Iowa Might Not Win But Should Keep It Close

Iowa vs. Illinois, 6:09 ET

The Elite Eight is now in full effect, and naturally my first thought is how many brackets have a perfect Elite Eight. This hasn't been the most upset-friendly tournament, but we do have a nine-seed remaining. How is your bracket doing? I suppose you can say mine is busted now that Houston was eliminated. I don't think I'll make any money this year, which stinks. Maybe I can make back some of those investments with a win on this game between Iowa and Illinois as they square off in the Elite Eight.

The Big 10 looks pretty good, huh? Nice representation from them in the final eight squads. Iowa is the surprise in this game. They came into the tournament looking like they were slumping. Before entering, they lost four of five games, and seven of 10. Those who bought into them have been rewarded. So how did they get to this point with a shot to make it to the Final Four? They started with a win over Clemson, which really wasn't much of an upset. It was a good game, but not something that made me overly impressed. In the second game, they were able to beat Florida 73-72 in a game that they were leading for the majority of it. The Gators were defending National Champs, and despite clawing back into the game, they made some questionable decisions. Nebraska isn't a defending champion and has had some bad luck in the Tournament in their history, but they looked good this year. The Cornhuskers made a dumb move late in that game as well, they played with four guys on the floor late in the game. It was a key moment as Nebraska had gotten the game to within three. After that, they couldn't get close enough. Iowa moved on.

Illinois has looked like the best team in the tournament. At the very least, they've looked like one of the best teams in the tournament. I suppose you could make an argument for a team like Arizona, maybe even Michigan (I'm writing this article before the Wolverines play, so give me a break if they get upset today). The Illini have looked good for the majority of the season, but I will mention they haven't been the most consistent team in the sport. This will be the fourth game of the NCAA Tournament for Illinois. In the first game, they won by 35. The next game they won by 21 over VCU. The third game was a real test as they had to face Houston in Houston. I was wrong about this game, and the Illini were able to win it playing Houston's game. This was a slow, boring, defensive-oriented game. Illinois prevailed with a 10-point win. 

A battle between the Big 10 with a spot in the Final Four on the line. How many giants can the Hawkeyes topple? At some point, I feel like their run has to stop. I do feel like that it happens here. Illinois has been gradually getting closer to competition as they get deeper in the Tournament, but they beat Iowa in Iowa by six earlier in the year. The teams were relatively evenly matched in the game. There aren't many things, aside from maybe rebounds, that signified a big advantage for Illinois. I'm going to take Iowa with the points in this one. It shouldn't be a blowout, and the familiarity should help. Give me the Hawkeyes with the points. 

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