Iowa Awaits NCAA Tournament Fate After Ohio State Loss

The Iowa Hawkeyes do not control their own destiny when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. They had a chance to do so in the Big Ten Tournament; all the Hawkeyes had to do was go on a run, beat some quality teams along the way and claim the tournament trophy when everything was said and done. That goal, however lofty it may have been, was not accomplished as Iowa fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the third round.

Now head coach Ben McCollum, star guard Bennett Stirtz and the rest of the Hawkeyes will sit at home and await their fate. Several questions will certainly be bouncing around both Iowa and the fans’ heads throughout the coming days:

Where will the selection committee place them on Selection Sunday? How difficult will their path be? Will a Cinderella run be possible given the team’s lack of depth? Or will the worst-case scenario of completely missing out on the Big Dance transpire?

Hawkeyes Need a Mental Bounce Back After Loss to Ohio State

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz, Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Till — Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) shoots the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly (13) defends during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Let’s get this out of the way fast and furious: the Iowa Hawkeyes will make the NCAA Tournament. Yes, their résumé isn’t the flashiest of all the at-large squads, but it’s more than quality enough to earn a bid. The latest round of bracketology has the Hawkeyes hovering around the No. 8 or No. 9 range, though a No. 10 seed wouldn’t be out of the question, either. While that might be discouraging to some, it’s the simple reality.

The more pertinent question is whether this loss will affect Iowa’s mojo heading into its most important game of the season. Only the coaching staff and the guys in the locker room know the answer to that pressing inquiry, though it can be assumed that a coach as seasoned as McCollum will have his players ready to go.

What’s most concerning about Iowa’s play as of late has been Stirtz’s inability to completely take over a game. As the season has progressed, opposing teams have singled him out as Iowa’s biggest threat, and rightly so. His scoring output has waned in recent weeks — he scored just 17 versus Ohio State, 17 against Maryland and only 11 in the loss to Nebraska in the regular-season finale — and the rest of the supporting cast has struggled to catch up, making it harder for Iowa to win games. That phenomenon was evident in the loss to Ohio State, as Stirtz, struggling to find his groove, received almost zero help from the rest of the Hawkeyes. Even then, the team still found itself with a chance to win the game, yet it fell short anyway.

Iowa will need Stirtz to play at his best once the NCAA Tournament rolls around. If he can’t do that, and the rest of his teammates follow him into the depths, then that’s bad news for the Hawkeyes’ chances of making a run to the second weekend.

How this loss affects Iowa is entirely up to the team. In a perfect world, everything should be okay. The team will learn from its mistakes, bounce back – it’s done so plenty of times throughout the season, after all – and move into the tournament with a fresh mindset. But if this unfortunate defeat clouds the mind and ensnares the senses, then that’s a major problem that will spell disaster for the Hawkeyes and their hopes of accomplishing their goals.

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