IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team finished 15th in the final Associated Press rankings for the 2025-26 season. It is the program’s highest year-end ranking since the 2020-21 season when it was eighth.
The Hawkeyes weren’t ranked or even receiving votes in the AP poll leading into March Madness. That changed when Iowa defeated three higher-seeded and two top 11-ranked teams en route to the Elite Eight.
Iowa downed eighth-seeded Clemson in the First Round, top-seeded and defending National Champion Florida in the Round of 32 and fourth-seeded Nebraska in the Sweet 16. It was the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1999 and first Elite Eight since 1987.
The Hawkeyes finished with a 24-13 overall record under first-year head coach Ben McCollum. The 24 wins were tied for the fifth-most in a single season in program history.