March Madness finds a Cinderella. Iowa basketball, the slipper is yours

Cinderella wears a 9-seed’s uniform. Specifically, it’s a black jersey trimmed in gold.

Iowa, the slipper is yours. You wear it well.

You say a Big Ten team can’t be Cinderella, I say we might need to broaden our horizons a smidge when Iowa advances into the Elite Eight for the first time in 39 years.

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By beating No. 4 Nebraska, the Hawkeyes became just the ninth 9-seed ever to reach the Elite Eight.

Sweet 16 scores: Live updates, highlights, March Madness predictions

“Cinderella, whatever they want to call us,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. “We’re in the Elite Eight — that’s what they need to call us.”

And, so, Iowa becomes the highest seed left standing.

This isn’t akin to Saint Peter’s slaying giants or Kent State to the Elite Eight or George Mason’s Final Four run, but inside this chalky tournament, Iowa swiftly became the top underdog tale, thanks to two guys who were tucked away at Division II Northwest Missouri State as of two years ago.

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Luther Vandross will be singing about Bennett Stirtz and McCollum in two weeks.

“That’s my guy,” Stirtz said.

He was talking about McCollum, not Vandross.

Stirtz is McCollum’s guy, too. Stirtz followed his coach from Northwest Missouri State to Drake to Iowa to the Elite Eight.

Stirtz swiftly became Iowa’s guy, its heartbeat, its big-bucket maker, and he went for 20 points and four assists in this 77-71 takedown of Nebraska.

Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz are masters of March Madness

Stirtz and McCollum are masters of March. A year ago while both were at Drake, they introduced themselves to the national stage with a first-round upset of Missouri. After Drake exited the tournament, McCollum hit the coaches’ transfer portal, and Stirtz was at his heels — off to Iowa.

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Too bad for Indiana. The blue-blooded Hoosiers needed to snap up McCollum when IU was hiring last year. Instead, Iowa got him. A lifelong Midwesterner born in Iowa City, McCollum perfectly suits the Hawkeyes.

Fran McCaffery, go ahead and enjoy the Ivy league. McCollum and Stirtz got this covered.

The Hawkeyes never led in this game until Stirtz…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-finds-cinderella-iowa-025816916.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-27 02:58:00

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