Iowa point guard Jordan Bohannon will see another side to Wisconsin fans on Thursday
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin used to be considered friendly confines for Jordan Bohannon and his family.
That’ll change on Thursday when Bohannon starts at point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes against Wisconsin.
The same fans who cheered for Bohannon’s two older brothers while they played for the Badgers will do whatever they can to distract and disrupt Jordan’s concentration because he now plays for a Big Ten border rival.
Iowa coach Fran McCafferty seems confident that Bohannon will handle the hostile environment just fine, partly because of how late it is in the season.
Bohannon already has played in eight Big Ten roads games, most recently at Maryland where he made eight 3-point baskets during an 83-69 victory last Saturday in College Park, Md.
“This is not the first tough road game that we’ve had,” McCaffery said Tuesday on a teleconference with reporters. “This is not the first time that teams are going to come after him. I mean it’s happened to him multiple times all year.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be any different for him than it was on Saturday, than it was at Purdue, at Northwestern. You just keep going.”
Wisconsin has been one of the toughest opponents to defeat at home for nearly two decades. The Badgers have lost four of their last five games, but they’ve only lost once in the Kohl Center this season.
“I think we’re all respectful of Wisconsin,” McCaffery said. “They only have one loss at home. They’re one of the best teams in our league, the preseason pick to win the league. It’s always a full house.
“So yeah, they’re going to come after him. But he’s seen that before. So the challenge is knowing that you’re going to see it on a regular basis, can you consistently perform at the level he has. And so far, he’s been outstanding.”
The Kohl Center is the only Big Ten arena in which Iowa senior Peter Jok still hasn’t tasted victory. Iowa has a 3-12 record at the Kohl Center and has lost its last three games there. However, two of the defeats were by just four points, including a 74-70 double-overtime loss on Feb. 6, 2013.
Iowa’s last victory at the Kohl Center came on Dec. 31, 2011 by a score of 72-65.
Perimeter shooting likely will play a huge role in Thursday’s game because both teams rely heavily on the 3-point shot.
Iowa made 16-of-26 3-point shots against Maryland last Saturday.
Bohannon already has made 68 3-point baskets to set a UI single-season record for a freshman.
McCaffery gives his players plenty of freedom to shoot 3-pointers, especially Bohannon and Jok.
Asked on Tuesday if he was concerned that his players might rely too much on the 3-point shot against the Badgers, McCaffery pointed to how well the Iowa guards fed the post against Maryland.
Freshman forward Tyler Cook finished with 21 points against Maryland, while forwards Ahmad Wagner and Cordell Pemsl also gave Iowa an inside presence.
“I’m a big believer in shooting threes when you’re open,” McCaffery said. “And I think one of the reasons we made 16 threes the other night is because we were open. But when Tyler was open we threw him the ball. “We threw the ball to Ahmad. We threw the ball to Cordell.
“And as long as I see those guys making the right decision, if I ever feel I’ve got guys jacking when people are open, okay, I’ll address that at that time. But I haven’t felt that with this team.”
Iowa vs. Wisconsin
When: 8 p.m., Thursday
Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.
TV: ESPN