ESPN Projects Iowa Basketball as Tournament 2-Seed

The Hawkeyes enter the season with high expectations after a successful 27-7 campaign last year.

Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Basketball

ESPN Projects Iowa Basketball as Tournament 2-Seed

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ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme projects Iowa as a 2-seed for the upcoming NCAA tournament. The team enters the new season looking to build on their 2025-26 record of 27-7.

Why it matters

A 2-seed projection suggests Iowa is positioned to host a regional tournament site as they navigate a challenging schedule. The program aims to advance past the second round of the NCAA tournament, a barrier they have faced in each of the past two seasons.

Iowa finished the 2025-26 season with a 27-7 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Big Ten conference play. The upcoming schedule includes 16 games against opponents currently projected to reach the NCAA tournament.

The players

Charlie Creme

He is an ESPN bracketologist responsible for creating preseason and regular-season NCAA tournament projections.

Dani Carnegie

She is a transfer player joining the Iowa roster for the 2026-27 basketball season.

McKenna Woliczko

She is a forward joining the Iowa basketball team for the 2026-27 season.

The details

The 2026-27 roster features key additions including transfer Dani Carnegie and forward McKenna Woliczko. Iowa is currently expected to reach the Sweet Sixteen, with 13 total Big Ten teams projected to qualify for the tournament field.

October 29, 2026: Iowa plays an exhibition game against Maryville University at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
November 2, 2026: Iowa opens the regular season against Towson.

Season Trajectory

The projected 2-seed status signals that Iowa remains a central force in the Big Ten, which is currently seeing 13 of its members projected to reach the tournament field. This high seeding expectations sets the stage for the program to move past consecutive second-round exits.

As a projected 2-seed, Iowa is currently slated to host a regional tournament site at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. With 16 games against tournament-caliber opponents, the team strength of schedule will be a primary factor in maintaining this seeding position throughout the year.

The takeaway

Maintaining a high seed depends on successfully navigating a schedule where nearly half the games are against tournament-quality opponents. Fans should look for the team to integrate new roster additions like Dani Carnegie and McKenna Woliczko during the early non-conference exhibition schedule.