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On Selection Sunday, the Iowa Hawkeyes were in both familiar and unfamiliar territory.
Familiar in the sense they had solidified their place in the NCAA Tournament. Unfamiliar in that they weren’t rewarded a top seed, nor will they host the first two rounds at home as they have over the last three years, culminating in two-consecutive appearances in the championship game in 2023 and 2024.
Instead, the Hawkeyes will be a modest No. 6 seed in Regional 4, playing against No. 11-seed Murray State in Norman, OK on Saturday, Mar. 22.
The Hawkeyes finished the regular season at 22-10 and 10-8 in the Big Ten conference. It was a season of change from the top down, from former assistant Jan Jensen assuming the head coaching duties to the arrival of a group of freshmen (Aaliyah Guyton, Taylor Stremlow, Teegan Mallengi and Ava Heiden) that proved ready to play alongside the veteran core of Lucy Olsen, Hannah Stuelke, Sydney Affolter, Addison O’Grady and Kylie Feuerbach. It was a combination that allowed Iowa to surpass the low expectations levied at them from the jump in the post-Caitlin Clark era.
The Hawkeyes got to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Ohio State 60-59 on Mar. 7. They haven’t played a game since. Now, as they prepare themselves for the NCAA Tournament, they are adamant on relying on their ability to rise to the occasion. Stuelke said on Selection Sunday:
A lot of our girls know what it takes going through the Big Ten Tournament. We got one of the best conferences in the nation, in my opinion. I think we’re all ready. We’re all really excited to get out there. It feels like it’s been forever since we’ve been on the court, but we’re all just really excited to have a chance to play some more games.
Olsen noted that the team’s defense, in particular, carried them to victory at times this season, emphasizing how vital it will be to the Hawkeyes throughout the tournament, sharing:
I think you never know if the ball is going to go in the basket or not. So you just have to be prepared to play defense all the time. We’ve definitely worked on the defensive part because we’ve had slow shooting nights and our defense has to take care….so got to just keep playing defense and our offense will come with that.
The Hawkeyes will be playing a Murray State team known for their high-tempo offense. They can score in quick succession and shoot solidly from the 3-point line. It will take an all-out defense effort, followed by a fluid offense, to come out on top.
In all, the tournament likely will be a trying time, but given the Hawkeyes’ ability to surprise, the challenge will be worth taking.
No. 6-seed Iowa will play No. 11-seed Murray State at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Mar. 22.
