Iowa basketball inside USA TODAY's way-too-early top 25 rankings

Iowa's first season under head coach Ben McCollum wound up as a magical one. The Hawkeyes were one of the top stories of the NCAA Tournament, riding March Madness momentum into the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. Iowa topped Clemson , then-defending national champion Florida and rival Nebraska for its Elite Eight berth.

Though Iowa wound up just short of the Final Four, the Hawkeyes made a statement that they will be a national player moving forward with McCollum at the helm. As a result of its 24-win campaign, Iowa is on national radars heading into the 2026-27 men's college basketball season. Though there is still plenty of transfer portal shuffling to sort out, Iowa finds its way inside USA TODAY Sports' initial way-too-early top 25 rankings .

The Hawkeyes are the nation's No. 19 team in USA TODAY Sports' way-too-early top 25 rankings: After a magical Elite Eight run, Iowa looks to maintain that momentum under second-year coach Ben McCollum while losing top scorer Bennett Stirtz. The Hawkeyes will be aggressive in the portal to find a guard to join holdovers Kael Combs, Isaia Howard and Tate Sage, and also to find a center to play alongside projected returnees Alvaro Folgueiras, Cam Manyawu and Cooper Koch.

- USA TODAY Sports Michigan State leads the way as the projected No. 1 team in USA TODAY Sports' way-too-early top 25 rankings, followed by No. 2 Duke, No.