We’re in the final two weeks of the season and Iowa is a lot closer to a Big Ten Tournament berth after winning two of three against Michigan State in East Lansing this past weekend.
Before we get into the recap, let’s take a look at the Big Ten standings.
In a crowded Big Ten race, beating Michigan State in a three-game set has major ramifications for the fourth place Hawkeyes. The Spartans, who currently occupy the eighth spot in the Big Ten standings (and therefore hold the final tournament berth), face an uphill battle if they want to pass Iowa in the standings - they’ll need Iowa to lose at least five games in order to have a chance at passing them in the standings (unlikely), so the Hawkeyes can feel a little bit safer knowing that there is one less team that is likely to have the power to bounce them from the tournament after their series victory.