The Iowa men’s basketball team looks to snap their three-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who enters the contest at 12-12 overall and 5-8 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes have won 12 out of the 15 matchups since the Knights joined the Big Ten in 2014, but they could have a tough time stopping arguably the most dynamic freshmen duo in college basketball – Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey.
Harper, whose father is former NBA star Ron Harper, has posted 19.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game this season despite missing recent contests against Northwestern and Michigan due to an ankle injury. The injury didn’t seem to impact his play, as he dropped 28 points in an upset victory over then-No.23 Illinois and 20 points during Rutgers’ most recent outing against Maryland on Sunday, a 90-81 defeat.
Standing at 6-foot-10, Bailey has also posted impressive numbers, totaling 19.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per contest. The guard was forced to leave the Maryland game due to an illness that circulated throughout the team, but head coach Steve Pikiell expects his young star to play tomorrow night against Iowa.
“He just tried to gut it out,” Pikiell told the Asbury Park Press after the Maryland game. “You’ve got to have great energy in these games and it’s hard to do that when you’re not feeling well. So it’s something we’ve got to deal with. He’ll have a couple of days here to heal up.”
Not surprisingly, Harper and Bailey’s strong play has generated plenty of attention throughout not only the Big Ten, but the entire country. Both stars are projected as first-round draft selections in the 2025 NBA Draft.
“They have continued to grow despite being very good from the beginning,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said during a Zoom press conference on Tuesday. “They have a great feel for the game right away. These guys are great players. They’re just super talented but they just really understand how to play.”
The Scarlet Knights haven’t earned huge contributions outside of Harper and Bailey, with no other player on the roster scoring in double figures. Fourth-year guard Jeremiah Williams has provided some much-needed veteran experience in the lineup, averaging 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.
Rutgers has historically played at a slower pace under Pikiell, but the additions of Harper and Bailey have ticked their scoring numbers up to 76.4 points per contest. But the defense has taken a step backwards, allowing a concerning total of 75.4 points per game, a number that ranks second-to-last in the conference ahead of the Hawkeyes.
Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m. at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey. Big Ten Network will televise the matchup.
Injury updates
Iowa has battled the injury bug over the last few weeks, and this week is no different. Fifth-year guard Drew Thelwell is questionable for tomorrow’s matchup due to an ankle injury that he suffered in the loss to Wisconsin on Feb. 8. Thelwell currently leads the Hawkeyes in steals and ranks fourth in scoring.
“It’s hard to say,” McCaffery said when asked of Thelwell’s status for the game. “We’ll see what he does today [in practice],”
First-year forward Cooper Koch continues to battle an undisclosed medical issue and has not played in a game since Jan. 3. With only eight games to go in the regular season, McCaffery said that Koch taking his medical redshirt is a likely option at this point in the year.
“I think that’s where we’re at, but that’s kind of a long process, so I don’t want to get into the specifics of it, but I think it’s safe to say that his condition is such that he he probably won’t be playing this year, and would probably look to pursue that option,” McCaffery said.