BYU could not play uptempo with Iona
Seth Davis said it best on the pre-game show when he said that Iona would press the Cougars, and the game would be dictated on how BYU point guard Matt Carlino would handle the pressure.
That was an understatement.
Iona's guards jumped all over Carlino in the first half, casuing turnovers, bad decisions, and fast break points. Iona had 29 fast break points in the first half...29!
Carlino refused to slow the game down and control the tempo, throwing full court passes to big men Davies and Hartsock, which played right into what Iona wanted. They had 2 players waiting for the pass to strip the ball away and push the ball back up the court.
After the turnovers, BYU could not keep up with the athletic backcourt of Iona as they were unable to get back on defense and contest open jumpers. Iona was 5-10 from behind the arc in the first half, all uncontested. BYU coudn't match speed in man defense, so BYU was forced to play zone most of the game. Playing zone wasn't a bad decision (as we saw in the 2nd half) but when the rotations to shooters were as slow as they were, you get exposed.
Iona couldn't play with BYU in a half court game
BYU fans should thank Craig Cusick. He was a huge reason the Cougars were able to come back and win, but sadly, he won't get the credit he deserves.
He didn't score a single point in the game, but he didn't have to. He brought order back to the game in the second half, controlling the tempo by walking the ball up the floor, which virtually parylized Iona's offense. He had one turnover for the entire game, and he got the ball to BYU's biggest weapons in Hartsock and Davies.
Once the game turned into a half court game, BYU had the advantage inside with Hartsock and Davies. Iona's tallest player is listed at 6'7" and was no match for the Cougars inside.
I'm still trying to figure out where Iona's pressure went in the second half. Instead of going for the kill, the Gaels dropped back into a half court zone defense with ZERO pressure of the point guard. Fatigue was obviously a factor for this decision, but they played that way for the entire half! The zone helped slow the tempo, and the lack of pressure let BYU off the hook big time and allowed them to make a comeback.
The Cougars never could get into their zone in the first half, because Iona had the ball across half court in no time. Their rotations were bad and it was very helter skelter. The second half was a whole other story. Because of the tempo change, BYU was able to get back on defense, set their zone, and their rotations were crisp and quick. Every Iona shooter had a hand in their face and shots were challenged with much more effort.
Dave Rose heard me screaming through the TV to put DeMarcus Harrison in the game
President Obama didn't stick around to see the game
His possible future competition is a Mormon. You don't think that had anything to do with it!?
You live and die by the 3-Pointer
Iona was on fire in the first half going 5-10 from the 3 point line, however, they shot only 1-15 from distance in the second half, which proved fatal for the Gaels.
BYU shot 12 more free throws than Iona, once they started to play from the inside-out. Iona only shot 8 free throws in the game, mostly because they settled for jump shots and didn't attack the basket. Hot shooting won't last forever, and when Iona went cold they should have attacked to get easier shots, or at least get to the free throw line. That is on the coach.
Noah Hartsock is the heart and soul of BYU
They were wrong.
Davies is an important piece to the Cougars, but it's the "bald eagle" Noah Hartsock that is the most important player on the team. Without Hartsock, there is no way BYU is in the tournament. Noah has been great all season and has carried this team to where they are right now. Hartsock MUST have a big game if the Cougars want to get past Marquette tomorrow.
All the bracketologists and experts on ESPN, CBS, etc. have "chalk" all through their brackets. Here are some teams to watch that could make some noise in the Tournament.
Under the radar teams to watch in the Tournament
Florida State
This is my sleeper Final Four team. They are the #3 seed in the East region, but Florida State isn't being talked about by anybody. This team beat North Carolina (twice, and once handily by 33 and the other for the ACC Tournament Title), Duke (twice), Virginia (twice), and NC State. The Seminoles' strength is their defense, especially from their big man Bernard James who averages 2.3 BPG. They are not a great shooting team, so they are vulnerable to a zone defense, but barring any epic cold shooting nights, the Noles can get deep into the second weekend, if not further.
Baylor
A lot of people are down on Baylor because of their losses down the stretch of the season. Let me put their losses into perspective...Kansas, Missouri, Iowa State, and Kansas State (all Tournament teams, two are #2 Seeds in the Tournament.) None of those are bad losses, not to mention they beat Kansas and Kansas State to get to the Big 12 Title Game where they eventually lost to Missouri. With one of the biggest and best frontcourts in the country, led by Perry Jones III and Quincy Acy, they can match up with anybody inside. If Pierre Jackson and Brady Heslip get hot from the outside, opening up the middle for the bigs, Baylor will be an extremely tough out in the South region.
Long Beach State
An experienced team with a starting line up made up of four seniors, led by guard Casper Ware who averages 17.4 PPG, and one junior, the 49ers have what it takes to make a run in the tournament. Long Beach had a brutal schedule playing North Carolina, Kansas, Kansas St, Pittsburgh, Louisville, San Diego St, Xavier, and Creighton, so they are no stranger to the big stage or a power opponent. They open the tournament against Mountain West Tournament Champ New Mexico, if they get past them I think they can get to the sweet 16.
Murray State
It wouldn't be a surprise if Murray State made a deep run this March. The only weakness on this team is rebounding. They rank 237th in defensive rebounding and could prove fatal if they don't focus on crashing the boards in the tournament. The Racers finished the regular season with a 30-1 record and won the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Their star, Isaiah Canaan (This year's Jimmer Fredette, if you have seen him play at all, then you know what I mean) should be a first team All-American averaging 19.2 PPG and is shooting 47% from distance. When Canaan crosses half court, he is in shooting range and he is the heart and soul of this Racers team. Expect Murray State to go as far as Canaan will take them.
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