Big Ten quarterfinals: 1:30 p.m. vs. No. 25 Iowa • BTN, 100.3-FM
A .500 record is within reach
Preview: The Gophers (15-16), needing a victory to get back to .500, get their third crack at the Hawkeyes (20-11) and Big Ten Player of the Year Luka Garza, having lost 72-52 at Iowa on Dec. 9 to open conference play and then again 58-55 on Feb. 16 at Williams Arena, when the home team led by eight with 5:25 to play but didn't score again. The Gophers had five turnovers over that final stretch while going 0-for-3 from the floor, and Daniel Oturu missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with Iowa leading by two points with 3 seconds left. Garza had a total of 45 points and 18 rebounds in those two games; Oturu had 37 points, 18 rebounds and eight blocks, but also 12 turnovers.
Players to watch: The 6-11 Garza is the first Iowa player to be honored as the Big Ten's top player since Sam Williams in 1968 and only the fourth overall, after averaging 23.9 points per game this season, fifth in the nation, along with 9.8 rebounds. … Iowa's Joe Wieskamp scored 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting in the first Gophers-Hawkeyes meeting but only two points on 1-for-7 shooting in the second.
Numbers: Iowa is 17-20 in the Big Ten tournament all-time, having won the title in 2001 and '06.
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