Game Thread: 2nd seed Gonzaga vs 7th seed Iowa - TBS - 7:10 pm EST

[iowajerms]

Who is going to win?

 

[podsox]

2nd best game on the slate today behind Kansas/Wichita imo

 

[iowajerms]

What I find interesting is that Iowa has remained under-the-radar until they destroyed Davidson. They did lose to PSU in the B1G tourney, yes. They did lose a couple horrible ones during season, yes. But they have won 7 of last 8 games and Aaron has been one of the best players in the country during that stretch.

I think whoever wins this makes the Elite 8 and possibly the Final Four depending on upsets. I am definitely homering this one though. White will get 20-25 points with double-double.

 

[podsox]

What I find interesting is that Iowa has remained under-the-radar until they destroyed Davidson. They did lose to PSU in the B1G tourney, yes. They did lose a couple horrible ones during season, yes. But they have won 7 of last 8 games and Aaron has been one of the best players in the country during that stretch.

I think whoever wins this makes the Elite 8 and possibly the Final Four depending on upsets. I am definitely homering this one though. White will get 20-25 points with double-double.

I was at the penn st game. they played a hell of a game and iowa couldn't finish at the rim. I still think they should run more plays for uthoff. I just love this zags team though

 

[Runeman]

Really like Gonzaga....close loss to Arizona and a good win over UCLA. That Kentucky Cast-off, Wilcher(sp) LOL, turned out to be a great player.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Any guesses on who said this:

they spent the year beating up on weak teams. Sorry; we see this every year; a team that wins a bunch of games over suspect competition and somehow gets ranked in the top 5; gets a great seed and loses to average team from a very strong conference.

Hint: He really likes Gonzaga.

 

[Runeman]

Any guesses on who said this:



Hint: He really likes Gonzaga.

Still acting like a little girl I see.

 

[Anointed One]

GO ZAGS!

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Still acting like a little girl I see.

Stop with your name calling you big meany!

 

[Cave_Johnson]

If Iowa is as hot shooting as they were against Davidson they'll probably win. This kind of thing happens to Gonzaga a lot in the tournament, see two years ago when they were a 1 seed and Wichita State was nailing a bunch of 30 foot threes against them.

 

[iowajerms]

NCAA tournament preview: Gonzaga vs. Iowa

Why Gonzaga will win: Gonzaga, the No. 2 seed in the South, has one of its best tournament teams as it tries to break through to its first Final Four. The Bulldogs got a big challenge from North Dakota State in the second round 86-76 win), but 6-10 forward Kyle Wiltjer came through again with 23 points. The veteran backdourt of Kevin Pangos (18) and Gary Bell Jr. (13) contributed.

Why Iowa will win: The Hawkeyes, the No. 7 seed, lost to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament. Before that, they won six in a row. Key to their offense is versatile forward Aaron White, who had another big game (26 points) in Iowa's 83-52 win against Davidson in the second round.

 

[iowajerms]

Iowa-Gonzaga Preview | FOX Sports

Kevin Pangos insists it's not pressure, even if it remains the question that has lingered his entire career at Gonzaga.

For all their wins, the Bulldogs have not reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2009. That fact has created a drive for Pangos and his teammates to finally end the string of early departures.

''There is a process of what it takes along the way, to focus on what it takes to win that one game,'' Pangos said. ''It's not in my mind. My mind is what we have to do.''

There may not be a better chance for the second-seeded Bulldogs (33-2) to reach the Sweet 16 than Sunday's matchup with No. 7 seed Iowa, playing essentially a home game just four hours from campus in an arena where they're comfortable.

Five straight years Gonzaga has exited the tournament in the round of 32. It has reached the second weekend only twice in the last 14 tournaments.

Being at this stage is familiar for the Bulldogs. And so is the disappointment that followed.

The Bulldogs haven't always been handed the easiest round of 32 assignments since last reaching the Sweet 16 in 2009. Only once during this five-year run was Gonzaga the higher seed.

Twice they were knocked out by No. 1 seeds: Syracuse in 2010 and Arizona in 2014. Second-seeded Ohio State eliminated the Bulldogs in 2012 and a year earlier it was No. 3 BYU. The one that sticks out the most is two years ago when Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed and got knocked out by ninth-seeded Wichita State as the Shockers made a surprising run to the Final Four.

Ultimately, for Gonzaga's stature nationally, it's more than just getting to the second weekend. It was 16 years ago when Gonzaga burst onto the national scene with an unlikely run to a regional final. The Bulldogs have not been back to the Elite Eight since and waiting in the round of 16 is No. 11 seed UCLA, a team Gonzaga beat 87-74 in Los Angeles in December.

That's all in the bigger picture. The more immediate worry is the trouble Iowa (22-11) can cause with size and athleticism that matches Gonzaga's at nearly every position.

''We haven't seen size like this in any of our non-league games or anything. This is a really, really long team,'' Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. ''When we're on offense, it's going to be interesting to see how our guys adjust to that.''

No team among the four winners in Seattle on Friday was more impressive than Iowa with its 83-52 blowout of Davidson. Aaron White displayed his explosiveness as a scorer with 17 of his 26 points coming in a seven-minute span of the second half.

The Hawkeyes understand they will essentially be playing a road game. That's not necessarily a bad thing for Iowa, with wins this season at North Carolina, Ohio State and Michigan.

''It still comes down to what happens when you take the floor,'' Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. ''Do you take care of the ball, do you move the ball, do you get good shots, can you rebound with this team?''

Here are other things to watch for as the schools meet for just the third time:

WILTJER WHITE: No, that's not an unknown character from ''Breaking Bad.'' While they may not always match up against each other, the showdown between Iowa's White and Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer will be one to watch.

They're both power forwards with the skills of a guard. Wiltjer is more of a pure shooter, while White excels at working off the ball and getting his points through movement. Both can go inside and work on the low block with success.

CHOOSING TEMPO: Iowa can play fast offensively. It's one of eight teams in the round of 64 to top 80 points. But getting into a track meet with Gonzaga might be risky. The Bulldogs averaged 79 points for the season and topped 80 points 19 times.

''Nothing would change for us in terms of what have we try to do,'' McCaffery said. ''We try to score in the 80s every game if we can.''

IOWA'S STREAK: While most of the attention is on whether Gonzaga can finally get back to a Sweet 16, Iowa has its own second-weekend drought. The Hawkeyes last played in the round of 16 in 1999. The victory over Davidson was Iowa's first tourney win since 2001.

 

[Runeman]

Any guesses on who said this:



Hint: He really likes Gonzaga.

And you don't?

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

And you don't?

they spent the year beating up on weak teams. Sorry; we see this every year; a team that wins a bunch of games over suspect competition and somehow gets ranked in the top 5; gets a great seed and loses to average team from a very strong conference.

 

[Runeman]

they spent the year beating up on weak teams. Sorry; we see this every year; a team that wins a bunch of games over suspect competition and somehow gets ranked in the top 5; gets a great seed and loses to average team from a very strong conference.

Wise words; please go away and sent Trolly back; LOL

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Wise words; please go away and sent Trolly back; LOL

I love that you are so stupid you can't even see your own hypocrisy, even when it is pointed out to you in no uncertain terms. It's probably your most endearing quality.

 

[Runeman]

I love that you are so stupid you can't even see your own hypocrisy, even when it is pointed out to you in no uncertain terms. It's probably your most endearing quality.

Back to name calling I see, and of course I knew you were quoting my post. You were unable to see the irony in my reply. Sorry your comprehension skills are limited. At any rate, let's make this the last of the bickering. It really does ruin a thoughtful thread. I have done it a few times in the past and you seem to make a habit of it. Your ego cup runeth over and that's OK as you want everyone to consider you the most knowledgeable on here....and maybe you are. You just like to be condescending to those of us who don't spend the entire day on this forum. Make you a deal. I won't respond to any of your posts and you do the same...for the sake of the forum.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

I won't respond to any of your posts and you do the same...for the sake of the forum.

For not wanting to keep this going, you sure are perpetuating it in other threads.

 

[iowajerms]

Iowa's line-up

Aaron White - 1st Team All-B1G. He has around 7 double-doubles this season, mostly in the last 6 games of the season. Great at causing fouls and good at free throws. Leads the team in points and steals. Even if Iowa plays like crap, you can expect him to still have a good game.

Jarod Uthoff - Doesn't make too many mistakes. He's either on fire shooting or can't make anything. One of the best 3-point shooters on the team. Leads the team in rebounds.

Mike Gasell - One of the more frustrating players on Iowa. Doesn't always make the smartest choices. Shoots bad shots and causes dumb fouls. But he is one of the better all-around players ever had as a sophomore.

Peter Jok - I would say worst of the starters. Battled Clemmons for starting spot all season. If Jok is on fire, he is hitting everything, but down more than on fire. He is young.

Adam Woodbury - Iowa's 7-footer. You never seen a D-1 7-footer dunk as less as him. Most of the season, he was too aggressive defensively and got into a lot of foul trouble. I fear the Zags will get him in foul trouble. Most of the season, he was horrible with ball control but has done better since Iowa started the 6-game inning streak. Not bad offensively but would like to see more aggression under the hoop. Horrible free throw shooter.

Gabriel Oleseni - Another big one from Iowa. Iowa's 6th man and B1G's 6th man of the year. Leads the team in blocks. Last year, he was amazing to watch. Not as much this season. He is good in the paint.

Anthony Clemmons - He has the right attitude, just not good enough for it. Horrible passer and forces far too many shots. But he can defend good. Can be good at changing momentum though.

Josh Oglesby - If he is on fire, he can make it from anywhere. Just not consistent. Last year, he was one of the best clutch players on the team. This year, he had his moments. He may need to be on fire in tis game, especially if Uthoff is not draining 3 pointers.

 

[CatsTopPac]

I think if this game wasn't in Seattle, Iowa would have a great chance. Not that it's certain they lose, but it's basically a home game for the Zags.

I wouldn't be surprised if Iowa wins (my record on the Zags speaks for itself), but the Zags should win this game.