The lasting legacy that Luka Garza has left on Iowa’s basketball program has been indelible. On Sunday in Iowa City, the leading candidate for National Player of the Year can add another memorable moment in his final game at home.
And given how deep the Big Ten has been during this incredible 2020-21 season, you knew that things just couldn’t be easy for Garza’s curtain drop. Because Wisconsin is playing for a ton of things as well when the two meet up at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX) in the regular-season finale for both before next week’s Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.
You can win money on the rivalry as well by playing FOX Super 6. Just answer the following six questions correctly and you could take home $1,000. Best of all, it’s free to play- just download the FOX Super 6 app on your phone or android device.
Here’s the questions and how to look at it.
How many Wisconsin players will score in double figures?
0-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6+
Since the Badgers are known as a defensive first team, perhaps it wouldn’t shock you to hear that they are not exactly rich in scoring depth. Only two Wisconsin players- D’Mitrik Trice (14.0) and Micah Potter (12.5) average double figures in scoring average per game. Remember that Wisconsin only averages 69.8 points a game. So how are they 16-10? They allow only 63.5 on the other end of the floor.
How many Iowa players will score in double figures?
0-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6+
Contrary to what you may think, the No. 5 team in the country does have scoring from more than Garza. Joe Wieskamp (15.1) and Jordan Bohannon (10.3) compliment Garza’s 23.9 points a game very nicely. When you have the big dog, however, you don’t really need six or seven guys in double figures a night.
Which team will have a higher 3-point percentage for the game?
Wisconsin, Iowa or Tie
Iowa takes more 3 pointers than most teams in the country at 666 attempts. What is scary is they make a ton of them to- 39.9 percent of their shots from behind the arc go down. But one team that matches them is Wisconsin, who has taken 625 3-pointers and isn’t awful from that range at 35.2 percent,
How many points will the top scorer for Wisconsin have in the game?
0-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 or 22+
Trice and Potter tend to take turns as the top scorer for Wisconsin, although Brad Davison had that honor in the Badgers 73-69 loss at Purdue on Tuesday night. When Trice goes big, he goes pretty large: six times this year, he’s had more than 20 points as Wisconsin’s leading scorer.
How many points will the top scorer for Iowa have in the game?
0-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 or 22+
This question should be titled "How many will Garza get in his final home game?" While Wisconsin will likely try different elements to deny ball entry and force some double teams, it would be stunning if they could totally take him out of the game. Bohannon did have 26 against Nebraska in a win on Thursday night. But the player and the moment were made for this time and this game.
Pick the team to win and by how many points?
Wisconsin by 1-3, Wisconsin by 4-7, Wisconsin by 8+, Iowa by 1-3, Iowa by 4-7, Iowa by 8+
Wisconsin is trying to avoid losing three in a row heading into the Big Ten tournament. And while they should be OK as far as NCAA Tournament status, it is fair to wonder if a loss here could slide them a little more uncomfortably towards the bubble. Iowa, however, is playing for a lot – both next week at the Big Ten tournament and moving forward to the bigger tourney in Indiana in two weeks. Right now, they are peaking at the right time.
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