Iowa State vs Tennessee: Battle on Boards

0:00On March 26, Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Ozzelberger has built his team around winning the possession battle through steals and turnovers. In year five of his tenure, that's their signature style in college basketball. But heading into Friday night's sweet 16 matchup against sixth seeded Tennessee, rebounding could decide everything for the cyclones. Tennessee under Rick Barnes ranks as the top offensive rebounding team in the nation. They grab 44.8% of their own misses way ahead of everyone else like Florida at 43.8%. That means the volunteers thrive on second and third chances by crashing the glass hard. Ozzelberger knows the numbers inside out from watching film. His squad usually skips heavy emphasis on defensive boards in favor of forcing mistakes. Now though, Tennessee's hunger on the offensive end forces a shift in focus. The cyclones will need to prioritize blocking out to limit those extra possessions. It's a departure from their norm, but adapting could keep

1:00their tournament run alive. Expect a battle on the boards that tests Iowa State's versatility as these teams clash in the sweet 16.