Iowa Basketball's Young Core Gains Valuable Experience

Hawkeyes' Elite 8 run provides optimism for next season despite loss to Illinois

Mar. 31, 2026 at 12:08pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented basketball game, with sharp planes of black, gold, and white representing the dynamic action on the court.Iowa's deep NCAA Tournament run showcases the promising future of the program's young core.Houston Today

The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team had a successful 2025-26 season, making it all the way to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to in-state rival Illinois. Despite the loss, the team's young core gained valuable experience that has the program optimistic about the future.

Why it matters

Iowa has been rebuilding its basketball program in recent years, and this deep tournament run showcases the progress the team has made. With several key players returning next season, the Hawkeyes are poised to build on this year's success and potentially make a deeper postseason run.

The details

Led by sophomore guard Tate Sage, the Hawkeyes put together an impressive 25-win season and earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After winning their first two tournament games, Iowa fell to Illinois 71-59 in the Elite 8, ending their season just one win shy of the Final Four.

  • The 2025-26 season was Iowa's most successful in recent memory.
  • The Hawkeyes made it to the Elite 8 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament before losing to Illinois on March 30, 2026.

The players

Tate Sage

A sophomore guard who emerged as a key player for the Hawkeyes this season.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We've got a lot of good guys coming back, a lot of hungry guys,”

— Ben McCollum, Iowa Head Coach

What’s next

Iowa will look to build on this season's success and make another deep tournament run in 2026-27 with their young core returning.

The takeaway

Iowa's breakthrough season has the program and its fans excited about the future, as the Hawkeyes' talented young roster gained invaluable experience in their run to the Elite 8.