KenPom says Iowa is the scariest 9-seed in March Madness brackets

The Iowa Hawkeyes may be quite a bit under-seeded in the 2026 NCAA Tournament men's basketball bracket.

If you ask popular college hoops analytic website KenPom, Iowa is the 25th-best team in the country. If you look at the March Madness seedings, Iowa is a 9-seed (which would suggest between 33rd and 36th-best team).

What gives? Really, that's not the important part.

The important part is that in picking brackets, Iowa should stick out like a sore thumb.

The Hawkeyes take on 8-seed Clemson, which is ranked No. 36 by KenPom. That would suggest Iowa is actually a pretty solid favorite in that matchup.

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An Iowa win would line up with 1-seed Florida, KenPom's fourth-ranked team. Clearly, not an easy matchup. But if you were picking an upset from the 8/9 over a 1-seed in the second round, this might be it.

Iowa has a proof of concept, sort of. Their point guard is Bennett Stirtz, and the Hawkeyes have been heavily influenced by coaches and players who came aboard this season from last year's Drake darlings.

Stirtz is the straw who stirs the whole drink. He's a point guard who controls everything on the floor at all times.

There's no player type more equipped to dominate in March than a superstar point guard, and Iowa has one of those in Stirtz.

So keep an eye on the Hawkeyes. They don't often feel like a glamorous bracket pick. But this year's Iowa squad has a lot going for it that the seed line doesn't quite capture.

More March Madness news:

• Why Miami (Ohio) ended up in the First Four
• Michigan has a fascinating path in the Midwest Region
• We now know how Duke can get to the Final Four
• Using a 28-year streak to pick a bracket national champion