Game Time: 7 p.m. EST
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Network: ESPN


The road doesn’t get any easier for the Ohio State basketball team. After two wins last week over an upstart Penn Stats squad, and a reeling, yet still talented Michigan State team, the Buckeyes now have the daunting task of traveling to Iowa City to take on one of the most talented teams in the country, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It’s a top ten matchup with both squads in a virtual tie for third place, and just 1.5 games out of first. The winner stays in the conversation for a conference title run, while the loser is faced with a significant setback toward that end goal.

As we do before every game, we provide you with some key players, a potential game plan, and of course, a prediction.

Next … The Ohio State game plan

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0: Who are the top players to know?

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

While the college basketball season has been strange, we have a more clear idea of which top prospects are expected in the 2021 NBA draft.

Unfortunately, putting together a big board at this point in the year is an incomplete task. The inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players, has not yet begun their season.

That makes it impossible to track development for top prospects like Jonathan Kuminga and Jalen Green as well as potential risers like Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix.

While there are some honorable mentions included for some fringe prospects, several names (e.g. Duke’s DJ Steward, UNC’s Caleb Love, Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon, Miami’s Earl Timberlake) were omitted on account of projected returns to the NCAA. As of right now, however, it is still a great challenge to predict who will be in this class.

The key to this draft is fluidity and being willing to accept that things will change quickly. Players will have slumps and some may be slow to adapt to the new normal. Rankings now are hardly reflective of where they will be as we get closer to March Madness.

Note that any conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Data is accurate as of January 22, 2021.

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 2.0: How has the NCAA season changed rankings?

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Now that the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is underway, we are getting a more clear picture of the top prospects in the upcoming class.

Former top recruits like Cade CunninghamEvan Mobley and Jalen Suggs have made a great first impression and have confirmed why many already feel they are going to be solid future professionals in the NBA.

Of course, considering the unusual nature of the college basketball season, some players are struggling a bit more than others. The performance on the court will likely stray closer to the mean with a larger sample size as the year continues.

But to get a better sense of where everyone stands right now, we compiled mock drafts from ESPNNBADraft.netCBS SportsBleacher ReportSports Illustrated, Yahoo, The Athletic and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

We highlighted the prospects who have been the biggest risers since we published our last edition of this exercise.

College basketball standouts who have most drastically improved their draft stock through the early parts of the season include Keon Johnson (Tennessee), James Bouknight (UCONN), Jared Butler (Baylor), Corey Kispert (Gonzaga), Day’Ron Sharpe (UNC), Aaron Henry (Michigan State), Ayo Dosunmu (Illinois), Marcus Bagley (Arizona State), Moussa Cisse (Memphis), Charles Bassey (Western Kentucky), Jason Preston (Ohio) and Luka Garza (Iowa).

Below are the rankings based on the latest mock drafts from top analysts and experts:

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

2021 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting all 60 picks, starting with Cade Cunningham

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Now that the 2020-21 NCAA Men’s Basketball season is in full swing, we examined what the 2021 NBA draft class is shaping up to look like.

Consider this an introduction to the top players in college, as well as those on the inaugural NBA G League Ignite team, a new developmental team that plays exhibitions and is meant to serve as an alternative to college for some players. We’ll also look at international prospects who are playing abroad.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, this is going to be an unusual season for all hopeful pros. The bizarre offseason made it hard to get in the swing of things and some may struggle early as they adjust accordingly. As they already have been, games will inevitably be postponed or outright canceled.

Even in a normal season, a mock draft this early is a bold move. With these circumstances in mind, our mock draft is obviously going to look very different from how the actual night will shake out next offseason.

But it does offer a general starting range to encapsulate where the top prospects may be selected if they draft were held now. It also gives some insight on the kinds of players who may be available when your favorite team is on the clock.

The draft order was determined by projected wins from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, whose projected real plus-minus has “outperformed” the over-under figures from Las Vegas since 2015. Pick swaps and trades were pulled from the future draft picks section on RealGM.

Note that all conversations with NBA scouts mentioned in the article were held under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on behalf of their teams.

All relevant statistics are from BartTorvik.com, KenPom.com, Sports-Reference, RealGM and Synergy Sports Tech. Statistics for 2020-21 college basketball freshmen were calculated from their most recent AAU season via Open Look Analytics.

A senior Badger makes the 2021 preseason Big Ten first team

A look at the entire Big Ten 2021 preseason first team

As basketball season inches closer, the Big Ten has announced the 2020-2021 preseason selections for the all-conference team. The media voted, and had two unanimous selections, followed by a total of ten players on this year’s team.

Here is a look at the entire squad, and which Badger made the cut:

 

 

Three Badgers named to the 247Sports 2020-2021 All-Big Ten basketball team

Wisconsin earns more players on the preseason team than any other school

The writers at 247Sports came together yesterday to rank their All-Big Ten First, Second, and Third, teams with the season hopefully a few months away.

Wisconsin had more players on all three teams combined than any other school, with a number of teams having two players on the list. The outstanding second half of the season for the Badgers floor general D’Mitrik Trice earned him the highest spot among any Wisconsin player on the list. Trice was part of the second team backcourt, alongside Minnesota star Marcus Carr and Michigan State starting guard Rocket Watts.

Nate Reuvers, Wisconsin’s leading scorer from a year ago at 13.1 points per contest, came in on the third team alongside his frontcourt mate Micah Potter. Potter, Reuvers, and Trice are all projected senior starters on a team with championship aspirations in Madison.

Here is a complete list of the All-Big Ten First team, Second team, and Third team according to 247Sports:

Third Team

Nate Reuvers — Wisconsin

Geo Baker — Rutgers 

Micah Potter — Wisconsin

Franz Wagner — Michigan

Isaiah Livers — Michigan 

Second Team

Aaron Henry — Michigan State

Trevion Williams — Purdue

D’Mitrik Trice — Wisconsin

Rocket Watts — Michigan State

Marcus Carr — Minnesota 

First Team

Joe Wieskamp — Iowa 

Trayce Jackson Davis — Indiana

Kofi Cockburn — Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu — Illinois 

Luka Garza — Iowa 

 

Following major player news, Big Ten basketball is on the rise in the latest ESPN Bracketology

The Badgers continue to rise in the latest Bracketology

Just before a tumultuous week of Big Ten cancellations, the 2020-2021 basketball season was shaping up to be arguably the most competitive in the history of the conference. With Iowa getting Luka Garza, the best player in the conference a year ago, back for his senior campaign coupled with Illinois stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn withdrawing from the NBA draft to return to Champiagn, the conference was ready for a battle at the top.

Although the season has been momentarily pushed back, there is still reasonable hope that schools can play this year, especially within the conference.

If we get Big Ten basketball this season, Wisconsin will be a part of the best conference in college basketball. That was further confirmed in ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology column.

The Big Ten sees nine teams get in the dance, more than any other conference in the nation. Illinois has made a significant jump up to the four line, as they return their two leading scorers from a year ago. Wisconsin moves up to a two seed, the highest ranking they have been in any bracketology so far. Here is a complete seeding breakdown for Big Ten teams:

Iowa – 2 seed

Wisconsin – 2 seed

Michigan State – 3 seed

Illinois – 4 seed 

Ohio State – 4 seed 

Rutgers – 6 seed 

Indiana – 7 seed 

Michigan – 7 seed

Purdue – 8 seed 

The best player in the Big Ten is coming back to school for his senior season

Iowa received a major lift thanks to significant news surrounding their best player

Earlier this morning, Iowa Hawkeye fans received news that suddenly had them thinking big in 2020. We are talking national championship big. The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza is returning to Iowa City, and the Hawkeyes look downright scary.

With Garza deciding to withdraw his name from the 2020 NBA Draft and not go overseas, Iowa gets back a player who averaged 23.9 points and nearly ten rebounds in a season where he was undoubtedly a top-two player in the country alongside Obi Toppin from Dayton. The Washington, D.C. native returns as the odds on favorite to win the 2020-2021 Wooden Award and makes his Hawkeye team a Big Ten title front runner.

Now, after a few days of major conference news, the top of the Big Ten looks as mighty as ever with Illinois returning their two leading scorers in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, Wisconsin fielding an all-senior starting lineup, and Michigan State getting Xavier Tillman back to East Lansing. The Big Ten conference is setting up to be one of the best conferences college basketball has ever seen in 2020-2021. Do not be surprised if Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan State all end up in the top ten at various points throughout the regular season.

Three way-too-early questions for Wisconsin basketball next season

Early questions that we are still searching for answers to in anticipation of Wisconsin’s basketball season in 2021

With the amount of hype that justifiably surrounds Wisconsin basketball next season, it is never too early to take a look at what this team will look like in 2020-2021. The Badgers return every key contributor aside from graduating senior Brevin Pritzl, and will have one of their deepest teams in years as they bring in a solid 2020 recruiting class. So what are some early question marks surrounding a team that should be highly ranked in the preseason?

  1. How will the depth “problem” play itself out? — The luxury that Wisconsin has in terms of seven of the eight rotation players returning next year and the potential for an all-senior starting lineup will prove invaluable. The questions will start early and often, however, about what other guys step into the rotation. We know that returners Micah Potter, Nate Reuvers, Aleem Ford, D’Mitrik Trice, Trevor Anderson, Brad Davison, and Tyler Wahl will be major factors all year long. Those seven players were seven of the eight players who received consistent minutes for Greg Gard’s group in 2019. The question is who else will step in and how deep will the Badgers go down their bench? With a six-person recruiting class that includes three 247sports top-150 players in Johnny Davis, Ben Carlson, and Steven Crowl, there will be freshman that deserve minutes. Will returners such as Walt McGrory or Joe Hedstrom find their way into the rotation? UW will certainly be mixing and matching early in the year as they find a rotation amongst the luxury of the depth they have.
  2. Who takes a redshirt in the class of 2020? With the depth question and with a six-person recruiting class, you would have to imagine that at least a few Badgers will be redshirt candidates next season. Does class of 2020 PG Lorne Bowman crack the rotation or does he wait another year in order to save eligibility? The same question could be asked of fellow 2020 signees Steven Crowl or Jordan Davis. Without the room to play more than two or three freshman from the 2020 class, the incoming Badgers will have important decisions to make regarding their future.
  3. How does the 2020 NBA draft change the landscape of the Big Ten? This question is vastly more complex than we would have thought a few months ago. Given the state of the world, the NBA draft has been postponed without definite re-scheduling. There are significant impacts for multiple Big Ten contenders this year in terms of who stays and who goes to the league. Iowa big man and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza is among the names of Big Ten players that are draft eligible but left the door open to return to school. How does the lack of a pre-draft process or the delaying of the draft itself impact players like Garza in terms of their decision? It certainly has an impact, the question to be answered will be what impact. A player of Garza’s caliber returning or staying has massive ripple effects throughout the conference.