With the dust still settling from the Iowa Hawkeyes’ exhilarating win over the Florida Gators on the shoulders of Alvaro Folgueiras, who hit a late 3-point shot, the page must quickly turn to the Sweet 16. Iowa is making its first trip to the regional semifinals since 1999, and the matchup couldn’t get any more fun.
In Houston, the Iowa Hawkeyes will meet the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the third time this year. A trip to the Elite Eight is up for grabs. With the tipoff rapidly approaching, CBS Sports dived into the matchup and gave an early prediction and pick.
These teams have played twice. Iowa won at home in a 57-52 rockfight. Nebraska returned the favor by winning at home, 84-75 in overtime, in another to-the-death brawl.
There are no secrets in the rubber match. Nebraska’s no-middle defense has given Iowa real problems both times. The Hawkeyes turned it over 20% of the time in Game 1 and 26% of the time in Game 2. That can’t happen in the third encounter.
Iowa has the best player on the floor, Bennett Stirtz, and can hurt Nebraska on the glass, but the Huskers get the nod because of this pick-and-roll defense. You have to be able to guard ball screens effectively to shut down Iowa, and Nebraska has been an elite pick-and-roll defense, rating in the 99th percentile nationally, per Synergy.
The pick: Nebraska – Isaac Trotter, CBS Sports
With the opening odds putting this game nearly as a toss-up, it figures to be close throughout, just as the two regular-season meetings were. Iowa took down Nebraska 57-52 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but Nebraska earned its revenge in overtime in the regular-season finale.
Tipoff for Iowa versus Nebraska is 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The game will be carried on TBS and truTV.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : CBS Sports gives early Sweet 16 pick, prediction for Iowa vs. Nebraska
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
