Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Auburn Tigers: TV, stream, injury report for Thursday
The Iowa Hawkeyes are one of just 10 teams nationally to have made each of the past four NCAA Tournaments. The Hawkeyes match Big Ten league mates Purdue and Michigan State in that distinction.
While Iowa (19-13, 11-9 Big Ten) doesn’t enter March Madness on the same uptick that it did a season ago, there’s hope that perhaps this is the year that the Hawkeyes can finally end their Sweet 16 drought. Entering last season’s tournament, Iowa had just won four games in four days to capture the Big Ten Tournament title.
This year, Iowa heads into the Big Dance having lost two straight and four of their past six. The last two included a regular-season closing loss versus Nebraska and against Ohio State in the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten Tournament opener.
All of that is forgotten now, though. The Hawkeyes earned the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region where they will face the ninth-seeded Auburn Tigers for the first time in program history.
For Iowa, it’s a matchup against a former Hawkeye assistant in Auburn head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl. Pearl served as an assistant from 1986-92 under then-Iowa head coach Tom Davis.
“Iowa, as a team, will be one of the best offensive teams we’ve played. No. 3 in offensive efficiency. They play the 31st fastest tempo. They make eight 3s a game. They’re No. 8 in a country at taking care of the ball, as far as their assist-turnover ratio.
“They just don’t turn it over. They get a shot off before they turn it over. Thirtieth in the nation in assists per field goal, and they’re a great offensive rebounding team. Defensively, they do a lot of different things. They’re multiple in how they defend. So just a lot of things, obviously, to prepare for,” Pearl said.
It should be a terrific contest with a likely date against No. 1 seed Houston awaiting the victor. Here’s how Iowa fans can watch, stream and listen to Iowa versus Auburn. Plus, a look at the key players, the injury report and several other key game notes.
How to watch
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 5:50 p.m. CT
TV Channel: TNT
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
Hawkeye Radio Network: Listen
Broadcast teams
TNT: Jim Nantz, play-by-play; Bill Raftery, color commentary; Grant Hill, color commentary; Tracy Wolfson, sideline
Hawkeye Radio Network: Gary Dolphin, play-by-play; Bob Hansen, color commentary
Key players
Iowa:
G Ahron Ulis: 6.2 points, 2.2 assists, 1.6 rebounds
G Tony Perkins: 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists
F Kris Murray: 20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists
F Connor McCaffery: 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists
F Filip Rebraca: 14.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Auburn:
F Johni Broome: 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.4 assists
G Wendell Green Jr.: 13.8 points, 4.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals
F Jaylin Williams: 11.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists
G Allen Flanigan: 10.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists
G K.D. Johnson: 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Injuries
Iowa: No injuries reported.
Auburn: G Chance Westry, knee, out for season
Series history
Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Thursday represents the first-ever meeting between Iowa and Auburn. Iowa is 25-22 all-time against current Southeastern Conference members.
Better against the best?
Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa posted a Big Ten-best 7-3 record and percentage (.700) against the top half of the conference standings during the regular season. Conversely, Iowa was just 2-6 against teams that finished in the bottom four of the league standings.
20 on the line
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
With a win over Auburn, Iowa would track down another 20-win season. That would mark five seasons in a row with 20 or more wins for the Hawkeyes.
Fran is climbing the Iowa charts
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to a seventh NCAA Tournament appearance under his watch. That ranks second in Hawkeye history, trailing only Tom Davis’ nine tourney trips. Tom Davis is also Iowa’s all-time wins leader with 271. Sitting with 261 career wins currently, McCaffery appears primed to pass that mark next season.
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