NCAA Tournament: Five Keys to Florida Knocking Off Iowa
TAMPA — Top seed Florida takes on nine seed Iowa in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The game tips off at 7:10 p.m. Sunday in Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena where the Gators look for their second straight and 12th all-time Sweet 16 berth.
The Gators (27-7) are coming off of a record-shattering performance in their first round win against Prairie View, as the 59-point margin of victory was the second largest in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
The Hawkeyes (22-10) moved into the round of 32 behind a 67-61 win against Clemson. The victory came behind a 16-piece night from Bennett Stirtz. Iowa shot worse than the Tigers in every category except from the foul line where they knocked down 16 more foul shots. The Hawkeyes are seeking their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999.
Iowa, of the Big Ten, presents some interesting challenges for the Gators, so here are some keys to victory:
1. Don’t let Iowa slow you down
Iowa loves to slow you down. Out of 365 teams in Division I, the Hawkeyes have the fourth-lowest adjusted tempo offense. They average 62.9 possessions per 40 minutes. Florida on the other hand thrives in the fast-paced game.
Florida ranks 29th nationally in adjusted tempo and dominates in transition, averaging 15.7 fast-break points per game, a product of the ability of Florida’s front court to run the floor. Alex Condon, one of the nation’s most mobile bigs, even has the versatility to push the ball himself at times.
The key for the Gators is to set the pace themselves. They cannot let Iowa dictate a slower pace, instead they need to push the pace to speed up the Hawkeyes.
Loading ...2. Don’t let Bennett Stirtz get hot
The Hawkeyes are under the leadership of first-year coach Ben McCollum, who is coming in from Drake. McCollum brought in Stirtz with him from a Drake team that made it to the Round of 32 last year.
The senior guard leads the Hawkeyes with 19.9 points per game, 4.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds. Stirtz also hit a team high 85 3-pointers this season. Iowa as a team shoots 35.7% from beyond the arc therefore keeping up the suffocating Florida defense and protecting the perimeter is important.
Stirtz also comes with experience and in March, the veteran players are often the ones who swing an upset. Stirtz has played 40 minutes in all three career NCAA Tournament games and has scored 16+ points and led his team in scoring in all three games. Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee have to make sure they step up their defensive game to keep Stirtz quiet.
3. Second chance opportunities
Florida had seven players score in double figures in its win against Prairie View A&M, fueled by relentless second-chance opportunities and an offense that simply couldn’t miss.
One area where the Gators are poised to give Iowa serious trouble is on the glass. Florida leads the nation in rebounding at 45.7 per game, while Iowa ranks near the bottom at 357th with just 28.
That gap showed up early in Florida’s last outing, where it dominated Prairie View A&M with 64 points in the paint and 23 second-chance points. For comparison, Iowa averages 9.2 second-chance points per game this season, while Florida averages 16.7.
Iowa’s leading rebounder, Cam Manyawu, pulls down just 4.7 boards per game. Meanwhile, four different Gators average at least six rebounds. If those trends hold, Florida should have a decisive advantage on the boards.
4. Limit turnovers
This has been an issue for the Gators. The turnover battle is what caused Florida to drop its SEC semifinal game against Vanderbilt.
Iowa is historically known for its slow, suffocating defense, and that has not changed under McCollum. The Hawkeyes average 17.1 points off turnovers. In their game against No. 3 Michigan on March 4, the Hawkeyes turned the Wolverines mistakes into 26 points.
Florida has averaged 11.9 turnovers per game this season and will need to take care of the basketball Sunday.
5. Feed the front court
Florida holds a clear advantage in the frontcourt, and the Gators should look to exploit it all night. Iowa may try to slow down the game, knock down threes and force turnovers, but it lacks the size to match Florida’s dominance in the paint.
The Gators average 44.2 points in the paint compared to Iowa’s 33.6, a gap that could prove decisive.
While the Hawkeyes rank 16th nationally in opponents points per game at 65.8, Florida still has a path to its season average of 86.6 points if it sticks to its identity – attacking the paint and playing through its bigs.
The Round of 32 matchup between Florida and Iowa in Tampa is set to tip off at 7:10 p.m. on TBS. Radio coverage on 103.7-FM begins at 6:40 p.m.
The winner would face four seed Nebraska (28-6) in the Sweet 16 in Houston on Thursday at a time to be decided. Nebraska, of the Big Ten, eliminated five seed Vanderbilt, 74-72, in the second round Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball
