The Iowa Hawkeyes open the Big Ten race today (Tuesday), with a visit to nationally ranked Ohio State. The Hawkeyes take a 9-4 record into the start of the league race. Cold shooting plagued the Hawkeyes during non-conference play. They are shooting only 41 percent from the floor and just 31 percent from three point range. Both rank near the bottom of the Big Ten.

Iowa picked up a rare win in Columbus a year ago with an 84-74 victory. Ohio State is 11-2 with the losses coming to Louisville and North Carolina. Freshman D’ Angelo Russell leads the Buckeyes at nearly 18 points per game and teams with senior Shannon Scott to form a solid backcourt.

You can hear the pregame show beginning at 11-a.m. on KJAN, with the tip-off at Noon, in Columbus.

Iowa will use two quarterbacks in Friday’s Taxslayer Bowl against Tennessee. Offensive coordinator Greg Davis says Jake Rudock and C.J. Beatherd will see action in the opening quarter. Rudock started all but one game in Iowa’s 7-5 regular season. Davis says he will leave it to head coach Kirk Ferentz to divulge who the starter will be.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones says the Volunteer game plan won’t change if the Hawkeyes rotate quarterbacks. Tennessee lists 16 freshmen in its two deep and Jones says the Hawkeyes will have the edge in terms of experience.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State’s Monte Morris showed so much promise as a freshman that it looked like he might become one of the nation’s best point guards someday. That day has arrived. Morris has forced his way into the discussion about the country’s top floor generals with a brilliant start to his sophomore season.

Morris has 56 assists against just nine turnovers through 10 games — a pace that tops the national assist-to-turnover ratio mark that Morris set last season. He’s averaging 11.3 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting. Morris and the ninth-ranked Cyclones (9-1) host Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have announced the signing of right-hander Edinson Volquez to a $20 million, two-year contract that includes a mutual option for the 2017 season. Volquez will make $7.5 million in 2015 and $9.5 million in 2016 under the deal announced Monday. His option year is worth $10 million with a $3 million buyout. Volquez fills the last big hole by taking James Shields’ spot in the rotation. Shields became a free agent and it was unlikely the Royals would be able to keep him.

The Royals have already signed designated hitter Kendrys Morales and outfielder Alex Rios to fill two of their other pressing needs. They also signed pitcher Kris Medlen, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and could help contribute midway through the season.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — In the hours after a four-sack performance gave Justin Houston the Chiefs’ franchise record, all he could talk about was how close Kansas City came to making the playoffs. Houston insisted his new single-season mark would hit him some day. He might be on a new team by the time it happens. The Pro Bowl linebacker became a free agent when the season ended, putting the Chiefs in a difficult situation. Their attempts at striking a long-term deal last offseason when nowhere, and Houston’s 22-sack season has given him even more leverage in negotiations.

“It’s the part of the business side that I don’t want to talk about,” Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said Monday. “I can say it’s ongoing business, ongoing conversation.” If the Chiefs slap Houston with the franchise tag in March, they would have until July 15 to agree on a multiyear contract, so there is plenty of time to work out a multiyear contract. But if no deal is reached, the Chiefs would have to pay Houston a one-year deal averaging the top five salaries at his position.