Nebraska forward Rienk Mast shoots during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. AP The Iowa Hawkeyes head to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena in need of a win to keep their March Madness hopes alive.
At 20-10 in the tough Big Ten, the Hawkeyes are on everyone’s first four in/first four out lists.
A win on Sunday would do wonders for the chances to go dancing.
Iowa wouldn’t find itself in this position if it weren’t for ugly Big Ten road losses to Minnesota, Maryland, and, most recently, Penn State.
Although they’ve fallen to the dregs of the conference, the Hawkeyes have shown that they can keep it close, and even beat some of the best teams in the country.
In their last game, Iowa nearly took down the mighty Michigan Wolverines, losing by three points after having been tied with under a minute left.
They also lost by a combined 17 points to Iowa State, Purdue and Illinois, all of which sit in the top-20 of the AP rankings.
The Hawkeyes’ best win of the season came against these very Cornhuskers less than a month ago.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) controls the ball as forward Cam Manyawu (3) sets a screen against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images In that game, Iowa star Bennett Stirtz dropped 25 points en route to the 57-52 win, which was the lowest scoring output for Nebraska all season.
Which Hawkeyes team will show up Sunday? With so much on the line, expect it to be the good one.
In a desperation play against a Cornhuskers team that can afford a loss, I’m betting the Hawkeyes to keep this one close, at the very least.
The play: Iowa Hawkeyes to cover +5.5 (-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
