No sweat: Iowa women say they're dancing

IOWA CITY - They're not sweating. They're not losing sleep.

The issue, according to the Iowa Hawkeyes, isn't whether or not they'll make the NCAA women's basketball tournament. It's where and whom they'll play.

“I'm very confident,” said Coach Lisa Bluder. “I don't have a lot of anxiety. Some years I did, but I don't feel that way this year. The selection committee is going to see the way we ended the year.”

NCAA selections will be made at 6 p.m. Monday.

A late surge - 11 wins in its final 14 games - vaulted Iowa (19-13) to third place in the Big Ten and the final of the conference tournament.

The Hawkeyes have an RPI of 43 and are projected as a No. 11 NCAA seed, according to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme.

“I think we're in,” said junior Kachine Alexander. “The two wins at the Big Ten tournament were definitely a key. The Michigan State win (in the semifinals) was really big for us. It pushed us over the edge.”

First- and second-round games will be played at 16 sites, including one at Ames.

Bluder said a trip to central Iowa would be unlikely, since Iowa lost at Iowa State during the regular season.

The Hawkeyes are hoping for Minneapolis.

“Minneapolis would be really nice. We would draw well there,” Bluder said. “I think the Minnesota fans would root for us. We'd be like a home team.”

Minnesota will not make the NCAA tournament, so Iowa's previous trip to Williams Arena is irrelevant. Four Hawkeyes are Minnesota natives, including Alexander and Kamille Wahlin.

“Minneapolis is, like, right down the street,” Alexander said.

Jaime Printy, the Big Ten freshman of the year, doesn't care where the Hawkeyes go. As long as they go.

“It would be sweet to go, no matter where,” she said. “It would be sweet to go to Minneapolis, so we could have a lot of fans. And it would be sweet to go somewhere warm.”

It could be Ames or Minneapolis. It could be Seattle or Tallahassee, Fla. It could be somewhere in between.

"I can't predict where we'll go,” Bluder said. “It would be a total waste of time.”