In a stunningly swift rebuild, Coach Ben McCollum has led the Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament in his first season, replicating his immediate success from Drake and setting up a first-round showdown with Clemson.
Ben McCollum has defied expectations once again. After guiding Drake to the NCAA Tournament in his debut season last year, McCollum has engineered an almost identical turnaround at Iowa, securing the Hawkeyes’ return to March Madness after a two-year absence under former coach Fran McCaffery.
McCollum’s strategy hinged on the transfer portal, notably retaining guard Bennett Stirtz, who followed him from Northwest Missouri State to Drake and then to Iowa. This continuity fueled a season where the Hawkeyes navigated a grueling Big Ten schedule, though not without challenges—including a January three-game skid and a narrow 72-69 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament that ultimately provided extra rest.
Iowa’s resilience earned them a No. 9 seed in the South Region, a placement confirmed in the official regional breakdown by AP News. They will face eighth-seeded Clemson on Friday in Tampa, Florida, with defending national champion Florida potentially awaiting in the second round. This tournament inclusion is part of the broader 2026 field announced by AP News.
McCollum’s pedigree extends beyond the Power Conferences. At Northwest Missouri State, he won four Division II national championships in six years, with the 2020 tournament canceled due to the pandemic. He emphasizes that D-II tournament experience, where teams are closely matched, sharpened his preparation for single-elimination pressure. “The thing with the Division II tournaments, it’s so different, because you face a team that’s almost your equal. Once we got out of the Sweet 16, it was almost easier,” McCollum noted, citing his regional’s competitive leagues.
Historically, McCollum is only the second first-year Iowa coach to reach the NCAA Tournament, joining Tom Davis in 1987, who advanced to the Elite Eight. The Hawkeyes have not matched that deep run since. McCollum’s prior NCAA experience at Drake—where he upset sixth-seeded Missouri as a No. 11 seed—demonstrates his ability to navigate the tournament’s pitfalls, a crucial advantage for a program that previously lost in the first round each of its last two appearances.
The immediate impact underscores a broader trend: McCollum’s system translates quickly, whether at D-II or in the Big Ten. His use of the transfer portal, combined with developmental coaching, has revitalized two programs in consecutive years. For Iowa, this means an opportunity to exorcise past tournament demons. As McCollum stated, “We’re excited to be able to compete,” but the real test begins against Clemson.
The Hawkeyes’ path forward relies on the same tenacity that defined their season—overcoming close-game losses and integrating new talent seamlessly. With McCollum at the helm, Iowa faithful have reason to believe this tournament run could extend further than the program’s recent, short-lived appearances.
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