March Madness: the three keys for Wisconsin against Iowa State
After beating Colgate in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the Wisconsin Badgers will look to knock off Iowa State on Sunday in the second round to make the Sweet 16. The game is set to tip-off at 5:10 p.m. central time in Milwaukee, with the Badgers expecting a heavy home-court advantage.
While Wisconsin is an early three-point betting favorite, Iowa State has a stellar backcourt that will push the Badgers. I spoke with one of my closest friends, Andrew, an Iowa State fan, yesterday to get the details on the Cyclones. Based on our conversation, here are three components of the game that could determine if the Badgers will move on.
Slow Iowa State's backcourt
Wisconsin and Iowa State are each led by their backcourts.
While the Badgers lean on the playmaking ability of Johnny Davis, the three-point shooting of Brad Davison, and the steady play of Chucky Hepburn, the Cyclones have a pair of guards that are also incredibly impressive.
Here is what Andrew had to say about each of Iowa State's starting backcourt player members:
Izaiah Brockington - 17.3 points, seven rebounds per game
Everything starts with Brockington. He has a lethal mid-range game and loves to get to his left hand but struggles to go right. He was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and finished second in Player of the Year voting for the conference. When Iowa State needs a basket, he is the guy they go through, and he might be their best on-ball defender. Brockington held Keegen Murray of Iowa to only 9 points when they played, so keep an eye on him if he is guarding Johnny Davis.
Tyrese Hunter - 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game
Hunter was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and is one of the best young guards in the country. In the latter half of the season, his ability to control the game and shooting numbers have greatly improved. Hunter is best on the defensive end of the floor, however. He averages two steals a game, picks his man up early, and is a pest when guarding the ball. Hunter is also great in rotational defense, willingly digging down in the post and poking the ball away. Playing back in his hometown in Milwaukee has only given him a boost of confidence, as seen in his 23-point performance against LSU.
Wisconsin needs to keep both Brockington and Hunter in front of them because both are better slashers than outside shooters. Brockington put up good numbers against the Badgers when he was with Penn State, so it will be critical for Greg Gard to have a solid gameplan to limit his penetrating ability.
If the Badgers want to take down Iowa State, slowing down one of the best backcourts in the Big 12 will be the primary concern. The rest of the Cyclone roster is not nearly as effective on the offensive end, so Wisconsin would be wise to force Iowa State's frontcourt and bench to beat them.
Ben Carlson gave the Badgers great minutes off the bench against Colgate with multiple offensive rebounds.
Crash the glass
One of Iowa State's weaknesses is rebounding. While the Badgers average 35 rebounds and have a net positive rebounding margin this season, Iowa State has struggled at times and holds a negative margin.
Wisconsin secured some timely offensive rebounds against Colgate that generated second-chance points. Considering Iowa State's smaller frontcourt, Wisconsin could find similar success on the glass on Sunday.
Neither Wisconsin nor Iowa State is overly strong shooting teams. As a result, there should be plenty of opportunities on the boards, and that is an area the Badgers have a definitive advantage heading into the game.
Feed Tyler Wahl inside
Iowa State has one of the best defenses in the country. The Cyclones are No. 10 in adjusted defense according to KenPom and rely on heavy ball pressure from their guards to generate steals and force chaos.
While Tyrese Hunter and Izaiah Brockington generally make life hard on the offense, Andrew mentioned that Iowa State's frontcourt players are a liability against in the post and when forced to move their feet against dribble penetration.
Wisconsin forward Tyler Wahl could be an x-factor against Iowa State.
Wisconsin began to turn the Colgate game back in their favor when they got the ball to Tyler Wahl in the second half. The junior forward is a tough matchup with his ability to score around the rim in multiple ways, and he could have a big game against Iowa State if he plays aggressively. Johnny Davis is bound to get a bunch of attention from the Cyclones, so passing the ball into the post to Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl could be necessary. Not only does Wisconsin have the advantage in the post, but Iowa State's big men frequently get into foul trouble, which only exacerbates their frontcourt issues.
Working the ball inside-out through Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl might be the move for the Badgers on Sunday. Wisconsin will need to shoot well from the floor and at the free-throw line, but against Iowa State, the first team to 65 might win this game.
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