How Iowa's basketball schedule compares

When I first looked at Iowa's men's basketball nonconference schedule for the coming season, I wasn't wowed.

Then I looked closer. Still no wow.

It isn't without challenges, for sure. Games at Northern Iowa and Iowa State. A game in Des Moines against Creighton. A home game with Clemson. But overall ... a lot of flotsam and jetsam.

I love that expression. Flotsam and jetsam.

Of Iowa's 13 nonconference foes, just Clemson played in the 68-team NCAA tournament last season. None played in the NIT. Creighton and Boise State were in the CBI, UNI in the CIT.

So much for Chicago State, North Carolina A&T, Northern Illinois, Campbell, IPFW, Brown, Iowa State, Drake and Central Arkansas. The latter was 5-24 last season, by the way.

I'm thinking Iowa has scheduled its way into a postseason tournament. Although, the Big Ten has shunned the CBI and CIT.

Here are how the other Big Ten nonconference skeds look:

Illinois: NCAA (4) Richmond, Gonzaga, UNLV, Missouri. CBI (1) St. Bonaventure

Indiana: NCAA ( 3) Notre Dame, Butler, Kentucky. CBI (1) Evansville

Michigan: NCAA (3) Memphis, Duke or Tennessee, Oakland

Michigan State: NCAA (5) North Carolina, Duke (the first two games MSU plays are North Carolina and Duke), Arkansas-Little Rock, Florida State, Gonzaga. NIT (2) Texas Southern, Milwaukee

Minnesota: NCAA (2) USC, St. Peter's. NIT (1): Virginia Tech. Other possibilities in tournaments: Indiana State (NCAA), Dayton (NIT), Fairfield (NIT).

Nebraska: NCAA (1): USC. CBI (3) Rhode Island, Oregon, Creighton

Northwestern: NIT (1) Texas Southern. CBI (1) Creighton. Could play NCAA Final Four team Virginia Commonwealth in the Charleston Classic.

Ohio State: NCAA (3) Florida, Kansas, Duke. CBI (1) Miami (Ohio). CIT (1) Valparaiso.

Penn State: NCAA (1) Kentucky. NIT (2) Boston College, Mississippi. CBI (1) Duquesne. Possible tournament game with NCAA team Old Dominion.

Purdue: NCAA (2) Xavier, Butler. NIT (1) Miami (Fla.). CIT (1). Possible Puerto Rico Tip-Off final-round game against either NIT teams Alabama, Colorado or Wichita State.

Wisconsin: NCAA (3) Wofford, North Carolina, UNLV. NIT (1) Milwaukee.