Cougars MBB Battles Iowa in First Real Test of 2024 (5:30 PST, B1G Network)

Washington State will play against the Hawkeyes at the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Classic.

Mar 7, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Isaiah Watts (12) celebrates after a dunk against the Washington Huskies in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

Tonight, Washington State takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes at the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Classic in Moline, Illinois in the Cougars' first real test of the young 2024 season. Two high-octane offenses that are averaging over 90 points per game, this game should be back-and-forth scoring affair full of elite passing and shotmaking. The game will tip at 5:30 Pacific Time and will air on the Big Ten Network.

With an over/under of 169.5 (and climbing), Vegas agrees that this game will feature a ton of points. The Cougars' multi-pronged scoring attack, led by Nate Calmese and Cedric Coward, plus five others averaging double figures, will face another potent offense in Iowa, who has six players averaging over 11.0 themselves.

For Iowa, Payton Sandfort, who, like Coward, got some NBA buzz last year before returning to college, is an elite shooting threat who is hitting 43.5% of his three-point attempts so far. He's averaging 16.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in 2024 and is one of several frontrunners for Big 10 Player of the Year. He's joined by Josh Dix and Owen Freeman as the leaders on the offensive end, though they also get production from Pryce Sandfort, Payton's brother, as well as Seydou Traore and Drew Thelwell.

As good as both offenses are, both defenses can be exploited in the same turn. Washington State's five-out offense allows for a lot of driving lanes and kick-out opportunities, while Iowa's offense, which sometimes goes five out and sometimes features Freeman in the post, has elite spacing due to their outside shooting prowess.

This will certainly be the toughest game for each of these teams so far this year, as both squads have enjoyed easy schedules up until this point. At 3-0, the Cougars are looking to continue their edge on the glass, as they are out-rebounding opponents by an average of nearly 12 per game. This could be an advantage against Iowa, who is only averaging two more rebounds per game than their opponents on the season.

It will take good perimeter defense to take down Iowa, as they are shooting over 40% as a team from deep, but with the interior advantage that Washington State has, the Cougars, who are six-point underdogs, could be primed for an upset.

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