Iowa will try to bounce back from its first loss since New Year’s Day when it travels to Michigan State on Thursday night. The Hawkeyes had rattled off four consecutive wins prior to their 93-77 setback against the Buckeyes. Michigan State has lost three of its last four games, including an 82-69 loss to Indiana on Sunday.
Iowa got off to an excellent start this season, going 5-0 through its first five games. The Hawkeyes went through a rough patch after that, losing six of their following nine contests. They opened Big Ten play with a trio of losses against Wisconsin, Nebraska and Penn State. Iowa bounced back with a four-game winning streak, beating then-No. 15 Indiana and Michigan during that stretch. The Hawkeyes had their game against Northwestern postponed last Wednesday, and they returned to action with a 93-77 loss to Ohio State on Saturday. They were 3-point underdogs in that game, marking one of their worst performances of the season.
It's #SuitsAndSneakers Week!
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— Iowa Men's Basketball (@IowaHoops) January 25, 202 3
The Hawkeyes have relied on their offense to win games, as they rank sixth in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. Their strength has been their low turnover rate, which is fourth-best out of 363 Division I teams. They have been solid in essentially every other offensive statistic as well, but they will be tested by a Michigan State defense that is No. 34 in field goal percentage. The Spartans rank near the bottom of the country in defensive turnover rate, though. Junior forward Kris Murray leads Iowa with 21.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while senior forward Filip Rebraca (13.9) is among four other players scoring in double figures.