Iowa Looks to End Long Tournament Drought With Ben McCollum Hire

Iowa men’s basketball has lived in the shadow of the Hawkeyes women’s program and former superstar Caitlin Clark in recent years.
Iowa Looks to End Long Tournament Drought With Ben McCollum Hire
Head Coach Ben McCollum of the Drake Bulldogs reacts during the first half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Missouri Tigers at INTRUST Arena in Wichita, Kan., on March 20, 2025. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00

While Caitlin Clark has put Iowa women’s basketball on the map in recent years, the Hawkeyes men’s program has been relatively quiet.

The Hawkeyes haven’t reached the Sweet 16 since 1999, and Iowa hasn’t been to the Elite Eight or Final Four since the 1980s. That’s despite the program producing winning seasons annually since 2017-2018, and the Hawkeyes have only had one losing season since 2011-2012.

Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
Author
Matthew Davis is an experienced, award-winning journalist who has covered major professional and college sports for years. His writing has appeared on Heavy, the Star Tribune, and The Catholic Spirit. He has a degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University.