Tag: iowa hawkeyes basketball

Iowa Hawkeyes hosting Kansas State in first round of the NIT

The Iowa Hawkeyes will be welcoming in Kansas State as they host the Wildcats in the first round of the NIT.

The Iowa Hawkeyes still have something to play for this season. After being on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament after a strong surge down the stretch, the Hawkeyes will be a No. 3 seed in the NIT.

Iowa will be hosting the Kansas State Wildcats at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday, March 19 at 8:00 p.m. CT in a first-round game that will be airing on ESPN. Iowa enters the postseason with an overall record of 18-14 while Kansas State carries a 19-14 record with them.

Iowa has a lot to gain from playing in the NIT this year. The Hawkeyes have a ton of potential and upside for the 2024-25 season and these extra games can kickstart the offseason on the right foot with a strong NIT showing.

The rest of Iowa’s quadrant features the Utah Utes (19-14) taking on the UC Irvine Anteaters (24-9). Other Big Ten teams to accept an invite to the NIT include the Ohio State Buckeyes, who host Cornell in the first round, and Minnesota, who travels to take on the Butler Bulldogs in the first round.

The NIT concludes April 2-4 with the semifinals and championship game taking place at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. With the season still alive, the Iowa Hawkeyes should relish this opportunity to get a head start on next season.

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Hawkeyes knocking on NCAA Tournament door in CBS Sports’ newest bracketology

The Hawkeyes have played themselves into a spot of contention. CBS Sports’ newest bracket has Iowa knocking on the NCAA Tournament door.

The Iowa Hawkeyes have rattled off wins in four of their last five games and have morphed themselves from a team destined for the NIT to a squad with a real chance at the NCAA Tournament.

Three of those wins have come against teams destined for March Madness in Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Northwestern. Iowa also has one more chance to get another resume-building win in the season finale when they host the Illinois Fighting Illini.

As things stand now heading into that game, Iowa is still on the outside looking in according to CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm, but are knocking on the door loudly.

After ESPN slotted the Hawkeyes in their “next four out” category, Palm has moved Iowa up to the “first four out” category in his newest CBS bracket. Iowa sits as the second team out of the tournament behind Seton Hall who is 18-11 compared to Iowa’s 18-12 record. Iowa does have a slightly better NET ranking at 57 compared to Seton Hall’s NET of 62.

Ahead of the Hawkeyes in the “last four in” category is Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and St. John’s. Their NET rankings are 46, 28, 30, and 39, respectively.

Iowa has some work to do to catch those teams and a win against Illinois in the regular season finale is a must-win. If the Hawkeyes can pull it off, it may be enough to punch Iowa’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid on the bubble. Any wins in the Big Ten Tournament stacked on top of it would be icing on the cake.

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Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showcase: TV, stream, broadcast info for Iowa’s Saturday doubleheader

Saturday sees an Iowa basketball doubleheader in the Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showcase. Here’s how to watch, stream and listen to the Hawkeyes.

Saturday features a doubleheader for the Iowa Hawkeyes men’s and women’s basketball teams. Instead of playing in Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Hawkeyes are taking the road to play in Des Moines.

The games are part of the Hy-Vee Hawkeyes Showcase. The men play the first game at 3:30 p.m. CT against the Florida A&M Rattlers. Following the conclusion of that one, the Hawkeyes women’s basketball team tips off against the Cleveland State Vikings.

The men enter Saturday with an overall record of 5-5 and with a sense of urgency to right the ship after suffering three straight losses by double digits. The women are 10-1 and riding a seven-game winning streak.

Here’s how and where Hawkeye fans can watch, stream and listen to the doubleheader as the Hawkeyes look to get a clean sweep in the Hy-Vee Hawkeyes Showcase. Plus, a look at all four of the teams’ probable starters, a quick scouting report, and game notes.

Jay Bilas puts Hawkeyes in ESPN’s top 68 men’s college basketball teams for 2023-24 season

The Iowa Hawkeyes are about to tip off the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season and ESPN’s Jay Bilas has them in his top 68 teams.

With the 2023-24 men’s college basketball getting underway, the Iowa Hawkeyes are looking to see who they will be this season. Coming off of a 19-14 record last year with a trip to the NCAA Tournament, this year’s unit has experience but provides plenty of new faces.

Iowa will be fighting for its tournament life most of the year as it strives to extend its streak of making the NCAA Tournament to four years and five of the last six seasons. ESPN’s Jay Bilas believes they are right on the cusp (subscription required).

While the best 68 teams don’t necessarily make the tournament, he believes Iowa is among those top 68 and has a chance to return to March Madness.

No. 53 Iowa Hawkeyes: Coach Fran McCaffery returns a solid core of players in Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort and McCaffery’s son Patrick, but will have to replace Kris Murray, who is now in the NBA. Freshman Owen Freeman and Belmont transfer Even Brauns join the squad and will provide a lot of length inside as the team tries to improve on defense. If the Hawkeyes can get the defense near the same level as the offense, they could be tournament bound again. – Jay Bilas, ESPN

The Big Ten media picked Iowa to finish ninth in the Big Ten this year while CBS Sports put the Hawkeyes at No. 79 overall. ESPN and Bilas are a bit higher on the Hawkeyes than others have been.

Iowa starts their season on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at home inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena when they welcome in North Dakota. The Hawkeyes have a run of out-of-conference games and preseason tournaments before Big Ten play begins on December 4 on the road against the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers.

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Iowa Hawkeyes ranked No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll

The Iowa Hawkeyes are entering the season with lofty expectations. The women’s basketball team is No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

The Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team was on a magical ride last year exceeding expectations on their way to an appearance in the national championship game. A Big Ten Championship and an NCAA Tournament run this year are now the high bar of expectations.

Led by star guard Caitlin Clark, who just put up a triple-double in the Crossover at Kinnick, the Hawkeyes have reloaded their lineup to make another run. Iowa is the favorite to win the Big Ten and one of the top teams in America.

The USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll came out and the Iowa Hawkeyes are ranked No. 3. They are also No. 3 in the Associated Press top 25 poll. Ahead of Iowa are the defending champs, the LSU Tigers, at No. 1 and the UConn Huskies at No. 2.

Other Big Ten schools are represented well. The Ohio State Buckeyes are ranked No. 6, the Indiana Hoosiers are ranked No. 9, the Maryland Terrapins are ranked No. 11, and the Michigan Wolverines are ranked No. 25.

Here is a look at the entire USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 LSU 0-0 797 –
2 UConn 0-0 727 –
3 Iowa 0-0 713 –
4 South Carolina 0-0 671 –
5 Virginia Tech 0-0 617 –
6 Ohio State 0-0 598 –
7 Utah 0-0 565 –
8 UCLA 0-0 555 –
9 Indiana 0-0 534 –
10 Notre Dame 0-0 511 –
11 Maryland 0-0 451 –
12 Tennessee 0-0 431 –
13 Stanford 0-0 427 –
14 Texas 0-0 357 –
15 Louisville 0-0 309 –
16 Ole Miss 0-0 304 –
17 North Carolina 0-0 278 –
18 Colorado 0-0 212 –
19 Duke 0-0 152 –
20 Baylor 0-0 151 –
21 USC 0-0 138 –
22 Florida State 0-0 128 –
23 Oklahoma 0-0 95 –
23 Creighton 0-0 95 –
25 Michigan

Miami (FL)

 0-0

0-0

 75

75

 –

–

Others Receiving Votes

Mississippi State, 67; Villanova, 42; Gonzaga, 40; Washington State, 34; Arizona, 33; FGCU, 27; Iowa State, 26; Kansas State, 22; Kansas, 22; South Florida, 16; Marquette, 16; UNLV, 14; Nebraska, 12; Princeton, 11; North Carolina State, 10; Oregon, 9; Illinois, 8; Toledo, 6; Middle Tennessee, 6; South Dakota State, 5; Texas A&M, 4; Georgia, 3; Arkansas, 1.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

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Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball chosen as preseason Big Ten favorite by Coaches, Media

Coming off an electric year, the Iowa women’s basketball team was picked as the favorite in both the Coaches and Media preseason polls.

Expectations and pressure are a privilege. That is what the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team will be dealing with throughout the duration of the 2023-24 women’s college basketball season.

The Hawkeyes are expected to be one of the best teams in America that could compete for it all and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Before any of that, the Big Ten Conference is their first goal.

Iowa was picked as the preseason favorite in both the Big Ten Coaches and Media polls.

Iowa rattled off a 31-7 overall record last year with a 15-3 mark in Big Ten play on their way to winning the conference title and making an appearance in the National Championship.

Just behind Iowa in the Coaches Rankings are No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Indiana, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 5 Illinois. The Media Rankings have Iowa at No. 1 as well, but some shakeups behind them. The rest of the rankings according to the media are No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 5 Michigan.

With the expectations in the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes are going to have a target on their back each game. No matter who they play or where they play them, they are going to get each team’s best shot.

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Iowa Hawkeyes legend Luka Garza to debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina national team

Former Iowa Hawkeyes big man Luka Garza is going to be debuting for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team.

Luka Garza lit up Carver-Hawkeye Arena as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes during his time in the black and gold. Now, he gets to take his talents global as he will be making his debut on the Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team.

Garza is joining the team ahead of Olympic qualifying and hopes to be able to able to play during training camp and some international matchups.

“It is a great honor for me and my family to represent the country where my mother was born. It is an honor that fills my heart with immeasurable joy, my dream since childhood. I can’t wait for the moment when I will share the basketball court with my teammates from the national team and do my best for coach Addis, the coaching staff and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Garza said in a statement to the website of the Basketball Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Luka Garza appeared in 28 games this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 6.5 points on a 54.3% shooting percentage along with 2.3 rebounds. Garza shot 35.9% from three-point range and 78.8% from the free throw stripe.

Garza’s illustrious career at Iowa saw him named the 2021 Naismith Trophy winner, the 2021 AP College Basketball Player of the Year, the 2021 Big Ten Basketball Player of the Year, and finish up as Iowa’s all-time leading scorer. Garza averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds in 2019-20 and followed it up with a 2020-21 season that saw him average 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds.

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Clean sweep! Caitlin Clark wins Wooden Award, sweeps major Player of the Year honors

Add another one to the list! Caitlin Clark has swept the Player of the Year honors after being named the Wooden Award winner.

You name it, she has won it. Caitlin Clark took the Iowa Hawkeyes to new levels this season, and, on her way, she cleaned up on all of the major Player of the Year awards. She pulled off a clean sweep of the four big awards.

Most recently, Clark was just named the 2023 Wooden Award winner. The award is named after legendary college basketball coach John Wooden and is awarded to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate female basketball player.

Caitlin Clark’s NCAA Tournament run was historic to go along with her unbelievable regular season. On the year, Clark finished up averaging 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds. She finished shooting 47.3% from the field and an absurd 38.9% from 3-point range. She converted 83.9% of her free throws as well.

With the Wooden Award, here is a look at the clean sweep that Caitlin Clark pulled off in a season that won’t soon be forgotten and will go down in the history books for a long time to come.

Iowa vs. LSU title game puts up massive ratings as most-viewed women’s game on record

The Iowa Hawkeyes versus LSU Tigers didn’t just have big ratings, they were out of this stratosphere. A look at the record-breaking numbers.

The Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers each had so much star power and multiple reasons to tune into the Women’s NCAA Tournament title game. The evidence is undeniable that people tuned in and they did so in record-breaking numbers.

Social media lit up from tipoff and continued to be buzzing until the final buzzer went off. The game had swings in it and so much action that it kept fans tuned in the entire time as Iowa tried to come back, but ultimately fell short to the Tigers.

The ratings have come in for this game and they are astronomical in what they turned out as. This game set multiple records and had a viewership increase that is almost unheard of. The ratings came in at 9.9 million viewers with a peak viewership of 12.6 million viewers.

This game is the most-viewed NCAA Women’s basketball of all-time, regardless of the network. It is also the highest ever in the history of ESPN+, the network’s subscription service.

A fascinating tidbit about the ratings is that this game was up 103% year over year when comparing ratings. This game was exceptionally marketed and was everything that the women’s game could have asked for.

It has become pretty hard to deny the viewership, the star power, and the headlines that exist in women’s college basketball. They just need their platform to be seen on a national stage and prove how incredibly entertaining the product is.

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Takeaways as Iowa falls to LSU in the Women’s NCAA championship game

Iowa fought hard but ultimately fell short against LSU. Nonetheless, this season was magical. Takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ hard-fought loss.

Caitlin Clark. Angel Reese. Monika Czinano. Alexis Morris.

Those are stars of women’s college basketball. They should be on the court and deciding the biggest game of the year. Scratch that, arguably the most watched and anticipated game in Women’s NCAA Tournament history.

That’s how it should go. Until it didn’t. And it didn’t due to the officials completely losing control of the game, the moment being too big for them, and ultimately stealing the spotlight from two teams that deserved so much better.

Ultimately, Iowa didn’t do enough defensively and that cost them in the end. There is no denying LSU shot the ball lights out and that is where the credit does come into play. Regardless of the refs having absolutely no idea how to handle this moment, the Tigers made big shot after big shot.

That doesn’t change how special and magical this season was for the Hawkeyes. The ride they went on, the players that shined, and the moments that happened are all part of the joy.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the National Championship that deserved so much better than it got.