Another Ranked Foe on Tap as 'Cats Travel to Iowa

1/30/2016 11:57:00 AM | Men's Basketball

By: Nick Brilowski

NORTHWESTERN BASKETBALL: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Sun., Jan. 31	Iowa	2 p.m.	Carver-Hawkeye Arena; Iowa City, Iowa	BTN and BTN2Go	GameTracker
720 WGN, Sirius 84, XM 84: Dave Eanet and Joey Meyer BTN: Wayne Randazzo and Stephen Bardo Social: Twitter (@NUMensBball and @NU_SportsLIVE) \| Instagram (@numensbball) \| Facebook Game Notes: Northwestern \| Iowa

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern plays its fourth straight game against a ranked opponent on Sunday when it travels to No. 3/4 Iowa. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

This is the fourth time in school history that Northwestern has played four consecutive games vs. teams ranked in the Associated Press poll, but the first time since the 1989-90 season.

NU is coming off a 76-45 home loss to No. 12/11 Michigan State on Thursday. The Wildcats shot a season-low 20.7 percent from the field in the contest. Bryant McIntosh led NU with 14 points while Aaron Falzon contributed 11.

Northwestern sophomore guard Bryant McIntosh enters Sunday's game with 150 assists this season, seven shy of the NU single-season record of 157 established by Tim Doyle during the 2006-07 campaign. McIntosh ranks 10th nationally and first in the Big Ten with an average of 6.8 assists per game.

Sunday's matchup features two of the top teams nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Iowa ranks third in the category (1.74) while Northwestern ranks ninth (1.58).

The series between Northwestern and Iowa has been dead even over the last 11 season as the teams have split their last 24 meetings going back to the 2003-04 season. The teams split last year's meetings with Northwestern winning 66-61 in overtime in Evanston Feb. 15 before Iowa won 69-52 in Iowa City March 7.

Scouting Iowa
The Hawkeyes dropped their first conference game of the season on Thursday, falling 74-68 at #8/7 Maryland. Peter Jok led four Iowa players in double figures with 14 points while Adam Woodbury recorded his third straight double-double, posting 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jarrod Uthoff leads the Big Ten with an averages of 18.4 points and 2.9 blocked shots per game. Iowa ranks third in the nation with a 1.74 assist-to-turnover ratio. Fran McCaffery is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Hawkeyes.