Iowa Hawkeyes Face Clemson in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 16th Iowa Hawkeyes, men's basketball earned a spot in the NCAA tournament as the number 9 seed in the South region. The team finished their regular season with 21 wins and 12 losses under first year head coach Ben McCollum. They will face number 8 Clemson in the first round on March 20th in Tampa, Florida. Clemson enters with a stronger 24 and 10 record, including 12 wins and 6 losses in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Iowa went 10 and 10 in the big 10, but their recent tournament play helps secure this matchup. The sight in Tampa feels familiar, as it's where Iowa's football team won a bowl game earlier this year. Fans had waited years for this March madness return, ending a long drought for the program. Many see Clemson as the tougher team on paper, especially after the Tigers nearly upset top-ranked Duke in their conference tournament. Iowa's home win over Nebraska stands out, but overall matchups against elite foes have been challenging. Looking ahead, a second round win could pit Iowa against number 1 seed, Florida, right

1:04near the Gator's home state. The bracket also features number 4, Nebraska versus number 13, Troy, number 5, Vanderbilt against number 12, Mignice, plus powerhouses. Like number 2 Houston and number 3, Illinois, Iowa now focuses on that opening test against Clemson, with a long road ahead of the advanced deeper into the South region.