IOWA CITY — After months and months of consideration, dissection and dialogue at each flip, this unprecedented Iowa girls’s basketball season has lastly reached its most pivotal stretch.
The Hawkeyes’ path to a Closing 4 return is formally cemented. Caitlin Clark and Iowa did not have to attend round lengthy on Choice Sunday to see black and gold dominate the ESPN display.
The Hawkeyes have secured this system’s first No. 1 seed since 1992 because the NCAA Event’s 2nd general seed behind solely unbeaten South Carolina. Iowa headlines the Albany 2 regional with No. 4 seed Kansas State, No. 5 seed Colorado, No. 3 seed LSU and No. 2 UCLA additionally within the bracket. The Hawkeyes will start their tourney journey towards the Holy Cross-UT Martin winner, who’ll first meet in Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment on Wednesday or Thursday.
No. 8 seed West Virginia and No. 9 seed Princeton are additionally coming to Iowa Metropolis, with the winner probably standing in the way in which of the Hawkeyes’ third Candy 16 look within the final 4 years. Whereas it could appear to be a foregone conclusion that Iowa advances out of its residence fitness center, the Hawkeyes know their second-round opponent may play them simply as robust as a Closing 4 foe.
The subsequent few weeks will largely dictate how this magical Iowa season is finally remembered, however Iowa does deserve a small pause for what was revealed on Choice Sunday. To morph preseason questions on roster replenishing right into a 29-4 mark with a convention match title and No. 1 seed has the Hawkeyes realistically prepared for an additional marvelous run.
What does Clark have in retailer for the ultimate video games of her illustrious school profession? Iowa and the remainder of the nation are about to seek out out.
Dargan Southard is a sports activities trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Electronic mail him at msouthard@gannett.com or observe him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.