Iowa vs North Carolina proved to be the matchup everyone expected. But the Hawkeyes’ shooting made the difference.
1) Jordan Bohannon, Joe Wieskamp, and CJ Fredrick put on a three point clinic.
Iowa’s guard play was exceptional against North Carolina as they combined to knock down 17 three-pointers. Bohannon lead the team with 24 points, Wieskamp had 19 points and Fredrick had 21 points. These three performances were a critical part of the game, since North Carolina’s defense contained First Team All-American Luka Garza. The production from Garza’s supporting cast is going to play a major role through the season, especially against #1 Gonzaga on December 19th.
2) North Carolina needs to tighten up their defense and turnovers
North Carolina’s struggles on defense were exposed against Iowa after giving up 93 points and 17 three-pointers. They lacked the ability to guard the three-point line and it cost them the game. They also struggled to reduce their turnovers. Against Iowa, they turned the ball over 18 times and washed away any chance of getting a resume-building road win. In their last three games, North Carolina has turned the ball over 56 times. Caleb Love, R.J. Davis, and Leaky Black must improve their turnover problem for North Carolina to beat ranked opponents.
3) The Luka Garza Effect
In his first two games, Luka Garza was outscoring the opponents in the first half by himself. So, only getting 16 points and 14 rebounds against North Carolina was considered to be an average game. Garza was consistently getting double teamed by the North Carolina defense, which allowed his teammates to get a lot of open looks. Being considered the best player in college basketball, Garza will continue to receive this treatment from a lot of teams who will struggle to defend the 6’ 11” center. Fortunately, Garza wasn’t heavily relied on against North Carolina because of the shooting display from Iowa’s guards. Garza will have to continue to be Iowa’s leader and step up in future games, in order for Iowa to continue its success.
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