BIRMINGHAM | I sat down with Adam Jacobi, the writer of Go Iowa Superior, a part of the Rivals.com household, on Wednesday to debate the Hawkeyes, their season, what Auburn ought to count on from Fran McCaffery’s group and extra.

What has the season been like for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

It has been an unorthodox 12 months in a number of methods. They’ve two sixth-year seniors, neither of which the group actually knew have been going to be coming again this 12 months till they introduced it. They’re each on their covid years, Filip Rebrača and Connor McCaffery. They have been kind of the rocks of this group, they usually’ve actually wanted it as a result of there’s been a few instances the place however this season has been kind of on the precipice of falling off in a nasty manner.

After an honest begin, they misplaced three in a row, together with to Jap Illinois. Objectively one of many worst groups in Division-I. I feel on KenPom, it is rated as the largest upset of your complete season. Completely no enterprise shedding that sport. And so they had some guys out too, however that was a state of affairs the place it may well actually derail a whole season.

After which they misplaced their first two Massive Ten video games as nicely. So that they’re sitting at 8-6. And at that time, you are 8-6, 0-3 within the Massive Ten; you are not even interested by the event. So that they go down 20 factors early to Indiana at dwelling. Vibes are terrible. They flip it round with an enormous comeback, find yourself successful that sport, find yourself stringing some wins collectively, ended up ending over .500 within the Massive Ten.

However then additionally, later within the season, they’d began to place a number of losses collectively too. They’re all the way down to Michigan State. I need to say it was 12 factors with a couple of minute left. A state of affairs the place in no circumstances are you anticipating to win that sport, after which they pull off an absolute miracle of a comeback, kind of regenerate the event run for the season and find yourself right here.

What ought to Auburn count on from Iowa?

So you do not actually know what model of this group you are going to get sport to sport. And so it might be very harmful for his or her opponent or, you recognize, it might be very useful. It is dependent upon if the photographs are dropping or not. And that is the group that relies upon very a lot on getting sizzling and staying sizzling with its jumpers. Generally it really works, and if it does, anybody can go all the way down to them. However anybody can beat them, too, Jap Illinois included.

What makes Kris Murray so particular?

He is an attention-grabbing case. Each he and Keegan (4th decide within the 2022 NBA Draft) have been nearly unrecruited popping out of highschool. Keegan had one D-1 provide, and it was from Western Illinois, they usually had simply misplaced their coach, and their total recruiting class had decommitted, so he wasn’t even certain if the provide was nonetheless legitimate. They go all the way down to prep faculty, they usually each develop to about 6-foot-8, which is lots completely different from 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6.

They play in opposition to some actually good competitors, put up some actually good numbers and are available up right here. A variety of improvement that they should do. Keegan stays about one 12 months forward of Kris, so he places up All-American-type numbers his sophomore 12 months whereas Kris is simply breaking the lineup as kind of a sixth man. After which Kris follows that very same path, and right here he’s as a 20-point, seven-rebound a sport man. And actually, about the one distinction between the 2, nicely, I suppose there are two large variations. One is Keegan’s a couple of 12 months forward in that very same actual development, but in addition, uh, Kris Murray’s left-handed. So it is a bit of bit completely different, and actually that is the one manner that we all know that Kris is not only Keegan Murray. We all know he cannot shoot left-handed.

However he’s very proficient and performs inside himself very nicely. He is extra of a finesse man than you’ll count on for anyone of that dimension. Identical even keel. You do not see any demonstrative conduct from both of them on the courtroom. Keegan’s received that little bit extra of killer intuition than we have seen from Kris to date. Though, within the win at Indiana, we noticed Kris Murray actually, actually flip right into a dominant participant. And if he performs like that within the event once more, Iowa’s gonna trigger some actual issues for individuals.

His protection, you see steals out of him, you see blocks out of him. He’s joyful to take the group’s most tough defensive task. However a consummate teammate and might get going from deep particularly, so Auburn is admittedly gonna need to play bodily with him. Attempt to take him out of his rhythm. And if that features some arduous protection in making the referees name some fouls, so be it. And from what I’ve gathered, feels like Auburn could be more than pleased to do this.

Who’s Iowa’s X-factor?

Payton Sandfort simply received Massive Ten Sixth Man of the 12 months. And he has, it is both six video games of 20 factors with 5 in opposition to Massive Ten opponents, or it is 5 and 4 in opposition to Massive Ten opponents. So he has a number of 20-point video games in all, however a few of them got here in robust video games. Yeah. He is a shooter from deep, and if he will get going, he is received the purest stroke on the group, together with Kris.

He is a little bit of a straw that stirs the drink on protection too.

What weak point of Iowa may Auburn benefit from?

I do not need to essentially characterize it as psychological as a result of I do not know that for certain, however anytime that you just get a group that relies upon a lot on getting sizzling and staying sizzling on offense, if they arrive up throughout a protection that kind of takes them out of that rhythm and is aware of tips on how to preserve them out of it, that is very tough that we have seen from this group to kind of get round.

The perimeter protection can be not nice both.