Here's everything you need to know about the matchup, including start time, TV, announcers, and HawkeyeRoundtable's official prediction.
After taking down Clemson in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, the road doesn't get any easier for the Iowa men's basketball team.
The Hawkeyes' obstacle to reach their first Sweet 16 since 1999 is none other than the defending national champion and top-seeded Florida Gators. Beating the Gators will be a daunting task, but Ben McCollum's team at least has another opportunity to compete and continue rebuilding Iowa basketball.
Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's matchup, including start time, TV channel, announcers, and HawkeyeRoundtable's official prediction.
Matchup: No. 9 Iowa (22-12) vs. No. 1 Florida (27-7)
Scheduled game time: March 22 at 6:10 CDT
Location: Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida
TV: TBS
Announcers: Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Candace Parker (analyst), Dan Bonner (analyst), AJ Ross (sideline)
Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network (Gary Dolphin, Bobby Hansen)
Betting information: Line: Florida -10.5 | O/U: 145.5
Game Notes
Iowa posted an NCAA Tournament First Round win for the first time since 2021 and for the 18th time in program history. The Hawkeyes are looking for their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999.
The Hawkeyes’ win over Clemson is the program’s first over a Power Conference opponent in the NCAA Tournament since 1999 (Arkansas).
Iowa will face a No. 1 seed for the seventh time in program history. The Hawkeyes are 1-5 all-time against top-seeded teams with the lone victory coming over Syracuse in 1980 (88-77). Iowa radio analyst Bobby Hansen was a member of that 1980 squad.
Head coach Ben McCollum is the second Iowa coach to win an NCAA Tournament game in year one (Dr. Tom Davis). He is one of seven first-year coaches this season to lead their teams to a first round NCAA Tournament win.
HawkeyeRoundtable's Prediction
If the Hawkeyes can find a way to pull off this upset, it would probably be their biggest NCAA tournament win in school history considering the second weekend drought. If there's a coach that can grind out a victory like this one, it's McCollum, but his group is really up against it here.
Though Walter Clayton Jr. isn't on this Florida team, the Gators still have the towering presences of Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon in the frontcourt. Iowa's lack of size in the interior heavily favors Florida, and it will have to keep the Gators out of the paint and off the glass if it wants to have any chance of pulling a remarkable upset.
The Hawks will keep this one close for 30 minutes, but Florida is just too strong down low and will pull away late to end a promising first season for McCollum and Co.
Prediction: Florida 77, Iowa 63
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