For the 20th consecutive season, the Sweet 16 begins and the Iowa Hawkeyes are not among the teams remaining. Despite an exit resembling the last two Fran McCaffery-led tournament appearances in result only, I can’t help but feel immeasurably more optimistic about the future than in either of those years.
2015 was one defined by Aaron White’s sheer dominance. In six of Iowa’s last eight games, he received KenPom’s algorithmic MVP. He scored less than 20 points just twice for an average of 22.5/game on 56.2% shooting. Yet when the team ran out of gas against a formidable Gonzaga squad, it felt like Iowa was miles away from the Sweet 16.