Iowa's frustration gives way to appreciation

IOWA CITY — Frustration gripped Iowa players and coaches late last week in the aftermath of yet another Big Ten Tournament flameout.

By Sunday, frustration gave way to appreciation. Iowa (21-10) earned its third straight NCAA tournament bid, something the program hadn't accomplished since the 1991-1993 seasons. For the players, watching their team unveiled on the CBS' selection show — even before it was leaked on social media — still had a Christmas morning feel.

'It's always exciting to get your name called in the NCAA tournament,' said senior forward Jarrod Uthoff, who was named a second-team All-American by the USBWA on Monday. 'This is the biggest stage. This is what you play college basketball for.'

The seventh-seeded Hawkeyes face American Athletic Conference regular-season champion No. 10 Temple (21-11) at about 2 p.m. Friday in Brooklyn's Barclays Center. It's the second consecutive season Iowa earned a No. 7 seed.

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Iowa was ranked as high as No. 3 in one national poll last month before dropping six of its final eight games. That's led to friction and overanalysis among the players, coaches, fans and media for the factors. But those external issues seemed to dissipate on Sunday, and rightly so.

'We're excited,' Iowa senior center Adam Woodbury said. 'Everybody's 0-0 going into this. No matter what you did in the regular season doesn't matter. There's upsets every game in every bracket. We're excited about where we are and we have a chance to compete with some of the best teams in the country.'

'You've got to swallow and throw that out the door,' Iowa senior Anthony Clemmons said about the late-season disappointment. 'Michigan State won the Big Ten championship. Now it's time to focus on winning games and games and games. Hopefully get the NCAA championship.'

With sweeps over NCAA tournament teams Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan, the Hawkeyes are considered a dark horse. Sports Illustrated placed Iowa on its cover for the second time this season. A return to its pre-slump form and veteran-laden Iowa can compete with any team. It's that notion that keeps the players unified, and gives Coach Fran McCaffery confidence.

'I think that's critical,' McCaffery. 'I'm glad to hear that they said that. I believe that as well. I think they've been together from the beginning. It's been an interesting journey, not just this year. But going back to when they got here. The program was in a different place. They're very much a part of building a consistent winner. We've had winning streaks, we've had losing streaks, but they've remained together.

'We have stuck with those guys because we know the character that they have and the talent that they have. We just have to make sure in this setting, you take care of rebounding, you take care of the basketball, you move the ball. You give your team every chance to win the game. I have total trust in my guys.'

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