Penn State Nittany Lions vs Iowa Hawkeyes Prediction & Match Preview - February 21, 2021 | NCAA Men's Basketball
The Iowa Hawkeyes will make a brief return to their home court for a Big Ten matchup with the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes have won three straight games, improving their conference record to 10-5 and granting them sole possession of 4th place in the Big Ten standings. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, have struggled in conference play, sitting in 12th place of the Big Ten standings, with a 4-10 conference record.
Match Details
Fixture: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Iowa Hawkeyes - NCAA Men's Basketball
Date & Time: Sunday, February 21st, 2021, 5 PM ET
Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Penn State Nittany Lions Preview
The Penn State Nittany Lions have not been able to find their footing since opening their conference schedule, falling all the way to 12th place in the Big Ten standings. Though their playoff hopes are gone, the Nittany Lions can still play spoiler to the top teams in the conference for the remainder of the season.
The Penn State Nittany Lions are averaging 73 points of offense per game but allow an average of 74 points on defense. They have already upset one ranked opponent and can create offense with their talented shooters.
Key Player - Myreon Jones
The key contributor to the Penn State Nittany Lions offense this season has been Myreon Jones.
The junior guard has done most of the Nittany Lions' scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game on 41% shooting. He has been especially dangerous from beyond, shooting a team-high 41% from three-point land.
The Penn State Nittany Lions offense will need to find their rhythm early in order to keep pace with the powerful Iowa Hawkeyes.
Myreon Jones will be matched up with Joe Wieskamp on defense, but his offense could give Penn State the spark they need.
Penn State Nittany Lions Predicted Lineup
G Izaiah Brockington, G Myreon Jones, G Jamari Wheeler, F John Harrar, F Seth Lundy
Iowa Hawkeyes Preview
Riding a three-game winning streak, the Iowa Hawkeyes will be pleased to host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sunday. The Hawkeyes routed the No. 21 Wisconsin Badgers in their last game, improving their overall record to 16-6 on the season.
Wooden Award finalist Luka Garza has been the star of the show for the Iowa Hawkeyes, but their offense as a whole has been clicking recently.
The Hawkeyes should have no problem handling the Nittany Lions as they prepare to face Ohio State and Michigan before the Big Ten Tournament.
Key Player - Luka Garza
Iowa Hawkeyes' center Luka Garza has remained the top scorer in college basketball for the majority of the season.
Averaging 24.7 points to go along with 8.4 rebounds per game, Garza has become a frontrunner for the Wooden Award.
Garza led all scorers with 30 points on 58% shooting against the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday.
With a size advantage in the paint once again, the 6'11" Garza could be in for a big night of scoring against the struggling Nittany Lions.
Iowa Hawkeyes Predicted Lineup
C Luka Garza, G Jordan Bohannon, G Connor McCaffery, G Joe Weiskamp, G CJ Fredrick
Penn State vs Iowa Prediction
While the Penn State Nittany Lions have shown signs of life this season, their chances to upset the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road are very slim.
The Hawkeyes will likely outpace the Nittany Lions on both ends of the floor, creating space for their talented scorers to work. If Penn State can come out of the gate strong and surprise Iowa with quick offense, they could have a chance at winning. Nonetheless, the heavy advantage goes to Luka Garza and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Where to watch Penn State vs Iowa
The game will be broadcast via live stream on the B1G Network.