Hawkeyes' NCAA Tournament Fate Hangs in Balance

0:00On March 15th, the Iowa Hawkeyes wrapped up their first season under new coach, Ben McCollum, on a solid note, finishing with a 21 and 12. Overall record and 10 and 10 in Big Ten play. They grabbed a win in the conference tournament, but fell to Ohio State 72-69 in the third round. With Selection Sunday just days away, eyes are on their NCAA tournament spot. Bracketologist Joe Lanardi has been pegged as a number 9 seed in his latest projection, though they've hovered between 8 and 10 seeds lately. The floor looks like a number 10, while the ceiling is number 8 and nothing higher, seems likely right now. Hawkeyes fans might actually root for that drop to a double-digit seed. As a number 8 or 9, they'd face a number 1 seed like Michigan in the second round, after winning their opener. They pushed the Wolverines hard at home earlier, but a neutral side in March would be a tougher ask. Their resume shows one standout win. A 57-52 upset over a number 9 Nebraska, but it's marred by several bad losses and dropping.

1:01Seven of their last 10 games. Potential second round foals as a number 10 could include teams like Iowa State or Yukon Tuff, but more winnable than the top locks. All that's left is waiting for the Bracket review, where McCollum and the team will see their path forward and fans can start dreaming up that. Turn him a run.