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The Eastern Illinois Panthers visit the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at 8:30 p.m. ET from Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Players To Watch
Eastern Illinois’ new point guard led Division II with 8.3 assists per game at East Central last season and added 10.7 points. The 6-foot-1 senior is expected to run the Panthers’ offense.
Miller has never played a Division I game before this season, and Eastern Illinois is leaning on him to run a mostly new roster. Iowa is the second Big Ten opponent he faces in his first week of Division I basketball. Count his assists against his turnovers.
Devin Davenport averaged 20.3 points per game at NAIA Missouri Valley last season and scored 20 or more in 19 games, according to Eastern Illinois. He also set a school record with 50 points against William Penn.
The jump to Division I is steep, and Iowa has far more size than anything Davenport saw in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. He shot 44.1 percent from the field and 89.7 percent at the free-throw line last season. His ability to draw fouls against the Hawkeyes is the thing to watch.
Iowa’s returning starter at forward made 39.4 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and started all 33 games. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 7.7 points and 3.0 rebounds.
Koch’s shooting pulls defenders away from the basket for Iowa’s big men, including 7-foot-3 Andrew McKeever. He scored as many as 19 points in a game last season and played 27.5 minutes a night. He also shot 43.7 percent from the field overall. Track his 3-point attempts in the first half.
Cam Manyawu shot 64.0 percent from the field while starting all 33 games for Iowa last season. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per game.
Eastern Illinois rebuilt its roster with transfers from Division II, NAIA and junior college programs, so Manyawu should have a physical edge inside. He scored as many as 14 points in a game last season. His rebounds in the first half will show how Iowa plans to use its size.
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Eastern Illinois vs. Iowa Odds
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