If you were honest with yourself, as an Iowa fan, you expected a win over Clemson and then hoped the Hawkeyes could be competitive with the no. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida. After an almost perfect game and a win over the Gators, Hawkeye fans could start dreaming of even bigger things. First Sweet 16 since 1999.
Then Nebraska led for the first 37 plus minutes before Iowa put the hammer down to defeat the Huskers. Suddenly we’re talking about the first Elite 8 since Dr. Tom Davis led his Hawkeye team there in 1987. I was a senior in high school and yes that does seem like a long time ago. Since then we suffered through the Steve Alford and Todd Lickliter era’s, both of which weren’t memorable. Then for 15 years Fran McCaffrey’s teams scored but didn’t play defense. They won games but lost almost as many and no NCAA wins past the first round.
Then comes Ben McCollum with his team of mainly mid major players from Drake. At the end of the season they had lost to Penn State on the road and made a fairly early exit from the Big Ten Tournament so no Iowa fan in their right mind would dare predict an Elite 8 match up against Illinois with a trip to the Final Four on the line. But that is exactly where Iowa sits today. Six Big Ten Teams made the Sweet 16 and as many three will be in the Elite 8.
Just to throw some random facts at you –
The Hawkeyes have defeated three straight higher seeded teams – No. 8 Clemson, No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Nebraska en route to the South Region Final.
As a No. 9 seed, Iowa is the lowest seed in the Big Ten to reach the Elite Eight since seeding began in 1979
The last No. 9 seed to advance to the Elite Eight was Florida Atlantic in 2023.
Iowa is the sixth nine seed to advance to the Elite Eight.
Two times in NCAA Tournament history has a No. 9 seed made the Final Four.
The Hawkeyes have won three NCAA Tournament games in the last seven days; Iowa had won three in the previous 20 years.
Iowa moves to 7-1 on neutral courts this season.
The last time Iowa was in the Elite 8 it was 1987 and the first half against top seeded UNLV in Seattle went as well as it could. Tom Davis’ Hawkeyes were on fire, shooting 72% in the first half to take a 58-42 lead into the locker room. Arguably the most talented roster in Iowa basketball history was 20 minutes away from the Final Four. This was a team that could have won a national championship. Hawkeye fans were starting to taste a trip to Bourbon Street. But the Rebels overwhelmed Iowa with a 24-2 second-half run, fueled by six 3-pointers. I still remember the pain of watching the second half unfold and when Kevin Gamble’s lob pass to Brad Lohaus with 14 seconds left bounced wildly off the backboard, the Final Four dream was over. UNLV hit two free throws to secure an 84-81 win. It had only been seven years since Iowa’s 1980 Final Four run so at the time Iowa fan’s didn’t think it would take a generation of fans being born before Iowa hit the Elite 8 or maybe the Final Four again.
The difference now is this squad and program under first year head coach Ben McCollum is different. In the best possible way. They were already a wild success for just reaching the NCAA Tournament. Getting into the Big Dance was a big deal. Then winning a first-round game validated that OK, Iowa basketball is back under new leadership. But with back-to-back riveting and improbable wins against top-seeded Florida and fourth-seeded Nebraska after Iowa trailed the entire game suddenly no outcome seems impossible, no opponent feels unbeatable. As improbable as it seems it’s true. This is a new program and Hawkeye Nation hoped for this kind of success in a couple of years because in a way, we’ve forgotten what it’s like to play at this level. Or how big the spotlight is right now.
Hawkeye players and coaches are embracing this opportunity against Illinois. For them, all but a few being in their first year at Iowa, the urgency is undeniable. “Every time someone asks how you’re feeling, like, ‘Man, it’s just super crazy,’” Iowa junior Cam Manyawu said. “To really think, ‘Yeah, I’m in the Elite Eight, and I have a chance to really make it to the Final Four and go on a run.’ I mean, this is literally the stuff that kids dream about.”
Tip off is at 5:09 p.m. on AM 860 and FM 95.1, KWPC. Pregame starts at 4 p.m. with Gary Dolphin and Bobby Hanson on the Hawkeye Radio Network. It’s brought to you by Muscatine Power and Water, serving the community since 1900. Get more info at mpw.org
