First Look at Illinois Basketball's Elite Eight Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes

It's Illinois vs. Iowa for a trip to the Final Four, just like everyone predicted on Selection Sunday.

The Illini have powered their way to the Elite Eight, largely controlling the action every step of the way. Iowa has been far shakier, but the Hawkeyes have also been more dramatic, pulling off two improbable wins – including one that shows they just may be for real – to get here.

Turned the page.

🏆 NCAA Tournament Elite 8
🆚 [9] Iowa
⏰ 5:09 p.m. CT
📍 Houston, TX
📺 TBS/TruTV pic.twitter.com/beoVCxllny
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 27, 2026

That is what makes this matchup interesting. On paper, Illinois looks like the better team and the heavy favorite. But this game won't be played on paper. It will be played on the hardwood in Houston (Saturday, 5:09 p.m. CT, TBS and TruTV), with a Final Four berth at stake, against an Iowa team that already knows how to survive and advance. Since these teams have already seen each other once, this is less a traditional First Look and more an update on a familiar opponent in a much bigger spot.

(For the baseline version of our previous First Look at the Hawkeyes, click here.)

What happened last time

The Illini have already seen this team once, and it went well for them. Back on Jan. 11 in Iowa City, Illinois beat Iowa 75-69 in a game it controlled from start to finish. The Illini never trailed, out-rebounded the Hawkeyes 38-31 and got 19 points from Keaton Wagler, plus 17 apiece from Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic.

Iowa featured balance, with Tavion Banks scoring 16 off the bench, Tate Sage adding 13 and Stirtz finishing with 12, but the Illini’s size and shot-making gave them the edge all afternoon.

Iowa’s run since the previous meeting

Since that loss to Illinois, Iowa has been on a bit of a roller coaster, which makes this postseason run even more impressive. The Hawkeyes went 12-8 the rest of the way and bowed out in their second Big Ten Tournament game, which left them sitting on the No. 9 seed line on Selection Sunday. But once the NCAA Tournament began, Iowa looked like a different team.

FOLGUEIRAS AGAIN 😱

IOWA CLOSING IN.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/zhyVIE79SF
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026

The Hawkeyes opened by knocking off Clemson, then delivered one of the biggest stunners of the tournament by taking out defending national champion Florida in the closing seconds. Against Nebraska in the Sweet 16, Iowa again showed its resilience. Despite falling behind by double digits early, the Hawkeyes kept fighting, settled in and made the key plays late to pull away.

The main constant through all of it has been coach Ben McCollum. He has been terrific this postseason, pushing all the right buttons offensively and making sure Iowa has been prepared for every challenge. Illinois may look like the better team on paper, but the Hawkeyes have a coach making all the right moves and a group playing with real belief. They will be ready Saturday as they try to keep their improbable run alive.

Illinois vs. Iowa matchup

This game will likely come down to Illinois’ defense, which was outstanding against Houston. Iowa proved in the first two rounds that it can be dangerous in different ways, matching a much bigger Florida team on the glass and then catching fire offensively against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes have plenty of players capable of getting hot, with Bennett Stirtz, Cooper Koch and Alvaro Folgueiras leading the way, but Illinois has the personnel to match up with them and make life very difficult.

On the other end, it's hard to imagine Iowa consistently keeping the Illini from getting the looks they want. McCollum will absolutely have his team prepared and equipped with a strong game plan, but Illinois has spent all season feasting on teams unable to match its size and athleticism. This is another matchup that falls into that category. If the Illini are locked in from the opening tip, they should have a real chance to punch their ticket to the program’s first Final Four since 2005.