Iowa to take on Creighton in Omaha in the coming men’s basketball season

Hawkeyes and Bluejays haven’t tangled since 2011. Creighton is fresh off reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

Mike Hlas

May. 22, 2023 3:22 pm, Updated: May. 22, 2023 4:37 pm

Creighton guard Baylor Scheierman (55) celebrates victory over Princeton after a Sweet 16 round college basketball game in the South Regional of the NCAA Tournament, Friday, March 24, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. Creighton won 86-75. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) — Creighton guard Baylor Scheierman (55) celebrates his team’s NCAA tournament Sweet 16 victory over Princeton on March 24 in Louisville, Ky. (John Bazemore/Associated Press)

For the first time since 2011, the Iowa men’s basketball team will play Creighton.

Jon Rothstein broke the news of this year’s Gavitt Games matchups Monday afternoon.

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The Hawkeyes and Bluejays, both NCAA tournament teams the last three seasons, will meet in Omaha at a date to be determined as part of the Gavitt Games, which matches teams from the Big Ten and Big East conferences.

It’s been a natural Gavitt Games matchup given their proximity, but the two have not met in that event. In fact, they have faced each other just once since 2001, an 82-59 Creighton win in Des Moines in 2011.

Creighton was 24-13 last season and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA tourney after beating North Carolina State, Baylor and Princeton. The Bluejays lost 57-56 to San Diego State in a regional final.

Greg McDermott, formerly head coach at Northern Iowa and Iowa State, has led Creighton to 20-plus wins in each of the last eight seasons.

Creighton was sixth in men’s Division I attendance last season with 17,163 fans per game.

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