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Iowa Basketball: 3 keys for Hawkeyes to beat No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs

By Carter Landis

IOWA CITY, IOWA- DECEMBER 08: Head coach Fran McCaffery of the Iowa Hawkeyes during a timeout in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, on December 8, 2020 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- DECEMBER 08: Head coach Fran McCaffery of the Iowa Hawkeyes during a timeout in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, on December 8, 2020 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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Iowa Basketball
Luka Garza Iowa Hawkeyes (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Two of the best offenses showdown in a potentially high-scoring game. What do Luka Garza and Iowa Basketball have to do to pull an upset against Gonzaga?

So, we didn’t get to see No. 1 vs. No. 2. How about No. 1 vs. No. 3?

After we were so unfortunately robbed of getting to see Gonzaga take on Baylor a few weeks ago due to positive COVID-19 tests, getting to watch Gonzaga take on Iowa instead is a fantastic consolation prize.

We will watch the best team in the country in the Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. the Big Ten & National Player of the Year Luka Garza and his Iowa Hawkeyes, who come in ranked third in the nation.

The Bulldogs have been the best team in college basketball this season. They are incredibly deep, they play suffocating defense, and it’s tough to keep up with them on the offensive end. Jalen Suggs looks like the best point guard in the nation and a top-five pick in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft. Drew Timme and Corey Kispert are unstoppable wings. Joel Ayayi is an absolute stat sheet stuffer.

In the early going of the season, the Hawkeyes look like the class of the Big Ten. Garza should top every list of best players in the country, as he is no doubt the face of college basketball this season. He comes in averaging an easy 29/9, also posting career numbers in every category and shooting a blazing 68% from 3. The Hawkeyes are the highest-scoring team in college hoops, and Garza is a big reason why.

If the Hawkeyes want to pull the upset (is it really an upset? Both teams are so evenly matched), they’ll need to do a few things well. Let’s take a look at what they are.

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