Iowa-Maryland breakdown

RECORDS

Iowa 14-8 (5-4 Big Ten); No. 17 Maryland 19-4 (7-3) Big Ten)

TV

2:15 p.m. BTN (Eric Collins and Stephen Bardo)

LOCATION

Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City

PREVIOUS MEETING

Teams have not played this season and this is only scheduled game; Maryland leads all-time series 2-1

LINE

Iowa by 5.5

KEY MATCHUP

Jake Layman vs. Jarrod Uthoff.

Two of the Big Ten's best forwards frequently will match up at both ends of the floor. Layman averages 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and nearly 30 minutes a game. Uthoff scores 11.6 points, grabs 6.4 rebounds and almost 29 minutes of action. Both are inside-outside players, stand 6-foot-9 and are shot-blockers.

KEY STATISTICS

SCORING/OPP:

Iowa 69.2/62.9; Mary 71.4/65.3

FG%/OPP FG%:

Iowa 42.7/40.0; Mary 41.6/39.5

3PT%/OPP 3PT%:

Iowa 31.9/32.0; Mary 37.0/31.1

FT%:

Iowa 74.0; Mary 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)

Maryland:

G Melo Trimble (6-3); G Jared Nickens (6-7); G Dez Wells (6-5); F Jake Layman (6-9); Damonte Dodd (6-11)

KEY RESERVES

Iowa

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

Maryland:

G Richaud Pack (6-4); G Dion Wiley (6-4); F Evan Smotrycz (6-9); C Michal Cekovsky (7-1); F Jon Graham (6-8)

BOTTOM LINE

Maryland now is feeling the pinch of a new conference. The Terrapins are constantly studying new opponents and the brutality of Big Ten road play. Maryland has lost its last two road games by a combined 43 points, even with one of the league's top backcourts in Melo Trimble and Dez Wells. Eventually, the Terrapins will fight through it but there's no letup.

Iowa was dealt a brutal opening stretch in Big Ten play. Only one team (Minnesota) had a losing record, and that game was on the road at a hostile environment. Today's game is no easier because Maryland matches up well with Iowa.

Defending Maryland point guard Melo Trimble is vital for Iowa. He can do so many things with the ball, from shoot 3-pointers to get to the foul line. From that, defending Layman near the 3-point lane is very important. If Iowa can contain those two players, the Hawkeyes should win. If not, it could be a long, frustrating day for the Hawkeyes. I think it's somewhere in the middle for Iowa, which makes this game difficult to predict.

PREDICTION: Iowa 71, Maryland 68

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