Iowa’s Elite Eight Breakthrough
Iowa punched its Elite Eight ticket with a 77–71 win over Nebraska — its first trip that deep since 1987 — powered by transfer continuity from coach Ben McCollum’s staff and disciplined play (77–71) that cut turnovers to five versus Nebraska’s 19 ( ). The team’s surge is being framed as a transfer‑portal success story: roughly 65% of Iowa’s scoring comes from players who followed McCollum from Drake, a tactical edge now steering them toward a potential Final Four run (cbssports.com).
Ben McCollum was officially hired as Iowa’s head coach on March 24, 2025, after leading Drake to a 31‑4 season the year prior. (espn.com) McCollum imported six former Drake Bulldogs to Iowa — Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Cam Manyawu, Tavion Banks, Isaia Howard and Joey Matteoni — who quickly formed the program’s core. (hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com) Three of those transfers (Stirtz, Combs and Manyawu) signed scholarship agreements with Iowa on April 3, 2025, and forward Joey Matteoni was added to the roster on May 27, 2025. (hawkeyesports.com) Point guard Bennett Stirtz was the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year at Drake in 2024–25, averaged 19.2 points per game that season, and scored 20 points in the Sweet 16 win over Nebraska. (espn.com) Iowa entered the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the South Region and improved to 24‑12 with the Sweet 16 victory. (espn.com) The Hawkeyes are scheduled to face No. 3 seed Illinois in the South Region final (Elite Eight) on Saturday, March 28, at the Toyota Center in Houston. (hawkcentral.com)
