Iowa Hawkeyes vs Washington Huskies Picks and Predictions February 22nd 2025

Iowa, Washington Duel with Big Ten Tourney in Mind

When the Big Ten expanded to 18 teams this season, it created a 15-team conference tournament, adding drama for schools at the bottom of the standings vying for the last berths in next month’s event in Indianapolis.

High Stakes for Both Teams

Iowa (14-12, 5-10 Big Ten) currently sits in 15th place, with Washington (13-13, 4-11) one game back. That makes Saturday’s matchup between the teams in Iowa City crucial for determining which teams finish above the cut line with only a handful of regular-season games remaining.

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“It seems like every game here for the past four, five games has been like a Super Bowl for us that we’ve had to win,” first-year Huskies coach Danny Sprinkle said. “This is a very important game. Does it shut the door on either of us? No, but it’s a crucial game for both of us.”

Washington’s Recent Struggles

The Huskies are coming off an 89-85 overtime loss to Rutgers on Wednesday, which kept them out of a tournament spot. Mekhi Mason and Great Osobor combined for 37 points before both fouled out late. Washington was also without guard DJ Davis due to a stomach flu that has affected much of the team.

Iowa’s Tough Season

The Hawkeyes have lost eight of their past 10 games, leading to speculation about coach Fran McCaffery’s job security. Their most recent loss, an 80-78 defeat to Oregon on Thursday, came after Payton Sandfort and Josh Dix both missed potential game-tying layups in the final seconds.

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“It’s not just how we fought tonight in this game, it’s how they’ve continued to prepare in practice, with work ethic, with scouting-report information, with staying connected, staying together, staying positive with each other,” McCaffery said. “They want it badly. I want it badly for them. We were in position to get one, and we didn’t.”

What’s Next?

Both teams are fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive as the season winds down, making this matchup a must-win for each squad.