Points in Transition: Iowa at Northwestern preview

The Iowa men's basketball team got its first back-to-back wins of the conference season with victories over Rutgers and No. 19 Purdue this week, and now heads on the road to Northwestern to attempt a third straight. The Hawkeyes are 0-3 in true road games this season, and the Wildcats have won a pair in a row of their own.

For each Big Ten game this season, we'll look at key players, strengths and weaknesses for both teams and the key to winning for both sides. Here's a breakdown of the matchup between Iowa and Northwestern:

Key player

Iowa: Tyler Cook, forward — For the first time since his return, Cook looked legitimately comfortable on the floor against Purdue, and that says a lot — both because it came against Caleb Swanigan and because it came after a game in which he looked anything but. Given Swanigan and Isaac Haas' size, and how Cook did there, it stands to reason a much smaller frontcourt for Northwestern will give Cook a chance to have another big game.

Northwestern: Scottie Lindsay, guard — This guy vaulted into the starting lineup for Northwestern this year, and has answered the call. He leads the Wildcats in scoring with 15.5 points per game — up nearly 10 points from his 6.4 average a year ago. He uses his 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame well to get open and attacks the rim with that size and his speed. He'll be plenty for Peter Jok to handle.

Strengths

Iowa: If there were odds in Vegas of Iowa outrebounding and outscoring Purdue in the paint, they were either off the board or incredibly long. But for the first time — at least for a full game — since the conference season started, the Hawkeyes played inside out with effectiveness on offense and also in help defense.

Iowa faces a different style and lineup type in Northwestern, but keeping the Wildcats from that old dribble penetration haunt will be vital. Iowa succeeded in backside help Thursday and met guys at the rim. Purdue guards didn't attack the rim the same way others have because Iowa's zone was much better.

The Wildcats aren't a sharpshooting team, so a repeat of Thursday's defensive performance in the paint is a must.

Northwestern: The simple answer here is defense. Northwestern isn't all-world defensively, nor do the Wildcats overwhelm their opponents on the defensive end, but analytically, there's no doubt that's where their biggest strength lies.

Northwestern doesn't have the biggest lineup, as mentioned, but they have length in the backcourt and athleticism top-to-bottom. The Wildcats play primarily man-to-man defense because of that athleticism. They rank 11th in the nation on KenPom in opponent effective field goal percentage at 43.5, meaning they force bad shots with relative regularity.

That athleticism is further on display when looking at block percentage, which ranks fifth in the nation at 16.7 percent. They'll need that to be present Sunday against an also-very-athletic team in the Hawkeyes.

Weaknesses

Iowa: Cook said it best after the game Thursday night: after Iowa did well to come back against Purdue, and took the lead multiple times, the Hawkeyes weren't able to get the necessary stops to hold onto the lead until very late — and even then, it took a miss at the rim from Swanigan.

Backing up big shots with stops isn't yet something Iowa has been able to do with regularity, and that's a dangerous line to walk if Coach Fran McCaffery's bunch is playing a team that can score in multiple ways. Northwestern isn't necessarily that — or at least as much as others Iowa has faced — but being on the road, the Hawkeyes' ability to control the flow of the game will go a long way.

Defensive growth has been there — slowly but surely, anyway — but situationally it still has ground to cover.

Northwestern: As good as the Wildcats have been this season in forcing teams into bad looks, and overall defensively, they've not been very good at a few things on that end: forcing turnovers and keeping teams off the offensive glass.

In Iowa's losses, the turnover levels have been high and second-chance opportunities low. When the Hawkeyes can flip those numbers, their chances of winning go way up. The Wildcats rank 233rd in the nation in defensive turnover percentage and 249th in opponent offensive rebounding percentage on KenPom.

If Northwestern allows Iowa to play with patience offensively and crash the glass like it did against Purdue, the Hawkeyes could get their first road win.

Iowa wins if …

the things the Hawkeyes did against Purdue carry over and go with them on the road. Iowa had a formative game Thursday, and if turnovers can stay low and the rebounding numbers high, the rest will fall into place. Cook and Cordell Pemsl going to work again inside will go a long way as well.

Northwestern wins if …

what has haunted Iowa on the road continues to do so. The Wildcats' man defense has served them well at many points this year, and if they can force the Hawkeyes into tough shots that then don't fall, it makes everything harder on the team from Iowa City.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com