Michigan vs Iowa Preview/LIVE Radio Broadcast: Wolverines Look to Extend Big Ten Lead
ByThe Michigan Wolverines (10) have done themselves some favors by winning 11 of their last 12, propelling them into the top 10 while the Iowa Hawkeyes (17) have stumbled in conference play.
The Wolverines won the first matchup of these two teams in Michigan, but Saturday's game is in Iowa. Michigan is 4-3 on the road, but two of those victories away from home came against Michigan State and Wisconsin, when each was ranked third in the nation at the time.
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"There's a lot of reason for them to have some edge," Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters, according to ESPN. "There's a championship trophy waiting for whoever can be the best in this league. If you're going to do this, you have to go and beat some really good teams."
Iowa is among the nation's leaders in points per game and rebounds per game, but its Michigan's leading scorers that could be vital in the matchup. With Nik Stauskas 17 per game and four assists per game, Glenn Robinson III is coming off a game in which he scored 23 against Nebraska.
Stauskas' team-first mentality gets players like Robinson III, who broke a three-game skid of being held to single-digit points, involved.
"I'm never going to be a player that forces shots," Stauskas said. "If my teammates are open, I'm going to find them."
Michigan sits atop the Big Ten, but Iowa can start making ground in the conference immediately by winning Saturday. They also have one more matchup with Michigan State, as well as games against Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
"This will be a big test," Iowa coach McCaffery told reporters, according to ESPN. "We're playing the first-place team in the league, but we haven't lost two games in a row all year. We've responded every time we've been beaten."