Southern @ Iowa preview

Iowa is showing plenty of the symptoms of a youthful team trying to find its way, and the result has led to eighth-year coach Fran McCaffery's squad being on the verge of its longest losing streak since his first season with the program. The Hawkeyes seek an end to a four-game slide Sunday when they host Southern in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Despite a plus-22 rebounding edge, Iowa fumbled away a five-point halftime lead by allowing Iowa State to catch fire from long-range (6-of-14 after the break) while contributing to its own demise offensively by going 1-for-8 from the foul line and committing 18 turnovers for a third straight game in Thursday's 84-78 defeat. “It’s guys that are trying to make plays, they want to make plays. But they’re ill-advised," McCaffery told The Des Moines Register. Although the Hawkeyes have experienced a four-game skid during each of the last three seasons, they haven't suffered one longer than that since two six-game losing streaks in 2010-11. The Jaguars, who will play their third game in five days Sunday, fell to 0-7 on the road this season after losing 76-60 at Central Florida on Saturday.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT SOUTHERN (2-7): Senior 6-10 forward Jared Sam (team-high marks of 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals), who finished with 13 points and nine boards to fall one rebound shy of his third consecutive double-double Saturday, is the only Jaguar averaging at least 10 points per game. Eddie Reese (9.3 points) had 11 points versus UCF - one of four other Southern players to reach double figures - and has 29 points over his last two outings after totaling seven over the previous two games. Aaron Ray buried three 3-pointers to match his season total entering the contest as the Jaguars went 8-for-16 beyond the arc to overtake Alabama A&M as the top 3-point shooting team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (38.2 percent).

ABOUT IOWA (4-6): Cordell Pemsl, who had 10 points and eight rebounds in only 17 minutes of action Thursday, is questionable for Sunday after suffering a deep laceration of his right shin late in the game - an injury serious enough to send him to the hospital. Two games earlier, fellow sophomore reserve forward Ryan Kriener was off to a fine start against Penn State before sustaining a head injury that put him in the concussion protocol and forced him to miss a game, although he returned against Iowa State. With Tyler Cook (13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds) constantly hassled by double teams that led to a season-low two-point performance Thursday, the Hawkeyes hoisted up 36 3-pointers - the second-highest total in the McCaffery era.

TIP-INS

1. Iowa is 48-4 in its last 52 non-conference home games and 13-0 all-time against SWAC opponents, including 2-0 this season.

2. The Jaguars have held five of their last six opponents to 33.3 percent or below beyond the arc.

3. Hawkeyes sophomore G Jordan Bohannon averages 3.1 made 3-pointers per game - the fifth-highest mark in Division I (min. 10 games played) through Friday.

PREDICTION: Iowa 82, Southern 66