The Hawkeyes announced Thursday that they’ve pulled out of the Great Alaska Shootout and will instead play in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on Paradise Island in the Bahamas from Nov. 28-30.
The move should add strength to Iowa’s non-conference schedule. The field for the Bahamas also includes Kansas, Tennessee, Villanova, USC, Wake Forest, UTEP and Xavier. The Great Alaska Shootout brackets are filled mostly with mid-major programs like Indiana State and Pepperdine.
The Hawkeyes hurt their NCAA tournament chances last season by playing a soft non-conference slate. But Iowa will play at Iowa State, host an undetermined ACC school and play in the more prestigious Bahamas tourney next year.
