Preview: Southern California at Iowa in Key Big Ten Clash

IOWA CITY, Iowa (Interstat) — Two ranked teams riding winning streaks will collide Wednesday night when Southern California visits Iowa in a pivotal Big Ten men’s basketball matchup at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Trojans (15-5, 5-4 Big Ten) and Hawkeyes (14-5, 5-3) are both coming off narrow conference victories and sit in the upper tier of a loaded league. USC edged Wisconsin 73-71 on the road Sunday, while Iowa last played on Jan. 20, defeating Rutgers 68-62.

The game features a marquee backcourt showdown between two of the conference’s most dynamic scorers. USC’s surge has been fueled by guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who is averaging 21.4 points over his last five games. He poured in 29 points in 37 minutes in the win at Wisconsin, following a 29-point, 8-assist performance in an overtime win at Minnesota on Jan. 9.

Iowa counters with its own standout guard, Bennett Stirtz, who has been a model of consistency. Stirtz is averaging 22.3 points over his last six contests, including a 27-point effort in a road win at Indiana on Jan. 17 and a 20-point, 5-assist performance against Rutgers.

Both teams have shown resilience after mid-January stumbles. USC dropped three straight conference games earlier this month before its current two-game win streak. Iowa has won two straight following a two-game skid against Purdue and Illinois.

The Trojans will rely on Baker-Mazara alongside forwards Ezra Ausar, who had 17 points against Wisconsin, and Jacob Cofie. Iowa’s support for Stirtz comes from Tate Sage, who scored 17 against Rutgers, and forward Tavion Banks.

This contest begins a challenging stretch for both squads. Following Wednesday, USC hosts Rutgers and Indiana, while Iowa embarks on a difficult West Coast road trip to Oregon and Washington.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST Wednesday. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.