NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2018 2K Classic

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 20: Head coach Fran McCaffery of the Iowa Hawkeyes reacts in the first half against the Villanova Wildcats during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 20, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 16: The Iowa Hawkeyes huddle before the championship game against the Connecticut Huskies during the 2K Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Iowa Hawkeyes (1st place)

Biggest takeaway: Much improved defense

The most dominant aspect of the 2K Classic was the frontcourt duo of Tyler Cook and Luke Garza. The duo combined for 48 points in the title game and has established themselves as a force to watch in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes averaged 84 ppg in the two games but offense wasn’t the biggest concern coming into this season. It was on the other end of the court, with Iowa ranking near the bottom in every defensive category a year ago. With basically the same roster coming back, it was a question how much they would improve.

From the looks of things – they improved a lot. Against Oregon, they held them to just 37% shooting, including limiting their star player to just 1/9 from the field. Then in the title game, UConn went a paltry 4/26 from three-point range while committing 15 turnovers in the game. The pressure by the guards was a big difference in the games, causing the Hawkeyes’ opposing perimeters to have bad games altogether.

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There’s still progress that Coach McCaffery’s team needs to make on the defensive end, as they have given up 82 points earlier this season to Green Bay. But with an improved defense combined with an already explosive offense, Iowa will be a much tougher foe than expected in the Big Ten this year.

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