Iowa Conference Tournament Hub: Schedule, Bracket, Predictions

Either No. 7 Michigan State or No. 10 Illinois will do battle with the Hawkeyes in the quarterfinals. Both matchups would be a rematch from the regular season but it's important to note Iowa got the best of both teams.

Back on January 18 the Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Michigan State, 75-68. Iowa lucked out as they were able to play both opponents at home, though a crucial Top 15 victory is still a big deal no matter the circumstances.

Recently, Illinois came to town as they fought tooth and nail with the Hawkeyes until the final buzzer. This is the game that saw Stuelke go down with an injury though Iowa prevailed, 82-78 on February 26. In the first round of the B1G tournament, Illinois got the best of Wisconsin, 82-70.

Three Victories Required to Win it All

Should Iowa get past the Spartans or Fighting Illini they'd have to win another pair of games over the next two days. All eyes are on potential rematches with No. 3 Michigan and No. 1 UCLA. The Bruins game is one the Hawkeyes desperately want back while they'd be out to prove their 18 point victory over Michigan on February 22 was no fluke.

Michigan is set to face either No. 6 Maryland or No. 11 Oregon. The Ducks are fresh off a statement 82-64 victory over Purdue in the first round. To no surprise, the 24-5 (15-3) Wolverines have already defeated both the Terrapins (87-69) and Ducks (92-87, 2OT) this season.

The expected favorite to make it out of the top half of the bracket is No. 1 UCLA. The Bruins are the No. 2 team in the nation with their 28-1 (18-0) record. No team in this conference has been able to take them down so far, but they need three more victories on March 6, 7, and 8 to end the year without a B1G blemish.

Iowa's Next Game: March 6 at 6:30 p.m. EST on BTN vs. No. 7 Michigan State OR No. 10 Illinois

Should Iowa win, they'll play at 4:30 p.m. EST on March 7. That game will also be televised on the Big Ten Network.

The B1G Championship game will be broadcast on Paramount+ and CBS. It's set to take place at 2:15 p.m. EST on March 8.