COLUMBUS, Ohio – Some games just feel like they mean more.
After a rocky January, No. 25 Ohio State (17-8, 7-7) has been in a groove, winning five of its last six games. The resurgence has brought the Buckeyes back to .500 in the conference, but a date with No. 20 Iowa (18-8, 9-6) in Iowa City could prove to be a pivotal game in terms of maintaining positive momentum in order to climb the Big Ten ladder.
“We think with every game going forward, it's kinda like every game is going to be important at this point,” Kyle Young said. “We’ve got a great team coming up [tonight] and then another one on Sunday, so with every game we’ve got to come into it with that mindset that we need that win. We want to play to our best every game.”
Adding to the challenge is the road aspect of the game. The Hawkeyes have been deadly at home, winning 12 of its 13 matchups in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The lone loss came back on Nov. 11, 2019 when Iowa fell to DePaul 93-78.
“They play really hard at home,” Chris Holtmann said. “It’s a different animal in a lot of ways because great home crowd and great environment. Their energy is terrific.”
While Iowa has been strong at home, they have had an up-and-down stretch overall. In their last six games, the Hawkeyes have been unable to string together a pair of wins, going 3-3 over the span.
The recent stretch included four road contests, and the Hawkeyes were only able to capture the road bout with Minnesota on Sunday. Luckily for Iowa, the game will not be played in Columbus, a place where they dropped a game 90-70 last season.
In their last meeting, Justin Ahrens, who hit six 3-pointers, was able to explode for a career-high 29 points to elevate the unranked Buckeyes over the then No. 22 Hawkeyes. Since that game on February, 26 2019, Ahrens has had six games in which he has hit three or more 3-pointers.
“He’s just got to stay aggressive,” Holtmann said on Ahrens. “He’s supremely confident right now. Our guys have done a great job finding him.”
Ahrens has also found a role off the bench for Ohio State. After a three-game stretch in early January in which Ahrens played a combined 10 minutes, he has played at least 10 minutes in each of the last eight games.
While Ahrens has the potential to be a scoring lift off the bench for the Buckeyes, it is quite clear who will be driving force in the Iowa offense. Luka Garza is undoubtedly the most dangerous weapon for the Hawkeyes, and he may very well be the best player in the Big Ten.
Garza is averaging 23.7 points per game to go along with 9.7 rebounds a game. The numbers are a significant jump from his 13.1 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game he put up in his sophomore season last year.
Even more impressive than the surge in production is the efficiency at which he is doing it. Garza is shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from the 3-point line. Mix the efficiency with his 6-foot-11-inch frame and he is the ultimate offensive weapon.
The Buckeyes are not shying away from the challenge, however, and it feels like there is an understanding that going through Garza and the Hawkeyes is a necessary step in getting to where the Buckeyes want to go.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of great things about him this year,” Young said on Garza. “He’s having a fantastic year, so someone who’s playing with just as much energy and going out there and doing what he’s doing is fun. As a competitor, you want to play against the best guys, so seeing what kinda year he’s having, we’re excited to go in there and play them.”
As is life in the Big Ten, the pitstop in Iowa will not be followed by an opportunity to rest. The Buckeyes will play host to No. 7 Maryland on Sunday, but the focus will have to be first set on Iowa.
The game between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes will tip at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
