Iowa isn’t done building its finalized roster for the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season. But, ESPN has seen enough from first-year head coach Ben McCollum and the Hawkeyes’ current additions to the roster to place Iowa within its initial bracketology.
Iowa returns forward Cooper Koch and added Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu, Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras.
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Stirtz was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year after averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on 49.8% field goal shooting and 39.5% 3-point shooting. Folgueiras was the Horizon League Player of the Year after posting averages of 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 54.8% field goal shooting and 41.3% from beyond the arc.
Here’s a look at ESPN’s initial bracketology projection for the Hawkeyes.
Iowa basketball initial ESPN bracketology projection
Mar 9, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum hugs guard Bennett Stirtz (14) after defeating the Bradley Braves to win the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Seed: No. 9 in the West
Opponent: No. 8 Vanderbilt
Iowa earns the No. 9 seed in the West Region and is slated to face No. 8 seed Vanderbilt. First- and second-round games would be played in Oklahoma City from inside the Paycom Center with the regional semifinals and regional final taking place in San Jose.
Full West region
Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) walks off the court after losing to the Florida Gators in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
No. 1 Houston vs. No. 16 Southeast Missouri State
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No. 8 Vanderbilt vs. No. 9 Iowa
No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Yale
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Charleston
No. 6 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 VCU
No. 3 Tennessee vs. No. 14 McNeese
No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Miami
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Youngstown State
No. 1 seeds
St. John’s Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino during the team introductions Thursday at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, NCAA Tournament. 3/20/25
No. 1 seeds: Purdue, St. John’s, Houston, Duke
Conference bids breakdown
The Big Ten logo dominates a lightly trafficked Monument Square in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday after the conference announced it was pulling the plug on the men’s basketball tournament over coronavirus concerns. Bigten Jpg
SEC: 13
Big Ten: 12
Big 12: 8
ACC: 5
Big East: 4
Big Ten teams in the field of 68
Iowa’s new head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum walks into his introductory press conference with his family, President Barbara Wilson and Athletic Director Beth Goetz Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
No. 1 Purdue (top overall seed)
No. 2 Michigan
No. 4 UCLA
No. 4 USC
No. 4 Michigan State
No. 5 Ohio State
No. 6 Wisconsin
No. 7 Illinois
No. 8 Oregon
No. 9 Iowa
No. 10 Maryland
No. 10 Indiana
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball inside initial 2025-26 ESPN bracketology projection
