Someone has to go home each round, and, unfortunately, the Iowa Hawkeyes (19-14, 11-9 Big Ten) drew the short end of the stick in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with their loss to the Auburn Tigers (21-12, 10-8 SEC).
In a game that ended 83-75, the final score is somehow closer than it felt at times, but also further apart than it felt at times.
Nonetheless, Auburn is moving on to face the No. 1 Houston Cougars on Saturday for a spot in the Sweet 16 while the Hawkeyes have a flight home to Iowa City to digest what just happened. That truly is the epitome of how quickly things can change in the tournament and the harsh reality it presents.
There are some things that were good, some bad, and some things that we can’t forget to remember that came from this game. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Auburn.