Iowa Tumbles Out of Top 25 Despite Receiving Votes

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball program has seen itself in a quite lying position after it has dropped out of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25 this week.

The Hawkeyes, after being ranked No. 23 in the poll, are now unranked, even though they still continue to get votes from the nation's coaches. This means that the respect for Ben McCollum's team is still there, though the team is not doing very ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌well.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Hawkeyes' downfall in the poll can be traced to a three-game losing streak that exposed their inability to beat strong teams.

Iowa's Recent Struggles and Recovery

Iowa's three defeats to Minnesota, Illinois and Purdue, with a total points difference of only 16, reflected a team that is highly capable but lacked the ability to finish the final possessions. The loss against No. 5 Purdue was especially tough, as the Boilermakers are currently No. 4 in the Coaches Poll, and Illinois is No. ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌11.

Jan 14, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum talks with Purdue Boilermakers guard Jack Benter (14) during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Iowa,‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ however, showed great character and composure in the second half to win on the road over Indiana with a good score of 74-57, thus ending the losing streak in a dramatic way. Bennett Stirtz was unstoppable, scoring 27 points, and Tavion Banks contributed 26 points, thus giving a glimpse of the offensive firepower that this team possesses.

The Hawkeyes did not lose lead even for a moment, took a lead of 10 points at the halftime, and made the most of the time by hitting 21 out of 23 free throws at the finish. One of the highlights of Iowa's defense was holding Indiana's Lamar Wilkerson to only nine points on 3-of-10 ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌shooting.

Path Back to National Rankings

Iowa‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ remains a team people talk about, even though they have dropped out of the Top 25 list. In the Coaches Poll, the Hawkeyes got 52 votes, whereas in the AP Poll they got 30, which ranked them just outside the list.

Due to this, if the Hawkeyes were to get another quality win, it would likely not be difficult for them to be ranked again in the Top 25. Especially considering that the Hawkeyes have a few more games against the ranked Big Ten opponents on their ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌schedule.

The‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ next game at home against Rutgers is a chance to get on a roll. Historically, Iowa dominates the series 14-3 and has won its last five meetings, whereas Rutgers comes in after switching wins and losses over their previous six games.

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