After Iowa's thrilling Sweet 16 win over Nebraska, Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum earned high praise from one of the legends of the game on Friday's "The Pat McAfee Show."
After McCollum joined "The Pat McAfee Show" earlier in the day to react to his team's Elite Eight trip, Duke coaching legend and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Mike Krzyzewski joined the show soon after. Coach K shared his admiration for coach McCollum and for Iowa's win over Nebraska.
"For me, I like when I'm watching a game from timeouts or after halftime, adjustments that are made, and I thought Iowa made a big adjustment at halftime, just as far as increasing the attitude and what they're going to do," Krzyzewski said.
"I love Coach McCollum and I've been following his career..
I really admire the way that he coaches and he holds people accountable" ~ Coach K #PMSLivepic.twitter.com/1NhrCnC4Y1
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 27, 2026
Krzyzewski also referenced Duke's tradition of playing the previous season's Division II national champion in an exhibition every year from inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. McCollum and Northwest Missouri State nearly shocked Krzyzewski's Blue Devils in an exhibition to begin the respective programs' 2019-20 seasons.
"Heck, he almost beat us one time, and I love the guy. So, I've been following his career. Every once in a while, I'll touch base with him. I have not done that this year, this spring. But, I really admire (him). All the stuff he's talking about, every coach in the country should hear that, at all levels. Where you hold people accountable," Krzyzewski said.
Duke topped McCollum's Northwest Missouri State squad, 69-63, in that exhibition that Coach K was referencing.
McCollum has the opportunity to further assert himself into Hawkeyes lore on Saturday by potentially becoming the first Iowa head coach to lead the program to the Final Four since Lute Olson last did so in 1980. In order to advance to Iowa's fourth all-time Final Four, Iowa will need to defeat No. 3 seed Illinois (27-8, 15-5 Big Ten) in the Elite Eight from the Toyota Center in Houston.
The clash between Big Ten foes is scheduled to tip off at 5:09 p.m. CT and air nationwide on TBS and truTV.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: 'I love the guy': Coach K raves about Iowa basketball’s Ben McCollum