Points in Transition: Iowa vs. No. 15 Purdue preview

Before the 2016-17 season started, it was said by more than a few that this Iowa men's basketball team would offer highs and lows; feats and frustrations. Well, the Hawkeyes (8-5) certainly have lived up to that prediction. The non-conference season was anything but boring.

Now though, the meat of the season begins, and Big Ten play can hardly start tougher for an Iowa team that just found its rhythm in the last few weeks. A trip to West Lafayette, Ind., and Mackey Arena awaits, as well as by far the most formidable frontcourt Iowa will have faced so far — and possibly will face all season.

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 No. 15 Purdue:

Key player

Iowa: Tyler Cook, forward — OK, let's just all agree from here on out that the key player for Iowa every night out will be Peter Jok, but because this will be a regular feature during Big Ten play, it would get old to hear why it's him every game.

That brings us to Cook. The 6-foot-9 freshman is returning from a broken finger and surgery, and Coach Fran McCaffery said he's going to play starters minutes. Nothing like getting Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas and/or Vince Edwards right away after missing seven games, right? How he reintegrates into the lineup and what he can do defensively will be a vital addition to the Hawkeyes as they start conference play against a contender to win the league.

Cook will have to shake the rust off in a hurry, and McCaffery said Tuesday the biggest hurdle to that will be defensively, as well as trying to do too much too quickly. Cook expects a lot of himself, but staying patient will be vital.

Purdue: Caleb Swanigan, forward — Simply put, this 6-foot-9, Fort Wayne, Ind., product is one of the best players in the country. By nearly every metric, he stacks up with or better than every other frontcourt player you've heard of.

To run down some stats: Swanigan averages a team-high 18.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and three assists. His player efficiency rating is 28.5 — which is top 50 nationally behind Wake Forest's John Collins, who leads at 36.9 — he has a true shooting percentage (2-point, 3-point FGs plus free throws) of 66.7 percent and an effective field goal percentage (3-point FGs weighted more heavily) of 62.9 percent. His 32.7 percent defensive rebound percentage is fourth in the nation, per KenPom.com. He also draws 6.7 fouls per 40 minutes.

There's a reason he's getting Player of the Year buzz. He's gone from an at-times overaggressive freshman to an efficient-yet-still-aggressive sophomore. His shot selection has improved and he affects the game at both ends.

Strengths

Iowa: What we know for sure: the Hawkeyes can score. We know they can run. We know they can be efficient offensively.

Iowa still has room to grow, but through 13 games, the Hawkeyes' adjusted offense is at 1.096 points per possession (52nd in the country), they average 74.6 possessions per game (29th) and their average possession is 14.3 seconds long (10th quickest). Couple that with a 54.2 effective field goal percentage (48th), and it shows Iowa has made the most of its opportunities offensively on the majority of possessions. Having Peter Jok helps, but the first-year players have stepped up in a big way offensively.

As a team, Iowa shoots 46.7 percent overall and assists on 61.6 percent of its made field goals. All these numbers are trending upward, too, as the young guys mature.

Purdue: This section probably justifies an entire story, but to put it simply: Purdue is good at a lot of things.

The Boilermakers (11-2) are ranked 12th on KenPom overall. Their adjusted offense sits at 1.149 points per possession (15th) and their adjusted defense is 0.913 (12th). They have a 57.8 effective field goal percentage (ninth). Their opponent's free throw rate — how often they send opponents to the line — is 18.2, best in the nation. They shoot well, they finish well around the rim and have an answer for nearly every situation an opponent can throw at them. They go big with Swanigan and Haas, and then 'small' with Swanigan and Edwards. PJ Thompson is experienced at the point, and Carsen Edwards has been very good so far as a freshman.

This is a team built to go a long way, and it's playing very good basketball right now.

Weaknesses

Iowa: Defense is the easy answer here, right? It's well-covered ground by now.

But as covered in this week's Making the Grade, a promising offense can and has been limited at times by turnovers. At 13.8 per game, Iowa is tied for 199th in the nation in turnovers. Against Delaware State, the Hawkeyes had 17 turnovers. Delaware State ranks 275th in turnover percentage. Much of what plagues Iowa in the turnover department is haste. The young, talented players have gotten ahead of themselves too often at times, and a lot of the turnovers have come in self-inflicted form.

There's no substitute for experience, as has been said many times. Patience comes with that, but taking care of the ball becomes a premium now.

Purdue: To be perfectly honest, finding flaws in Purdue right now is not easy.

The Boilermakers' backcourt needs development overall, but is shooting a relatively absurd 41.3 percent from 3-point range. They're middle of the road in terms of offensive and defensive turnover percentage (150th in the nation offensively, 199th defensively) and aren't a ton better than the Hawkeyes at 13.5 turnovers per game. They also don't get to the line as well as some others with a 36.9 free throw rate (130th).

It does help that Purdue's non-conference schedule wasn't exactly a gauntlet. The two losses came to No. 1 Villanova and No. 7 Louisville, and the only other top 100 KenPom-ranked opponents were Auburn (87th) and Notre Dame (24th).

Iowa wins if …

at least one of Purdue's frontcourt players gets into foul trouble and the backcourt cools off from outside. Iowa has taken big strides defensively, but opponents still can find open shots. Post defense has been tenuous at best, and while throwing Cook back into the mix shouldn't hurt, he also wasn't playing when the defense made its improvements. Making transition count and limiting easy looks will go a long way.

Purdue wins if …

Iowa doesn't play its best game of the year defensively. The Boilermakers are highly-ranked and well-regarded for a reason. OK, reasons. It'll be interesting to see what Cordell Pemsl, Ahmad Wagner and Cook have for Swanigan, Haas and Edwards, and vice versa, but as was mentioned earlier, there's no substitute for having been there before.

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