Villanova-Iowa battle in 2013 sets stage for NCAA showdown

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The curtain-raiser to Sunday's Iowa-Villanova NCAA match-up was set not in the grit of New York City but near the beach two years ago at Paradise Island.

The seventh-seeded Hawkeyes (22-10) and second-seeded Wildcats (30-5) engaged in a wildly competitive, demanding slugfest in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The lead changed eight different times with seven ties. Iowa sprinted ahead by 15 late in the first half; Villanova led by seven points with less than five remaining. The game eventually went into overtime with Villanova pulling out an 88-83 win.

'That was one of my favorite games in college so far,' Villanova guard Ryan Arcidiacono said. 'It was an awesome atmosphere down in the Bahamas. They were a really good team. We battled. Shots weren't falling for us. We'd grind on the defensive end, especially putting it into overtime. I just remember it being a grind-it-out game.'

'It's one of the best games ever that I played in,' Iowa guard Anthony Clemmons said. 'To be playing them again, I think we're prepared and we understand who we're going against.'

That previous match-up, filled with physical defense, big shots and major swings serves as a precursor to this second-round tournament game (11:10 a.m. CBS). Some of the personnel remains the same, and the schemes haven't changed. But the stakes are much higher at the Barclays Center than at a November pre-conference tournament.

The winner advances to the Sweet Sixteen, a fleeting accomplishment for both programs. No. 6 Villanova has failed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in its last five NCAA tournament trips. That includes last year as a No. 1 seed and in 2014 as a No. 2.

The lack of national-level success has maligned Villanova, while No. 24 Iowa still searches for a signature victory. The Hawkeyes last qualified for the regional semifinals in 1999.

'Your national reputation in this sport is definitely based on how you perform,' Villanova Coach Jay Wright said. 'Do you get the Sweet Sixteens? Do you get the final eights? Do you get the Final Fours? Do you win national championships? That puts you with the elite. We'd certainly like to be there, but we've got to earn it. We've got to go do it.'

Both teams expect a battle like their scrap in the Bahamas. They both boast veteran guards, All-American candidates (Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff, Villanova's Josh Hart) and Philadelphia-area coaches in Wright and Iowa's Fran McCaffery. Villanova's grit is evident, highlighted by its defensive prowess and its grinding execution on offense. The Wildcats are 25-1 when holding opponents to 70 points or less.

'You have to be locked in every possession because every possession counts versus them,' Clemmons said. 'We know that you can't relax on them because they have good guards, they shoot the ball tremendously well. They're never out of it. You have to play them the whole 40 minutes and we understand that.'

Villanova players are wary of Iowa, which was ranked in the top five for four weeks earlier this year. The Hawkeyes swept NCAA tournament teams Michigan State, Michigan and Purdue this year and five wins were by double figures. Iowa dropped six of its final eight games before beating Temple 72-70 in overtime in the NCAA tournament first-round game.

'They're definitely not a 7-seed; they showed that this season,' Hart said. 'Even the last couple of games that they lost, they lost close games, Ohio State by four, against Indiana when Yogi (Ferrell) hits a 3 at the end. Tough, close games. One possession could change the outcome of that game. They're not a 7-seed, I'm not sure how they got a 7-seed, that's not on me. It's going to be a battle.'

With the Sweet Sixteen on the line, both teams have a chance to shed their narratives. But the only way to get there is to win.

'Obviously we haven't made the Sweet Sixteen in a long time,' Iowa guard Mike Gesell said. 'It's tough just to make it into this tournament. So you really have to value every single game. You just go out and battle every single day.'

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