SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The matchup will feature markedly contrasting styles and a decidedly different pace.

The No. 11-seed Iowa State women’s basketball team is expecting a lot different from its First Four victory over Princeton when the Cyclones face No. 6 Michigan this morning at Purcell Pavilion.

Michigan (22-10) brings its five-guard offense to Notre Dame’s home court when it faces Iowa State (23-11) in a 10:30 a.m. game that will be televised on ESPN2.

“It’s fun playing with five guards,” Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “Two years ago, you would have never convinced me that we would do that. But I think as a coach, and this is something we’ve learned in this landscape more than anything else in college athletics, is that we better evolve and we better be willing to change.”

Iowa State will face a dramatically different pace than it did when the Cyclones beat Princeton in Wednesday’s First Four game. Iowa State rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to win 68-63, the 800th victory for coach Bill Fennelly.

Unlike Michigan, Iowa State has a strong post player in 6-foot-3 center Audi Crooks, who averages 23.3 points and 7.5 assists.

“We have to keep the ball in front of us,” Fennelly said. “Transition defense is going to be critical.”

Michigan is making its seventh-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, yet seven players on the Wolverines’ roster will be dancing for the first time. That list includes three freshman starters: Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway.

Olson is the Wolverines’ leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, Swords is second at 16.1, and senior Jordan Hobbs (13.4) is third.

Olson and Swords are the only freshman teammates who average at least 15 points per game this season.

BIRMINGHAM 3

First Round

Friday, March 21

At South Bend, Ind.

Michigan (22-10) vs. Iowa St. (23-11), 10:30 a.m. (ESPN2)

Notre Dame (26-5) vs. Stephen F. Austin (29-5), 1 p.m.