Illinois-Iowa storylines

Iowa first-year coach Fran McCaffery averaged 24 wins over his final four years at Siena. But it wasn't simply his regular-season excellence that helped him land a Big Ten job. Siena beat Kevin Stallings and Vanderbilt in the 2008 NCAA tournament and Thad Matta and Ohio State in the 2009 NCAA tournament. Iowa rewarded McCaffery with a six-year contract - not to mention a Fran McCaffery bobblehead giveaway at their last home game. "Fran has given them a freshness," Weber said. This Iowa squad has several holdovers from the Todd Lickliter era. You will notice a more diverse playbook. Weber said he expects Iowa to play man-to-man, zone and show some fullcourt pressure. "I would say they try to fast break more," he said.

Klee