If you believe basketball is most compelling when styles contrast, then the first-round women’s throwdown between the Michigan Wolverines and Iowa State Cyclones was the matchup for you. (And if you don’t believe basketball is most compelling when styles contrast, you’re wrong. Glad we had this talk.) It felt like two math teams huddled in separate corners, trying to solve the same problem, then emerged with radically different but sensible solutions.
The No. 6 seed Wolverines beat the No. 11 seed Cyclones, 80–74, but the how was much more interesting than the what. Iowa State was led by Audi Crooks, a powerful and nimble third-team All-American center with soft hands. Michigan got every one of its 80 points from guards, which was not surprising—just about everyone on the team is a guard.
