SEATTLE — During Iowa’s workouts in the summer and fall, whenever the Hawkeyes had too many turnovers, or conceded too many buckets to the second team, or let their level slip in any measurable way, a refrain would come up.
Creighton. Remember Creighton.
Iowa had entered the 2022 NCAA Tournament on a high, clinching a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and winning the conference tournament. The Hawkeyes hosted the first two rounds of the Big Dance in Iowa City in what should have been a celebration of their season, but instead it turned into a nightmare when the Bluejays bounced the home team in the second round.
So when the entire starting lineup returned and the Hawkeyes had a chance to craft a new ending to their season, they used the pain of last year as fuel.
“We just never wanted to feel that way ever again,” senior guard Kate Martin said. “I mean, that was just not fun, not a fun feeling.”
By the time the 2022-23 season started and a new chapter began, players stopped mentioning the loss that ended their previous campaign. But they never forgot the way it made them feel and what they learned from that moment. They never again wanted to go down not playing Iowa basketball.
In many ways, this season’s Hawkeyes closely resemble last season’s squad. They…
