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Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa MBB March Madness Hub: Schedule, Seed, Opponent and Path to Final Four

Everything you need to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team in the NCAA Tournament.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum on the bench against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Mar 11, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum on the bench against the Maryland Terrapins during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes fans had to wait quite some time before their name was called on Selection Sunday.

Finally, first-year head coach Ben McCollum knew his team was going dancing. Iowa was slotted into the South Region, and to no surprise, was a No. 9 seed.

The 21-12 Hawkeyes will make the trip to Tampa, Fla., the same location where their football program defeated Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum instructs his players during a basketball game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers Feb. 17, 2026 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament likely would've only increased them to a No. 8 seed, though it's clear their region had been finalized the entire time. Now, Iowa is stuck with a potential date in the second round against No. 1 Florida in its home state.

Iowa Draws No. 8 Clemson in the First Round

March 20 is when Hawkeyes fans are able to see their team take the court. Iowa was able to snap a multi-year March Madness drought, though now is when the work really begins. Clemson comes into the tournament with a 24-10 record, one that, on paper, is far superior to the Hawkeyes.

Iowa gets the edge for playing in a tougher conference, though the Tigers just played the No. 1 team in the nation, Duke, and only lost by 12 points.

Clemson was 12-6 in the ACC this season, which trumps Iowa's 10-10 record in the B1G. Clemson comes into the tournament in a much different spot than McCollum's squad, as they had won four of their last five prior to falling to Duke in their conference tournament.

Iowa's Path to a Final Four

Securing a first round win is going to be difficult enough in the first place, but having to stare down No. 1 Florida in the second round is an absolute nightmare. Iowa hasn't matched up well against quality teams, other than Nebraska, but that's a win they secured at home which helped a ton.

The Gators wouldn't be playing on their home court, but Tampa is close enough that their fans will have no issue making the drive.

The bottom of their portion of the bracket sees No. 4 Nebraska facing No. 13 Troy with No. 5 Vanderbilt taking on No. 12 McNeese.

No. 2 Houston sits at the bottom of the South Region with fellow B1G squad Illinois as the No. 3 seed. Other teams in the region include No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Saint Mary's, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 11 VCU, No. 14 Penn and No. 15 Idaho.

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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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