Iowa Basketball: 3 takeaways from dominating win over No. 4 Ohio State

After suffering their first 20-plus loss of the season to Michigan, Iowa Basketball rebounded in emphatic fashion, dismantling the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in a top-ten duel, 73-57, on Sunday afternoon.

Undoubtedly, this is the Hawkeyes’ best win on their resume, coming just less than a month after Iowa fell to the Buckeyes in Iowa City, 89-85.  Luka Garza – still the clear-cut favorite for National Player of the Year – resumed his dominance inside, pouring in 24 points (8-13 2PT, 2-3 3PT, 2-3 FT) while hauling down 11 caroms.

After struggling to get much of any offense going against Michigan just days ago, the Hawkeyes were beyond efficient against Ohio State, averaging 1.11 points per possession while shooting a blistering 41.7% from beyond the arc.  Four different Hawkeyes drained a three, with Joe Wieskamp drilling five long-range bombs to finish with 19 points.

Meanwhile, this is now the third-straight loss this week for an Ohio State squad that began the stretch ranked fourth nationally.  Once winners of seven-straight, the Buckeyes have now dropped tilts to Michigan, Michigan State, and Iowa – and this was their widest margin of defeat since losing by 17 at Minnesota back on January 3rd.

Three different Buckeyes reached double-digits, with EJ Liddell (15), Justice Sueing (12), and CJ Walker (10) combining for 37 of Ohio State’s 57 points.  Ohio State struggled to get anything going from star Duane Washington Jr., who recorded double-digits in six-straight games entering this tilt – which began with the Buckeyes’ meeting with Iowa in early February.  Averaging 19.0 points in his last six games, Washington Jr. scored just seven in the loss to Iowa while committing four turnovers.

For the Hawkeyes, in addition to being the best win on their resume, it may have also been their most impressive yet – and Fran McCaffery’s club has some significant takeaways from their Big Ten win over Ohio State.