Joe D'Amico's NCAAB Shocker of the Year

Iona vs. BYU, 03/13/2012 21:00 EDT, Score: 72 - 78

Point Spread: +2½/-110 Iona

Sportsbook: BookMaker

Result: Loss

Today's winner is Iona over BYU. This is my Shocker of the Year.

As an alumni of Iona Grammar School in New Rochelle, I know a lot about the Gaels. This is a fast, up-tempo squad that wears down the opposition. The unit leads the NCAA in scoring at 83.2 PPG and assists with 19.3 APG. They also are near the top in FG%, shooting a whopping 50.4% from the field. This 100% healthy Iona team has three super-stars in Glover, Jones, and Machado (combined 48.1 PPG and 17.2 RPG). This season, Iona lost by 1 point to Purdue, and beat such notables as Maryland and Nevada. They are no stranger to facing and beating high-profile teams. BYU's last 6 losses have all been against squads with very good shooting Guards, just like this matchup today. Fredette is long gone, leading-scorer, Harstock is hampered by a knee injury, and Carlino is shooting an ugly 27% over the L5 games. Just over the last few weeks, the unit lost outright as a favorite to both San Francisco and St. Mary's. The Cougars are 3-8 ATS their L11 NCAAB Tournament games, 1-4 ATS their L5 games vs. teams with a winning SU record, and 0-4 ATS their L4 games played overall. The Gaels are 6-1 ATS their L7 games played as a 'dog on a neutral site, 5-0 ATS their L5 games played on Tuesday, and 12-3-1 ATS their L16 games played following an ATS loss. Take Iona. Thank you.