Cinderella stories in March Madness often go to squads at the mid-major level. Ben McCollum believes the same can be the case for his Iowa Hawkeyes squad after win over Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.
McCollum is enjoying an incredible campaign throughout his first year as the Hawkeyes' head coach. His success has seen Iowa make its way back to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987, a feat that puts him above many coaches in the program's past.
McCollum reflected on the Hawkeyes' run in March Madness after the game. Considering that that tournament committee gave his squad the 9-seed, the lowest of all the remaining teams, the head coach partially joked about it while agreeing with the sentiment of being a Cinderella squad.
“How do you feel about being called a Cinderella?” one reporter asked.
“Maybe they should've seeded us better. Nah, I'm just kidding. They seeded us right where we should,” McCollum answered.
Reporter: "How do you feel about being called a Cinderella?"
Iowa Head Coach Ben McCollum: "Maybe they should've seeded us better. Nah, I'm just kidding. They seeded us right where we should."@IowaHoops pic.twitter.com/ezo8zUVxdB
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 27, 2026
How Ben McCollum, Iowa performed against Nebraska
Ben McCollum and Iowa get to their March Madness run continue. After beating Nebraska, they are now one of the last eight teams standing in competition for the 2026 national championship.
Four players scored in double-digits for Iowa in the win. Bennett Stirtz led the attack with 20 points, four assists and two rebounds in all 40 minutes of action. He shot 7-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Tate Sage came next with 19 points and eight rebounds, Alvaro Folguieras had 16 points and three steals, while Cooper Koch provided 11 points and five rebounds.
Iowa improved to a 24-12 overall record on the season, having gone 15-5 in its Big Ten matchups. Despite losing in the conference tournament, they qualified for the Big Dance with an At-Large bid.
The Hawkeyes will look forward to their journey in the Elite Eight of March Madness. They take on the Illinois Fighting Illini as the game will take place on March 28.
