By no means has Iowa been a bad basketball program in recent memory but it was time for a new era in Iowa City and it certainly has arrived. The Hawkeyes have had several stars and notable performances in recent memory under Fran McCaffery, but the program now turns to the capable hands of Ben McCollum, a rising name in the coaching world who returns to his hometown to helm this Big Ten squad.
Last season, the Hawkeyes floundered to 12th place in the Big Ten, finishing the season just 17-16 with a defense that certainly left a lot to be desired. Meanwhile, McCollum’s first season coaching at the D1 level jumped off the page, taking nearby Drake to 30 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. McCollum’s transition will be something to watch but there’s plenty of reason for excitement.
There’s certainly a new look to the roster, with nearly everyone gone from last season and plenty of new pieces in town under McCollum. Iowa has to replace the scoring from Josh Dix, Owen Freeman, and Payton Sandfort among others while McCollum certainly wants this time to allow less than 79 points per game unlike last year. McCollum won several D2 titles at Northwest Missouri State and has proven that he is a winner, but does that continue at this level of college hoops?
We’ll dive into the potential for his first team, a roster built largely through the transfer portal in the recent months. McCollum grabbed several prominent figures from Drake and landed a few other names and we’ll go through all of the important pieces below. There’ll be a quick look at the schedule to come as well as beginning to figure out just what the ceiling or floor could be for the Hawkeyes in year one of this new era.
Projected Starters
Guard – Bennett Stirtz (Senior)
Considered one of the top players in the transfer portal, it’s no surprise to see Bennett Stirtz joining Hawkeyes. He’s played under McCollum his entire career, starring at Northwest Missouri State and Drake and now becomes the focal point for the Hawkeyes. He exploded onto the scene last season, averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, earning MVC Player of the Year honors while leading the Bulldogs to the second round of the Big Dance.
Guard – Brendan Hausen (Senior)
Hausen is a former Top 75 recruit out of Texas who underwhelmed as a reserve at Villanova before really finding his footing last year with Kansas State. Hausen put up 10.9 points per game while making 38% of his 3-pointers last season and now assumes an important role in Iowa’s new-look backcourt, with his shot-making ability a big positive for this team.
Guard/Forward – Tavion Banks (Senior)
Another player who’s been with McCollum at both Northwest Missouri State and Drake, Banks slides into a major role as a senior in the Big Ten. His year in the MVC was great, putting up 10.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game as the MVC Sixth Man of the Year. Banks should have even more chances to showcase his physicality and presence with the Hawkeyes and will be a valuable weapon all over the court.
Forward – Alvaro Folgueiras (Junior)
Another new transfer coming off brilliance at the mid-major level, Folgueiras comes to town after a pair of seasons at Robert Morris. He took a massive step forward as a sophomore, averaging 14.1 points and 9.1 rebounds, earning Horizon League Player of the Year honors as the league’s most efficient scorer while leading the Colonels to the NCAA Tournament. Folgueiras is a reliable shotmaker in the paint and an above average defender who becomes a massive addition to this frontcourt.
Forward – Cam Manyawu (Junior)
The work for Manyawu was impressive last season under McCollum after spending his freshman year at Wyoming. Sophomore season saw him average 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a full-time starter for the Bulldogs during that impressive campaign, all while making 58% of his field goal attempts. This 6-9 big out of Kansas City brings size and strength to the back end, with Iowa hoping they have their new defensive centerpiece under the rim.
Key Reserves
Forward – Cooper Koch (Freshman)
The notable returner for the Hawkeyes, Koch missed nearly all of last season with an internal injury but decided to say in Iowa City after the coaching change. The 6-8 forward was a Top 100 recruit last season, putting up 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in a reserve role before his injury. Now healthy, the Hawkeyes are looking forward to his contributions both as a shooter and interior presence.
Guard – Kael Combs (Junior)
Ironically enough, Combs is another player fresh off a season apiece at both Wyoming and Drake. He was a reserve with both schools, averaging just 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds last season, but follows McCollum to the Big Ten with hopes of carving out a role with the Hawkeyes. Combs is a reliable guard who’s still working on his outside shot but has potential as a facilitator and defender.
Forward – Trey Thompson (Freshman)
A 6-8 power forward originally from Greeneville, Tennessee, Thompson is a Top 100 recruit and the most prominent true freshman on this new-look roster. Thompson brings exactly what you want at the 4, with solid athleticism, decent size and strength, and the ability to cause havoc both around the rim and outside the arc.
Guard – Isaia Howard (Sophomore)
Howard enters his second collegiate campaign, as the 6-5 guard from Missouri was a valuable reserve with Drake last season. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds as a backup wing for the Bulldogs and can likely carve out a similar role on this Iowa squad. McCollum and company are hopeful he can take a step forward in year two, with his potential as a versatile scorer and athletic defender.
Forward – Joey Matteoni (Freshman)
Yet another player heading here from Drake and following McCollum, Matteoni has yet to see time on a college court, redshirting last season. The 6-9 forward out of Kansas projects initially as a depth piece with great rebounding and defensive potential in the long run.
Schedule Outlook
Iowa gets a relatively soft landing into the regular season, spending their first five games at their home court. The most notable of that bunch is November 14th against Xavier, but a 5-0 start is well within the realm of possibility. The Hawkeyes end November at the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, getting matchups against Ole Miss and then either Grand Canyon or Utah in what should be a much more significant challenge.
The first taste of Big Ten play kicks off December, as the Hawkeyes head to Michigan State for a tough test against the Spartans. After hosting Maryland, the rivalry matchup with Iowa State comes in Ames on December 11th and should be another early test for this new-look roster. After that it’s just three more easy games at home against mid-major foes, though their December 20th game with Bucknell will actually be in Des Moines.
The three teams that Iowa faces twice in league play are Maryland, Nebraska, and Purdue, so it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Those matchups with the Boilermakers will be very difficult, as the Hawkeyes also get Indiana, Oregon, and Wisconsin on the road. Fortunately, the Hawkeyes get to host Illinois, don’t have to travel to Los Angeles, and finish the regular season at Nebraska on March 8th.
Season Outlook
When you put everything together there are certainly reasons to be excited if you’re a fan of the Hawkeyes. McCollum’s reputation has been off the charts in recent years and his lone year at Drake certainly proved that he’s no fluke of a head coach. He’s brought significant talent from that 30-win Bulldogs squad and paired it nicely with a few other faces, but has he done enough to build a competitive Big Ten roster?
We have to start off by mentioning Stirtz because he will be the star of the Hawkeyes this upcoming season. It’s not just that he was the MVC’s best player or a highly-rated transfer, but he affects the game on multiple levels. He can shoot the cover off the ball, is a high-level facilitator and defender and takes command on the court. He’s also been with McCollum his entire career and they know what to expect from each other, even in this new challenge of the Big Ten.
Stirtz is far from the only player with prior experience in McCollum’s system. Banks was a major part of that success last season and should settle into a starting role after thriving as a sixth man. We didn’t go into a ton of detail about the depth, but McCollum knows the potential in players like Combs, Howard, and Matteoni and you can bet we’ll see them each make strides this upcoming season.
This isn’t just a repeat of Northwest Missouri State or Drake, as the staff grabbed significant talent from other places. Hausen’s numbers didn’t leap off the page but he was a reliable scorer for Kansas State and now gets a chance to be even greater with the Hawkeyes. We also can’t ignore the production Folgueiras had even if it was in the Horizon League, as he’s a strong-willed winner and fighter who upgrades this entire team.
Some questions might remain about the reliability at the 5 or how the freshmen will fare in this system, but Iowa looks to be trending in a great direction. Don’t expect them to be the conversation with some Big Ten teams like Michigan or Purdue, but this team could surprise people as the season goes along. After all, McCollum make a career out of winning games at the D2 level before surprising a ton of people with his Bulldogs last year.