As usual, the clock struck midnight on Cinderella, and the party ended. The Iowa Hawkeyes fought valiantly, but fell to the Illinois Fighting Illini by a score of 71-59 in the Elite 8. Iowa hung with the Illini for most of the game, but saw things slip away late.
This tournament for Iowa won’t be remembered for bowing out to Illinois in the Elite 8, but rather the magical run they put together to captivate the entire sports world as a No. 9 seed. Iowa got by Clemson in the first round, stunned the entire bracket by knocking off No. 1 Florida in the second round, and sent rival Nebraska home in the Sweet 16.
This core of Iowa basketball players will be remembered for the run they put together. Bennett Stirtz captivated fans with his offensive play. Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu showed what true effort in the paint looks like. Alvaro Folgueiras has become an Iowa legend. Cooper Koch, Tate Sage, and Kael Combs showed what it is like to embrace big moments.
With the dust still settling, Iowa will look back at what happened in this tournament while also turning the page to what’s next and how they can build on it.
Size caught up with Iowa, is a portal need
Often undersized, Iowa was able to mitigate this disadvantage in the tournament against Florida and Nebraska. Unfortunately, this caught up to Iowa against Illinois and proved to be the difference. The Illini dominated the boards, outrebounding Illinois 38-21, with 16 of those being offensive rebounds. They also outscored Iowa 40-12 in the paint. This proved to be the difference.
Ben McCollum confirmed this postgame, with his comments that Iowa needs to add some more size, with the roster lacking a true, traditional big man.
Ben McCollum shared last night after Iowa’s Elite Eight loss that he and the staff will be actively seeking a center in the transfer portal:
“We need some size. … We just don’t have a true five.” pic.twitter.com/sP95F3P1Hn
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) March 29, 2026
Iowa must seek help in the portal for a true big. Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu, if they return, are athletic bigs who can cause matchup issues, but the Hawkeyes need to invest in a true big that can protect the rim and provide a dominant force on the glass.
Tate Sage and Cooper Koch are cornerstone pieces
The Iowa Hawkeyes have their shooters, and they need to do whatever it takes to keep them at home. Tate Sage and Cooper Koch were dazzling during the NCAA Tournament. The duo was unafraid to take big shots in big moments and had the trust of Bennett Stirtz and Ben McCollum. If these two develop under McCollum, they become a lethal duo from deep.
In the NCAA Tournament, Cooper Koch was 10-22 from three-point range, while Tate Sage was 6-12 from beyond the arc. The two poured in 27 rebounds during March Madness as well. This duo has postseason experience to lean on now, and it enhances this offense greatly moving forward.
Ben McCollum is undoubtedly a homerun hire
If there was any doubt about Iowa’s hire during the 2025 college basketball coaching carousel cycle, those can be firmly put to bed. The Hawkeyes hit a home run with Ben McCollum and should only continue to blossom under him. Iowa made a run to the Elite 8 with a group that no one saw coming.
He has an offseason to continue to install his stuff, develop guys, recruit from high school, and lure top transfer portal talent, something Iowa basketball has not been able to do. This is just the start for Ben McCollum at Iowa.
The foundation was built
This season doesn’t happen without Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, and others. The contributions they made by transferring to Iowa, diving in headfirst to the program, and giving it everything they had sent this team on a magical run that has the potential to be the start of something very special and change the course of Iowa basketball for a long, long time.
Ben McCollum can bring in his philosophy, bring in his scheme, and do all of that, but without those who are willing to buy in, and lead by example, it can only get so far. This group set the foundation and raised the standard of Iowa basketball.
Iowa must prove staying power
The Iowa Hawkeyes went to the Elite 8 with a roster of former Division II players, JUCO transfers, and transfer portal leftovers that no one else wanted. They came together and found magic.
Ben McCollum is only going to have better rosters from this point onward. The NCAA Tournament is no longer an exciting wish for Iowa basketball, but now an expectation. This program’s trajectory has been launched into a new stratosphere. The fanbase has been revitalized with new energy, and it is full steam ahead.
If Iowa fans and the university pour into this program, the dividend will undoubtedly be paid in return by Ben McCollum. There is no reason that Iowa basketball cannot become a program like Michigan State or Purdue. This program has every bit of resources available to prove staying power.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : March Madness Magic: Takeaways from Iowa basketball’s tournament run