Mike Gesell
(Brian Ray/hawkeyesports.com)
It has been 23 years since Iowa has won in the Breslin Center and the 16th ranked Hawkeyes will get a chance to end that skid on Thursday night when they visit fourth ranked Michigan State in Big Ten action.
Iowa is 3-0 in the league race and coach Fran McCaffery says the Hawkeyes are focused on what they need to do to win and not an 18 game losing streak in East Lansing.
“The bottom line is you go on the road and play one of the best teams in the country you have to execute”, said McCaffery. “You have to defend, you have to rebound and not turn it over and that is what we focus on.”
The Spartans are 8-0 at home so far this season and their average margin of victory has been 26 points.
“You know I think we have the experience now that the environment is not going to get to us”, said Iowa guard Mike Gesell. “It is going to be a great opportunity for our team.”
Iowa won the first meeting 83-70 in Iowa City back on December 29 but Gesell says this will be a different Spartan team with leading scorer Denzell Valentine back from injury.