Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa's Resume May Work Against Them in NCAA Tournament

The Iowa Hawkeyes need a resume booster to get into the NCAA Tournament.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Feb 11, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (#6) looks for room to shoot under the basket in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Feb 11, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (#6) looks for room to shoot under the basket in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

All signs are pointing towards the Iowa Hawkeyes being fine and making the NCAA Tournament, but one can never be too sure of anything.

30-0 Miami (OH) is a bubble team which says a lot about how competitive college basketball truly is this year.

If a 30-0 team doesn't make it in the tournament, why would the 20-9 (10-8 B1G) Hawkeyes? That's a question that seemingly no one can answer, though it's safe to assume both should be able to sneak their way into the field of 68.

Regardless, Iowa's resume isn't the most impressive. That's the same argument for the Redhawks, and it's not like these two teams are fighting for the final spot, but resume's are important and Iowa only has one notable win with quite a few horrendous losses.

Only Notable Win: vs. No. 9 Nebraska

It feels like forever ago when the No. 9 Cornhuskers came to Carver and were shut down. Iowa won that game, 57-52, but followed it up with a 13 point loss at Wisconsin. From there they beat a credible Ohio State squad only to lose a few nights later to a previously two-win Penn State team.

Consistency has been an issue and that's something the committee will look at. Iowa has had quite a few chances to take down ranked opponents but time and time again they've fallen up short.

Now, it's up for Iowa to prove that win over Nebraska wasn't a fluke. They'll have a rematch against them, in Nebraska, in their regular season finale on March 8. Prior to that though is No. 3 Michigan, a team only Wisconsin and No. 1 Duke have beaten.

Two Bad Losses in Last Six Games

Things began to go downhill for Iowa when they went to Maryland and fell to the unranked Terrapins, 77-70. That game was notable for quite a few reasons as it snapped their six-game winning streak and made them head back home with no momentum against a No. 13 Purdue squad that embarrassed the Hawkeyes on their home court.

That Maryland loss caused a massive spiral that has resulted in them losing four of their next six. The Nittany Lions loss is something the committee simply can't look past, and rightfully so. Iowa had no business losing that game, and now they may limp into the tournament fresh off another pair of losses to Top 10 teams. No team wants to go into March Madness having lost six of their last eight, but that's the predicament Iowa could find themselves in.

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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.

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