The team that imposes its pace will win
Michigan isn’t generally a team you think of using a slow pace, but this season, with a very deliberate effort on offense, the Wolverines rank 319 in the country in pace according to Kenpom.
Iowa, which is the No. 30 overall team compared to Michigan, which is fifth, ranks 84th in pace and will want to push the tempo. The Hawkeyes want to get the ball inside but they also want to run the floor and shoot the 3-pointer.
"How many points for a missed dunk?"
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 31, 2019
"Zero."
"How many for a made lay-up?
"Two."
"I was told there would be no math."
Here are our Top 5 basketball plays of January. pic.twitter.com/fso0axVCwZ
For the season, Iowa has connected on 37.2 percent of its 3’s and in Big Ten play, Iowa ranks in the top five in 3-point makes, attempts and percentage. Keeping Iowa out of transition will be key for the Wolverines and one way to do that is to be effective on offense.
If Michigan can shoot a high percentage and take care of the basketball, it should limit Iowa’s chances to score easy buckets. Then, UM can focus on halfcourt defense, which can allow Jon Teske and Ignas Brazdeikis to handle Cook and Garza down low.
Ultimately, if Michigan can keep it as more of a halfcourt game, it should be able to keep Iowa in the 60-point range and if that happens, the Wolverines should win.