NCAA Profile: Iowa Hawkeyes

Team: Iowa

Conference: Big Ten

Coach: Fran McCaffery

Record: 21-10, 12-6 in conference

KenPom Rank: 20

Good wins: The Hawkeyes impressed with an 83-70 win over No. 1 Michigan State back in December (Spartans were without senior Denzel Valentine). Iowa never trailed and led for all but 44 seconds in the win, it was the first Iowa victory over a No. 1 ranked opponent since 1999 (Connecticut) and the first win over the Spartans since 2011. Better yet, they defeated Michigan State AGAIN in January 76-59, this time in East Lansing.

Impact players: Three players are Iowa's stars: senior Mike Gesell, junior Peter Jok and senior Jarrod Uthoff.

How did they get in? Iowa is back in the NCAA tourney as a No. 7 seed for the second year in a row. The Hawkeyes just barely made it across the finish line this season, going 2-6 in their last eight games and losing to Illinois in the Big Ten tourney game.

The question is: will this squad be able to recapture the glory they enjoyed earlier this season when they made it into the top five with their 10-1 Big Ten start?

How far can this team go in the NCAA Tournament? Iowa will have trouble when they (most likely) face Villanova in the second round. Even if they squeak out that win, they will probably face Kansas in the Elite Eight. They've got a tough schedule to overcome.  It will take two near-perfect performances for them to get past those tough squads.

It doesn't help that the Hawkeyes lost their last 4 of 5 in the regular season and got upset by Illinois in the B1G Tournament. It's key they pick up some momentum quickly and are able to sustain it.

Last time in the NCAA Tournament? Last season (2015). They lost in the Second Round to #2 Gonzaga 68-87.