Here's how Florida can advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 vs Iowa
ESPN breaks down how Florida can prevail over Iowa in the NCAA Tournament second round as March Madness continues on Sunday.
March Madness's Sunday slate of games includes an NCAA Tournament second-round matchup between the top-seeded Florida Gators and ninth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in a battle to advance to the South Region's Sweet 16. Todd Golden's team comes in as a borderline double-digit favorite over the Hawkeyes, but every game in the Big Dance must be taken with a great deal of gravity. ESPN's Jeff Borzello took a look at the two teams ahead of their first-ever meeting on the hardwood, breaking down how each team can beat the other, starting with the Orange and Blue "Florida's game prep will focus on stopping Bennett Stirtz and getting the ball out of his hands," Borzello notes.
"Stirtz is a high-usage point guard, and Ben McCollum's system revolves around him having a hand in nearly every possession. "Boogie Fland has really developed as a defender this season and will likely be tasked with guarding Stirtz. The rest of Florida's plan will be about imposing its will," he offers.
"The Gators are bigger and more athletic than Iowa, and they're elite on defense. If they can speed the game up and make Iowa uncomfortable, it's hard to picture the Hawkeyes keeping up. Iowa hasn't played a game with more than 70 possessions this season; Florida averages 70.
7 possessions per game, per KenPom. " How Iowa can beat Florida in NCAA Tournament second round "On paper, Iowa is in for a tough night down low against Florida," Borzello begins. "The Gators have one of the most dominant frontcourts in the country, ranking second nationally in paint points per game and third in second-chance points per game.