WHO: #10 seed Georgia Bulldogs (22-11 total, 9-7 in SEC)
WHEN: Sunday, March 19 at 2 PM CT
WHERE: Carver Hawkeye Area (Iowa Metropolis, Iowa)
TV: ABC
RADIO: Hawkeye Radio Community | Sirius/XM TBD
MOBILE: www.espn.com/app
ONLINE: www.espn.com/watch
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @IowaWBB | @IowaonBTN
Iowa followers are understandably fearful about this recreation. Simply final 12 months, 10-seed Creighton defeated Iowa within the second spherical of the NCAA Match to start a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight.
Now Cedar Rapids native and former Iowa participant Katie Abrahamson-Henderson brings her 10-seeded Georgia workforce to Iowa Metropolis trying to full a storybook ending of her personal. What issues will Georgia current for Iowa on Sunday?
Georgia is led by its protection. The Bulldogs rank twenty fifth nationally in opponent’s factors per 100 possessions and 14th nationally in steal fee.
An enormous motive for that defensive success is Georgia’s zone. The Bulldogs will doubtless play a 3-2 (or 1-2-2) zone all the recreation. At its finest, the zone is supposed to trigger chaos on the perimeter via aggressive traps on the wing or within the corners. Towards Florida State, Georgia had a pair runs of success producing turnovers within the second quarter and early fourth quarter. These turnovers—particularly within the fourth—helped swing momentum within the recreation.
However outdoors of these two intervals, Georgia’s zone didn’t trigger Florida State that many points. The Seminoles common 13.5 turnovers per recreation and solely had 14 in opposition to Georgia.
After I consider aggressive, turnover-focused zones I believe Northwestern. The Wildcats had been down this 12 months, however brought about Iowa issues in Caitlin Clark’s first two years as a result of they by no means cease trying to flip groups over. I don’t suppose this Georgia protection is kind of that disruptive.
The most important good thing about Georgia’s 3-2 zone in opposition to Florida State was limiting dribble penetration. When Georgia was set Florida State bought little or no going to the basket all recreation. As an alternative, the Seminoles settled for jumpers that they principally missed outdoors of some scorching streaks like within the recreation’s opening minutes.
Like all defenses, the 3-2 zone has its weaknesses. Lots of Florida State’s jumpers had been vast open. Had Florida State shot properly from three, the sport might’ve gone very in another way.
Specifically, Georgia’s zone is inclined to overloads the place the opposing offense has a shooter on the wing, within the nook, and a publish on the low block. Like all zones, groups can even unlock it by way of fast passes that swing the ball earlier than the zone has time to shift. There isn’t a higher participant at placing lengthy skip passes on the cash than Clark.
Florida State additionally discovered some success in opening up the zone by finishing entry passes to a excessive publish situated across the free throw line. Normally one of many backside two zone defenders got here as much as guard the excessive publish, liberating up Florida State’s publish in a 1-on-1 matchup and opening slicing lanes for the alternative wing.
The excellent news for Iowa is that the Hawkeyes have confronted Georgia’s zone and several other of its key gamers earlier than. Abrahamson-Henderson was at Central Florida final 12 months, and the Knights traveled to Iowa Metropolis in December 2021. That recreation was tied at halftime, earlier than Iowa took a 13-point lead within the third quarter. UCF battled again to get the deficit into single digits, however Iowa held on for a 69-61 victory.
As talked about, Iowa has additionally performed a number of good Northwestern zones and has loads of expertise with groups that wish to lure and apply strain.
Georgia’s rebounding prowess was high of Coach Bluder’s thoughts in yesterday’s post-game press convention. The Bulldogs 37.3% offensive rebounding fee—good for twenty sixth nationally—is due largely to their size, athleticism, and physicality within the paint.
The Bulldogs typically play with two posts across the basket. Additionally they attempt to drive and shoot plenty of two-point jumpers. In consequence, they’ve plenty of our bodies within the paint accessible to seize offensive rebounds. The offensive rebounds are a key element of the Bulldog offense, as a result of they don’t shoot significantly properly from any place on the ground.
Iowa is an efficient defensive rebounding workforce. Its 76% defensive rebounding fee ranks fifth nationally. However the Hawks additionally haven’t performed many groups that rebound as properly and which might be as bodily as Georgia.
If Iowa can win the battle on the defensive glass, the Hawkeyes have an excellent probability to win this recreation. If they will’t, then Georgia would possibly be capable of maintain tempo with Iowa even when the Hawks are scoring properly on the opposite finish.
Georgia’s offense is sort of the alternative of Iowa’s offense. The Bulldogs would quite sluggish issues down than play quick. They don’t take many three-pointers, preferring as a substitute to shoot from two. Generally they get to the basket, however usually they pull-up and shoot two-point jumpers, hoping that these photographs fall or that they will depend on their offensive rebounding to get a second probability.
Georgia’s offense can also be pretty balanced. The Bulldogs’ main scorer shoots 11.9 photographs per recreation. After her, they’ve 5 gamers that common between 6-10 photographs per video games. On the one hand, that could be a good factor. Iowa doesn’t should try to cease an excellent publish like Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes or a pure shooter like UConn’s Azzi Fudd. However, it means Iowa can’t key its protection on anybody participant and that Georgia has loads of gamers who can step up if one or two are having a tough recreation.
5’8″ guard Diamond Battles is Georgia’s main scorer. She averages 14.5 ppg, 1.7 spg, and shoots 44.3% from 2 and 26.2% from 3. Battles is a switch from UCF. She scored 12 factors in opposition to Iowa in final 12 months’s UCF recreation, although she shot simply 3-11 on the day.
6’3″ ahead Brittney Smith is Georgia’s second main scorer. She averages 11.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and shoots 49.8 % from 2.
Fellow ahead Javyn Nicholson, listed at 6’2″, is the workforce’s main rebounder at 7.0 rpg. She additionally 9.5 ppg and shoots 52.8% from 2.
Lastly, Alisha Lewis, listed at 5’7″, has solely began 4 video games all season, however to my eye she is the very best facilitator on Georgia’s workforce. She averages a workforce finest 4.4 assists per recreation, and likewise leads the workforce with 2.1 steals per recreation. She additionally has expertise in opposition to Iowa, enjoying practically 34 minutes in UCF’s loss to the Hawkeyes final 12 months.
Capturing. Florida State shot 29 three-pointers in its first-round recreation in opposition to Georgia. Lots of these photographs had been open as a result of Georgia was extra centered on maintaining Florida State out of the paint. The Seminoles made simply 8 of these threes, good for 27.6% on the day. Had Florida State transformed on a pair extra of these three-point makes an attempt, the sport would possibly’ve turned out in another way. Georgia solely actually seized management within the fourth quarter.
Iowa is an excellent taking pictures workforce. If Georgia retains Iowa out of the paint early, the Hawks might want to hit the open threes it will get to maintain tempo. Hitting threes also needs to open up the zone a bit, as Georgia might want to stretch its zone to stop additional open photographs.
