Ever since taking over the head coaching job with Iowa men's basketball, Ben McCollum has been aggressively pursuing top talent on the recruiting trail.
The program added Ethan Harris, Washington's No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting class, and 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball Jaidyn Coon during the offseason, and haven't stopped their pursuit of top future talent. McCollum and the program are still very much in the mix for top 2027 guard prospects Cayden Daughtry and Jalen Davis, and have recently gotten more great news as two top-50 2028 prospects have locked in visits to campus.
2028 No. 6 overall prospect Bentley Lusakueno locked in an official visit
With college football ramping up and the calendar flipping to September, McCollum hasn't changed his recruiting strategy. He knows the type of guys he wants and gets involved in recruiting as early as possible. That remains true for the 2028 recruiting class, as a top-10 overall prospect has locked in an official visit to the program.
Visit News: Bentley Lusakueno, the No. 6 overall prospect in the class of 2028, has scheduled official visits to Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Illinois and Iowa, source tells @247Sports
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) September 2, 2026
Story: https://t.co/oN1Cc7Nknu pic.twitter.com/s1hLDVfDB5
According to 247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London, Bentley Lusakueno, the No. 6 overall player in the 2028 recruiting class, has scheduled an official visit with the Iowa program on September 25. 247Sports currently ranks Lusakueno as a five-star prospect, Florida's No. 3 overall prospect, the No. 3 power forward prospect, and the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2028 recruiting class. Lusakueno is an extremely skilled big who can get to the rim at ease and can run the floor extremely well.
He would fit McCollum's offensive scheme well with his three-point shooting ability (41.3 percent last season) and his ability to get to the basket. Lusakueno is also a versatile defender who is able to guard multiple positions, and a capable rebounder. He is definitely a solid all-around player, and would be a massive addition to Iowa's squad.
2028 No. 34 overall prospect Cole Kelly locked in an unofficial visit with the Iowa program
Iowa has recently been heavily connected to athletic small forward prospect Cole Kelly, and now the program has received word that Kelly has scheduled an unofficial visit.
Source: Cole Kelly, the No. 34 overall prospect in the class of 2028, has scheduled unofficial visits to Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska, Indiana and Wisconsin.
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) September 3, 2026
Story. https://t.co/6DmdOsOOUE pic.twitter.com/qgtNLwpL13
Kelly, a Naperville, Illinois native, has locked in five unofficial visits with Big Ten programs this fall, proving he is a hot commodity in the 2028 recruiting class. 247Sports currently ranks Kelly as a four-star prospect, Illinois' No. 2 overall prospect, the No. 10 small forward prospect, and the No. 34 overall prospect in the 2028 recruiting class. Kelly has the size (six-foot-six, 215 pounds) and versatility that McCollum covets, as showcased by Iowa's current roster. The Hawkeyes have Tate Sage, Ethan Harris, Trey Thompson, and Jaidyn Coon all six-foot-six or taller, with a lot of versatility.
Kelly is very similar to those players, with his ability to get to the basket with ease and finish strongly at the rim, and he can also shoot the lights out when left open on the perimeter. Kelly is a prime example of the type of player McCollum wants, and even though the squad already has multiple similar players, he wants more. Kelly has the chance to be an impact player from day one, and McCollum is hoping to add him to an empty 2028 recruiting class.
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