Despite slump, Hawkeyes exceeded all preseason expectations

The way the Iowa men's basketball team sputtered down the stretch — until its win at Michigan Saturday night — made this season feel like a letdown more than a triumph.

It's true, it's very hard going from fifth in the coaches' national rankings to a fifth-seed in the Big Ten tournament.

I hate to use the term 'overachieved,' because who is anyone to set limitations on anyone else? But let's just say that at 12-6 and tied for third in the conference, Iowa still did better than anyone predicted. At least anyone that I can find.

A panel of eight Big Ten Network basketball people picked Iowa to finish ninth in the conference, one spot behind Illinois.

The Hawkeyes were seven games better than the Illini in league play.

CBSsports.com had seven of its basketball experts predict the Big Ten race. Two people had Iowa finishing sixth, one had it seventh, and the other four eighth.

Sports Illustrated had Iowa ninth. Wrote David Gardner: 'Iowa has four returning starters, but maintaining its third-place finish (from last season) should be harder in a more competitive conference.'

SI projected Iowa's Jarrod Uthoff would average 13.9 points a game and Peter Jok would average 10.2.

Uthoff is averaging 18.8, Jok 15.8.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi had a preseason NCAA tournament bracket on Nov. 11. He had Iowa slotted ... nowhere.

From Feb. 1 through Feb. 11, Lunardi had Iowa a No. 1 seed.

The Hawkeyes are now a No. 5 according to Lunardi.

Lunardi had Maryland as a preseason No. 1 seed. The Terrapins are among the three teams that tied Iowa for third in the Big Ten.

Oh, Lunardi's preseason brackets didn't include Northern Iowa, which is going to the tournament. For that matter, Lunardi's brackets on Saturday morning didn't include UNI, either.