Iowa Hawkeyes: 21-8 (14-6)
Weakness
Iowa does not play nearly as much zone defense as they should. Usually, zone defense is utilized to protect your player in the paint from picking up fouls or to limit the amount of time a post player gets puts into isolation on the perimeter. Iowa should play zone in order to compensate for their below-average athletic and undersized guards.
Whether it was Isaiah Livers scoring 16, Ayo Dosunmu scoring 18, or Duane Washington scoring 16 in victories over Iowa, bigger, athletic guards will not only be able to get to the basket versus Jordan Bohannon and CJ Frederick but prevent the Iowa backcourt from running their offense.
Strength
When you have Luka Garza on your team, a lot of your strength originates from the almost 24 points he averages on his 55 percent shooting. Coach McCaffery will be able to go eleven players deep as they surround Garza with shooters on the perimeter.
With Garza in the middle, the defending guards must double-down allowing for Garza to kick out to the perimeter and swing the ball until they find an open man. If the Hawkeyes have a lead late in the game, Garza’s effectiveness will ensure the sixth highest-scoring offense in the nation keeps any late lead.