It usually isn’t hard to see an NCAA tournament at-large candidate coming.
Sometimes, though, one can sneak up on the field. And that’s exactly what Iowa has done over the past few weeks.
The Hawkeyes are what they often are, a program that plays an extremely palatable brand of basketball while not always sweating the details on defense. But when it lost to Maryland (a team that plays an extremely unpalatable brand of basketball while usually sweating the details on defense) for the second time this season back on Feb. 14, Iowa was 14-11 and owned an 0-7 record in games against Quadrant 1 foes.
It wasn’t a profile that pegged the Hawkeyes as even a fringy NCAA tournament team.
Caitlin Clark shoots past Pete Maravich on an epic day in Iowa City
They’ve since won four of five, starting with an overtime defeat of Wisconsin at home. Victories at both Michigan State and Northwestern followed, as did a home defeat of Penn State. The only loss in that span was at Illinois, which is hardly a black mark. And now Iowa is 18-12 and 3-8 in Quad 1 games. It ranks between 43rd and 59th in the five metrics listed on the NCAA team sheets.
It isn’t a great profile, but for a team that didn’t bother to start to build one until Presidents’ Day weekend it’s impressive and enough to enter the conversation for an NCAA bid. Iowa isn’t there yet, but winning a rematch with Illinois on Sunday would help. A stay into the weekend at next week’s Big Ten tournament would as well.
Those results aren’t guaranteed, of course. But what is assured, now that Iowa has put together a few decent weeks, is people will be paying attention to the Hawkeyes in the coming days.
Last four included: New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Utah
First four on the outside: Wake Forest, St. John’s, Villanova, Providence
Next four on the outside: Pittsburgh, James Madison, Iowa, Mississippi
Moving in: Central Connecticut State, Colorado, Gonzaga, Little Rock, Quinnipiac, Utah
Moving out: Fairfield, Merrimack, Mississippi, Morehead State, Providence, Wake Forest
Conference call: Big 12 (9), SEC (7), Big Ten (6), Mountain West (6), ACC (4), Big East (4), Pac-12 (4), American Athletic (2), Atlantic 10 (2), West Coast (2)
Bracket projection: Midwest vs. West; East vs. South
Sometimes, though, one can sneak up on the field. And that’s exactly what Iowa has done over the past few weeks.
The Hawkeyes are what they often are, a program that plays an extremely palatable brand of basketball while not always sweating the details on defense. But when it lost to Maryland (a team that plays an extremely unpalatable brand of basketball while usually sweating the details on defense) for the second time this season back on Feb. 14, Iowa was 14-11 and owned an 0-7 record in games against Quadrant 1 foes.
It wasn’t a profile that pegged the Hawkeyes as even a fringy NCAA tournament team.
Caitlin Clark shoots past Pete Maravich on an epic day in Iowa City
They’ve since won four of five, starting with an overtime defeat of Wisconsin at home. Victories at both Michigan State and Northwestern followed, as did a home defeat of Penn State. The only loss in that span was at Illinois, which is hardly a black mark. And now Iowa is 18-12 and 3-8 in Quad 1 games. It ranks between 43rd and 59th in the five metrics listed on the NCAA team sheets.
It isn’t a great profile, but for a team that didn’t bother to start to build one until Presidents’ Day weekend it’s impressive and enough to enter the conversation for an NCAA bid. Iowa isn’t there yet, but winning a rematch with Illinois on Sunday would help. A stay into the weekend at next week’s Big Ten tournament would as well.
Those results aren’t guaranteed, of course. But what is assured, now that Iowa has put together a few decent weeks, is people will be paying attention to the Hawkeyes in the coming days.
Field notes
Return to menuLast four included: New Mexico, Colorado, Virginia, Utah
First four on the outside: Wake Forest, St. John’s, Villanova, Providence
Next four on the outside: Pittsburgh, James Madison, Iowa, Mississippi
Moving in: Central Connecticut State, Colorado, Gonzaga, Little Rock, Quinnipiac, Utah
Moving out: Fairfield, Merrimack, Mississippi, Morehead State, Providence, Wake Forest
Conference call: Big 12 (9), SEC (7), Big Ten (6), Mountain West (6), ACC (4), Big East (4), Pac-12 (4), American Athletic (2), Atlantic 10 (2), West Coast (2)
Bracket projection: Midwest vs. West; East vs. South
