2014 NCAA Tournament Profile: Iowa Hawkeyes
By Joe Nardone
Mar 6, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Roy Devyn Marble (4) reacts to a play during the 1st half of a game at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa Hawkeyes
Record: (20-12, 9-9 Big Ten)
RPI: 55
BPI: 21
Conference: Big Ten
How They Qualified: At-large
Riding a three game losing streak, the Iowa Hawkeyes backed in to the NCAA Tournament. That doesn’t mean that their place in the Big Dance is unwarranted, though.
Iowa not only started the season 10 wins in their first 11 games, but also beat tournament bound Xavier and took the Villanova Wildcats to the limit in an overtime game that eventually resulted in their first loss on the season.
It also shouldn’t shock you, because Iowa, that the Hawkeyes are the seventh best rebounding team in the entire nation.
What You Need to Know
Leading Scorer: Roy Devyn Marble (17.3 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Aaron White (6.7 rpg)
Leading Passer: Mike Gesell (3.9 apg)
Bad Losses: Indiana, Northwestern
Good Wins: Xavier, Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan
What to Expect
Typical Iowa basketball. Tough, gritty, and surprisingly incredibly fun to watch. Still, the Hawkeyes are going to be a tough out for the Tennessee Volunteers in their First Four battle.
It will be interesting to see if the battle of the point-makers (Iowa) can keep on doing so against a Vols team who would prefer to have the rims closed like a Radio Shack.
Regardless, the Iowa Hawkeyes are going dancing in the NCAA Tournament!