Iowa's heartbreaking loss to Iowa State dropped its record to 10-2 to begin the 2025-2026 college basketball season, with its only losses against a pair of top-10 programs. Head coach Ben McCollum acknowledges the progress his team has made, but he does not feel any better about the result.
In his first year with the team, McCollum has Iowa off to one of its best starts in program history. That does not mean he feels good about the Hawkeyes going 1-2 in their last three games, regardless of competition.
“I thought we played good, but I like to win,” McCollum said after the loss, via Tyler Tachman of Des Moines Register. “I don't know, I'm just not into the other stuff. I'm a process guy at heart, so I understand the process piece. I understand that you got to keep getting better, don't let highs get too high, don't let the lows get too low. It is what it is. I don't buy into it that much.”
Ben McCollum not buying into a moral victory narrative after Iowa's loss to Iowa State: “I thought we played good. But I like to win. I don’t know. I’m just not into the other stuff. I don’t know. I’m a process guy at heart. So I understand the process piece. I understand that… pic.twitter.com/lKElFkW8m5
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) December 12, 2025
The Hawkeyes' first loss, a 71-52 blowout against Michigan State, was discouraging, but Iowa looked like a top-15 team against its in-state rival. They had the undefeated Cyclones on their heels early, but could not sustain that effort for all 40 minutes.
Iowa led by as much as 13 at one point before ceding a 19-0 run that cost it the game. Iowa State scored 16 unanswered points to begin the second half to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Iowa's losses to Michigan State and Iowa State sandwiched a win over Maryland, giving McCollum a 1-1 start in Big Ten play to begin his tenure. The 44-year-old took over the program in the offseason after one season at Drake, in which he led the 31-4 Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament.
