Sweet 16 Primer: Was extra day an advantage for Nebraska? Iowa’s Ben McCollum chimes in

The Hawkeyes (23-12, 10-10 Big Ten) last appeared in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and last won in 1987. And, the Huskers (28-6, 13-7 Big Ten) never advanced beyond the first round in any of its eight trips to the tournament prior to this season.

Nebraska downed No. 5 seed Vanderbilt on Saturday to advance to the second week and Iowa upset No. 1 seed Florida on Sunday to set up the third meeting between the rivals.

On Wednesday, when asked if the extra day to prepare for the matchup gave the Huskers an edge, Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum balked at the question.

“This level is so bougie,” the long-time Division II coach said. “It’s like — I mean, we get back and then I get a text that says, Be here at this time. The plane will be there. You will drive right up to the plane, you will get on the plane, everything will be done for you, the food will be there, all you have to do is bring your computer and scout. Then, we get to the hotel. Everything’s perfectly set up.

“… It’s just a day difference. I don’t read into it. I’ve been at Division II for so long. I played junior college. I mean, you make bus trips and you are ready to play. If you’re not ready to play for the Sweet 16, then you probably shouldn’t be here. That’s kind of my thought.”

Does the rivalry amp up the atmosphere?

Iowa’s fans stormed the court last month when the Hawkeyes upset the then-No. 9 Huskers in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They also rained down vitriol on former Iowa forward and current Nebraska star Pryce Sandfort at every opportunity.

There’s no doubting the passion from either side in the rivalry between the modern Big Ten foes.

McCollum, an Iowa City native who grew up in Storm Lake, knows the rivalry well when it comes to Iowa, Iowa State and Nebraska.

“None of us like any of each other is kind of how it works,” McCollum said. “… It’s one of those things that when you grow up around it, you understand it, you get it.”

That may lead to greater hostilities between the two fanbases tonight in Toyota Center, but, to McCollum and Co., it’s just another game.

“When you’re in it, when you’re playing, you probably don’t really pay attention to it to be perfectly honest,” McCollum said. “I hate to say that for Iowa and Nebraska fans, but it’s irrelevant that they’re Nebraska and we’re Iowa in my mind.

“Maybe from an outside perspective, it’s a little bit different, but, for me, it could be Florida, Clemson, Nebraska. It’s irrelevant. It’s the next opponent and they’re a really good team.”

Regardless, the Hawkeyes expect a rowdy environment.

“It's obviously pretty intense, both teams care about their sports, and I think it's any sport you play, Iowa-Nebraska, it's going to be high-level intense and people care about it a lot,” Bennett Stirtz said. “So, it will be a packed-out arena and just looking forward to it.”

“Along the same lines of what he said, just how much both fan bases and teams care about the rivalry and just how big it is, and both games we were pretty super intense and high level,” Cam Manyawu said. “So, (we’re) really just excited to play in a rivalry game in this type of environment.”

McCollum’s Culture Cues

After a scuffle between Iowa and Florida in the first half of Sunday’s upset, McCollum downplayed the incident and described it as two teams playing basketball and criticized the Gators’ bench for getting “sensitive.”

The gritty, physical play demonstrated by the Hawkeyes in the win comes from the top down as McCollum sought, from day one as the head coach last March, to build a hard-nosed team.

“Impose your will” was the mantra he chose to instill in his team. And, it was evident on Sunday.

Where did the four-time Division II national champion pick up his tough coaching style? From his family and an old coach.

“My first coaching influence was Steve Tappmeyer,” McCollum said. “He was my head coach at Northwest Missouri State, one of the best DII coaches there was. Just from a culture perspective he understood, again, the value of people, he understood how to get the most, he understood the daily habits that go into it. That would probably be from a cultural perspective my No. 1 influence from just a coaching, the coaching aspect of it.

“Then outside of that you've got -- my mom is very competitive, psychotically competitive, worse than me, to be perfectly honest, so don't watch her on the sidelines. But, yeah, so you get a lot of that from a few people, and then there's been a lot, a lot of other people that have really helped along the way though. I mean, you're just asking for a couple, but I mean, it's a product of youth coaches and high school coaches and just friends' parents or just a random person that you've connected with throughout your life. All of those I take influence from and certainly helps build the culture.”

A Successful Pair

In all four years of Stirtz’s career, he and McCollum have advanced beyond the first round of the postseason tournament they found themselves in. McCollum was quick to point out it was four and not three as the question-poser incorrectly stated on Wednesday.

The pair made appearances in the second round and Sweet 16 in 2023 and 2024 at Northwest Missouri State and a second-round appearance last year at Drake before taking Iowa to the Sweet 16 this year.

Their myriad similarities but differing personalities make them a dynamic duo.

“You see him on the floor, and then you see him on the sideline, so polar opposites in personalities,” McCollum said. “Not polar opposites in values. He's super competitive. I'm super competitive. I feel like he works with a level of humility. I feel like he's a really tough kid. I feel like he serves others.

“He kind of exemplifies exactly what it means to be a Hawkeye. From a post-season perspective, he also understands the value of his teammates, and you can probably look no further than the last play of the game when he made that pass. He gets the best out of his teammates and has for the last four seasons.”

To Stirtz, McCollum’s unfaltering honesty and nonstop competitiveness is what helped him reach All-American honorable mention status in each of the previous two seasons.

“He never lies to anyone on this team, including me,” Stirtz said. “He shoots it straight. Even when it's tough and even when it's hard. He pushes you past your limit and that's where the trust comes in and he cares about you a lot and wants to make you a better person. He just pushes everyone on this team and honestly you can see the benefit from that and even in all the wins that he's had throughout his career, he doesn't get complacent. That's what we need to do and continue to do is even though we beat a No. 1 seed, we can't get complacent, we got to keep getting better every day and get ready for the game tomorrow.”

Ben McCollum’s Division II roots help pave way for success at Iowa

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