During the 2013–2014 season, Iowa achieved a non-conference record of 11–2, including a runner-up finish in the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and a loss to in-state rival Iowa State. The Hawkeyes finished the Big Ten Conference season with a 9–9 record and a regular season record of 20–12. The Hawkeyes were seeded sixth in the Big Ten Conference tournament but lost to No. 11-seeded Northwestern 67–62, a team that the Hawkeyes had twice beaten by 26 points in two conference season games. The Hawkeyes played in the 'first four' during the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, playing Tennessee in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. This was their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2005–2006 season.