Kyle Wiltjer is excited for the Sweet 16 because he's going to Benihana

Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer was "extra motivated" against Iowa because now the Zags get to go to Benihana in Houston for the Sweet 16.

Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer was hungry for a Sweet 16 berth. No, seriously, he was motivated by his stomach.

“I mean, tonight we were extra motivated because we were going to dinner last night and we passed one of my favorite restaurants, Benihana, and we are going to a burger joint,” Wiltjer told reporters after the Zags' win over Iowa. “So I was like, Coach, we should go to Benihana. And one of out assistants said, ‘Hey, if you get the win tonight, we'll go to Benihana in Houston.’ So I was extra motivated because now we get to go to Benihana. So I'm hyped.”

• KEITH: Wiltjer leads Gonzaga to long-awaited Sweet 16 return​

The Bulldogs were playing their opening round games in Seattle, which also happens to be the location of the Benihana franchise nearest their Spokane campus, but the coaches were smart to keep the promise of casual Japanese dining hanging like a carrot on a stick.

Houston actually boasts two Benihana locations, and there's another one in Indianapolis, so we'll know what to credit if Gonzaga advances to its first ever Final Four.

• Gonzaga celebrates with dancing, backflips, handstands​

- Dan Gartland