On Friday, Nov. 13 the Cougars will square off with the Hawkeyes at the University of Iowa. Both teams are 3-0, with Iowa among the favorites this year in the Big 10.
Despite their strong start, WSU is still looking up at Iowa in the KenPom rankings, which have Iowa at No. 43 compared to WSU at No. 94. Neither team has yet received a vote in the AP Poll this season.
WSU comes into the game with six players averaging 13 points a game or more. That includes Cedric Coward, Nate Calmese, LeJuan Watts, Isaiah Watts, Dane Erikstrup and Ethan Price, who have combined so far to make one of the more efficient offenses in college basketball. Calmese, a transfer from Washington, currently leads the team in scoring with 53 points. Erikstrup leads the Cougs with eight three-pointers, and the Cougs have five players averaging at least one three a game.
Overall as a team, the Cougars are scoring 93.7 points per game and allowing 77.7 points per game. They are shooting at a .495 clip and hitting threes at a .371 rate.
Meanwhile, the Hawkeyes have looked impressive in their three wins to start the season. They kicked off the season with an 89-67 win over East Texas A&M, then defeated Southern 89-74. In their latest game, they topped South Dakota 96-77.
According to the ESPN predictor, the Hawkeyes have a 60.8% chance to win, while the Cougs have a 39.2% chance of victory.
So far, Iowa’s scoring leader is senior forward Peyton Sandfort. The Iowa native has 49 points this season, including a 20-point night against East Texas A&M. South Dakota slowed him down and limited him to 12 points, so perhaps the Cougs can do the same. His weakness this year has been turnovers, of which he has 12. WSU would be wise to play tight defense against him and try to take the ball away.
Peyton’s younger brother Pryce Sandfort is also on the team, meaning both teams feature two players of the same last night (the Cougs however, do not have brothers; LeJuan and Isaiah Watts are not related). Pryce, a sophomore forward, has been off to a solid start himself. He has scored 43 points and leads the Hawkeyes with ten threes.
Other players to watch out for on Iowa include Josh Dix, Owen Freeman and Ladji Dembele. Dix runs the offense at guard and has been consistent, averaging 15.7 points and 4.3 assists. He has been an efficient shooter this year and does not turn the ball over.
Freeman and Dembele, a pair of Sophomores, bring height to the Hawkeyes, at six-foot-ten-inches and six-foot-eight-inches respectively. They play physically, both averaging over five rebounds a game. Dembele leads the team with 19 rebounds while scoring 20 points. Freeman has 17 rebounds, 30 points and leads the team with six blocks.
Iowa’s roster is bigger and deeper than the Cougs. Nine Hawkeys are averaging at least three points per game, as opposed to seven Cougs. 12 Hawkeyes have scored as opposed to ten Cougars. The Hawkeyes have a lot of height and play physically on defense, so it’s likely that ND Okafor will see an increase in playing time, as the Cougars are going to want to match their physicality.
As a team, the Hawkeyes are scoring 91.3 points per game and allowing 72.7 points per game. Neither team is currently projected by ESPN to make the NCAA tournament.
