Rutgers vs. Iowa men’s basketball glance: Time, TV, live stream, game notes (Jan. 6, 2024)

What: Rutgers (8-5 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) at Iowa (8-6, 0-3), men’s basketball

When/where: 11 a.m. (CT), Saturday, Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

TV: BTN (Connor Onion, Shon Morris)

Livestream: FoxSports.com or Fox Sports app

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network affiliates

Series: Iowa leads, 12-3

What to know: Relief goes to the winner. The bottom of the Big Ten, where the Hawkeyes now reside, goes to the loser.

Iowa is coming off an 83-72 loss at Wisconsin Tuesday, Rutgers lost 86-82 at Ohio State Wednesday.

The conference hasn’t been good to the Hawkeyes. They’ve lost their three league games by an average of 13.3 points.

Iowa began conference play with three losses last season, then won seven of the next nine games.

This is a contrast of styles. Rutgers allows 62.5 points per game. Iowa averages 86.7, and 97.3 at home.

“You always know you’re going to get a fight defensively from them,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said.

Rutgers is last in the Big Ten in points per game (67.9), field goal percentage (.398) and free throw shooting (65.7 percent).

Senior center Clifford Omoruyi of Rutgers averages 11.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots. The latter ranks first in the Big Ten, third in the nation.

Freshman center Owen Freeman had 14 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Wisconsin.

Iowa guard Tony Perkins is averaging 18.7 points per game in Big Ten play, 12.8 points outside of it.

Iowa beat the Scarlet Knights twice by 11 points last season.

The Hawkeyes are 55th in the Kenpom.com ratings. Rutgers is 86th.