Iowa-Wisconsin breakdown

RECORDS

RV/25 Iowa 13-5 (4-1 Big Ten); 6/5 Wisconsin 16-2 (4-1 Big Ten)

TV

8 p.m. ESPN (Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich and Sam Ponder)

PREVIOUS MEETING

Teams have not played this year; Wisconsin leads all-time series 80-79

KEY MATCHUP

Nigel Hayes vs. Aaron White.

Frankly, every match-up between the teams is vital. But this one can swing the advantage one way or the other. Hayes, a 6-9 sophomore, has four double-doubles this season and is shooting 55.2 percent. He's also a well-rounded threat at 12.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game.

White, a senior, averages a team-high 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. Among Big Ten players, White ranks eighth in points (16.1) and tied for fifth in rebounds (7.1). While Hayes is more physical, White often uses speed, positioning, anticipation and angles to achieve results. He has shot the most free throws among Big Ten players (143) and is second in makes (119) by one. In Iowa history, White ranks ninth in career scoring (1,591 points) and needs five rebounds to pass Don Nelson for 10th place.

White has earned Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan's respect with his performance.

'No. 1, he's a stand-up guy,” Ryan said. 'It's easy to enjoy watching a guy like that, except when he's playing against us. But look at the statistics. He's done things that no one else has done at an institution. So any time you have a player that at their institution that has a combination of points, assists, steals, rebounds, whatever the category, his all-around game is really good. So that's why I've always respected somebody like that. He doesn't have to tell you about it, either. He just goes out and does it.”

KEY STATISTICS

SCORING/OPP:

Iowa 70.8/61.4; Wis 73.3/54.9

FG%/OPP FG%:

Iowa 42.0/38.9; Wis 48.8/40.8

3PT%/OPP 3PT%:

Iowa 31.3/32.0; Wis 35.4/34.6

FT%:

Iowa 75.8; Wis 74.0

LIKELY STARTERS

Iowa:

G Mike Gesell (6-2); G Peter Jok (6-6); F Jarrod Uthoff (6-9); F Aaron White (6-9); C Adam Woodbury (7-1)

Wisconsin:

G Bronson Koenig (6-4); G Josh Gasser (6-4); F Sam Dekker (6-9) F Nigel Hayes (6-9); C Frank Kaminsky (7-0)

KEY RESERVES

Iowa

: C Gabe Olaseni (6-10); G Anthony Clemmons (6-2); G Josh Oglesby (6-6); F Dominique Uhl (6-9)

Wisconsin:

G Zak Showalter (6-2); F Duje Dukan (6-10); F Vitto Brown (6-8)

KEY STORYLINES

1. Frontcourt battle.

These teams boast the Big Ten's best frontcourts, and the numbers tell you why. Iowa starters Aaron White, Jarrod Uthoff and Adam Woodbury - and key reserve Gabe Olaseni - combine to average 43.9 points and 24.5 rebounds a game. That's 62 percent and 63.4 percent of Iowa totals in those two respective categories.

Wisconsin is even more reliant upon its frontcourt, with its four primary players - Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and Duje Dukan - combined for 48.2 points and 23.2 rebounds a game (65.7 percent of scoring, 67.8 percent of rebounding). Hayes and Kaminsky average more than 30 minutes a game and Dekker isn't too far behind at 27.4

Olaseni (8.9 ppg. 4.9 rpg) and Woodbury (7.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg) each average more than 18.4 minutes a game. Their unselfishness has been crucial to Iowa's success, Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

'The beauty of it is they're different kind of players but equally effective,” McCaffery said. 'They both play with great energy, they're both experienced, they're both incredibly unselfish and fiercely competitive. The other thing is, sometimes when you have a situation like that, they're more competitive with one another than they should be and they really support each other. I think that's what really makes it work for us.”

2. Depth.

The teams entered the season among the Big Ten's most experienced squads. But Wisconsin suffered a major injury with starting point guard Traevon Jackson out for the next six weeks after foot surgery. That elevates talented reserve Bronson Koenig into the starting lineup and leaves the Badgers with just one primary backup at guard behind both Koenig and shooting guard Josh Gasser in Zak Showalter. Showalter averaged just 6.5 minutes of action before Jackson's injury. Only seven players average double-digit minutes and that includes Jackson.

Iowa regularly plays nine players with eight averaging at least 17 minutes a game. Two backups, Anthony Clemmons and Josh Oglesby, play more than 20 minutes a game. That depth combined with their experience makes the Hawkeyes stronger this season, Ryan said.

'I think they're better than last year,” Ryan said. 'You talk about names that are back. Probably with (Traevon Jackson) not being available, I think if you take the minutes that they had back - people thought we had a lot back coming into the year - I think Iowa's got quite a bit, too. If you look at returning minutes.

'To give you an idea, after we did the scouting report, I think it was Josh Gasser or somebody said, ‘What about (Zach) McCabe?' It seemed like McCabe is still on Iowa's team? So Josh got a good one in, he's a straight-faced guy. I think it was him. I didn't verify it, but somebody said to Coach (Gary) Close, ‘What about McCabe?' It was like McCabe's graduated. ‘Oh, really?' Sometimes they've said that about some of our players, too. ‘He's still there?'”

3. Tempo.

The traditional storylines for these teams are kind of out the window. Wisconsin has played a little faster, while Iowa has a much better half-court offense this year. But with Jackson out, that could mean the Badgers might slow it down against the Hawkeyes.

'It's kind of the battle of we want to push it, they want to move it side-to-side,” Iowa's Aaron White said. 'They play a little bit quicker than they did when I first got here. It's going to be two great teams going at it. Obviously on the road it's going to be a great atmosphere, I'm sure their break is similar to ours so I'm sure their students are going to be back. It should be fun.”

BOTTOM LINE

In a rivalry that has featured ebbs and flows (Iowa dominated the 1980s, Wisconsin the 2000s), the Badgers hold the historical edge 80-79. Over the last seven meetings, Wisconsin leads 4-3 with an average margin of victory at 3.9 points. Iowa generally has set the game's pace, and Wisconsin has closed the game better.

'Obviously I wasn't in tune with it until I got here, but there's great history in both programs,” White said. 'Just like Ohio State is a top-echelon team, so is Wisconsin. So it will be good for us to play another top team.”

The teams boast the Big Ten's best frontcourts, and their backcourts are comparable. But the game is played at Kohl Center, where Bo Ryan is 100-14 in Big Ten play and 10-1 against the Hawkeyes there.

This game likely comes down to fouls and free throws. Among Big Ten teams, Iowa ranks second in free-throw percentage (75.8) while Wisconsin is fourth (74.0). But in Big Ten play, there's a disparity in foul calls at Kohl Center, which likely will continue tonight.

In three home Big Ten games, Wisconsin was whistled for 39 fouls. Its opponents were hit with 65. The Badgers shot 82 free throws and sank 65. Penn State, Purdue and Nebraska combined to shoot 35 and make 20. Wisconsin averaged 14.7 more points from the free throw line than its opponents, and the Badgers' average victory margin was 13.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 69, Iowa 63

l Comments: (319) 339-3169; scott.dochterman@thegazette.com