March 6, 2011

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State will face Iowa in the first round of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Spartans finished tied with Illinois, Michigan and Penn State for fourth in the conference standings with a 9-9 record, but due to a series of tiebreakers they will be the No. 7 seed. MSU and the No. 10 seed Hawkeyes will play Thursday at approximately 5 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by ESPN2. The winner will advance to play No. 2 Purdue on Friday (6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network)

The Spartans and Hawkeyes split a pair of games during the regular season, with each team recording a convincing win on its home court. Iowa defeated MSU, 72-52, on Feb. 2 in Iowa City. Just last week, the Spartans claimed an 85-66 win in East Lansing on Senior Night (March 2).

Michigan State won back-to-back Big Ten Tournament titles in 1999 and 2000. This will be the fourth meeting between the Spartans and Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament, with Iowa holding a 2-1 advantage. MSU has played on the first day of the tournament just twice before, winning in both 2006 and 2007.

2011 Big Ten Tournament Bracket