Ben McCollum credits 2025-26 Iowa team for setting ‘foundation’ for future March Madness success

Iowa basketball ignited a surprise March Madness run in season one of Ben McCollum. The new Hawkeyes head coach nearly ended a 46-year Final Four drought in the end. Iowa unfortunately fell 71-59 to Big Ten rival Illinois Saturday, but left McCollum optimistic.

The Hawkeyes head coach addressed the loss and program’s future with reporters afterward. And believes the 2025-26 team just set the foundation for what’s to come in Iowa City.

“This group has done a lot for the University of Iowa,” McCollum began. “It’s always hard afterwards because as a coach, you always think about what you could’ve done better because it’s the nature of your mind. But they did set a foundation for the University of Iowa and hopefully the future.”

The foundation is set for Ben McCollum and Iowa following the loss to Illinois in the Elite Eight. @IowaHoops pic.twitter.com/w9QdlzFPJM

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 29, 2026

He cited Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks as two tone setters for this first McCollum-led Hawkeyes team. Stirtz ended with 24 points to lead Iowa including hitting a quartet of 3-pointers.

McCollum and Stirtz have collaborated since their days at Northwest Missouri State, which plays at the NCAA Division II level. He eventually followed him to Drake before the head coach jumped to the Big Ten. Stirtz ends up averaging a career-high 19.7 points per game at the Power Four level.

Banks is another who arrived via Drake and ends up averaging 10.4 points per game. Both are graduating seniors who led the Elite Eight run.

McCollum ends up finishing 24-12 overall. He ends up winning the second-most games in his debut season with the Hawkeyes. Tom Davis still owns the best season one mark in going 30-5 overall during the 1986-87 season. The 44-year-old McCollum will have a likely Top 25 team next season fueling Final Four chatter.

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