Iowa comes in Thursday's game an 11-4 record. Their best win was a two point squeaker over Kansas State. Their worst loss was a 17 point embarrassing defeat against in state rival Drake. So far in the Big Ten they barely lost to Ohio State after making 14-28 three pointers, and promptly barely beat Indiana in their last game making only 5-14 from behind the three point line. The Hawkeyes are better than last year, but still have a long way to go.
It doesn't help that the Hawkeyes are dreadfully boring. They rank dead last in the entire country in possessions per 40 minutes, with only 57.2. Despite their slow pace, the Hawkeyes can put the ball in the basket, especially behind the three point line where they rank #6 at 40.9%. Their two point shooting, offensive turnovers, and free throw shooting is all comparable to the Gophers. Defensively, Minnesota should have an advantage, as they lead in every defensive category. Their biggest advantages are in blocked shots and steals, where Iowa is average and the Gophers are among the best in the nation.
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