Washington State vs. Iowa State March Madness Preview and Prediction
In a No. 7 vs. No. 2 matchup in the NCAA Tournament East Region, the Washington State Cougars face the Iowa State Cyclones in second-round action.
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How to Watch Washington State vs. Iowa State
When: 6:10 pm ET on Saturday, March 23rd
Where: CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska
Watch: TNT
Odds for Washington State vs. Iowa State
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Iowa State -8.5
Total: 127
DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | Washington State vs. Iowa State Matchup
East Region No. 7 Washington State Cougars
Washington State didn’t look like much through the first few months of the season. But the Cougars turned it on in Pac-12 play, and a road win over Arizona to sweep the season series solidified their spot in this tournament. Washington State’s duo of Isaac Jones and Myles Rice is dangerous. Jones is a guy that scores, rebounds and protects the rim. He was one of the best players in the Big Sky for Idaho last year, and his production has translated in a big way. Meanwhile, Rice leaves a lot to be desired as a shooter, but he can get himself to the basket to make plays for himself and teammates. And he’s a nice tone setter on the defensive end. Overall, the Cougars are a team that can be tough as nails. They defend hard and work the glass relentlessly. But winning rock fights every night isn’t easy. Washington State will need to shoot the 3 better than it normally does to make a run.
East Region No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State is one of the most interesting teams in the field. The Cyclones played a really soft nonconference schedule, but they proved their mettle by earning wins over Houston (twice) and Kansas during the regular season. And Iowa State is a team that defends like hell and does it in a smart way. The Cyclones work hard to prevent opponents from getting good looks from 3, instead opting to force them into tough 2s. They also force turnovers at a higher rate than anybody in the country. Iowa State’s only real issue is that the offense is rather pedestrian. The Cyclones don’t have anybody that can really be relied on to get buckets late in the game. It’s seemingly somebody different every night, but you want a safety valve in this type of tournament. But Iowa State’s offense was good enough to beat Houston’s elite defense, so the Cyclones have proven they can take anyone down.
Washington State vs. Iowa State Preview & Prediction
Washington State has some offensive deficiencies, so this is a really tough draw for the Cougars. Iowa State is second in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency this year, and the team is top 50 when it comes to both 2P% and 3P% defense. The Cyclones just go out there and give opponents hell for 40 minutes, and that includes forcing turnovers. That said, Washington State is going to need to play uncharacteristically well offensively in order to compete in this game. But that’s going to be hard for the Cougars to do without shooting the ball well. If they can’t find a way to space the floor and open up the middle of the court, they’ll be completely suffocated here.
The good news for the Cougars is that the Cyclones aren’t anything special offensively. They’re barely a top-50 team when it comes to adjusted offensive efficiency. So, Washington State’s 28th-ranked defense will likely look pretty good. But the Cyclones just have a little more juice offensively, and they’re the better defensive team. So, even if this does end up being a competitive game, they should find a way to pull it out in the end. Having a guard like Keshon Gilbert could make all the difference in the world. He’ll be the best perimeter player on the floor in this game.
It should be noted that this one does have the potential to be very low in scoring. A meeting between two great defensive teams that lack explosiveness offensively is a good recipe for an Under. Iowa State is also just 299th in the nation in 3-point rate this year, and Washington State is just 302nd in that regard. If neither one of these teams is prioritizing the 3-ball, this will be an ugly contest and you’ll feel good rooting for a grind.
Estimated Score: Iowa State 68.5 – Washington State 60.5
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