Iowa Men’s Basketball Cracks Top 25, Eyes Big Tests Ahead
The Hawkeyes are officially on the national radar. For the first time this season, Iowa men’s basketball has broken into the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, sliding in at No.
- It’s a milestone moment early in the Ben McCollum era - and it comes with a clear message: this team is for real.
While Iowa just missed the Associated Press Top 25 - landing effectively at No. 26 with 100 voting points - the buzz around this 7-0 start is building fast. Wins over Ole Miss and Xavier have helped shape a resume that’s gaining respect in all the right places. But what’s ahead will tell us even more.
The next stretch is where things get serious. Iowa is about to face three straight power-conference opponents, two of them on the road.
First up is a trip to East Lansing to take on Michigan State, followed by a home matchup against Maryland, and then a heated rivalry game at Iowa State. That’s a gauntlet - and exactly the kind of stretch that can define a season.
What’s especially encouraging for Hawkeye fans is how the numbers back up the eye test. Iowa debuted at No. 16 in the NET rankings, a metric used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee to help evaluate and seed teams in March. That puts them ahead of blueblood programs like Kansas, Houston, Illinois, and North Carolina - a rarefied group to be leading at this point in the year.
For context, the NET (short for NCAA Evaluation Tool) doesn’t just look at wins and losses. It factors in efficiency, strength of schedule, and game location, and it categorizes each matchup into one of four quadrants. Quad-I games are the gold standard - the toughest matchups, and the ones that carry the most weight in March.
Iowa’s upcoming games offer two of those valuable Quad-I opportunities. Michigan State opened at No. 10 in the NET, while Iowa State came in at No.
- That means the Hawkeyes have a chance to add serious substance to their résumé - and do it in front of national eyes.
It’s still early, and no one’s handing out trophies in December. But make no mistake: this start matters.
The Hawkeyes are undefeated, nationally ranked, and heading into a crucial stretch with momentum and opportunity. If they keep this up, they won’t just be in the top 25 - they’ll be a team no one wants to see come March.