After watching the abomination that occurred in Evanston on Sunday evening, you might think I’m crazy for thinking that Iowa could earn a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament. And I’ll concede; if Iowa continues to shoot the way it did three days ago in Welsh-Ryan Arena, the Hawkeyes may not even make the tournament at all.

But I feel confident saying that Iowa will not have a performance that bad for the rest of the season. I mean, Iowa shot the three at 35 percent — in the top half of the Big Ten — before Sunday’s disaster.

Grant’s point about Iowa living and dying by the three is a fair one, but when those threes fall, Iowa is hard to beat.

Granted, with Iowa’s current resume, I think Fran McCaffery’s team is worthy of a No. 7 or 8 seed, but the same could be said of last year’s team that earned a No. 5 seed after a Big Ten Tournament championship.

In 2021-22, the Hawkeyes finished the regular season 12-8 in the Big Ten and were the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament — a likely spot for them this season — and then ripped off four wins in four days against Northwestern, Rutgers, Indiana, and Purdue, respectively.

This season, the only Big Ten teams the Hawkeyes will not have a chance to beat in the regular season are Purdue and Penn State — as the Boilermakers and Nittany Lions each only showed up once on the Hawkeyes’ schedule and beat them.

Iowa lost to Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Michigan State earlier this season, but the Badgers, Huskers, and Spartans will each face Iowa once more this season.

Northwestern and Ohio State, Iowa’s other losses, have split the season series with Iowa.

Although Iowa’s chances at a No. 5 seed for the NCAA tournament took a hit on Sunday, a run to the conference tournament championship game and an undefeated remainder of the regular season gets them there. And if the Hawkeyes play as they’re capable of — and Purdue has an off night from three-point range — there’s nobody in the Big Ten Iowa can’t beat.