Even though it was not the way Iowa wanted to end the season, Ben McCollum and his squad are going dancing for the first time in his tenure.
McCollum has now guided two teams to the NCAA Tournament after guiding the Drake Bulldogs last season, and he knows what it takes to win a game in the Tournament.
Iowa has not won a game in the NCAA Tournament since the 2021-2022 season, and McCollum is looking to quickly change that.
As a nine-seed, it is the highest seed the Hawkeyes have earned since earning a five-seed in 2022, and even though they are a nine-seed, College Basketball Report believes they are the best nine in the field.
Iowa was named the 'best' nine-seed by CBK Report
Early betting odds do not favor the Hawkeyes to make it out of the first round against (8) Clemson, but that hasn't stopped CBK Report from naming Iowa as the best nine-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The best team at each seed line in the NCAA Tournament 🌱 pic.twitter.com/MrWqFunVPe
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 16, 2026
Out of all four nine-seeds in the Tournament, including Iowa, St. Louis, TCU, and Utah State, CBK Report has the Hawkeyes as the best nine-seed overall.
We have seen what Iowa can do when it is locked in on both sides of the court, showcased by its six-game winning streak at the end of January into the start of February.
It also helped that star guard Bennett Stirtz went off during that stretch, averaging 26.2 points per game, including two 30-point games against Oregon and Northwestern.
The Hawkeyes followed that up by losing seven of 10 games to close the season, so we have seen both the very good and the very bad.
For Iowa to prove the CBK Report right, they must stay stingy on the defensive end and prevent long scoring droughts on offense to have a chance to advance.