Who: Iowa Hawkeyes (15-13, 7-8 Big Ten) at Maryland Terrapins (22-6, 10-5 Big Ten)
When: Feb. 25, 6:00 p.m. EST
Where: Xfinity Center, College Park, Maryland
Channel: ESPN2
Stream: WatchESPN
Maryland’s loss to Minnesota at home on Wednesday effectively ended any chances the Terps had of winning the Big Ten regular-season title, barring a surprising losing streak from Purdue and Wisconsin. However, Maryland is still in position to earn a double bye for the Big Ten Tournament, as the team currently sits third in the conference standings. A win over the Hawkeyes would help the Terps stay on track to not play until Friday, March 10 at the Big Ten Tournament.
What to watch on Maryland’s side
Maryland enters its second game without center Michal Cekovsky. Against Minnesota, the team’s big men did a good job of filling in for the injured Slovakian. Ivan Bender was motivated by his best friend’s injury and dropped a career-high 15 points for the Terps. Meanwhile, Damonte Dodd managed to avoid foul trouble. Maryland will need Bender and Dodd to continue covering for Cekovsky going forward to finish the regular season strong.
What to watch on Iowa’s side
When Maryland traveled up to Iowa in January, the preview for the game focused on Peter Jok. Now with Iowa making the trip to College Park, there is still nothing more important about the Hawkeyes than their guard. No one in the Big Ten has shot more field goals than Jok, who has taken 392 shots entering today. Jok has also converted from the charity stripe more than anyone in the Big Ten, with 141 free throws made. And those shots have paid off, as Jok leads the Big Ten in points per game (21.0) as well. The story for Iowa has not changed since Maryland’s first meeting with him: They will either win with Peter Jok, or lose with Peter Jok.
