How To Watch, Game Preview and Game Thread: UCLA Bruins vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
The Bruins will look to end their four-game skid when they host the Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion.
I don’t know about you, but personally, the Big Ten basketball schedule is driving me crazy. It’s hard to keep track of when the team will be playing from one week to the next and I liked the regularity of Wed/Thurs and Saturday/Sunday games.
Well, the Bruins don’t seem to be adjusting well either.
I don’t know if it’s the travel schedule or what. I don’t know if that’s the reason they are 0-for-January or if there’s a better explanation for the way this team is playing. All I know is that I’m over it. Right now this year’s team is looking like a team which will not be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.
What I do know is that they need to turn things around quickly.
They have another chance to do that tonight when they host the Iowa Hawkeyes at Pauley Pavilion.
Iowa is led by head coach Fran McCaffery, who’s in his 15th season with the Hawkeyes. Since McCaffery came to Iowa, the Hawkeyes have won 60% of their games, and they have had just two losing seasons under McCaffery. So, the Hawkeyes have a pretty solid basketball program under him.
Iowa’s Starting Five
McCaffery will start a three-guard, two-forward lineup tonight and the Hawkeyes are led by the tandem of Owen Freeman and Payton Sandfort at the forwards. These two guys are tied for the team lead in scoring with an average of 17.1 ppg, though Sandfort has scored more points because Freeman missed two games. Freeman is more lethal when he shoots. He has a 64.3% shooting percentage while Sandfort has shot and made almost ten times as many three pointers as Freeman has. Of the two, Freeman is the better rebounder and he averages 6.7 rpg which is tops on the team, but Sandfort is second on the team with an average of 5.6 rpg. Freeman leads the team with 33 blocks while Sandfort is second on the team in assists with 57.
Moving to the three guards, junior Josh Dix is third on the team in scoring with an average of 14.6 ppg. He is also the best three-point shooter among the starters with a 46.8% three-point percentage. Grad transfer Drew Thelwell is the fourth Hawkeye averaging in double figures. Thelwell is averaging 10.6 ppg and he has 36 steals this season. Sophomore guard Brock Harding is close to double figures with an average of 9.6 ppg. Harding also leads Iowa in assists with 106, almost 50 more than Sandfort.
The first man off the bench for McCaffery looks to be sophomore forward Pryce Sandfort, the younger brother of Payton. He’s averaging 9.0 ppg.
Analysis
The good news for the Bruins is that the Hawkeyes are 0-3 in road games this season including a 99-89 loss to Southern Cal on Tuesday. The problem for UCLA is that Iowa has scored more than 80 points in each of their last eleven games.
That’s going to put pressure on the Bruins in two ways. First, it’s going to tax the UCLA defense which has been struggling. Second, it’s going to mean the the Bruin offense absolutely has to do a better job scoring on the other end of the court.
Since UCLA has been struggling with both of these, tonight’s game will be a challenge. Can they figure it out and end the slump? I’m not sure they will be able to.
Listen to the Game With TMB
Today’s game will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 with Guy Haberman and Don MacLean calling the action. As usual, you can listen to Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray on the radio or online. To listen online, just right-click on the link below so that you can open up another tab and have it going while you chat in the comments below. Listen to today’s game online.
This is your UCLA men’s basketball vs. Iowa Hawkeyes game thread. Here’s how to watch, listen and stream today’s game:
UCLA Men’s Basketball (11-6, 2-4)
Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes (12-5, 3-3)
Series Record: UCLA trails, 3-5
When: 6:00 pm PT, Friday, January 17, 2025
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: Fox Sports 1 with Guy Haberman and Don MacLean
Live Stream: FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports app
Radio/Audio
Local Radio: AM 570 with Josh Lewin and Tracy Murray
Satellite Radio: SiriusXM Ch. 84 (UCLA feed)
Online: uclabruins.com
Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast
Game Notes:
UCLA
Go Bruins!!!
The more I think about it, the more I don’t think this is the kind of game for Mara. Not the size issue, but the speed of it. Iowa wants to run up and down the court and Mara really isn’t built for that kind of game. Makes sense to ride William Kyle, your more athletic big, as a result.
(This is around the time last season when Dylan figured things out and went supernova)