NCAA Tournament March Madness
#137 Northern Iowa
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Projection: need to automatically qualify
Northern Iowa's early season performance reflects a challenging path ahead. With solid wins against weaker opponents like Wisconsin Milwaukee and Western Illinois, the Panthers showed they can dominate when favored. However, their losses to UC Irvine and Wichita State, particularly the latter being a close game, highlight vulnerabilities against higher-ranked competition. The potential to strengthen their standing hinges on upcoming matchups; victories against teams like Belmont and SIU, both competitive peers, would bolster their résumé, while failing to secure wins against these teams could derail their hopes for a bid. Their fate heavily relies on conference play and the need to stack wins against mid-tier opponents before facing tough challenges like Murray State.
| Date | Opponent | Ranking | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/7 | WI Milwaukee | 280 | W87-68 |
| 11/10 | UC Irvine | 28 | L80-60 |
| 11/14 | @Wichita St | 112 | L79-73 |
| 11/19 | W Illinois | 329 | W82-56 |
| 11/28 | (N)North Texas | 123 | 48% |
| 12/4 | @IL Chicago | 73 | 39% |
| 12/7 | N Illinois | 270 | 64% |
| 12/13 | NE Omaha | 206 | 59% |
| 12/16 | Montana | 184 | 57% |
| 12/21 | (N)Washington St | 51 | 39% |
| 12/29 | S Illinois | 66 | 45% |
| 1/1 | Belmont | 173 | 57% |
| 1/4 | @Valparaiso | 335 | 64% |
| 1/8 | Murray St | 15 | 36% |
| 1/11 | @Illinois St | 110 | 43% |
| 1/14 | Evansville | 308 | 68% |
| 1/18 | @S Illinois | 66 | 38% |
| 1/21 | Missouri St | 183 | 57% |
| 1/25 | @Indiana St | 275 | 57% |
| 1/29 | @Drake | 188 | 50% |
| 2/2 | Bradley | 131 | 53% |
| 2/5 | @Missouri St | 183 | 49% |
| 2/8 | Illinois St | 110 | 51% |
| 2/11 | Indiana St | 275 | 64% |
| 2/16 | @Murray St | 15 | 29% |
| 2/19 | @Belmont | 173 | 49% |
| 2/23 | Drake | 188 | 58% |
| 2/26 | IL Chicago | 73 | 47% |
| 3/2 | @Bradley | 131 | 45% |