Iowa Remains on Brink of AP Top 25 Rankings

The Iowa Hawkeyes, coming off a loss to their in-state rival Iowa State Cyclones on the road, 66-62, will have to wait three games before they get another chance to secure their first ranked win of the Ben McCollum era. Yet, after having received the most votes of any unranked team in the AP Poll prior to the loss, the team's momentum for a ranking seems to still be chugging at full steam.

Rising in the KenPom rankings - a completely analytical system, one of numerous in which the Hawkeyes are a top 25 team - following the defeat, Iowa may benefit in their hunt for a name-accompanying numeral in their next three non-conference games.

While the matchups may appear like opportunities to bide time, if Iowa wins all three (as expected, given the "buy" nature of the matchups) they'll boast an 11-2 record headed into a stretch of exclusive conference play. Getting past Western Michigan, Bucknell and UMass Lowell will lead the Hawkeyes right to the doorstep of the No. 25 UCLA Bruins.

Retaining Pride

As head coach McCollum said after the Hawkeyes' defeat at the hands of the Cyclones, the program isn't in the business of "moral victories," nor should they be; a loss is a loss, but when the metrics only favor a team more after such a shortcoming, perhaps some pride can be retained despite the final result.

Sunday Funday Gameday! pic.twitter.com/NCuTQ7Hsrg
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) December 14, 2025

Not to mention that, in the road game against Iowa State, the Hawkeyes were forced to pivot mightily as their primary scoring option, in Bennett Stirtz, made little to no impact when the game mattered most.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz (14) takes a three-point shot over Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the first half in the men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tavion Banks stepped up in his wake, sure, but Iowa has yet to see what their team looks like operating at full strength and capacity on the national stage. If (or perhaps more accurately, when) those pieces come together at once and as intended, Iowa's presence in the AP Poll could become a normal element for a program anew.

Game By Game

And though the AP Poll certainly matters, especially as the season develops, a team isn't defined by their ranking. No matter where the 2025-26 Hawkeyes end up, the black and gold are already far better off than they were in the waning years of the Fran McCaffery regime.

Fans in Iowa City can take heart in this team's pending national relevance without counting on it. Because, clearly, Ben McCollum has men's hoops on the inevitable rise either way.

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