Lots of love for Iowa's Adam Woodbury

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Adam Woodbury never has experienced a day quite like Friday, and it's probable neither has his cellphone.

Woodbury, Iowa's senior, received numerous texts and phone calls in the hours that followed his buzzer-beating tip-in to beat Temple 72-70 in overtime. It became surreal for the 7-foot-1 center.

'I had a bunch of people saying they loved me,' Woodbury said. 'A lot of people that never said they loved me before, so it was one of those things. It was great to hear from a lot of family and friends that I have a lot of respect for to appreciate what I did.'

Woodbury's parents, Brenda and Lance, are fixtures at most of his Iowa games, but they were unable to make the trip this week to New York City. That phone call was one of his most rewarding.

'I called my parents and my mom said she'd been crying for a little while,' Woodbury said. 'That's no surprise. She's pretty emotional. It's just how happy she was and proud of me. My dad said the same thing. Obviously they wished they could have been there, but they watched the game and they were happy for us.'

Hlas: Woodbury's game-winning play was only fitting

Woodbury finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes. On the final play, he was positioned to the opposite side of the basket. Teammate Mike Gesell tossed up a high, arcing shot with about two seconds left in overtime. Woodbury caught the ball just past the hoop and put it back for the winner.

'Most shots miss long,' Woodbury said. 'So (Gesell's) angle, where he was, I kind of try to pride myself on knowing where the ball is, coming off in certain situations. Honestly, I got pretty fortunate with where the ball came, and I just tried to carve out space where my guy was trying to box me. It just bounced to me, and I was able to get a good look at it.'

Villanova Coach Jay Wright sees Woodbury as a difference maker in their match-up on Sunday.

'He's on that weak side block, and that's part of the play,' Wright said. 'He's tapping that ball back. They actually won the game on him being in that spot. When Gesell drove the ball, if (Woodbury) doesn't go to the weak side block, he's not getting that. So his length around the basket is going to be a problem for us too.'

Woodbury's put-back will long live on in Iowa basketball lore. But it became history in his mind before he hit the pillow on Friday night.

'Even before I went to sleep, I was already moved on from it,' he said.

Adam Woodbury with the game-winner at the buzzer! March Buzzer Beaters are the best Buzzer BeatersNCAA March Madness on Friday, March 18, 2016

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