(AP) -- A 20-11 regular-season record and 9-9 mark in the Big Ten wasn't enough to get Iowa into the NCAA tournament a season ago.

If the 24th-ranked Hawkeyes' poor stretch continues Saturday night in their regular-season finale against visiting Illinois, they'll again enter the Big Ten tournament at 20-11 and 9-9.

With four losses in five games, the Hawkeyes (20-10, 9-8) now need a win over the Fighting Illini (17-13, 6-11) and a Nebraska home loss to No. 9 Wisconsin this weekend to secure a first-round bye with the fourth seed. An Iowa loss paired with an Ohio State home win against 22nd-ranked Michigan State would drop the Hawkeyes to the sixth seed and potentially complicate their status as a lock for an at-large NCAA bid.