After trailing by 3 points at halftime, the No. 9-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes put it all together in the second half to upend the No. 4-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers 77-71 in a Sweet 16 contest in the South Region at Toyota Center in Houston on Thursday night.
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum has been pushing all the right buttons, getting his team into the Elite 8. And the college basketball world was going wild after the game ended.
Iowa Securing Impressive Win Sets NCAA World on Fire
Jon Rothstein, College Basketball Insider for CBS Sports, was fired up after watching the Hawkeyes dispatch the Cornhuskers. Rothstein simply posted a four-word message in a post on X on Thursday night. He wrote, “THIS IS ****** MARCH.”
THIS IS ****** MARCH.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 27, 2026
But Rothstein wasn’t done when it came to offering some context around what McCollum accomplished with Iowa, who goes to 24-12 overall with the Sweet 16 victory.
Rothstein also posted on X, “Two years ago, Ben McCollum was the head coach of Northwest Missouri State (Division II). Today, he’s got Iowa one win away from the Final Four. Anarchy? Nope. Just College Basketball.”
Two years ago, Ben McCollum was the head coach of Northwest Missouri State (Division II).
Today, he’s got Iowa one win away from the Final Four.
Anarchy?
Nope. Just College Basketball. https://t.co/zXIHhqvmJU
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 27, 2026
ESPN College Basketball Insider Jeff Borzello also wanted college basketball fans to know just how impressive McCollum’s march to the Elite 8 really is at this time.
Borzello posted on X, “Ben McCollum’s last five NCAA tournaments at the Division II level: three national championships. Ben McCollum’s first two NCAA tournaments at the Division I level: 4-1 (and counting) as an 11-seed and 9-seed.”
Ben McCollum’s last five NCAA tournaments at the Division II level: three national championships.
Ben McCollum’s first two NCAA tournaments at the Division I level: 4-1 (and counting) as an 11-seed and 9-seed. https://t.co/ZLl490QS2f
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 27, 2026
Borzello couldn’t contain his excitement about Iowa’s victory over Nebraska. He also posted after the game ended, “IOWA IS IN THE ELITE EIGHT.”
IOWA IS IN THE ELITE EIGHT.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 27, 2026
Chris Vannini, Senior Writer for The Athletic covering college football, was really impressed by how hard Iowa played against Nebraska in Houston on the court.
Vannini shared his thoughts on X: “This Iowa team is so, so tough, man. Banged with Florida inside and pulled the upset. Hung in there when Nebraska was red hot and worked their way back. Ben McCollum is such a good coach.”
MARCH MADNESS: Fill In Your Bracket Now!
College Basketball Report’s account on X offered some historical perspective on what McCollum and Iowa accomplished with this victory.
The account posted, “BEN MCCOLLUM HAS THE IOWA HAWKEYES IN THE ELITE 8 IN YEAR ONE…THE HAWKEYES HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE ELITE 8 SINCE 1987.”
BEN MCCOLLUM HAS THE IOWA HAWKEYES IN THE ELITE 8 IN YEAR ONE 🐤
THE HAWKEYES HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE ELITE 8 SINCE 1987. pic.twitter.com/i2DcUy4fv9
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 27, 2026
College basketball analyst and consultant Matthew Winick, who provides content for Basket Under Review, posted this on X: “Whether Iowa hangs on or not… there is no disputing that Ben McCollum is one hell of a basketball coach.”
Bennett Stirtz led Iowa with 20 points while teammate Tate Sage added 19 off the bench. With the loss, the Cornhuskers finish 28-7 for the season.
Meanwhile, Iowa now awaits the winner of the No. 2-seeded Houston vs. No. 3-seeded Illinois matchup, which played in the nightcap at Toyota Center in Houston.
