Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa's B1G Tournament Seeding Scenarios vs. Nebraska

The Iowa Hawkeyes will be one of two seeds, depending on their result against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 5, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) leaves the court after the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Mar 5, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) leaves the court after the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In this story:

Iowa Hawkeyes

The B1G Tournament is right around the corner, and the Iowa Hawkeyes will either be a No. 8 seed or fall to No. 9.

Dropping to No. 9 is significant as it prevents them from having a double-bye. Iowa's women's team secured the No. 2 seed and earned a double-bye, though the men's bracket is much different.

Iowa's recent string of losses has left them with no choice but to get some help from Indiana. The 18-12 (9-10 Big Ten) Hoosiers must take care of business against 19-11 (11-8) Ohio State on March 7 at 5:30 p.m. EST.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kael Combs
Iowa guard Kael Combs (11) assesses the defense as Nebraska guard Jamarques Lawrence (10) guards him Feb. 17, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As long as Indiana wins, Iowa could then receive the No. 8 seed by taking down Nebraska on March 8. An Ohio State win automatically bumps Iowa down to the No. 9 seed, no matter what happens against the Cornhuskers.

Differences Between No. 8 and No. 9 Seed

In the NCAA tournament, it's a toss-up between these two seeds. The No. 8 and No. 9 seeds play each other in the first round, with the winner taking on the No. 1 seed in round two. When it comes to the B1G tournament, things operate a bit differently.

On March 10, the No. 16 and No. 17 seeds square off, with the winner taking on the No. 9 seed. That game happens the very next day, as each team won't have a single day of rest in the conference tournament.

After that game on March 11, the No. 8 seed is waiting. Should Iowa receive the No. 9 seed, it'll likely play either No. 16 Oregon or No. 17 Maryland. Again, nothing is set just yet, but these are the current projections.

Iowa Needs Help From Indiana

Iowa taking down the Cornhuskers in Nebraska is going to be hard enough, but they also need some extra help in the process. Indiana is tasked with playing at Columbus as they're looking to take down the Buckeyes for back-to-back wins to end the year.

Indiana is coming off a 30-point win over Minnesota. Prior to that, they had dropped four in a row, though three of those games were against ranked opponents.

OSU comes in with a bit more momentum, especially knowing they just beat No. 8 Purdue on March 1. Not only that, but they demolished the same Penn State team that somehow upset Iowa. Things aren't looking good for the Hawkeyes chances to earn a double-bye, so at this point it's safe to assume they'll be the No. 9 seed.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

Home/Basketball