Spencer Wagen / 1600 ESPN
Basketball fans in the state of Iowa have had it made over the last several years’ worth of NCAA Tournaments. From the back-to-back championship game runs by Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes to Sweet 16 runs by the Iowa State men’s and women’s teams, there’s been no shortage of games to watch and things to cheer for. In 2025, though, some fans might be feeling a little empty after all of our in-state teams were knocked out of the tournaments earlier than we’ve grown accustomed to.
The earlier end to the season does allow us to take a look back at the year that was in college basketball in the state — and while this year might not have been full to the brim of memorable moments like years past, there were still plenty of highlights that caught our attention in the hoops world in the state.
Without further ado — and in no particular order — here are my 2025 “Moments of the Year” in Iowa college basketball.
Iowa women stun No. 4 USC 76-69 (Feb. 2)
This one is just too obvious. The Hawkeyes were pulling themselves out of the five-game losing streak they suffered through much of January and, despite a couple of wins to gain confidence back, the fourth-ranked team in the country would provide a tough test. Aided by a raucous crowd thanks to Caitlin Clark’s jersey retirement, the Hawkeyes blitzed the Trojans in the first quarter, then rode the ebbs and flows of a great game against a top-tier opponent to victory in the second half. Lucy Olsen was fantastic with 28 points and three others put up double figures in what was the signature win for the Hawkeyes in 2024-25.
Iowa State men win over Texas Tech (Jan. 11) and Kansas (Jan. 15)
I’ll be honest, I thought I’d be writing about a Big 12 regular season or tournament championship or a deep NCAA Tournament run for the Cyclone men’s team here. Instead, injuries to key players like Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey derailed a season filled with promise, and Iowa State bowed out in the Round of 32 to Ole Miss. For the Cyclones’ moments of the year, I went back to January and back-to-back wins over two of the most talented teams in the Big 12. In Lubbock, the Cyclones forced OT versus the Texas Tech Red Raiders, then held on for a quality win. Back home in Ames vs. the Kansas Jayhawks, Hilton Magic helped pave the way for a decisive victory over Bill Self’s bunch. The common thread in both games? Curtis Jones, who scored 26 versus Tech and 25 versus Kansas.
Iowa State women beat Princeton 68-63 in the NCAA Tournament’s First Four (March 19)
There were plenty of chances at bigger moments or bigger wins for the Cyclone women this season, but the team just couldn’t capitalize on marquee matchups with South Carolina and UConn, along with a rough fourth quarter in the annual Cy-Hawk game in Iowa City that cost the Cyclones a win over their in-state rival. A play-in game isn’t necessarily an ideal spot to be in, but any opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament shouldn’t be taken for granted, and Iowa State got to square off with the Princeton Tigers in South Bend, Indiana, to open the tourney. After being outscored 27-7 in the second quarter, Iowa State flipped the script in the third and took control with a 27-9 margin and held off Princeton for the win. The victory marked head coach Bill Fennelly’s 800th as a head coach.
UNI women stun No. 8 Iowa State for the team’s first top-10 win (Nov. 20)
Unlike the men’s basketball programs in the state, the Iowa and Iowa State women still schedule home-and-homes with Northern Iowa and Drake, knowing full well that the Panthers and Bulldogs can (and sometimes will) pull off an upset over one of the “big dogs.” The McLeod Center crowd got an incredible show on the evening of Nov. 20, as Maya McDermott scored 37 points and Kayba Laube added 21 as the Panthers scored their first win over a top-10 team in program history.
Drake’s Stirtz beats the buzzer versus the Kansas State Wildcats (Dec. 17. 2024)
No one knew what to expect with Drake men’s basketball this season, especially after previous head coach Darian DeVries left for West Virginia and the team had a mass exodus of players via the transfer portal. Enter Ben McCollum and a group of transfers from Northwest Missouri State, and the Bulldogs turned in one of the best seasons in program history when all was said and done. At this point in the season, Drake had already scored wins over the Miami Hurricanes and Vanderbilt in the Charleston Classic, but an overtime win over Big 12 foe Kansas State that saw Bennett Stirtz hit the game winning shot in OT pushed Drake’s record to 10-0 and turned the eyes of many toward what was happening in Des Moines.
Honorable mentions
There weren’t too many honorable mentions, in my opinion, this season.
It was largely a season to forget for the Iowa men’s basketball team as the Hawkeyes struggled to a 17-16 overall record and a 7-13 mark in the Big Ten. You could argue that Josh Dix’s buzzer beater to beat Northwestern in the Big Ten opener was a highlight, but it certainly didn’t carry much magnitude for the season as a whole. Iowa finding a way to win at Nebraska in the regular season finale in a win-and-in scenario for the Big Ten Tournament may end up being the moment of the year in what was a year devoid of bright spots for the Hawkeye men.
For the Iowa State men, I considered the Cyclones’ comeback win in the CyHawk game in Iowa City as a top moment of the season but ultimately went with the back-to-back games over Big 12 powers.
Lastly, for the Drake men’s team, you absolutely have to consider the “upset” win over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament round of 64 as a top moment for the Bulldogs. In this case, I went with the buzzer-beater win over Kansas State simply because I think it announced the so-called arrival of what turned out to be one of the best mid-major teams in the country.
What were your top moments of the year in Iowa college basketball? Reach out and let me know!
Spencer Wagen is the host of “Spencer on Sports,” weekdays from 4-6 p.m. on 1600 ESPN. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @SWOnTheRadio.
