Iowa's fate is now in the hands of the selection committee after being bounced out of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ben McCollum's impressive 31-game winning streak in conference tournaments was halted by Ohio State, which held on to win 72-69 in a close third-round matchup.
Iowa got off to a slow start, and even though they had a decent shooting performance, they could not climb out of the 16-point hole they dug in the second half.
After Iowa's victory over Maryland, McCollum coyly stated that he needed to lose his mind earlier in games to make the squad start stronger, but that wasn't the case in the loss. Iowa's inability to start fast ultimately cost them a. chance to advance, but McCollum expressed frustration with a different aspect
McCollum voiced his frustration with Iowa's inconsistency this season
Heading into the game against Ohio State, McCollum was adamant that they had a good game plan and scouted well, but they didn't execute.
Ben McCollum after Iowa’s 72-69 loss to Ohio State, a game he said was winnable / they had a good scout: “The same story all year. We have good games and bad games. We just gotta have great games from here on out, because now you go home.”
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) March 12, 2026
NCAA Tournament next for 21-12 Iowa.
McCollum also stated that he believed the game was "winnable," but it was the same story as it has been all year.
They go in with a good scout and game plan, get down early, fight to come back, and then lose.
McCollum is clearly frustrated with the inconsistency that has plagued the team all year and knows they can't have any more poor performances going forward.
There are no guarantees that Iowa will make the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, but if they do, there is no room for error. If you lose, you go home.