The No. 4 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (23-3, 12-2) will face off against the No. 16 Indiana Hoosiers (21-4, 12-3) Thursday, Feb. 22 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Coming off a messy double-digit loss to unranked Illinois on Presidents Day, the Hoosiers look to get back into the win column in a critical rematch against Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes. 

A win for the Hoosiers would mean they split the season series, but more importantly, it would all but guarantee the team will host the first and second rounds of the March Madness NCAA Tournament Games in Bloomington. Because of their loss at Illinois, back-to-back defeats could mean the Hoosiers will be on the road throughout March Madness.

The Hawkeyes are coming into the matchup off of a lopsided victory against the unranked Michigan Wolverines on Feb. 15. That game was highlighted by Hawkeye star Caitlin Clark’s 49-point and 13-rebound performance, in which she broke the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record, surpassing Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum.

In the first meeting between IU and Iowa (Jan. 13), both teams had 13 consecutive victories and sat tied at the top of the Big Ten standings with 5-0 conference records. The Hawkeyes led by as many as 27, and when the final whistle blew, Iowa triumphed 84-57, handing Indiana their first loss in conference play and second loss of the season.

Everyone knows that All-American, reigning National Player of the Year, All-Time NCAA Women’s Basketball Scoring Leader, and future #1 WNBA draft pick, Caitlin Clark will be the focus for Iowa’s scoring attack and Indiana’s defensive focus. Beyond that, there are several things to watch for in this much-anticipated matchup between two of the nation’s best.

Turnovers: Indiana’s last meeting with the Hawkeyes marked the Hoosiers’ fifth consecutive game with at least 14 turnovers. The Hoosiers need to handle the high-pressure defense that they will undoubtedly receive from Iowa and take care of the ball. Iowa is playing at one of the fastest paces in the NCAA, thriving off of transition points. Turn the ball over, and the Hawkeyes will get into transition and convert those turnovers into easy points.

Free throws: The Hawkeyes are ranked 20th in the nation in free throw percentage (77.74%). The Hoosiers stand at 72.7% on the year but shot a woeful 55% in their last meeting against Iowa. It is crucial that when the Cream and Crimson get the opportunity to shoot from the charity stripe, they knock down their shots. 

Bench contributions: In their last matchup, the Hoosiers only got four points off the bench, all coming from sophomore guard Lexus Bargesser. They will have to get more output from their reserves if they hope to keep pace with the Hawkeyes. A bright spot is the return of Indiana guard Sydney Parrish, who saw her first minutes in over a month against Illinois. She was previously out indefinitely with a foot injury. Her return could provide a spark, and motivate other reserves to step up, reserves who have gotten valuable minutes in Parrish’s absence. Those critical minutes could deliver the confidence needed to be difference-makers for the Hoosiers.

Rebounding: Indiana needs to get into position and box out on both ends of the floor, extending possessions at the offensive end and limiting second-chance opportunities for Caitlin Clark and her supporting Iowa cast.

The game is a white-out for fans attending live at Assembly Hall. The players will be debuting their Adidas x Fear of God alternative uniforms and sneakers designed by Jerry Lorenzo. The game will be available for streaming on Peacock at 8 p.m. ET.