Last time Iowa made Sweet 16: Revisiting 1999 March Madness run led by Dean Oliver
In his first year at the helm, Ben McCollum has taken Iowa somewhere it hasn't been in more than a quarter-century.
Last time Iowa made Sweet 16: Revisiting 1999 March Madness run led by Dean Oliver originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Of all of Iowa's teams in the 21st century, it would be hard to argue the 2025-26 edition is the most talented, or even close.
The Hawkeyes previously entered the NCAA Tournament with a higher seed than No. 9 seven times since 2000, producing college stars such as Luke Garza and Keegan Murray along the way. Yet, this is the Iowa team that broke the program's long drought without a second weekend appearance.
In year one, coach Ben McCollum has taken the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 with hopes of turning a feel-good story into a miraculous run. Late in the regular season, Iowa didn't look much like a team that had a serious chance to win multiple March Madness games. The Hawkeyes lost six of their last eight games before the Big Ten Tournament, including losses to conference bottom-feeders Penn State and Maryland.
Once the spotlight became brighter, a switch was flipped — a total reversal from years in which Iowa faded in March. Here's a look back at Iowa's last Sweet 16 appearance before 2026 and which players led that team. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | Full TV schedule | Printable bracket Last time Iowa made Sweet 16 Before upsetting Florida to reach the Sweet 16, Iowa's last appearance came all the way back in 1999 — ironically the same year St.
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