Iowa @ Ohio St. preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Ohio St. 62, Iowa 72

Ohio State faces three ranked opponents in the final two weeks of the regular season beginning Tuesday night at home against No. 21 Iowa and a win would help keep the Buckeyes firmly in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth in March. Iowa trails Big Ten leader Michigan State by 3 1/2 games in the conference standings and would need a miracle to gain at least a share of its first regular-season title in 40 years.

Iowa enters the week alone in sixth place in the Big Ten, trailing fifth-place Wisconsin by one game and comfortably ahead of seventh-place Ohio State by three games. The Hawkeyes were abominable on the road at the start of the conference season, losing by 24 points at Michigan State and by 16 at Purdue, but have won four of their last five away from home. Two of those victories came as a result of last-second heroics from Jordan Bohannon and Joe Wieskamp, and Bohannon also played a major role in Iowa's 76-70 comeback win in overtime at home over Indiana on Friday night with all 17 of his points after halftime. Ohio State's herky-jerky season continued Saturday with a 72-62 loss at Maryland, but the good news for the Buckeyes is that point guard C.J. Jackson is expected to return from a one-game absence because of a shoulder injury.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

ABOUT IOWA (21-6, 10-6 Big Ten): Four Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures in scoring, led by Tyler Cook at 16.0 points per game and followed by Luka Garza at 13.3. Cook also leads Iowa in rebounding at 8.0 per game and Garza is next at 4.9. Garza and Cook combined for 31 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting with Ohio State this season, a 72-62 Iowa victory Jan. 12 in Iowa City.

ABOUT OHIO STATE (17-10, 7-9): The Buckeyes need Kaleb Wesson, their leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and rebounder (6.5 per game), to come on strong against the Hawkeyes after scoring two points because of foul trouble in the first matchup earlier this season. Ohio State led that game at halftime, but Iowa took advantage of its dominance inside with a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint. Not only will Ohio State need to play better inside against Iowa, but its perimeter players led by Jackson (12.5 points), graduate transfer Keyshawn Woods (10 first-half points versus Maryland), and freshmen Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington Jr. (15 points against Maryland) will be relied on to provide scoring to neutralize Iowa's guards.

TIP-INS

1. Bohannon has found his shooting touch after making 29 percent from 3-point range in the first nine games of this season, making 46.3 percent in the last 18 contests.

2. Freshman F Justin Ahrens, who had seen limited minutes for Ohio State this season, made the most of extended playing time in Saturday's loss to Maryland by scoring nine points - all on 3-pointers.

3. Iowa closes the regular season with three of four games on the road, but only one opponent (No. 18 Wisconsin) is ranked.

PREDICTION: Ohio State 73, Iowa 70