After Oregon’s matchup with No. 10 VCU was declared a no-contest due to COVID-19 cases within the Rams program, the Ducks automatically advanced to the round of 32. Now, Oregon is set to face the Iowa Hawkeyes at 9:10 a.m. on Monday, March 22. The game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.  

“It’s not the way you want to advance,” head coach Dana Altman said. “You want to go out and play and win games and get some momentum going.” 

At a glance

Iowa finished the season with an overall record of 22-8, good for third in a top-heavy Big Ten conference. The Hawkeyes lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament to No. 1 seed Illinois, 82-71. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, they took down No. 15 seed Grand Canyon, 86-74. 

The Hawkeyes are led by head coach Fran McCaffery who the program hired in 2010. In his eleven years with the program, McCaffery has coached the team to winning records in nine seasons, collecting at least 20 wins in seven of those years. Including this season, he has taken his program to the NCAA Tournament five times, reaching the Sweet 16 on one occasion in 2014-15. 
Iowa is 6-1 against Oregon all time and 1-1 in the Dana Altman era. The most recent matchup came in 2018 when the Hawkeyes downed the Ducks 77-69. 

Iowa’s Naismith candidate

Luka Garza, Iowa’s Player of The Year candidate, is the team’s centerpiece. Averaging 23.7 points per game — good for third in the nation — 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, Garza is a force on both ends. 

A 7-foot senior, Garza has the experience and size to give Oregon’s small-ball starting lineup fits on defense. He has scored at least 20 points in all but nine games this season, hitting the 30-point mark seven times, once scoring a career-high 41. 

“He’s a matchup nightmare because he is so big and his feet are good,” Altman said. “He finishes, his efficiency rate is so good. We’re going to try some different things on him, hopefully something works. It’s going to be a tough matchup for our team.” 

Garza has played all 30 games for the Hawkeyes, averaging just under 32 minutes per game. The center shoots 54.7% from the field, 70% from the free throw line and an impressive 42.7% from range. 

“We haven’t faced a scorer like Garza, not many people have,” Altman said. 

The Hawkeyes boast a potent offense

Offense has been Iowa’s calling card all season. The Hawkeyes average 83.8 points per game, tops in the Big Ten and sixth-highest nationally. According to Kenpom, Iowa is second in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, second only to No. 1 seed Gonzaga.  

“They’re a really talented team,” junior guard Will Richardson said. “They can score in bunches and they put a lot of points on the board. Our coaches told us that if we’re going to win this game it definitely has to be on the defensive end.” 

Iowa surrounds Garza with three-point marksmen. Including Garza, the Hawkeyes have four starters that shoot at least 39% from deep. They lead their conference in three-point percentage at 38.6.  

Junior guard Joe Wieskamp is second on the team in points per game, averaging 14.8. Senior point guard Jordan Bohannon is one of three Hawkeyes to average double-digit points (10.9). He also leads the team in assists with 4.4 per game. 

An exploitable defense

Despite a daunting matchup with an elite offense, Oregon may have opportunities on the other end of the floor. Ranked No. 58 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, the Hawkeyes lack ball stoppers on the defensive end. They sit at No. 240 nationally in three-point defense. 

Iowa relies on the interior presence of Garza to clog the lane on defense. Oregon’s five-out perimeter-heavy offense however could leave the big man high and dry as he struggles to keep up with Oregon forwards.    

“They’re a team that’s playing very well down the stretch,” Altman said. “It’s going to take a big-time effort from our guys to give ourselves an opportunity.”

Follow Shane on Twitter @shane_hoffmann as he continues coverage of Oregon throughout the NCAA Tournament.