It was more anxiety-inducing than it needed to be, but the committee rewarded Iowa for its tough schedule and gave it a nine seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Hawkeyes did not finish the season like they planned, dropping seven of their final 10 games, but their strength of schedule and record in Quad 1 and 2 games gave them a ticket to the Big Dance.
For Ben McCollum, it is his second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament after guiding the Drake Bulldogs there last season, but the committee did him no favors by putting them in a pool with Florida, Nebraska, Illinois, and Houston.
First things first: they have to escape a tough first-round matchup against Clemson, and early odds do not like them to do it.
Iowa is a slight underdog against Clemson in the first round
FanDuel Sportsbook released early betting odds for Iowa vs. Clemson in the first round, and they are not expecting the Hawkeyes to win.
Iowa is a +2.5-point underdog in the game, suggesting it will be close but ultimately fall short.
Oddsmakers must have seen the Hawkeyes in big games this season after concluding they will keep the game against Clemson competitive but fail to secure the victory.
Five times Iowa overcame 10-plus point deficits in Big Ten Conference play only to lose by single digits.
If Iowa wants to be a successful underdog, it must overcome the growing trend of poor offensive play, but that will be difficult to do against a stout Clemson defense.
It's win or go home in the NCAA Tournament, and oddsmakers like a first-round exit for the Hawkeyes against the Tigers.