It looks like another year sweating the NCAA Tournament, but can Iowa play its way out of March trouble?
For the last three years, Iowa has spent its March on the NCAA Tournament bubble. In 2013, a late regular-season run highlighted by eventual tournament teams Minnesota and Illinois got Iowa into the conversation, and a win over Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament could have sent the Hawkeyes back to the NCAA Tournament. Alas, Iowa fell by three against Sparty, and spent the rest of March making a run to the NIT finals.
Two years ago, Iowa reversed course: Six losses in the last seven games, including a Big Ten tournament defeat against Northwestern, took the Hawkeyes from a mortal lock to the First Four, and the appearance felt hollow.