The No.2-seeded Villanova Wildcats (30-5) square off against the No.7-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes (22-10) in the second round of the NCAA tournament at the Barclays Center. The game starts at 12:10 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on CBS.
The Wildcats won big over UNC Asheville 86-56 in the First Round. Daniel Ochefu played a pivotal role, recording his eighth double-double this season with 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, are coming off a 72-70 win over Temple in the First Round. Jarrod Uthoff led the team in scoring with 23 points on 7-for-21 shooting.
This battle pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Villanova currently ranks 23rd in the nation in offensive efficiency and Iowa is 24th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Hawkeyes commit the third-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 14.8%), while the disruptive defense of the Wildcats causes the 12th-most (opponents’ TO% of 20.6%).
The Wildcats have gone 30-5 Straight Up (SU) and 17-17 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-8 ATS. The Wildcats are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting a superb .775 from the free throw line. Villanova is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.47. Villanova’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Wildcats allow a .399 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
In the other locker room, the Hawkeyes head into the game with records of 15-16 ATS and 22-10 SU. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Hawkeyes. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the country at 1.56. The Iowa defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .308 shooting from three-point range.
Villanova and Iowa will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Iowa, ATS Winner – Iowa
Notes
In its last game, Iowa won by a margin of two points. Villanova is 1-1 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Iowa has a 2-3 record in close games.
The Villanova Wildcats have the best defense in the country, giving up just 94.6 points per 100 possessions. The Iowa Hawkeyes rank 36th in offense, scoring 113.3 points in the same number of possessions.
The Villanova Wildcats average a field goal percentage of 47.1% this season. The Iowa Hawkeyes have a losing record of 1-4 when opponents have a FG% of 47.1% or greater.
The Villanova Wildcats and the Iowa Hawkeyes both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Villanova is 37th and 21st in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Iowa is 141st and 126th in these categories.
Villanova ranks 28th in assists, recording 16.3 per game. Iowa ranks 36th with 15.9 assists per game.
Iowa, the 36th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.8 per game. Villanova does worse, ranked 166th with 3.5.
Villanova ranks 289th in offensive rebounds, while Iowa ranks 89th in defensive rebounds.
The Iowa Hawkeyes make an average of 6.8 steals per game. When the Villanova Wildcats give up 6 or more steals, they are a stellar 13-3.
