Iowa Draws Tough Matchup In Latest Bracketology Projection

As it stands, the Iowa Hawkeyes are projected to be a No. 7 seed in March Madness. Everyone's favorite tournament is still months away, but it's something first year head coach Ben McCollum has his eyes on.

McCollum is looking to lead the Hawkeyes to their first tournament appearance since 2023. As long as they keep up at this pace, he'll be able to get them into the dance.

Currently 9-2, Iowa has a pair of quality losses on their resume. That said, the B1G is a gauntlet, and they learned that first hand against Michigan State. They have room to lose a few games, but they can't go down to every ranked opponent on their schedule.

Iowa Projected To Draw UConn In Second Round

Joe Lunardi Iowa Men's Basketball Bracketology updated today.

7 seed Iowa vs 10 seed Saint Louis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 👀

I hope that tourney game goes different than the supposed secret scrimmage. pic.twitter.com/MkpLRcJVBq
— Stirtz SZN (@TheMcCollumEra) December 16, 2025

While Hawkeyes fans are scared of the No. 2 seed in the East Region, they first would have to get past No. 10 Saint Louis. According to ESPN's latest Bracketology, No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Saint Louis would be the first round matchup. Keep in mind, the Billikens are currently 10-1 with that lone loss being to Stanford.

Saint Louis has scored 100+ in four games this season. They've dropped triple digits in two of their last three and have also scored 90+ on three other occasions. Coming off a win where they scored 112 against Bethune-Cookman, it's no surprise why this team is on the rise.

Sure, strength of schedule matters, but Iowa is a few losses away from falling to a seed much worse than No. 7. The seven seed is far from ideal as they'd have to immediately face No. 2, in this case UConn, but it's not like No. 8 or No. 9 is that much better.

Iowa's Path To The Tournament

Per Torvik if Iowa won all the games they are currently favored in and lost the ones they aren’t, they’d finish 27-6 (15-5) (Reg season and BTT). Unlikely but wild..

Would be a projected 4 seed. pic.twitter.com/DBWRkKpmpP
— Ben Stan (Fran Stan) (@HawkeyeBBFan) December 15, 2025

Looking at the Hawkeyes schedule, they currently have six ranked opponents standing in their way. It's only a matter of time before McCollum gets his first ranked win with Iowa, but that better come sooner rather than later.

The B1G could be the toughest conference in basketball, and McCollum is going to find out come January 3. He's already led his team to a 1-1 record, though going .500 in the conference isn't going to cut it.

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum watches his team play the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Iowa's path to the tournament relies on them getting a ranked win or two down the stretch. They'll need to beat the team's they're supposed to, and they need a big win here or there to prove they're too good to be a No. 7 seed.

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