Iowa vs. Maryland: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

A terrific top-20 tilt in the Big Ten Conference will transpire on Thursday night, when red-hot Iowa makes a trip to another flourishing crew, Maryland.

TV schedule: Thursday, January 30, 8:30 pm ET. BTN.
Arena: XFINITY Center in College Park, Md.

A pair of thriving Big Ten Conference groups will collide on Thursday evening in College Park, as Iowa pays a visit to Maryland. The XFINITY Center should prove frenetic, with the No. 15 Terrapins (16-4, 6-3) hosting the No. 18 Hawkeyes (15-5, 6-3) in a pivotal league clash.

So far in the 2019-20 campaign, the Big Ten has undoubtedly cemented its position as the premier conference across collegiate hoops. The race for the conference’s regular-stanza crown is anything but clear, with a host of squads hovering around first place, including Maryland and Iowa.

The Hawkeyes, winners of five straight, are presently at No. 20 in the NCAA NET system and projected by bracketologists as a No. 5 seed in the 2020 March Madness.

Iowa’s resume features a slew of solid successes, over the likes of Texas Tech, Syracuse, Minnesota, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers and Wisconsin. To date, the Hawkeyes have fallen to DePaul, San Diego State, Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska.

The Terrapins, meanwhile, have captured three-consecutive conquests and are currently at No. 14 in the NET, with Maryland forecast as a No. 4 seed in the upcoming Big Dance.

At this juncture, the Terps have defeated Indiana twice, Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Marquette, Notre Dame and Rhode Island, among others. Maryland’s quartet of setbacks, all on the road, are to Seton Hall, Penn State, Iowa and Wisconsin.

This affair pits the Hawkeyes’ high-octane offense against the Terrapins’ stingy defense, along with a battle between two of the best big men in the country, Iowa junior center Luka Garza and Maryland sophomore forward Jalen Smith.

On the year, the Hawkeyes average 79.6 points per encounter and give up 69.9 points, while connecting on 45.3 percent from the field, 73.9 percent from the charity stripe and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Conversely, the Terrapins generate 71.8 points every 40 minutes and allow 61.8 points, hitting on 41.4 percent from the field, 72.8 percent from the free-throw line and 31.9 percent from deep.

In other statistical categories, Maryland has the advantage in boards and blocks. Iowa gets the nod in assists and steals. Turnovers committed are identical.

All-time, the Terrapins are 6-4 versus the Hawkeyes, although Iowa smoked Maryland, 67-49, on its own turf a few weeks ago. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index says that the Terrapins possess a 74.5 percent chance to prevail over the Hawkeyes. Since Maryland is a perfect 11-0 at home in 2019-20, I’ll take the Terps to conquer Iowa in a tightly fought duel.

Prediction: Maryland 71 – Iowa 66