Where: Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City.

TV: FS1

Radio: Spartan Sports Network; 94.9 WMMQ-FM (Lansing)

Tom Izzo knows Michigan State men's basketball is facing a tough test this weekend.

The Spartans play back-to-back road games, starting with No. 19 Iowa on Thursday and Purdue on Sunday. Both are teams MSU beat earlier at the Breslin Center earlier this season but have been playing better as of late.

The Hawkeyes are 11-1 at home and have won 10 of the last 11 since the Spartans routed them 90-68 in East Lansing on Dec. 3, the one loss coming on the road against the Boilermakers. But the Spartans' head coach said on practice Tuesday he's cautiously optimistic about the self-proclaimed test that lies ahead.

"I'm just looking forward to the opportunity to try to see if we continue to grow," Izzo said. "Because when you win games on the road or play games on the road in a tough environment, you learn a lot about your team."

Since Iowa's loss to MSU, the Hawkeyes are averaging 84.3 a game and outscoring opponents by an average of 13.6 points. In the same span, they're also shooting 56.0 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from 3-point range.

Guards Isaiah Moss and Joe Wieskamp are averaging 45.5 and 45.3 percent, respectively from deep, while Jordan Bohannon — the team's leading 3-point shooter — is averaging 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. 

"They're just playing more efficiently, you know, playing together," forward Nick Ward said. "They're playing better on defense, so for us, we just have to make the right plays and share the ball."

Iowa's leading scorer is forward Tyler Cook, who's averaging 16.5 points and 8.2 rebounds while averaging 59.1 percent shooting. The 6-foot-9 junior will likely be the assigned matchup for Ward, who's coming off the first scoreless game of his career. 

"He's an animal," point guard Cassius Winston said of Cook. "He's aggressive, gets fouls, quick, can put the ball on the floor. He's a really, really good player — one of the best bigs in the league."

Against Maryland on Monday, Ward had four fouls in 14 minutes. He was also 0-for-3 shooting with four turnovers and five boards.

Despite the hiccup, Ward is still averaging 62.8 percent from the floor and 15.7 points. Izzo thinks the junior will bounce back just fine.

"I think he's focused in, I think he knows he's not been running quite as hard or posting quite as deep," Izzo said. "But I think you're going to see him play a lot better."

Score prediction

Casey Harrison: MSU 84, Iowa 76

Chase Michaelson: MSU 78, Iowa 71