March 8, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (6) hits a 3-pointer against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Image Iowa is ranked No. 25 in the NET rankings, meaning it has clinched an NCAA Tournament berth.
But as the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (20-11) prepare to play 17th-seeded Maryland (12-20) in the Big Ten Tournament opener, uneasy questions remain.
Could another loss to a player near the bottom of the conference cause Iowa State to disappoint on Selection Sunday?
History suggests otherwise. Since the NET rankings were established in 2018-19, the highest-rated team to lose a bid was No. 29 Indiana State in 2024, but the Hawkeyes have four Quad 1 wins and the Sycamores only one.
But in Iowa, recent losses are more important than wins. Last month, the Hawkeyes’ resume took a hit with road losses to Penn State and Maryland, teams that finished the bottom two in the Big Ten standings this season.
“We don’t have the talent to give 97 percent,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. “We have to get to 100 percent because that is our greatest talent: our ability to be prepared, intense, compete at the highest level and impose our will.”
The Hawkeyes bring in the Big Ten’s third-leading scorer, Bennett Stirtz (20.2 points per game), while the Terrapins bring in Andre Mills, who has emerged as an offensive threat by averaging 18.7 ppg over his last 12 games.
“Maryland’s guards like to go downhill, so we have to be ready to go,” Stirtz said Monday.
Maryland advanced Tuesday with a 70-60 wire-to-wire victory over 16th-seeded Oregon. David Coit scored 17 points for the Terrapins and Elijah Saunders made 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc.
“You could argue that those last two games were our best two,” Maryland coach Buzz Williams said, referring to his team’s 78-72 loss. Sunday 11th Illinois.
The Terrapins smothered the Ducks early when Oregon missed its first 11 shots from the floor. The Terrapins defeated their taller opponents 38-28.
“Maryland relies heavily on offensive rebounding and physicality,” McCollum said.
The Terrapins are looking to turn the tables on Tuesday, starting at 4 p.m. and playing at 11 a.m. (local time).
“We played our last Big Ten regular season game on Sunday. We played our first game of the Big Ten Tournament on Tuesday,” Williams added. “Maybe players will do better with less coaching than with more coaching.”
–Field level media
