During the 2015 – 16 season , the University of Iowa reached a new peak during the McCaffery era , twice defeating Michigan State during the regular season , attaining a 19 – 4 overall record and a No. 3 Associated Press rankings . However , the Hawkeyes lost seven of their last 10 games , including a 68 – 66 loss to 12th-seeded Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Conference tournament , a team the Hawkeyes had defeated handily a month earlier and would not play in the post-season . As a result of the late-season swoon , the Hawkeyes fell to No. 25 in the final Associated Press rankings . Seeded seventh in the NCAA Division I tournament 's South regional , the Hawkeyes used a buzzer-beating tip-in to defeat Temple 72 – 70 in overtime . The Hawkeyes lost to second-seeded Villanova in the second round , 87 – 68 , to end the season 22 – 11
Big Ten Conference tournament
2016 Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball