Last time Iowa made Sweet 16: Revisiting 1999 March Madness run led by Dean Oliver

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Of all of Iowa's teams in the 21st century, it would be hard to argue the 2025-26 edition is the most talented, or even close. The Hawkeyes previously entered the NCAA Tournament with a higher seed than No. 9 seven times since 2000, producing college stars such as Luke Garza and Keegan Murray along the way.

Yet, this is the Iowa team that broke the program's long drought without a second weekend appearance. In year one, coach Ben McCollum has taken the Hawkeyes to the Sweet 16 with hopes of turning a feel-good story into a miraculous run.

Late in the regular season, Iowa didn't look much like a team that had a serious chance to win multiple March Madness games. The Hawkeyes lost six of their last eight games before the Big Ten Tournament, including losses to conference bottom-feeders Penn State and Maryland. Once the spotlight became brighter, a switch was flipped — a total reversal from years in which Iowa faded in March.

Here's a look back at Iowa's last Sweet 16 appearance before 2026 and which players led that team.

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Last time Iowa made Sweet 16​

Before upsetting Florida to reach the Sweet 16, Iowa's last appearance came all the way back in 1999 — ironically the same year St. John's made its last trip to the Sweet 16 before 2026.

The Hawkeyes have had numerous quality teams since 1999, including No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 seeds, but all failed to win multiple games in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa missed the NCAA Tournament in 1998, but 1998-99 marked the program's fifth consecutive 20-win season and resulted in a No. 5 seed for the Hawkeyes. After handling business with a comfortable win against UAB in the first round, Iowa took down favored No. 4 Arkansas with an 82-72 win in the second round to punch a ticket to the Sweet 16.

A trip to the Elite Eight wasn't in the cards, as Iowa fell 78-68 to No. 1 UConn in the Sweet 16. The Hawkeyes hung around against the eventual national champions, going to halftime down by only five, but the Huskies remained steady down the stretch and won comfortably. UConn only lost two games the entire season, so Iowa ran into a buzzsaw.

While Bennett Stirtz is the clear centerpiece of the current Iowa team, the Hawkeyes weren't defined by one player in 1999. No one even averaged 12 points per game, with seven healthy players averaging between 6-12 points. At 11.9 points per game, Dean Oliver led Iowa in points, assists and steals, emerging as the floor general and front face of the tournament run.

MORE:What to know about Iowa second-round hero Alvaro Folgueiras

1999 Iowa basketball roster​

Here's a look at every player who played at least 10 games for Iowa during the 1998-99 season:

Player	PPG	Year
Dean Oliver	11.9	So.
J.R. Koch	10.4	Sr.
Jess Settles	9.8	Sr.
Kent McCausland	8.6	Sr.
Joey Range	7.8	Fr.
Guy Rucker	6.8	Jr.
Ryan Luehrsmann	5.8	Jr.
Jason Bauer	2.6	Sr.
Duez Henderson	1.1	Fr.
Jason Price	1.1	Jr.

Who coached Iowa in 1999?​

Iowa was coached by Tom Davis, who was in his 11th and final season with the Hawkeyes when he reached the Sweet 16. The program announced after the 1997-98 season that Davis' contract would not be renewed when it expired in 1999, and a run to the Sweet 16 did not change his lame-duck status.

Davis left the program after the tournament, and his only other coaching stop came at Drake from 2003-07. Steve Alford stepped into his shoes as Iowa's head coach for the 1999-00 season, spending eight seasons with the Hawkeyes.

MORE:Coaches Todd Golden, Ben McCollum get into heated exchange

Iowa 1999 March Madness run​

First round: No. 5 Iowa 77, No. 12 UAB 64​

Iowa took care of business against No. 12 UAB in the first round, getting 17 points and nine rebounds out of Jess Settles while Dean Oliver scored 15 points in 19 minutes. Iowa shot better than 49 percent from the field in the win, which secured a date with Arkansas in the second round.

Second round: No. 5 Iowa 82, No. 4 Arkansas 72​

Iowa's offense lagged behind in the first half with only 34 points, but the Hawkeyes came to life in the second half and outscored Arkansas 48-34 to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16. Kent McCausland and Oliver each scored 17 points, overcoming a 2-of-12 day from Settles, while Arkansas shot under 40 percent from the field.

Sweet 16: No. 1 UConn 78, No. 5 Iowa 68​

The Hawkeyes entered the Sweet 16 as a double-digit underdog against No. 1 UConn, which had only two losses on the season. Iowa saved face by holding its own against the mighty Huskies, trailing by only five at halftime, but it wasn't enough for a win. Oliver struggled, shooting 2-of-10 in the loss, Richard Hamilton and Khalid El-Amin combined for 45 points as UConn advanced. UConn would go on to win the national championship over Duke.

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