It’s confirmed! The Hawkeyes have clinched a No. 1 seed, taking the lead in the Albany 2 Region.
Their quest for the national championship game begins anew, with the Hawkeyes entering the NCAA Tournament on a wave of momentum.
Following Caitlin Clark’s historic achievement in breaking the all-time scoring record for Division I basketball across both men’s and women’s leagues, the Hawkeyes set their sights on defending their title as Big Ten Tournament champions. They blazed through the conference tournament, overcoming Penn State, Michigan, and finally Nebraska in a thrilling overtime victory, 94-89, to secure their third consecutive conference tournament championship.
The competition in the Albany 2 Region is fierce, with Iowa leading the charge. However, they are not the only team with aspirations to advance. This year’s region is brimming with strong contenders, including familiar foes.
LSU, positioned as a No. 3 seed, poses a potential rematch in the Elite Eight, promising a game that could echo the intensity of a national championship face-off. They’re not alone; Louisville, a sixth seed, previously gave the Hawkeyes a run for their money, and Kansas State, the No. 4 seed, has already faced off against the Hawkeyes this year, splitting their series. Adding to the mix, UCLA also finds itself in this competitive bracket, introducing another national contender to the region.
For Iowa to return to the national championship, they must navigate through each challenging matchup in the Albany 2 Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
In their opening game, the Hawkeyes will go up against either the Ohio Valley Conference champions UT Martin or the Patriot League champions Holy Cross.
The West Virginia Mountaineers have secured an at-large bid and will face the Ivy League champions Princeton in their first game.
Colorado, entering the tournament with an at-large bid, is set to compete against the Missouri Valley Conference champions Drake.
Kansas State, also entering with an at-large bid, will face the West Coast Conference champions Portland in their initial matchup.
The Conference USA champions Middle Tennessee are set to face the Louisville Cardinals.
The defending national champions, LSU, return as an at-large No. 3 seed, taking on the winners of the American Athletic Conference, Rice.
An East vs. West Coast battle sees Creighton facing off against the Mountain West champions UNLV.
Following their loss in the Pac-12 semifinal to USC, UCLA takes the second seed in the region and will go up against WAC champions California Baptist.
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