Sitting at 9-2 on the young season, the Iowa Hawkeyes look as though they may be making a return to the NCAA Tournament, a goal of theirs that is just the tip of the iceberg under head coach Ben McCollum.
While the season is very young, and there is still more than enough work to do for the Hawkeyes to avoid the bubble conversation or missing March Madness outright, Iowa is staying in the latest renditions of ESPN’s newest bracketology.
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This week’s updated bracket gives Iowa a bracket loaded with two of the sport’s most dominant bluebloods, one of which could be awaiting Iowa in the second round with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
Iowa guard Brendan Hausen (15) talks to Iowa head coach Ben McCollum during a basketball game against the Western Michigan Broncos on Dec. 14, 2025, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
Bracket
Nov 15, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts to the action on the floor during the second half against the BYU Cougars at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16 Colgate
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No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Oklahoma
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No. 5 Nebraska vs. No. 12 Akron
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No. 4 Houston vs. No. 13 East Tennessee State
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No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 14 Lipscomb
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No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 10 Saint Louis
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No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Troy
Top Seeds
Duke’s head coach Jon Scheyer calls out to players during the first half in the game against Michigan State on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
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No. 1 seeds: Duke, Iowa State, Michigan, Arizona
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No. 2 seeds: UConn, Purdue, Gonzaga, BYU
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No. 3 seeds: Michigan State, Alabama, Louisville, Vanderbilt
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No. 4 seeds: Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Houston
Bubble Watch
Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) steals the ball from BYU Cougars guard Robert Wright III (1) during the first half at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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Last Four Byes: Indiana, UCLA, LSU, Oklahoma State
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Last Four In: NC State, UCF, Baylor, Arizona State
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First Four Out: Villanova, Oklahoma, Boise State, Virginia Tech
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Next Four Out: Colorado, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Wake Forest
Conference Breakdown
Mar 12, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Big 12 Championship logo at center court prior to the game between the UCF Knights and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball staring down blueblood in new ESPN NCAA Bracketology