Iowa hoops fans were hoping the new-look squad would succeed in the first year under new Head Coach Ben McCollum, and they are off to a hot start.
The Hawkeyes have won 10 of their first 12 games, with their two losses coming at the hands of No. 7 Michigan State and No. 4 Iowa State.
Iowa is coming off a 94-39 blowout win over Bucknell at the Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa, last weekend, and the squad returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for its final matchup of 2025 next week.
After Iowa's 55-point win over the Bison last Saturday, they soared into the AP Top 25 rankings for the first time in the McCollum era.
Moving Up ⬆️📈 pic.twitter.com/IucEG0N6wG
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) December 22, 2025
The Hawkeyes snuck into the AP Top 25 at No. 25 after getting McCollum's tenure started with a bang.
Iowa has been getting it done on both ends of the floor, but has been especially good on defense.
In last Saturday's win over Bucknell, the Hawkeyes racked up 19 steals, including seven by Isaia Howard.
After a massive uptick in steals, the Hawkeyes are now averaging 8.4 steals per game, and they are ranked No. 3 overall in scoring defense, giving up 59.9 points per game.
The Hawkeyes have fully bought into what McCollum has been preaching, and their defensive intensity is something Iowa fans have not seen in years.
Iowa has shown the ability to win when it outscores opponents, or when it is a rock fight and they win with defense.
Iowa's final game of 2025 is at home against UMass Lowell on Monday, December 29, and it will be the last out-of-conference game the Hawkeyes play this season.