Kennesaw St. @ Iowa preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2016 ) Kennesaw St. 74, Iowa 91

Iowa, which completed a stretch of playing seven consecutive games against major conference or ranked opponents - including six away from home - plays its final tune-up before Big Ten action kicks in full-time when Kennesaw State comes calling Sunday. Iowa went 5-2 during the gauntlet and split a pair of Big Ten games.

The Hawkeyes posted a 77-70 road triumph at Cincinnati on Dec. 21 behind a season high-tying 21 points from redshirt freshman CJ Fredrick. Luka Garza posted his seventh double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds to go along with a career-high five blocks as the Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle 48-31 - the largest rebound margin of the season. "(Cincinnati) kept coming and balling. We met the challenge. We hit some big shots, got big stops, dominated the glass, forced them to low percentage shooting, and we moved and drove the ball enough to get the win," coach Fran McCaffery said afterward. Kennesaw State lost its third straight game, 83-70 to Wofford last Sunday, since its lone win versus Gardner-Webb on Dec. 13.

TV: 4 p.m. ET ESPNU

ABOUT KENNESAW STATE (1-11): Freshman Terrell Burden (10.3 points, 3.0 rebounds) recorded a career-high 21 points and senior Bryson Lockley (7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds) tied his career high with 17 points against Wofford. Senior Tyler Hooker leads the squad in scoring, averaging 12.5 points, and ranks 87th nationally with an 84.8 percent free-throw percentage. The Owls shoot just 25.1 percent beyond the arc - ranked 349th in the country - and have just 50 makes in 12 games with Ugo Obineke (12) the only player with more than 10.

ABOUT IOWA (9-3): Garza (21.5 points, 10.2 rebounds) is the only player nationally to average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds per game; the 6-11 junior leads the Big Ten in scoring, is tied for first in double-doubles and is second in rebounding. Senior guard Bakari Evelyn (2.6 points) posted season highs in points (15), rebounds (seven) and 3-pointers made (three) versus the Bearcats. Connor McCaffery (7.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists) is tops in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.83).

TIP-INS

1. Iowa beat Kennesaw State 91-74 in the only previous meeting between the schools on Nov. 11, 2016. The Hawkeyes are 4-1 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Sun.

2. Iowa's three defeats have come to teams with a combined 33-4 record (DePaul, San Diego State, Michigan).

3. The Owls average 16.6 turnovers versus only 8.3 assists per contest. Kennesaw State has also been outscored by an average of 19.3 points.

PREDICTION: Iowa 84, Kennesaw State 61