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Inside The Hawkeyes

Immediate Takeaways From Iowa's Elite Eight Loss to Illinois

The Iowa Hawkeyes blew an early lead in their NCAA Tournament defeat.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum looks on in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images
Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum looks on in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

For the first time since 2000, a pair of B1G schools battled it out in the Elite Eight and the Iowa Hawkeyes came out the unfortunate loser.

Sadly, things didn't go the Hawkeyes way. As the lowest remaining seed (9), first year head coach Ben McCollum couldn't get this team to their first Final Four since 1986.

No. 3 Illinois came out on top, 71-59, despite trailing 12-2 in the first few minutes. An early 10-point lead didn't mean much in the second half which was all Fighting Illini.

To no surprise, Bennett Stirtz led the way for Iowa, but now his career, along with many others, has come to an end.

1. Bennett Stirtz Played His Heart Out

No one can ever take away what this 22-year old has done to his career. Stirtz started as a guard who had to fight his way onto a Division II roster but has now cemented himself as a future first round pick in the NBA Draft.

Stirtz started this game as hot as it gets, though that quickly faded in the second half. An 11-minute horn delay certainly didn't help, but in the end he still finished with 24 points which was one shy of a game high. Stirtz was 8-for-17 from the field and 4-for-11 from three-point range.

2. McCollum's Starters Were Extremely Quiet

Alvaro Folgueiras and Isaia Howard combined for 15 points in 37 minutes off the bench. Keep in mind, other than Stirtz, Iowa only had 20 points from 114 combined minutes between Cam Manyawu, Cooper Koch, Tavion Banks, and Kael Combs.

Each player had their moments in the game, but ultimately it was a quiet night for basically everyone. All year long Hawkeyes fans have been asking for Stirtz' supporting cast to step up, and they certainly didn't do so in this one as 59 points was never going to be enough to advance to the Final Four.

3. Rebound + Points in Paint Differentials

Iowa lives and dies by the three which sometimes is a great benefit. They heaved 30 three-pointers in this one as they made 37% from distance. Ultimately, Illinois scored 40 of their 71 points in the paint which is a number that shows how dominant they were down low.

The Hawkeyes defense looked lost at times and they certainly didn't help themselves on the glass. Illinois out-rebounded Iowa, 38-21, and finished with 16 offensive boards which was double the number of Iowa's second chance opportunities.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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