Previewing the Hawkeyes matchup against Clemson

Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum directs his team against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images The Iowa Hawkeyes (21-12, 10-10) have their dancing shoes again! After missing out on the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons, Ben McCollum and company have them back and facing a stout matchup in the 8-seeded Clemson Tigers (24-10, 12-6).

The Tigers started their conference season on an absolute tear – they raced to a 10-1 ACC record and peaked in the AP Poll at 18th. That’s a pretty fair read on their resume, as their best win during the timeframe was a home win against Miami (FL). The only other tourney teams they had beaten up until that point were SMU and a neutral win against Georgia.

As their schedule tightened up, the losses piled. They bounced back with a win against Louisville (their best on the season) and little run in the ACC Tournament where they took down Wake Forest and North Carolina before losing to Duke. Like Iowa their calling card is defense.

KenPom ranks them 21st in adjusted defensive efficiency and they’re holding opponents to 66. 7 points/game, 29th in the country. As mentioned earlier , much of this is due to their preferred pace of play.