Why did the Lowa Hawkeyes fail to get into the NCAA tournament?

• Lowa men’s basketball team lost to the Bruce Pearl-led Auburn Tigers
• The lost Sweet 16 run will continue for at least another calendar year
• Auburn found a 17-point advantage in the second half

Unfortunately, the lost Sweet 16 run will continue for at least another calendar year. The Iowa men’s basketball team lost to the Bruce Pearl-led Auburn Tigers 83-75 in an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Thursday at Birmingham, Alabama, and was eliminated from the tournament early once more.

As stated early in the contest on Twitter by Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated: “Auburn riding the biggest homecourt advantage in No. 9 seed history.”

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The Big Match

Baksetball. Photo/pixabay

In the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at Legacy Arena, the Iowa men’s basketball team was defeated by Auburn 83-75.

Auburn found a 17-point advantage in the second half. However, the Hawkeyes were unable to overturn the gap because of poor three-point shooting, which resulted in a Tiger victory.

Moreover, Iowa lost as a five-seed to 12-seed Richmond in the first round of the previous season and as a two-seed to seven-seed Oregon in the second round of the following season.

As Iowa fell behind 58-41 in the second half on Thursday, the game was about to end in a rout. Nevertheless, Iowa didn’t falter, as has happened so frequently this season.

With the 17-point deficit down to four points in a matter of minutes, No. 8 seed Iowa now has a shot at winning. While Auburn had a nine-seed, under the leadership of head coach Pearl, they managed to hold off the comeback and continue.

Connor McCaffery committed his fifth foul in the last seconds of the game, ending his participation in the contest. After that, he left the court and gave his father a bear hug.

As for Kris Murray, in what was likely his final game as a Hawkeye, he struggled offensively for the majority of the contest. The third-team Associated Press All-American and native of Cedar Rapids nevertheless finished the game with 15 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.

Additionally, he contributed to the second-half comeback by hitting two threes when Iowa was on the verge of defeat.

With six rebounds, three assists, and 21 points after coming off the bench for Iowa, sophomore Payton Sandfort led all scorers.

The Hawkeyes Closed the Season

Lowa and Auburn were playing each other for the first time in this game. There were some intriguing backstories, including the fact that Pearl was a former Iowa assistant coach under Tom Davis from 1986 to 1992 and that Matt Gatens, an assistant coach for Iowa and a former Hawkeye All-Big Ten guard, was a former graduate assistant under Pearl at Auburn.

The Iowa men’s basketball team continues to struggle to find a way to advance in the NCAA Tournament, which is the primary lesson learned from this game.

A basketball hoop. Photo/Pexel

In order for Iowa to advance to the Sweet 16 last, in 1999, the team had to unite around lame-duck head coach Tom Davis, ride an emotional wave, and just refuse to lose.

Before falling to UConn, the eventual national champion, in the Sweet 16 in Denver in 1998-1999, the Hawkeyes advanced through two rounds.

The 2022–2023 men’s basketball campaign comes to an end if the Hawkeyes suffer a defeat. The final game for the Iowa Hawkeyes was played by forward Filip Rebraca and guard Connor McCaffery.

“The emotions still haven’t set in right now; they definitely will. It’s a place where I grew a lot… I got to meet some really incredible people here that I’ll have connections with for the end of my life. I’ll talk to these people forever… We’ll see where basketball takes me,” said Rebraca in a locker room interview following the game.