Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Iowa vs Gonzaga, Missouri vs UK and other key questions

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammates in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 2, 2020; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) celebrates with teammates in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
NCAA Basketball
NCAA Basketball Aaron Henry Michigan State Spartans (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

2. If you had to bet 1 million dollars, which Big Ten team goes the furthest in March?

Chris Thedinga

Iowa will be the trendy pick, but I expect Michigan State to go the furthest come March Madness. If I am going to throw down one million dollars on a Big Ten team, it has to be the team coached by Tom Izzo. Rocket Watts is high-class fun, and Joey Hauser has been incredibly efficient. The Spartans are incredibly balanced, with eight players averaging over five points per game.

Jacob Zinkula

While Iowa’s defense (77th in KenPom) is concerning, the team’s No. 1 offense can score with anyone in the country. Player of the Year favorite Luka Garza is capable of carrying the Hawkeyes in the postseason, but even when he struggles (like did against North Carolina), Iowa has plenty of scoring threats to pick up the slack. Wisconsin would be my No. 2 choice, as the Badgers are the only Big Ten team that can boast a top 20 offense AND defense (19th, 8th).

Benjamin Zacher

I have become so much more comfortable with Iowa since the start of the season, so my answer is the Hawkeyes.  I am not sure if I have seen an offense as deadly as theirs since the 2016 Villanova national title team.

They might run into a buzzsaw when they face a stellar defensive team, but, I mean, they just shoot the lights out every night – this is the most “defense optional” group I have ever seen and it works.  How do you shut down a team that is shooting 59.2% on two-pointers (33rd-best) and 39.8% from outside (35th-best) – and averaging 100.5 points a game?

I would not sleep on Rutgers, though.  They have been playing without star guard Geo Baker since the first game of the season, and they have won their first four games by double-digits.  Ron Harper Jr. is a legitimate First Team All-Big Ten caliber type of star, and I am sure the Scarlet Knights are hungry for some NCAA Tournament action after being robbed of it last year.

Nicholas Diamantis

I would bet my $1 million on Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans. Yes, I know Iowa and Illinois are the favored teams in the Big Ten, but experience means everything in March. The Spartans quickly got the nation’s attention by knocking off respectable ACC opponents in Notre Dame and Duke to start the season. I fully expect this Michigan State squad, led by Izzo Joey Hauser and Rocket Watts, to run their way to a Final Four appearance.

Joey Loose

Every year is different, but March is when the brightest stars come to shine and Luka Garza might be the brightest star in college basketball this season. Robbed of a chance at a run last season, Garza and Iowa will be motivated and could be in a prime position for a top seed in this year’s tournament. Don’t sleep on Michigan State or Illinois, but Garza and the Hawkeyes have been dominant in the early going this season.

Andrew Tineo

I’m taking all of my money to the bank and cashing in on Michigan State. Although Iowa is another very intriguing option, Michigan State’s roster is built for the long haul. Neither team plays excellent defense and both are among the highest-scoring teams in the Big 10 conference. Iowa dominates with play from Luka Garza. Although he has been fantastic, he has shown some flaws, when rightly game-planned against.

Against North Carolina, they had three players 6 foot 11 inches or taller constantly in rotation. Garza shot 6-20 on the night in their win. Michigan State has nearly five players scoring in double figures and are a program built for big games and deep NCAA Tournament runs. With a team that consists of many previous Top 100 recruits and experience in March, I’m banking on the Spartans to make the deepest run.

Home/NCAA Basketball News