While it may be tough to admit as much with the way his team played down the stretch, ADM head girls basketball coach Brett Watson is an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan.

The Hawkeyes backed into the Big Dance this year, losing six of their final seven games, but Coach Watson is quick to remind fans, everybody now starts with a clean slate.

For Iowa, its NCAA Tournament begins tomorrow, when the Hawks take on Tennessee in a play-in game in Dayton, Ohio.  Being part of that play-in game may not be desirable for most fans, but Coach Watson believes it could really help the Hawkeyes.

“They need some confidence and I think the play-in game is the best thing possible for them right now because they’ve had a lot of down times (lately), but if they can come up with a victory against Tennessee, that might propel them a little bit to make a run.  The bottom line is they’re not playing good basketball and they need this play-in game to spring them forward a little bit.”

Iowa tips off against Tennessee at 8pm tomorrow.

As for the other team from the state that is in the field of 68, the Iowa State Cyclones are the 3-seed in the East Region, and Coach Watson loves their chances to make a deep run.

“As a basketball fan, it is great to see what the Cyclones are doing.  They’re playing inspired basketball, they’re team is playing together, and of all the teams in the nation, they’ve got to be one of the top two or three teams playing its best basketball… as a coach that’s what you like to see is a team peaking at this time.  They definitely deserve a 3-seed and they’re a scary team right now.”

While he likes the Clones’ and where they stand, Coach Watson doesn’t have them in his predicted Final Four.  He has Florida, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Louisville as his last four teams standing, with Florida ultimately beating Louisville to win the National Championship.