Iowa basketball: Hawks have struggled this decade in B1G Tournament
By Andrew Wade
With the regular season officially over, the Big Ten Conference Tournament begins Wednesday. Will the Iowa basketball team make up for a decade of struggle?
The Big Ten began playing an end of season conference tournament way back in 1998, just over twenty years ago. In the first ten years of the tournament, the Iowa basketball team won the tournament twice (2001 and 2006) and finished as the runner-up once (2002). Since that time, they have yet to even make it to the championship game.
In fact, it gets worse. Since the Hawks won the 2006 Big Ten Tournament, they have yet to win multiple games in a tournament, and they have won just three games overall (all three wins coming in the Fran McCaffery era). Furthermore, this team has not advanced past the second round since that 2006 team.
What does this mean for the Iowa basketball team this year?
Technically, it means nothing, but it’s important context to understand what kind of monkey the Hawkeyes have on their back as they prepare for Big Ten Conference play this week.
Despite struggling through the last few weeks of the season, the Iowa basketball team has maintained a strong hold on the #6 seed in the 2019 tournament, which gives them a first-round bye. When the Hawks do play, they will be facing off against the winner of the Illinois (#11) vs Northwestern (#14) game, which in theory should be favorable matchups for Fran McCaffery’s squad.
The Hawks have beaten the Wildcats twice this season (albeit in very close and dramatic fashion), and they have beaten Illinois in their lone game.
However, history suggests otherwise. Last season, the Hawks won one game as a #12 seed, but in the previous five seasons, they have been seeded 5-7 and lost.
- 2017 – #7 Iowa lose to #10 Indiana 95-73
- 2016 – #5 Iowa lose to #12 Illinois 66-68
- 2015 – #5 Iowa lose to #13 Penn State 67-58
- 2014 – #6 Iowa lose to #11 Northwestern 67-62
- 2013 – #6 Iowa lose to #11 Northwestern 73-59
Ironically enough, three of those losses have come against the Iowa basketball team’s future opponent.
Next. Top five players in Fran McCaffery era. dark
The Illinois Fighting Illini square off against the Northwestern Wildcats Wednesday night, and the winner will go on to face the Hawks Thursday evening.