With Rutgers’ defense, Hawkeye men face a grinder of a game at Jersey Mike’s

It’s early, but Rutgers is a contender for the Big Ten men’s basketball championship until proven otherwise.

Iowa must be a lot more than chopped liver if it is to leave Jersey Mike’s Arena (11 a.m. (CT), BTN) with a victory Sunday in Piscataway, N.J. The Hawkeyes (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) are facing a team that is 3-1 in the Big Ten with wins over Ohio State, Maryland, and at No. 1 Purdue.

It is a veteran club that has been a defensive dynamo. Entering Saturday’s games, the Scarlet Knights (11-4 overall) were third nationally in 3-point defensive percentage (.257), fourth in scoring defense (54.9 points per game) and fifth in field goal percentage defense (.366).

They lead the Big Ten in turnover margin and steals per game

“They play really hard, they have size, they compete, they’re connected,” said Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery.

“It helps that they have Cliff (Omoruyi). He’s a nice goaltender, a rim-protector.”

Omoruyi is a 6-foot-11 junior who averages 14.1 points, 10 rebounds and almost two blocks per game.

What also has helped is a junior guard pulled out of the transfer portal via the Patriot League. Cam Spencer left Loyola (Md.) for Jersey, and has fit in magnificently. He averages 12.9 points and made what proved to be a game-winning 3-pointer in the Knights’ 65-64 win at Purdue Monday.

Fifth-year Rutgers guard Caleb McConnell is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and league steals leader. As of Saturday morning, Spencer led his teammates and the rest of the conference in steals with 2.6 per game.

Oh, he also has made 44.3 percent (31-of-70) of his 3-point tries.

So what will we get in this game? Something like Rutgers’ 48-46 win over the Hawkeyes at Jersey Mike’s last January, or something resembling Iowa’s 84-74 victory over the Scarlet Knights in March’s Big Ten tourney?

Iowa is fresh off a 91-89 home win over Indiana Thursday. The Hawkeyes would love to set a similar pace in this game.

“Every game has a different flow to it,” McCaffery said. “You’ve got to grind it offensively to score against them, but we’re still going to run.”

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