Point/Counterpoint: Bubble time all over again

February 28, 2017

Iowa guard Samantha Logic goes up for a layup against Miami guard Suriya McGuire during the second round game of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, March 22, 2015. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hurricanes, 88-70 advancing to Sweet Sixteen in Oklahoma City . (The Daily Iowan/Margaret Kispert)

Will the Iowa women’s basketball team make the NCAA Tournament?

Yes

The regular season had its ups and downs for the Iowa women’s basketball team, but it is time to put all of that aside as the Big Ten Tournament begins Wednesday.

Currently sitting at 17-12, the Hawkeyes are under the spotlight now as they try to further their case for an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. According to Charlie Creme’s ESPN Bracketology, he has Iowa as the first team to be out of the tournament.

That means this week is huge for Iowa and how the rest of its season will turn out. If the Hawkeyes lose the first game on Thursday against Northwestern, they can pack their bags and head for the NIT.

That will not be the case, though, because Iowa will take care of business against Northwestern thanks to the leadership of senior Ally Disterhoft and the nitty-gritty play of the freshman class.

With a win, the Hawkeyes will get No. 1 seed Ohio State on Friday. Losing to Ohio State should not damage Iowa’s résumé, but a win would only boost its seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This week will tell Hawkeye Nation a lot about the Iowa basketball team as a whole, such as how much Disterhoft has left in the tank and how much the freshmen have matured over the course of the season.

A loss and a NIT berth would not result in a disappointing season for the Hawkeyes, but NCAA Tournament berths are program-changers, and after missing it last year, it is exactly the kind of energy this program needs.

— Michael McCurdy

The Iowa women are in a tough spot once again this year. If you remember, in 2016 the Hawkeyes were listed as the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament.

Sixty-four teams get a chance to dance in March, and the Hawkeyes were team No. 65. That is a tough pill to swallow. It’s even tougher when the eight years prior to that, Iowa had gone dancing every single season.

In ESPN’s most recent women’s bracketology predictions, Iowa was once again listed as the first team out of the tournament. Team No. 65, once again.

That’s a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty type situation. It means the Hawkeyes have work to do, but they are on the cusp of getting in.

The good news is Iowa controls its own destiny heading into the Big Ten Tournament this weekend.

Iowa, the No. 8 seed, will play No. 9 seed Northwestern in the second round. The Hawkeyes handled the Wildcats the only time the two teams played this season, winning 78-59 in Iowa City.

If Iowa wins that game, it plays No. 9 Ohio State in Round 3. If Iowa wins that contest, the Hawkeyes would be a sure-bet to make the NCAA Tournament.

The only problem is, I don’t see the Hawkeyes beating Ohio State on a neutral court, especially without the services of Tania Davis.

The Buckeyes have lost only five games this season (four to top-20 teams, including No. 1 Connecticut, No. 4 South Carolina, and No. 5 Baylor) and just beat No. 2 Maryland to win the Big Ten regular-season title, 98-87.

— Blake Dowson