Iowa Proving to be Championship-Caliber With Elite Eight Run

One glance at the Iowa Hawkeyes' resume suggests that it isn’t a championship-caliber team. They went only 5-9 in Quad 1 games and also picked up two Quad 3 losses.

As such, the selection committee decided the Hawkeyes were worthy of being a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament — a reasonable decision that not many people had qualms with.

Now that Iowa has made it to the Elite Eight, it’s worth acknowledging the simple fact that, despite the team’s lack of quality wins, the quality of play has been far superior to some of the schools ranked ahead of it.

The advanced metrics bear this out to an extraordinary degree — there’s a reason Iowa is No. 27 in the NET, just two spots behind Wisconsin (a No. 5 seed) and three behind North Carolina (a No. 6 seed) — as well as the Hawkeyes’ performance and adaptability over the past three games in the NCAA tournament.

Let’s game this out: On paper, Iowa doesn’t match up all that well with the Florida Gators. The reigning national champions excel at scoring in the paint, whereas Iowa doesn’t necessarily fare all that well inside. Still, the Hawkeyes found a way to match that physicality and advance to the Sweet 16 after pulling off a historic upset.

The same can be said of Iowa’s win over Nebraska in the next round. The Cornhuskers love to chuck it from deep — they made 13 3-pointers in the loss to the Hawkeyes — so Iowa did the same. Bennett Stirtz and a slew of other scorers became 3-point merchants, making bucket after bucket from behind the arc.

A victory then ensued, sparking the question everybody’s now asking: Are the Iowa Hawkeyes championship-caliber?

Iowa Can Win it All

Mar 26, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tate Sage (24) reacts against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen 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

Based on the previous three contests, the answer is a resounding yes. How many other schools in America could adapt as well as Iowa has over the past two weeks? Not many. As such, it’s fair to assume the coaching staff — led by first-year head coach Ben McCollum, already being heralded as one of the best to ever do it — will keep it up in the Elite Eight versus Illinois. And while that’ll definitely be a tough game to win, there’s no doubt Iowa will show up with its best effort.

Of course, winning a national title is a daunting task. If the Hawkeyes get past the Fighting Illini, one of Duke, St. John’s, UConn or Michigan State will await in the Final Four. There could come a point when Iowa is simply overwhelmed by the immense talent on the floor. But that hasn’t happened yet, so why count on it now?

The Iowa Hawkeyes can win a national title. Yes, it’s true. It’ll obviously take an immense effort, but this team has gotten this far for a reason. Its adaptability gives it the ability to compete with just about any opponent in the country. And if it keeps playing with the same poise, precision and confidence it has shown so far, Iowa might not just reach the Final Four — it could very well make a run for the national championship itself.

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