Iowa played their hearts out against one of the top teams in college basketball, but it ultimately wasn't enough.
The Hawkeyes dropped a close 71-68 game against Michigan at home, and they had chances down the stretch to pull off one of the biggest upsets in program history.
Ben McCollum and his squad pushed Michigan to the brink, holding them to a season-low 71 points and forcing them into 18 turnovers, but another close loss frustrated him.
Postgame, he said that he is sick of the two-point losses, and the loss to Michigan was particularly heart-wrenching.
McCollum was very appreciative of the fans, saying they have been great all season, and he was not the only one who acknowledged how great they were on Thursday night.
Dusty May gave a shoutout to the Iowa faithful after the game
Opposing head coach Dusty May and the Wolverines have played in raucous environments before, and they have embraced them.
Going a perfect 10-0 on the road in the Big Ten is not an easy accomplishment, especially in front of packed houses.
May was particularly impressed by the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd, and gave the Iowa faithful a shoutout after the game.
Michigan's Dusty May: “I want to give a shout-out to the Carver faithful. It was loud. It was intense.”
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) March 6, 2026
May made a point of praising the Iowa faithful after the game, saying the atmosphere was loud and intense.
May is the latest opposing coach to praise the raucous CHA crowd, giving a nod to how much McCollum has built in his first season at the helm.
Since his first day on campus, McCollum has been adamant that the program cannot enter a successful rebuild without the fans and the community, and the fans have responded by throwing heavy support behind the squad this season.