WHO: Washington Huskies (13-13, 4-11 Big Ten)

WHEN: 3:00 PM CT (Saturday, February 22, 2025)

WHERE: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)

TV: FS1 (Connor Onion, Nick Bahe)

RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Bobby Hansen)

MOBILE: foxsports.com/mobile

ONLINE: foxsports.com/live

FOLLOW: @HawkeyeBeacon | @IowaHoops | @IowaonBTN

LINE: Iowa -6.5 (total of 158.5)

KENPOM: Iowa -7 (74% chance of winning)

Iowa's fourth and final game against a Big Ten newcomer comes on Saturday afternoon, as they host the Washington Huskies at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. So far, those games against the Big Ten's new West Coast contingent haven't gone well; the Hawkeyes dropped to 0-3 in those games after an 80-78 loss to Oregon on Wednesday night.

One reason for encouragement? As much as Iowa has struggled this season, the Huskies have struggled even more. They rank 92nd in KenPom (versus 67th for Iowa) and are 13-13 overall and 4-11 in Big Ten action. KenPom gives Iowa a 74% chance of winning on Saturday, by far the Hawkeyes' best remaining odds for a victory.

Still, this might have been a game Iowa would have rather played a month ago. Washington began the season 1-8 in Big Ten play, but the Huskies have gone 3-3 since then, alternating wins and losses in their last six games. Two of those three wins even came on the road, with a 71-68 win at Minnesota and a 75-73 win at Penn State last week. The Huskies enter this game off an 89-85 overtime home loss to Rutgers in mid-week.

G Drew Thelwell (6'3", 195 lbs; 10.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 51.9 FG%, 41.5 3FG%)

G Josh Dix (6'6", 210 lbs; 14.2 ppg; 3.0 rpg; 2.8 apg; 52.1 FG%; 42.7 3FG%)

F Payton Sandfort (6'8", 215 lbs; 16.3 ppg; 5.9 rpg; 3.0 apg; 41.0 FG%; 34.8 3FG%)

F Seydou Traore (6'7", 220 lbs; 6.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 44.1 FG%, 25.0 3FG%)

F Ladji Dembele (6'8", 255 lbs; 4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.5 apg; 46.2 FG%, 39.3 3FG%)

This was the starting five for Iowa against Oregon, but Riley Mulvey has also started games in recent weeks and it wouldn't be a shock for Even Brauns to get a start after his best game in an Iowa uniform against the Ducks.

G Vanzoumana Diallo (6'4", 180 lbs; 11.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.8 apg; 48.3 FG%, 17.4 3FG%)

G Mekhi Mason (6'5", 195 lbs; 9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.2 apg; 43.4 FG%, 40.6 3FG%)

F Tyler Harris (6'8", 190 lbs; 12.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.3 apg; 50.6 FG%; 50.0 3FG%)

F Great Osobor (6'8", 250 lbs; 15.0 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 47.4 FG%, 27.0 3FG%)

C Franck Kepnang (6'11", 253 lbs; 5.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 51.2 FG%, 0.0 3FG%)

Befitting a team that sits near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, the Huskies haven't excelled in any statistical category this season. Washington ranks 120th nationally in offensive efficiency and last in that category in league games as well. The Huskies are 87th in defensive efficiency and 16th in that stat in league games.

The Huskies rank 15th in the league in effective FG%, at 50%, which includes a 49.4% rate on 2-point attempts (16th) and a 34.0% rate on 3-point tries (10th). The Huskies also haven't been good at getting offensive boards (just 26.8% of available offensive rebounds, 14th in the league) and even worse at avoiding turnovers (giveaways on 18.9% of possessions, 17th).

Washington is 16th in the league in effective FG% allowed, with opponents converting at a 55.9% clip, including 55.5% on 2-point shots (14th) and 37.8% on 3-point attempts (15th). The Huskies also don't block a lot of shots (8.0%, 14th) and struggle to force turnovers (16.0% of opponent possessions, 11th). The Huskies have been elite at one thing on defense, though -- denying offensive rebounds. Opponents are getting just 26.5% of their missed shots against the Huskies, the lowest rate in the league.

Utah State transfer forward Great Osobor has been the main man for the Huskies this season, leading the team in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). Osobor isn't much of a 3-point shooter (28.6% on 35 attempts), but he's made 50.4% of his 2-point tries and he gets to the free throw line a lot (156 trips, almost twice as many as any other Huskie), though he hasn't been automatic at the stripe (61.5%).

As Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery noted, though, the Huskies are more than just Osobor. "[Osobor]'s terrific. He's got a complete skill set. But they've got a lot of other pieces," he said. "They've got speed, they've got a bunch of different guys that can score. They've got size. I think [Washington head coach] Danny [Sprinkle]'s done a really good job in a short amount of time."

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Tyler Harris, a Portland transfer, is second on the team at 12.4 ppg and he's one of the Huskies' most dangerous outside shooters, with a 50% conversion rate this season on 82 attempts. Leave him open on the perimeter at your peril. Mekhi Mason, a Rice transfer averaging 9.2 ppg is Washington's other top three-point shooting threat, draining 40.6% of his 96 attempts.

Vanzoumana ("Zoom") Diallo is the final Washington player averaging double figures in scoring at 11.3 ppg, though he's more likely to get his points inside the arc (51.4% on 2-point shots) or at the free throw line (73.2% on 82 attempts) than from deep (17.4% on 23 3-point attempts).

The Huskies also have a fair amount of size to leverage against opponents. Osobor and Harris are both 6'8" and the Huskies have used both Franck Kepnang 6'11", 253) and WIlhelm Breidenbach (6'10", 232) in the post. Kepnang started the game against Rutgers in mid-week and had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 blocks in Washington's win over Penn State a week ago. Breidenbach, who began his career at Nebraska, has started most of the season, though with minimal production (4.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg). Still, the vulnerability of this Iowa team against other bigs is well-established at this point.