Iowa MBB March Madness Hub: Schedule, Seed, Opponent and Path to Final Four

TAMPA, Fla. — After a nerve-racking wait on Selection Sunday, the Iowa Hawkeyes learned their NCAA tournament fate: a No. 9 seed in the South Region and a first-round date with Clemson on March 20 at Amalie Arena.

First-year head coach Ben McCollum’s squad, 21-12 overall and 10-10 in the Big Ten, ended a multi-year March Madness drought but drew one of the most unforgiving paths in the bracket. The Tigers, 24-10 and 12-6 in the ACC, arrive on a 4-1 stretch that included a narrow 12-point loss to top-ranked Duke in the ACC tournament. While Iowa gains the “tougher-conference” nod, Clemson’s recent form and head-to-head résumé present an immediate challenge.

Should the Hawkeyes survive the opener, a likely second-round collision with No. 1 seed Florida—playing a de-facto home game 90 minutes from Gainesville—awaits on March 22. Iowa’s struggles against elite competition, save for a home victory over Nebraska, underscore the size of the task.

The Gators anchor the top of the region, with No. 2 Houston, No. 3 Illinois, No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Vanderbilt, No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Saint Mary’s, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 11 VCU, No. 12 McNeese, No. 13 Troy, No. 14 Penn and No. 15 Idaho rounding out the opposition.

Tipoff against Clemson is set for Thursday, March 20. A win would slot Iowa into Saturday’s third-round action, four victories shy of a Final Four berth that would run through the South Region’s top seeds.