ESPN updates 2026 bracketology: Where will Iowa basketball be?
According to Lunardi's updated prediction, Iowa is said to finish as an 11-seed as part of the "Last Four In" grouping alongside Texas A&M, Miami, and SMU. Iowa's placement would have them face the Mustangs in the First Four for the right to play No. 6-seeded Kansas in the St. Louis regional.
The newest projections also include 10 other Big Ten programs at the following positions: Purdue (Conference automatic qualifier, No. 1), Michigan (No. 2), Illinois (No. 4), UCLA (No. 4), Michigan State (No. 5), Ohio State (No. 6), Wisconsin (No. 7), Oregon (No. 7), USC (No. 7), and Maryland (No. 9). Washington is forecasted to be the "Last Team Out", according to the most recent model.
The Hawkeyes' 2025-26 roster will include 12 newcomers on the 14-player roster, with five players (Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks, and Cam Manyawu) coming via the transfer portal to follow Ben McCollum from Drake to Iowa.
In addition to the Drake transfers, Iowa also received portal commitments from Brendan Hausen (Kansas State) and Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris), and the return of Cooper Koch.
Despite the program's major offseason roster and program staff overhaul following the March firing of former head coach Fran McCaffery and subsequent hiring of McCollum later in the month, the Hawkeyes did not move much from Lunardi's June projection, which also had them playing in the First Four round.
Regardless of the predictions, Iowa must prove to Lunardi, the NCAA Selection Committee, and the rest of the nation that it deserves more respect, given the talent assembled on the team and the pedigree of its head coach.
While a full schedule has yet to be officially released, the Hawkeyes will begin their first season under McCollum on Nov. 4 against Robert Morris at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews.
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