Why ESPN’s Jay Bilas is picking the Iowa Hawkeyes to top the Auburn Tigers

Right here’s what Jay Bilas needed to say about how Iowa can win this sport. Quite a lot of this can sound fairly acquainted for Hawkeye followers.

Offense effectivity and execution, tempo, 3-point taking pictures. Iowa can merely outscore groups, quite than lock down groups and win with protection. The Hawkeyes win when their offense carries them, not when their protection locks down, which it not often does. Iowa scores simply from a number of positions, and takes actually excellent care of the ball. Iowa turns it over on solely 14% of its possessions, probably the greatest turnover charges within the nation. That results in extra pictures, extra offensive-rebound possibilities, and extra possibilities to get fouled.

Kris Murray, the lefty twin of NBA star Keegan Murray, is the headliner, and he has an entire flooring sport. Murray averaged 20 factors on 47% taking pictures over this final 10 regular-season video games, and could be very constant at a excessive stage. A key will probably be getting pictures for Payton Sandfort, who knocked in 46% of his deep pictures over his final 10 regular-season video games. Iowa pushes tempo, modifications defenses to hurry, gradual and disrupt the sport, and infrequently fouls. It is a high-assist, low-turnover staff that may make pictures. – Bilas, ESPN.