Iowa Hits a Rough Patch, But McCollum Isn’t Backing Down
For most of this season, Iowa basketball under first-year head coach Ben McCollum looked like one of the feel-good stories in college hoops. A six-game winning streak, a surging offense led by Bennett Stirtz, and growing chatter about a potential NCAA Tournament berth had Hawkeye fans buzzing. But that momentum came to a crashing halt - first in College Park, then in West Lafayette - and suddenly, Iowa is facing its first real adversity of the McCollum era.
Let’s start with the Maryland game. Iowa went on the road and simply didn’t have it.
Offensively, the Hawkeyes couldn’t buy a bucket. Defensively, they gave up 77 points - six more than Maryland’s season average - and looked out of sync from the jump.
McCollum didn’t sugarcoat it afterward, calling the performance “horrendous.”
And then came Purdue.
Facing one of the most physically dominant teams in the country, Iowa got steamrolled. The Boilermakers controlled the game from tip to buzzer, handing the Hawkeyes a 21-point loss that felt even more lopsided at times.
But McCollum’s postgame reaction? Not what you might expect.
“I’m not embarrassed,” he said. “They kicked our butt. That’s part of it.”
That’s not coach-speak. That’s a guy who understands the long game.
McCollum knows the climb from last year’s 17-win season to NCAA Tournament contention was never going to be linear. There were going to be bumps - and these last two games were potholes.
But he’s not interested in finger-pointing or panic. He wants effort.
He wants toughness. And he wants his players to keep swinging.
This is where McCollum’s perspective matters. Plenty of coaches would’ve walked into that press conference and called the loss “unacceptable,” maybe even thrown around words like “embarrassing.”
But McCollum took a different approach - not because he’s soft on his team, but because he understands what it takes to build something sustainable. He’s not in this to win the press conference.
He’s in it to win over time.
And let’s be real: The fact that Iowa is even in the NCAA Tournament conversation in mid-February is a testament to how quickly McCollum and his staff have reshaped the program. This team has been competitive, cohesive, and - for much of the season - fun to watch.
Stirtz has emerged as a go-to guy. The defense, while inconsistent, has shown flashes.
And the culture is clearly changing.
Now comes the test. Can Iowa bounce back from back-to-back losses and finish the season strong?
Can they rediscover the energy and execution that fueled their winning streak? Those questions won’t be answered in a single game.
But if McCollum’s mindset is any indication, this team isn’t going to fold.
They’re going to fight.