Syracuse (4-3, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) returns to the Carrier Dome to face Iowa (5-2) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. SU lost back-to-back games in the Barclays Center to Oklahoma State and Penn State before prepping for the Hawkeyes. Iowa enters winners of four of five, recently placing second the Las Vegas Invitational.

Broadcasting nationally on ESPN2, Tuesday’s contest will be part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Here’s what to know about Iowa ahead of the matchup.

All-time series: Iowa leads, 2-1.

Last time they played: This is the first matchup between the sides since 2014. Then-No.23 Syracuse outlasted Iowa, 66-63, in the third-place game of the 2K Classic in Madison Square Garden. Chris McCullough led the Orange with 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. The duo of Rakeem Christmas (18 points, six rebounds) and Trevor Cooney (14 points, four assists) also played significant roles.

SU led by 15 with 12 minutes left before a barrage of Hawkeye 3-pointers closed the gap. Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff finished with 20 points and six rebounds, including a late long ball to make it a one-possession game. The Orange forced 18 turnovers and a McCullough steal with eight seconds left iced the contest.

The Iowa report: The Hawkeyes are a top-10 team in offensive efficiency per KenPom.com. Their offense averages 82.1 points a game and three different players average at least 10 points. A majority (67.9%) of their buckets come off assists — a mark that’s seventh best in the country. In its last five games, Iowa’s most-used lineup has featured guards Connor McCaffery and Jordan Bohannon, forwards Joe Wieskamp and Cordell Pemsl and center Luka Garza. Sophomore Jack Nunge is also commonly used, giving the Hawkeyes two 6-foot-11 pillars inside.

Iowa opened its season on Nov. 8, blowing out SIU Edwardsville. Three days later, the Hawkeyes were upset at home against DePaul when they allowed 93 points. Iowa then won four-straight, including a win over Texas Tech in Las Vegas. In the tournament championship on Nov. 29, Iowa fell to San Diego State, 83-73. The Hawkeyes blew a 16-point lead and tallied just 10 field goals in the second half.

How Syracuse beats Iowa: Much like Penn State, the Hawkeyes operate through the paint. Their offense isn’t disproportionately skewed toward two- or 3-pointers, but 23% of their points come from the free throw line — the 38th-highest mark in Division I. And while they shoot an above-average 36.5% clip from the 3-point line, that number may be inflated after two straight games with 11 3-pointers. SU’s defense fatigued and dealt with foul trouble in Brooklyn, and if a methodical Hawkeye offense can break down the 2-3 zone early, Tuesday’s game could be another bad defeat for Syracuse. Iowa won’t look to run the floor, allowing the Orange zone to set up.

Offensively, Syracuse needs to create better looks and convert more often on the shots they do attempt. SU has made less than 20 field goals in each of its last two games as its team field-goal percentage dipped to 33% this season. The Orange also left 22 points at the free throw line in Brooklyn. If SU head coach Jim Boeheim keeps a seven-to-eight player rotation, it’s imperative to prevent Iowa from setting up a full-court press.

Stat to know: 18 — Iowa’s assists per game, which is seventh best in the nation.

The Hawkeyes are set up primarily by its starting point guard McCaffery. He averages an assist every five minutes he’s on the floor and has just seven turnovers in six games. Elsewhere, CJ Fredrick and Bohannon have 18 and 14 assists this season, respectively. Two other Hawkeyes, Wieskamp and Joe Toussaint, have 11 assists each.

KenPom odds: Syracuse has a 61% chance to win the game Tuesday, with a final score prediction of 74-71.

Player to watch: Luka Garza, Center No. 55

Iowa’s leading scorer (21.3 points per game) enters the matchup shooting 58% from the field and 7-of-14 from 3. He’s scored nearly one-fifth (128 of 575) of the Hawkeyes points and the 6-foot-11 center was an honorable mention 2018-19 All-Big Ten Team. If there’s one weakness to the junior’s game, it’s his free-throw shooting (55.9%).

Published on December 1, 2019 at 9:05 pm

Contact Nick: nialvare@syr.edu | @nick_a_alvarez