Iowa @ Maryland preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 25, 2017 ) Iowa 83, Maryland 69

Despite being projected as a top-five team in the Big Ten in the preseason and closing out 2017 on a five-game winning streak, Iowa is on the verge of falling out of the league race completely in early January and headed toward one of their worst seasons this decade. The Hawkeyes attempt to claw their way out of the conference basement starting Sunday when they begin a three-game road trip at Maryland.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has led his squad to six straight postseason berths (three NCAA Tournament, three NIT) since going 11-20 in his first year at the helm in 2010-11, but offensive inefficiency and injuries are threatening to put an end to that streak in 2017-18. Following Thursday's 92-81 home defeat against Ohio State, the Hawkeyes fell to 0-4 in conference play for the first time since dropping six straight Big Ten games to begin McCaffery's inaugural campaign. Despite a young roster and some early key injuries, the Terrapins managed to overcome a stretch in which they lost three of four close games by winning seven straight. That streak came to an emphatic end at top-ranked Michigan State on Thursday, as Maryland gave up 16 3-pointers in a 91-61 rout.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT IOWA (9-8, 0-4 Big Ten): Forward Tyler Cook (team-high marks of 15.2 points and 6.6 rebounds) has mostly excelled in conference so far and is the only player in the conference averaging at least 20 points (20.3) and eight boards (8.5) during league play despite a nine-point, five-rebound effort Dec. 4 at Indiana. Fellow sophomore Jordan Bohannon, who drilled a school freshman-record eight 3-pointers against Maryland last year, posted his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career with 14 points and 10 assists Thursday. Connor McCaffery, who missed the first 10 games with an ankle injury and mononucleosis before returning for four games, has missed the last three contests and has been ruled out indefinitely after undergoing a tonsillectomy last week.

ABOUT MARYLAND (13-4, 2-2): Sophomore guards Anthony Cowan (16.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals) and Kevin Huerter (14.2 points, 4.9 boards) were the only two Terrapins to enjoy any amount of success Thursday, combining for 42 points and 13 of its 20 made field goals, including seven of its eight 3-pointers. Cowan led the way with 26 points and has paced the Terrapins in scoring in all four league contests, while Huerter's 107 career triples are already the 18th-most in school history. Senior swingman Jared Nickens, who sits in 10th place on the program's 3-pointer list with 162, ranks third in the Big Ten in long-range accuracy at 51 percent despite a 1-for-5 showing on Thursday.

TIP-INS

1. Iowa buried 16 3-pointers in an 83-69 victory at Maryland last season, getting its first win at the XFINITY Center while also setting a school record for most triples in a Big Ten game.

2. Despite losing the battle on the boards 34-27 against Michigan State, the Terrapins still rank second in the conference and 14th nationally in rebound margin (plus-8.8).

3. Cook is averaging 2.1 dunks over his last seven outings. Thirty-five of his 91 made field goals for the season have come via dunks.

PREDICTION: Maryland 83, Iowa 76