Preview: No. 16 Ohio St. Up Next for Iowa

Hawkeyes Travel to Columbus for Thursday Night Matchup

Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell (32) goes up for a 3-pointer against Purdue forward Trevion Williams (50) during the first half of an NCAA men's basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette. (Nikos Frazier/Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Update

The University of Iowa men’s basketball game at No 16 Ohio State scheduled for tonight in Columbus, Ohio, has been postponed due to travel cancellations and inclement weather in Columbus.

Both teams will work with the Big Ten Conference on a potential date to reschedule the game.

Iowa is next scheduled to compete on Sunday against Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.

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Fran McCaffery said on Wednesday that he’s never obsessed much about his starting lineup.

But there is the possibility of a change to Iowa’s lineup for Thursday’s game at Ohio State.

The Hawkeyes have gone with a mostly-consistent lineup all season of guards Joe Toussaint and Jordan Bohannon and forwards Patrick McCaffery, Filip Rebraca and Keegan Murray.

Bohannon, Toussaint and Rebraca have started all 21 games this season. Murray has started 20 games — he missed the game at Purdue on December 3 with a sprained ankle. Patrick McCaffery has started 19 games — he missed the Alabama State and Western Michigan games because of an injury.

But the Hawkeyes (14-7 overall, 4-6 Big Ten) have fallen behind by double digits in the first half of their last two games, and those slow starts have had Fran McCaffery pondering some changes heading into Thursday’s game against the No. 16 Buckeyes (13-5, 6-3).

“I would say this, it's not something I like to do,” the coach said. “I don't like the knee-jerk (decisions). But I think it's something I give thought to a lot more, maybe, than you think. You're constantly thinking about it.”

For McCaffery, the starting lineup doesn’t matter as much as combinations at key parts of the game.

“You've seen us this year, a number of games we've had different unique lineups on the floor that had played substantial minutes and been there in crunch time,” McCaffery said. “Guys play in different positions. I've kind of always done that. So I've never really obsessed with who the starters are. But you're right. We've had some difficult starts. So you know, (a lineup change is) something we're thinking about.”

The one thing McCaffery is sure about is he won’t have his son Connor available for the game. Connor McCaffery, who had 12 points in Monday’s 90-86 overtime loss at Penn State, went out with an arm injury in the second half and was wearing a sling at the end of the game.

Fran McCaffery said Connor didn’t separate his shoulder, as what was first feared, but instead has a deep contusion that’s affecting a nerve in his arm.

“It’s one of those things where it'll get better when it's better,” said Fran McCaffery, noting Connor might not be available for Sunday’s home game against Minnesota either. “He’s just day-to-day.”

The Buckeyes are in fifth place in the Big Ten, 1 ½ games out of first place. They had a three-game winning streak snapped in Sunday’s 81-78 road loss to Purdue.

Forward E.J. Liddell is fourth in the conference in scoring at 19.7 points per game.

“He doesn't really have very many flaws in his game that you know, and I know him well,” said McCaffery, who recruited Liddell in high school. “You look at him and say he's a guard. He's a forward. He's a center. He makes threes. He drives the ball to the basket. He's got a bunch of assists. So he's making plays for other people. He plays with both hands, he blocks shots, but that's why it's going to be a pro.

“The thing about him, I think he's a tremendous person. I think his character kind of separates him in a lot of ways. He is a first-team All-American. So those guys are the ones that are consistent. A lot of guys can do what he does once, you know, but he does it every night. I know those guys. They're special.”

McCaffery said the Buckeyes are deeper than just Liddell.

“They have a lot of guys that are contributing — it’s a very deep team,” he said. “They do not make mistakes. They're really solid fundamentally in the way they move the ball. You know they can play fast, they can play slow, they rebound the ball extremely well. Get to the offensive glass. It's second-shot opportunities. And a lot of guys that can score, so there's a multitude of things. It's why they're where they are.”