Ben McCollum is very calculated in everything he does, and that includes preseason scrimmages.
McCollum knows the scrimmages don't count officially, but he still tries to aggressively schedule opponents to test his team and make them uncomfortable. Whether it's bad matchups or different styles, McCollum and the program schedule tough scrimmages to get a solid early read on their squad. The program recently scheduled a closed scrimmage with Texas Tech, which finished 23-11 (12-6 Big 12), and was knocked out in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
After Iowa's first scrimmage, we have three key takeaways from Ben McCollum's comments.
It's still early, but he wasn't happy with the high amount of turnovers in the first game
McCollum admitted he scheduled Texas Tech because they are missing their center, forcing them to play a more guard-heavy lineup. The Hawkeyes have a bigger lineup, which created unique challenges. McCollum started by saying that in the first game, they passed the ball to the other team a lot, and not as much in the second game. McCollum laughed it off, but you could tell he was a little irked by his team's lack of ball security.
He also noted that they are still working out kinks in the offense, as they took too long to get into action, which contributed to some turnovers. McCollum noted that there wasn't a lot to focus on, aside from some of the little things they are working on heading into the season, but starting with his team's turnovers was very indicative of how he felt.
Iowa's depth and shooting are 'real'
McCollum and the coaching staff worked hard to add more depth and shooting to the roster after a quick turnaround last season. After replacing Fran McCaffery and his staff, they had to rebuild the roster from scratch, and it had clear holes. The squad still made a miraculous run to the Elite Eight last season and added more talent this year.
One thing McCollum focused on was their depth and shooting, saying that both are very real. He didn't single anyone out or specify those comments, but it is a good sign that Iowa improved in both areas. Iowa struggled last season when they started slowly on offense, but with more shooters on the roster, that could solve many of those issues. Last season, the squad usually had only two shooters on the floor, Bennett Stirtz and Cooper Koch, and this season, they could easily have four or five on the floor at once.
The scrimmage helped the guys 'a lot'
McCollum said they played everyone on the roster, giving them a chance to evaluate everyone. You don't get many chances like that in the regular season, and it gave the coaching staff a good opportunity to gauge where they are. He didn't go into specifics, but McCollum doesn't hand out empty compliments. He was adamant that the scrimmage helped everyone and that they played multiple players in different positions.
McCollum has always been a big proponent of positionless basketball, putting players in the best positions to be the most effective. They had the luxury of relying heavily on Bennett Stirtz to run the offense last season, and it will be interesting to see how the offense runs without him. Having multiple players who can trigger the offense in different ways is a big plus for the squad, and the program could be more well-rounded this season.
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