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. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Florida and No. 5 Arizona.

Other Big Ten teams inside the way-too-early rankings include No. 6 Illinois, No. 16 Purdue, No. 18 Nebraska and No. 24 Wisconsin.

While he hasn't entered his name into the transfer portal, there's some rumblings that Alvaro Folgueiras isn't a surefire returnee to Iowa. That will be a key storyline to follow.

If Iowa can return Folgueiras, it brings back a nice core of players that's headlined by Folgueiras, Tate Sage and Cooper Koch. Tavion Banks is still hoping for an additional season of eligibility, too.

Iowa will be active in adding to its roster out of the transfer portal as well. It should be an interesting two-week period as the Hawkeyes look to reload for the 2026-27 men's college basketball season.

One thing is for certain: Iowa's first season under McCollum has Hawkeye basketball back on the national radar, and that's a great feeling for Iowa fans.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa basketball inside USA TODAY's way-too-early top 25 rankings