Iowa

Heartbreak#5783.5

Big Ten · Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

RivalriesIowa–Iowa State rivalryvs Iowa Statetwo-way Iowa–Illinois rivalryvs Illinoistwo-way

The Heartbreak Index3.5 · #578

The Tortured · CBB, 1945

3.5

Heartbreak

#578

of 1,138 clubs

#51

in CBB

3.5

agony

The clocks

CBB since 19456.6
CBB final appearance since 19561.5

Heaviest wounds

lost the final, 1956 · playoff run died early, 2026 · fell one round short, 1980 · fell one round short, 1955

One formula, every club the site covers. See the whole board →

1798-1261

All-time

0.588

Win %

NCAA titles

Final Fours

Tourney apps

#1 seeds

Weeks at #1

All-Americans

Greatest tournament games

Iowa’s top NCAA tournament games of all time by Game Score.

Sort by

#15 Iowa 63-64 Northwestern State

Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Michigan

2006 · Mar 17, 2006 · First Round

2.01

Game Score

Iowa 73-72 #4 Florida

Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida

2026 · Mar 22, 2026 · Second Round

1.98

Game Score

#6 Iowa 81-84 #1 UNLV

Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Elite Eight

1987 · Mar 22, 1987 · Regional Finals

1.74

Game Score

#4 Iowa 71-83 #1 San Francisco

McGaw Hall, Chicago, Illinois

National Title

1956 · Mar 23, 1956 · Championship Game

1.74

Game Score

#13 Iowa 56-60 Wichita State

Levitt Arena, Wichita, Kansas

1981 · Mar 15, 1981 · Second Round

1.64

Game Score

#6 Iowa 93-91 Oklahoma (OT)

Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Sweet 16

1987 · Mar 20, 1987 · Regional Semifinals

1.60

Game Score

Iowa 88-77 #6 Syracuse

The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sweet 16

1980 · Mar 14, 1980 · Regional Semifinals

1.60

Game Score

Iowa 69-75 #5 Kentucky

Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City-Provo, Utah

1997 · Mar 15, 1997 · Second Round

1.59

Game Score

Iowa 81-80 #11 Georgetown

The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Elite Eight

1980 · Mar 16, 1980 · Regional Finals

1.57

Game Score

#7 Iowa 103-104 #4 Jacksonville

St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio

1970 · Mar 12, 1970 · Second Round

1.56

Game Score

#			Round	Match
1	Mar 17, 2006	2006	First Round	#15 Iowa 63-64 Northwestern State Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Michigan	2.01
2	Mar 22, 2026	2026	Second Round	Iowa 73-72 #4 Florida Benchmark International Arena, Tampa, Florida	1.98
3	Mar 22, 1987	1987	Regional Finals	#6 Iowa 81-84 #1 UNLV Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Elite Eight	1.74
4	Mar 23, 1956	1956	Championship Game	#4 Iowa 71-83 #1 San Francisco McGaw Hall, Chicago, Illinois National Title	1.74
5	Mar 15, 1981	1981	Second Round	#13 Iowa 56-60 Wichita State Levitt Arena, Wichita, Kansas	1.64
6	Mar 20, 1987	1987	Regional Semifinals	#6 Iowa 93-91 Oklahoma (OT) Kingdome, Seattle, Washington Sweet 16	1.60
7	Mar 14, 1980	1980	Regional Semifinals	Iowa 88-77 #6 Syracuse The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sweet 16	1.60
8	Mar 15, 1997	1997	Second Round	Iowa 69-75 #5 Kentucky Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City-Provo, Utah	1.59
9	Mar 16, 1980	1980	Regional Finals	Iowa 81-80 #11 Georgetown The Palestra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Elite Eight	1.57
10	Mar 12, 1970	1970	Second Round	#7 Iowa 103-104 #4 Jacksonville St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio	1.56

Season by season

2027 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

0-0

Conf record

—

SRS

—

Seed

—

Tournament

—

2026 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

24-13

Conf record

10-10

—

SRS

#23

Seed

Tournament

Elite Eight

2025 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

17-16

Conf record

7-13

—

SRS

#58

Seed

—

Tournament

—

2024 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

19-15

Conf record

10-10

—

SRS

#47

Seed

—

Tournament

NIT

2023 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

19-14

Conf record

11-9

—

SRS

#32

Seed

Tournament

NCAA tournament

2022 · Iowa

Big Ten ◆

Record

26-10

Conf record

12-8

#16

SRS

#14

Seed

Tournament

NCAA tournament

2021 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

22-9

Conf record

14-6

SRS

Seed

Tournament

NCAA tournament

2020 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

20-11

Conf record

11-9

#25

SRS

#25

Seed

—

Tournament

—

2019 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

23-12

Conf record

10-10

—

SRS

#33

Seed

Tournament

NCAA tournament

2018 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

14-19

Conf record

4-14

—

SRS

#78

Seed

—

Tournament

—

2017 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

19-15

Conf record

10-8

—

SRS

#66

Seed

—

Tournament

NIT

2016 · Iowa

Big Ten

Record

22-11

Conf record

12-6

#25

SRS

#21

Seed

Tournament

NCAA tournament

Year	School	Record	Conference	Conf	AP	SRS	Seed	Tournament
2027	Iowa	0-0	Big Ten
2026	Iowa	24-13	Big Ten	10-10		#23	9	Elite Eight
2025	Iowa	17-16	Big Ten	7-13		#58
2024	Iowa	19-15	Big Ten	10-10		#47		NIT
2023	Iowa	19-14	Big Ten	11-9		#32	8	NCAA tournament
2022	Iowa	26-10	Big Ten ◆	12-8	#16	#14	5	NCAA tournament
2021	Iowa	22-9	Big Ten	14-6	#8	#6	2	NCAA tournament
2020	Iowa	20-11	Big Ten	11-9	#25	#25
2019	Iowa	23-12	Big Ten	10-10		#33	10	NCAA tournament
2018	Iowa	14-19	Big Ten	4-14		#78
2017	Iowa	19-15	Big Ten	10-8		#66		NIT
2016	Iowa	22-11	Big Ten	12-6	#25	#21	7	NCAA tournament
2015	Iowa	22-12	Big Ten	12-6		#20	7	NCAA tournament
2014	Iowa	20-13	Big Ten	9-9		#10	11	NCAA tournament
2013	Iowa	25-13	Big Ten	9-9		#30		NIT
2012	Iowa	18-17	Big Ten	8-10		#81		NIT
2011	Iowa	11-20	Big Ten	4-14		#76
2010	Iowa	10-22	Big Ten	4-14		#123
2009	Iowa	15-17	Big Ten	5-13		#81
2008	Iowa	13-19	Big Ten	6-12		#119
2007	Iowa	17-14	Big Ten	9-7		#70
2006	Iowa	25-9	Big Ten ◆	11-5	#15	#19	3	NCAA tournament
2005	Iowa	21-12	Big Ten	7-9		#24	10	NCAA tournament
2004	Iowa	16-13	Big Ten	9-7		#65		NIT
2003	Iowa	17-14	Big Ten	7-9		#65		NIT
2002	Iowa	19-16	Big Ten	5-11		#44		NIT
2001	Iowa	23-12	Big Ten ◆	7-9	#24	#31	7	NCAA tournament
2000	Iowa	14-16	Big Ten	6-10		#58
1999	Iowa	20-10	Big Ten	9-7	#21	#21	5	Sweet 16
1998	Iowa	20-11	Big Ten	9-7		#15		NIT
1997	Iowa	22-10	Big Ten	12-6		#14	8	NCAA tournament
1996	Iowa	23-9	Big Ten	11-7	#21	#10	6	NCAA tournament
1995	Iowa	21-12	Big Ten	9-9		#22		NIT
1994	Iowa	11-16	Big Ten	5-13		#41
1993	Iowa	23-9	Big Ten	11-7	#13	#10	4	NCAA tournament
1992	Iowa	19-11	Big Ten	10-8		#14	9	NCAA tournament
1991	Iowa	21-11	Big Ten	9-9		#47	7	NCAA tournament
1990	Iowa	12-16	Big Ten	4-14		#71
1989	Iowa	23-10	Big Ten	10-8	#14	#13	4	NCAA tournament
1988	Iowa	24-10	Big Ten	12-6	#17	#7	5	Sweet 16
1987	Iowa	30-5	Big Ten	14-4	#6	#4	2	Elite Eight
1986	Iowa	20-12	Big Ten	10-8		#19	11	NCAA tournament
1985	Iowa	21-11	Big Ten	10-8		#7	8	NCAA tournament
1984	Iowa	13-15	Big Ten	6-12		#46
1983	Iowa	21-10	Big Ten	10-8		#12	7	Sweet 16
1982	Iowa	21-8	Big Ten	12-6	#16	#23	6	NCAA tournament
1981	Iowa	21-7	Big Ten	13-5	#13	#8	3	NCAA tournament
1980	Iowa	23-10	Big Ten	10-8		#1	5	Final Four
1979	Iowa	20-8	Big Ten ★	13-5	#20	#5	4	NCAA tournament
1978	Iowa	12-15	Big Ten	5-13		#55
1977	Iowa	18-9	Big Ten	10-8		#32
1976	Iowa	19-10	Big Ten	9-9		#34
1975	Iowa	10-16	Big Ten	7-11		#111
1974	Iowa	8-16	Big Ten	5-9		#126
1973	Iowa	13-11	Big Ten	6-8		#24
1972	Iowa	11-13	Big Ten	5-9		#57
1971	Iowa	9-15	Big Ten	4-10		#86
1970	Iowa	20-5	Big Ten ★	14-0	#7	#7		Sweet 16
1969	Iowa	12-12	Big Ten	5-9		#20
1968	Iowa	16-9	Big Ten ★	10-4		#32
1967	Iowa	16-8	Big Ten	9-5		#26
1966	Iowa	17-7	Big Ten	8-6		#21
1965	Iowa	14-10	Big Ten	8-6		#10
1964	Iowa	8-15	Big Ten	3-11		#90
1963	Iowa	9-15	Big Ten	5-9		#65
1962	Iowa	13-11	Big Ten	7-7		#39
1961	Iowa	18-6	Big Ten	10-4	#8	#17
1960	Iowa	14-10	Big Ten	6-8		#32
1959	Iowa	10-12	Big Ten	7-7		#36
1958	Iowa	13-9	Big Ten	7-7		#35
1957	Iowa	8-14	Big Ten	4-10		#61
1956	Iowa	20-6	Big Ten ★	13-1	#5	#8		Final Four
1955	Iowa	19-7	Big Ten ★	11-3	#5	#8		Final Four
1954	Iowa	17-5	Big Ten	11-3	#13	#8
1953	Iowa	12-10	Big Ten	9-9		#17
1952	Iowa	19-3	Big Ten	11-3	#7	#12
1951	Iowa	15-7	Big Ten	9-5		#16
1950	Iowa	15-7	Big Ten	6-6		#29
1949	Iowa	10-10	Big Ten	3-9
1948	Iowa	15-4	Big Ten	8-4
1947	Iowa	12-7	Big Nine	5-7
1946	Iowa	14-4	Big Nine	8-4
1945	Iowa	17-1	Big Ten ★	11-1
1944	Iowa	14-4	Big Ten	9-3
1943	Iowa	7-10	Big Ten	3-9
1942	Iowa	12-8	Big Ten	10-5
1941	Iowa	12-8	Big Ten	4-8
1940	Iowa	9-12	Big Ten	4-8
1939	Iowa	8-11	Big Ten	3-9
1938	Iowa	11-9	Big Ten	6-6
1937	Iowa	11-9	Big Ten	3-9
1936	Iowa	9-10	Big Ten	5-7
1935	Iowa	10-9	Big Ten	6-6
1934	Iowa	13-6	Big Ten	6-6
1933	Iowa	15-5	Big Ten	8-4
1932	Iowa	5-12	Big Ten	3-9
1931	Iowa	5-12	Big Ten	2-10
1930	Iowa	4-13	Big Ten
1929	Iowa	9-8	Big Ten	5-7
1928	Iowa	6-11	Big Ten	3-9
1927	Iowa	9-8	Big Ten	7-5
1926	Iowa	12-5	Big Ten ★	8-4
1925	Iowa	6-10	Big Ten	5-7
1924	Iowa	7-10	Big Ten	4-8
1923	Iowa	13-2	Big Ten ★	11-1
1922	Iowa	11-7	Big Ten	5-6
1921	Iowa	9-9	Big Ten	6-5
1920	Iowa	9-10	Big Ten	6-6
1919	Iowa	8-7	Big Ten	4-7
1918	Iowa	6-8	Big Ten	4-6
1917	Iowa	7-9	Western Intercollegiate	1-8
1916	Iowa	11-4	Western Intercollegiate	2-4
1915	Iowa	9-8	Western Intercollegiate	2-6
1914	Iowa	9-7	Western Intercollegiate	1-5
1913	Iowa	9-13	Western Intercollegiate	1-5
1912	Iowa	6-8	Western Intercollegiate	0-4
1911	Iowa	9-4	Western Intercollegiate	2-2
1910	Iowa	11-3	Western Intercollegiate	2-2
1909	Iowa	8-7	Western Intercollegiate	1-5
1908	Iowa	10-6	Western Intercollegiate
1907	Iowa	5-5	Western Intercollegiate
1906	Iowa	11-5	Western Intercollegiate
1905	Iowa	6-8	Western Intercollegiate
1904	Iowa	6-2	Western Intercollegiate
1903	Iowa	4-3	Western Intercollegiate
1902	Iowa	10-2	Western Intercollegiate
1898	Iowa	0-1	Independent
1897	Iowa	2-4	Independent
1896	Iowa	2-5	Independent

Consensus All-Americans

13 AP All-American selections.

Kris Murray2023

Keegan Murray2022

Luka Garza2021

Luka Garza2020

Jarrod Uthoff2016

Andre Woolridge1997

Ronnie Lester1979

Fred Brown1971

John Johnson1970

Sam Williams1968

Don Nelson1962

Chuck Darling1952

Year	Player
2023	Kris Murray
2022	Keegan Murray
2021	Luka Garza
2020	Luka Garza
2016	Jarrod Uthoff
1997	Andre Woolridge
1979	Ronnie Lester
1971	Fred Brown
1970	John Johnson
1968	Sam Williams
1962	Don Nelson
1952	Chuck Darling
1948	Murray Wier

NBA first-round picks

33 first-round NBA draft selections from this program.

Bennett Stirtz2026

Last college yr: 2026

Kris Murray2023

Last college yr: 2023

Keegan Murray2022

Last college yr: 2022

Kris Murray2023

Last college yr: 2022

Keegan Murray2022

Last college yr: 2021

Kris Murray2023

Last college yr: 2021

Ricky Davis1998

Last college yr: 1998

Acie Earl1993

Last college yr: 1993

Acie Earl1993

Last college yr: 1992

Acie Earl1993

Last college yr: 1991

Acie Earl1993

Last college yr: 1990

B.J. Armstrong1989

Last college yr: 1989

Draft	Player	Last college yr
2026	Bennett Stirtz	2026
2023	Kris Murray	2023
2022	Keegan Murray	2022
2023	Kris Murray	2022
2022	Keegan Murray	2021
2023	Kris Murray	2021
1998	Ricky Davis	1998
1993	Acie Earl	1993
1993	Acie Earl	1992
1993	Acie Earl	1991
1993	Acie Earl	1990
1989	B.J. Armstrong	1989
1989	Roy Marble	1989
1989	B.J. Armstrong	1988
1989	Roy Marble	1988
1989	B.J. Armstrong	1987
1989	Roy Marble	1987
1989	B.J. Armstrong	1986
1989	Roy Marble	1986
1980	Ronnie Lester	1980
1980	Ronnie Lester	1979
1980	Ronnie Lester	1978
1980	Ronnie Lester	1977
1973	Kevin Kunnert	1973
1973	Kevin Kunnert	1972
1971	Fred Brown	1971
1973	Kevin Kunnert	1971
1970	John Johnson	1970
1971	Fred Brown	1970
1970	John Johnson	1969
1952	Chuck Darling	1952
1952	Chuck Darling	1951
1952	Chuck Darling	1950

The Heartbreak Index3.5 · #578▸

Greatest tournament games

Season by season

Consensus All-Americans

NBA first-round picks

The Heartbreak Index3.5 · #578