The edition will certainly have a different look, with the NCAA tournament being played in a "controlled environment" — college basketball's version of the NBA's Orlando bubble — in and around Indianapolis.
What we do know, though, is that Iowa is a lock to make the field for the fifth time under coach Fran McCaffery after establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the country. Drake, too, looks to be on the right side of the bubble after a stellar regular season, but a postseason that saw them come up shy of claiming the Missouri Valley Conference's automatic bid means there's still some uncertainty. Here's a rundown of where things stand as we get going today.
This story will be updated throughout the afternoon with the latest developments and news impacting Iowa and Drake, along with the top news around college basketball. And, with that, we're closing up shop at your favorite NCAA tournament live blog.
Be sure to keep it locked on DesMoinesRegister. Iowa opens as a point favorite against Grand Canyon while Drake is a two-point 'dog to Wichita State. That's via Circa Sports. Doesn't look like William Hill - the online sportsbook associated with Prairie Meadows - has tourney lines yet. The last time Iowa reached a Sweet 16, 'The Matrix' was a couple of weeks of hitting theaters. So the idea of either team making it to the second week of the NCAA tournament is revolutionary enough as it is.
The idea of both doing so is wild. The Hawkeyes and Bulldogs would meet in the Sweet 16 if they're both able to advance through their first pods. The potential of that game is even more tantalizing given Iowa canceled the Big Four Classic when it executed an out in the contract after the Big Ten went to 20 league games. The intrastate games used to be one of the truly great and unique pieces of college basketball in Iowa that now feels like an antiquated relic, even though it only ended recently.
They're probably not going to meet, but, as Chris Farley once said, you can imagine what it would be like if they did, right? The Antelopes' defense is their strength. They rank sixth in the country in defensive effective field goal percentage at Teams shoot jsut They've only played two Power 5 programs losing to Colorado and Arizona State , and they haven't played an offense as explosive as Iowa's, but that's an interesting little subplot to keep in mind.
The Bulldogs are 20 spots higher in KenPom, and their offense - ranked 19th - should be able take advantage of a leaky defense - ranked outside the top - from the Shockers. Still, it's a game I see coming down to the wire as neither team really pushes the tempo.
It's probably going to be a low-possession game, so it might be tough for Drake to really stake out any space. And, obviously, Drake's health is a question. Still, a really good opportunity for the Bulldogs to win their first NCAA tournament game since USC, the team that awaits the winner, will be a tough matchup. The Trojans are pretty well balanced. The only tough non-Big Ten team Iowa will play this year is No. Iowa also lost almost 55 percent of its total scoring from Garza, Fredrick, and Wieskamp all ranked inside the top 11 in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage last season.
Ben Palya , Sports Reporter. Iowa lost three of its starters ahead of the season. With so much scoring lost, and many new faces littered throughout their roster, the Hawkeyes might struggle to find their footing early this season. The Hawkeyes luckily have nine games against mid-major teams scheduled early this year. They earned the highest seed in the Big Ten Tournament since - the only season to have a higher seed than this one. The 14 conference wins tie the season for the most in program history and the.
That season, coincidentally, was also the last time the Hawkeyes finished the year inside the AP top With the NCAA Tournament now just a few short days away, the Hawkeyes look to turn that tremendous regular season success into their first real postseason run since The winning ways thus far have set Iowa up to do just that as they enter the tournament with their highest seed since that same season.
The Hawkeyes finished the season with 8 total losses. So, how does Iowa avoid an early exit in the tournament? They can only play who is in front of them. They can only play with the guys on their roster. That trend has to continue for the Hawkeyes to be successful. Not shocking - most teams give up more points in games they lose than in the ones they win. But more specifically, the Hawkeyes tend to get beat when they have poor 3-point defense. The Hawkeyes were forced to protect Luka Garza from pick-and-roll situations defensively, but also to protect their guards who lack the lateral quickness against quick opponents and were slow to rotate in help defense.
That limits their ability to penetrate and kick or really go after opposing defenses to draw fouls. But what they lack in dribble drive ability they more than make up for on the inside with Luka Garza. The Hawkeyes finished the season tied for 16th nationally in free throw attempts averaging 20 per game. In the two losses to Illinois, the Hawkeyes shot 20 free throws total e.
Their high-intensity on-ball defense led to a foul rate of th in the nation. They committed 18 fouls in an average game, but only 14 per game against the Hawkeyes. There are a few factors at play here which Iowa must try to avoid. For starters, the Illini have an athletic, physically imposing big man who is capable of matching up with Garza in the middle without being totally overrun by his footwork.
Even when beaten for position, Kofi Cockburn is capable of recovering to alter shots without fouling. If the Hawkeyes hope to make a truly deep run in , they have to find a way to overcome those obstacles through creativity, effort and adaptability.
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