What is the Iowa March Madness record? March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year, it isn’t one that all teams get to partake in.
Some miss the mark and find themselves on the outside looking in. For Iowa, the latter has come true. This is the first time in six years the Hawkeyes will not participate in the NCAA tournament and they will have to focus their attention on the women’s tournament, where Caitlin Clark is making headlines.
Still, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been some great Iowa March Madness moments in the men’s team throughout history.
Iowa March Madness: Historic Wins and Landmark Games
A staple of the Big Ten, Iowa has had its share of moments in the greatest tournament in college basketball. Surprisingly enough, two of them come against teams outside of the Big Ten, but they are great moments nonetheless.
1987 – #2 Iowa at #8 Illinois
Though Iowa State is the biggest rival for the Hawkeyes, this Big Ten foe is close. The two top-10 teams clashed in January 1987 and is remarkable for a few reasons. A 91-88 overtime win might not seem all that crucial but what is remembered is how things got there.
The Hawkeyes were down 22 with just 15 minutes to go in the second half. That’s basically a loss, especially playing on the road against the #8 team. Iowa, however, used their up-tempo style and full court press to swing the momentum. Even late in overtime, things looked bleak. But B.J. Armstrong’s late jumper put Iowa up for good.
1998 – Iowa at #8 Kansas
Some have called it the greatest win in Iowa basketball history. Funny enough, it didn’t even come against a Big Ten opponent. Kansas was hot, having won 62 games at home over a stretch of 4-5 years. They were unbeatable heading into the game.
Things look academic with Iowa down 59-41 at half. The Jayhawks went ice cold and Iowa scraped back to cut it to two with 1:38 to play. Kent McCausland hit a three and then another in short order. A final three from McCausland with less than :35 left gave the program, “the greatest win in Iowa history” according to the red-hot McCausland.
1987 – West Regional Semifinal
Sure, there have been two Final Four appearances (the latest in 1980) before this but there are few games that were as fun to watch. Iowa took on Oklahoma in the West Regional semifinal and faced a three-point deficit with just a minute left in regulation.
Brad Lohaus pulled down a major rebound, leading to Armstrong nailing a three to tie it. The game goes to overtime and Iowa finds itself down 91-90 with :11 left. Armstrong finds Kevin Gamble wide open, the latter hitting the game-ending three-pointer. That’s the kind of moment that March Madness is all about.
Coaching Influence: Building a Legacy
Every program has been led by great men. The top programs can look back at the head coaches that helped get the most out of their teams. Iowa has three names, in particular, that stand above the rest of the pack and even have a place in Big Ten history.
Tom Davis
The greatest coach in Iowa basketball history. Davis helped make Iowa a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten, making the tournament in 9 of his 13 seasons at the helm. More importantly, he never lost a first round game while at Iowa.
The Hawkeyes reached the regional semifinal twice under his watch and even made it to the regional final in his first season (Iowa was a No. 2 seed that year). Davis is the bar and he has set a high one in Iowa City.
Lute Olson
Getting back to the tournament after an eight-year absence was just the start of Olson’s run at Iowa. He and the Hawkeyes made the Big Dance five straight years to end his nine-year career, including making it to the National Semifinal in 1980.
Olson helped set the stage for Iowa Hawkeyes basketball for the future. Though his successor, George Raveling, wasn’t a hit, it did lead to Davis and an unprecedented stretch for the Hawkeyes in the NCAA tournament.
Fran McCaffery
The current head coach at Iowa, McCaffery has worked hard to make Iowa a tough Big Ten team in his 14th season in Iowa City. He has seven NCAA tournament appearances so far, though he has yet to crack the Sweet 16.
Still, he has passed Davis for all-time wins with the program and that should mean something. The landscape in the Big Ten is tougher than ever, so McCaffery has his work cut out for him going forward. It wasn’t long ago that Iowa nabbed a No. 2 seed, though, so the potential is there.
Iconic Players and Their Impact
Iowa has a few names that will live on in the annals of history. While they might not have the deep list of legends that Big Ten teams like Michigan State have, Iowa isn’t short on great names. Here are the top names in the history of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball, a few of whom could make a Big Ten list or two:
Luke Garza
Forget about recency bias, Garza dominated the Big Ten and the nation as a whole. He left as the all-time leader in scoring for Iowa, netting 2,306 total points. He also was a two-time unanimous All-American, won back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year awards, and won the Naismith Trophy in 2021.
Garza was a monster in his final two years, averaging around 24 points and 9 rebounds per game. He’s also second all-time in rebounds (931) during his career at Iowa. A dominant player anywhere, not just for the Hawkeyes.
Roy Marble
The Hawkeyes were very good in both the Big Ten and as a whole with Marble in the fold. They made the Elite Eight in 1987, then followed it up with another trip to the Sweet 16 the year after. They won an incredible 97 games during his tenure.
Marble was the all-time leading scorer for Iowa until Garza showed up. He had 2,116 points, finished second with 516 free throws, and fourth with 183 steals. He was also the first Hawkeye to get past the 2,000-point mark.
B.J. Armstrong
Though he will be remembered as a three-time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, Armstrong was a star in the Big Ten for the Hawkeyes first. He is Top 10 in steals, points, and assists, leaving the program at the top of the latter category at the time.
He was also an important part of the 1987 Elite Eight team. They had the most wins (30) in a single season for the Hawkeyes as well. A sublime playmaker, Armstrong was part of some of the greatest Iowa teams ever, with dominant runs in the Big Ten and beyond.
Hawkeyes Rivalries and Key Matchups
Every program in college basketball has its rivals. For many, it starts with the intrastate rivals and branches out depending on history. Because of the sheer size of the college basketball landscape, teams have rivals that might not naturally jump out.
Rivals
There are two teams that jump to the forefront when talking about Iowa. There is one Big Ten name – though they certainly consider a handful of other Big Ten teams to be rivals – and one from in-state.
Iowa State. A natural rival across all sports. Right now, Iowa State is on top of the rivalry and is one of the best teams in the nation. The Cyclones are currently in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed and are expected to make a deep run.
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Illinois. The rivalry between Iowa and Illinois in college basketball goes back more than a century. The two have met 170 times, share a close border, and also battle over common recruiting ground. The battle for Deon Thomas only took things to the next level.
Iowa forward Ladji Dembele reacts after missing a shot against Ohio State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big Ten Conference men’s tournament Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The Future of Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball
Iowa will look toward its recruits to make an impact going forward. Recruiting in college basketball is a bit different when you’re not a top team. For Iowa, there are a handful of guys coming that could wind up being impact players.
Recruiting and Future Stars
The first name to get used to is Pryce Sandford. The four-star recruit out of Waukee, IAA is a top-100 player in the nation and the second-best player in the state. He is a big man with a ton of potential.
Brock Harding is a bit underrated, the #21 point guard in the nation according to 247Sports. Many are excited for 2024 commit Cooper Kich. The four-star commit is the second-best player out of Illinois and could create excitement sooner rather than later.
2024 Iowa March Madness Failure: NIT Tournament
The million-dollar question: “Did Iowa make it to March Madness?” Sadly, no, the Hawkeyes missed the dance. They finished sixth in the NCAA Big Ten conference, one of the most loaded conferences in college basketball.
Instead, Iowa will represent the Big Ten in the NIT Invitational. It isn’t quite the same as the NCAA tournament, but it would be a nice accolade for Iowa and the Big Ten to win. “Is Iowa on March Madness?” Not technically, but the NIT tournament can get crazy in its own right.
The Legacy of the Hawkeyes in March Madness
For the Hawkeyes, the Big Ten has been tough sledding. Though they had made the tournament in three straight years, Fran McCaffery’s crew has some things to figure out. A year ago won’t be the last of the Iowa NCAA tournament appearances, but it does create questions going forward.
The Big Ten isn’t getting any easier, nor is college basketball as a whole. We may be asking, “Has Iowa ever won a championship?” for a long time to come. For now, at least, the Iowa faithful will look ahead to what next year may hold.
