Iowa Desperately Needs Q1 Win

The Iowa Hawkeyes, just a few games ago, were surging in every national metric. Inaugural head coach Ben McCollum brought the team into the AP Top 20, sparking word of the team taking on a "dark horse" identity in the B1G, as well as being a group that could potentially hold their own against anyone when March Madness rolls around once more.

Now, two games - and two losses - removed from that notoriety, and the sky is beginning to fall in Iowa City. At 12-4, with a dire 2-3 tally in the B1G specifically, McCollum and his Hawkeyes have their backs against the wall entering a trying run of conference competition away from home.

"Iowa is now, unfortunately, a bubble team," said Chris Hassel, of CBS Sports. "They went from top 15 in the NET, top 20 in the [AP] rankings, to unranked and in trouble."

The Lack of a Winning Resume

"You gotta beat Indiana, you're not gonna beat Purdue," he continued, approaching Iowa's upcoming schedule with a brutal yet necessary realism. "Still zero Quad 1 wins... the resume just isn't there."

Initially, the Hawkeyes' early-season victory over the Ole Miss Rebels on a neutral floor looked to be an expected Quad 1 victory. But, in the wake of the Rebels' almost complete meltdown (being 9-7 in the Southeastern Conference appears almost insurmountable), even that win looks like appealing both on paper and in person.

Without a single Quad 1 win Iowa’s season is suddenly on the brink of collapse. I still have faith that this team will get healthy and get turned around, but the margin for error is starting to shorten. pic.twitter.com/ZLyI9rjpoQ
— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) January 13, 2026

Hassel would clarify his position on Iowa's NCAA Tournament outlook, saying, "“Teetering” probably a better way to put it. As I said I still think this team will make the tournament. Ceiling just not as high as I thought it could be a couple weeks ago."

As the ceiling continues to lower, the Hawkeyes' strength of schedule demands immediate improvement from the growingly inconsistent black and gold. That ask seems daunting, but if the team wants to compete in March at all, nabbing one signature win should be the least of their worries.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One Signature Win

Though until Iowa manages to secure that signature win, nothing else really matters. Teams don't just walk into tournament play on the national level; any one roster that earns a seed has at least one big, season-altering win to show for it.

Iowa will have at least a few more opportunities to pick that up before the season comes to a close. For the sake of both the fans and the program, making the tournament feels like a bare minimum requirement this year for Coach McCollum.

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