Breaking down Iowa's possible tournament location (with bracket)

IOWA CITY — The epilogue to Iowa's men's basketball season has yet to be written, and the Hawkeyes only can hope it will have a better conclusion than their final regular-season chapters.

Iowa's late-season tumble has dropped the Hawkeyes from a top-five ranking and a cushy early-round seeding at Des Moines. The No. 18-ranked Hawkeyes (21-10) lost six of their final eight games. Iowa is projected as a likely sixth or seventh seed, which it was in last year's NCAA tournament.

On Saturday morning, ESPN tournament analyst Joe Lunardi had the Hawkeyes listed as a No. 6 seed in St. Louis. His contemporary, CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, had Iowa has a No. 7 seed in Spokane, Wash. The NCAA selection committee determine sixth seeds as teams ranked 21-24 and seventh seeds as teams rated 25-28. Those are probable spots for the Hawkeyes, who likely will stumble a few more spots in the national polls after losing to Illinois on Thursday. Despite the slump, Iowa's RPI (27) and KenPom (20) rankings remain strong. RPI calculates wins and losses, opponents' wins and losses and opponents' opponents' wins and losses. KenPom measures points scored and allowed per possession.

So where are the most likely places for Iowa to land? There are eight first- and second-round sites with four played on Thursday-Saturday and four played on Friday-Sunday. The Thursday sites include Des Moines, Raleigh, N.C., Providence, R.I., and Denver. The Friday sites include St. Louis, Brooklyn, N.Y., Oklahoma City and Spokane, Wash.

As far as location goes, it's easier to examine Iowa as a No. 7 seed, where they'd be sent to a site closest to the No. 2 seeds. Among the likely No. 2 seeds include Oklahoma, West Virginia, Oregon and either North Carolina or Virginia. Oklahoma will play in Oklahoma City, Oregon will play in Spokane, Wash., both North Carolina and Virginia are headed to Raleigh, N.C., and West Virginia likely will play in Brooklyn, N.Y. If Big Ten foe Michigan State is a No. 2 seed, Iowa cannot fit into the Spartans' quadrant because the teams already played twice this season.

If Iowa is a No. 6 seed, it will compete in a four-team bracket opposite a No. 3 seed. The teams and locations are more unpredictable. Xavier, Indiana and Purdue are among contenders for a possible No. 3 seed with Des Moines and St. Louis as likely destinations for two of those teams. Iowa cannot play Indiana or Purdue in the first two rounds because the Hawkeyes faced both twice this year.

There's also an outside shot Iowa could end up as a No. 5 seed. But based on the Hawkeyes' recent string of losses, that placement appears remote.

As for getting back on the winning track, that's to be determined.

'All we can do is stay positive, and it's the NCAA tournament now,' Iowa junior Peter Jok said. 'It's do or die, and we've just got to come ready to play next game.'

POSSIBLE BRACKET (AS OF SATURDAY MORNING)

CHICAGO REGION

1. Kansas vs. 16. Jackson State-Florida Gulf Coast winner, Des Moines

8. St. Joseph's vs. 9. UConn, Des Moines

4. Purdue vs. 13. Northern Iowa, Denver

5. Arizona vs. 12. South Dakota State, Denver

3. Xavier vs. 14. Yale, Des Moines

6. Notre Dame vs. 11. Michigan-Wichita State winner, Des Moines

2. Oregon vs. 15. Weber State, Spokane, Wash.

7. Wisconsin vs. 10. San Diego State, Spokane, Wash.

***

LOUISVILLE REGION

1. Virginia vs. 16. Austin Peay, Raleigh, N.C.

8. South Carolina vs. 9. Gonzaga, Raleigh, N.C.

4. Maryland vs. 13. Stony Brook, Providence, R.I.

5. Iowa State vs. 12. Akron, Providence, R.I.

3. California vs. 14. Hawaii, Spokane, Wash.

6. Dayton vs. 11. Monmouth, Spokane, Wash.

2. West Virginia vs. 15. Wisconsin-Green Bay, Brooklyn, N.Y.

7. Providence vs. 10. Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, N.Y.

***

PHILADELPHIA REGION

1. Villanova vs. 16. Hampton, Brooklyn, N.Y.

8. Colorado vs. 8. Virginia Commonwealth, Brooklyn, N.Y.

4. Baylor vs. 13. Stephen F. Austin, Oklahoma City

5. Texas A&M vs. Arkansas-Little Rock, Oklahoma City

3. Indiana vs. 14. Middle Tennessee State, St. Louis

6. Texas vs. 11. Temple-St. Mary's winner, St. Louis

2. North Carolina vs. 15. UNC-Asheville, Raleigh, N.C.

7. Seton Hall vs. 10. USC, Raleigh, N.C.

***

ANAHEIM REGIONAL

1. Michigan State vs. 16. Fairleigh Dickinson-Holy Cross winner, St. Louis

8. Texas Tech vs. 9. Cincinnati, St. Louis

4. Miami vs. 13. Iona, Providence, R.I.

5. Kentucky vs. 12. Chattanooga, Providence, R.I.

3. Utah vs. 14. UNC-Wilmington, Denver

6. Duke vs. 11. St. Bonaventure, Denver

2. Oklahoma vs. 15. New Mexico State, Oklahoma City

7. Iowa vs. 10. Butler, Oklahoma City

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