The Iowa Men's Basketball squad is an anomaly heading into the upcoming college basketball season.
Most of the players on the new-look Iowa squad played together at Drake under Head Coach Ben McCollum and followed him when he was named as the next Iowa head coach.
McCollum convinced five of his former Drake players to join him at Iowa, including the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz and Sixth Man of the Year Tavion Banks.
The five players McCollum brought with him are veterans who helped guide Drake to a 31-4 finish and an NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
McCollum hopes he can lean on them to establish his new culture in Iowa City and set a standard for current and future success.
New Iowa forward Cam Manyawu discussed the new-look Iowa squad during open media interviews following a summer practice. He stated that everyone has had a good summer and has bought into the new system.
How successful the Iowa squad will be this season is unknown, but what is not unknown is how good of a coach McCollum is.
He has been successful at every stop he has made so far, rebuilding programs with his system and culture and guiding them to success. Ahead of his first season in Iowa City, McCollum has been ranked as one of the top 50 coaches in college basketball.
The top 50 head coaches in men’s college basketball heading into next season 👀 pic.twitter.com/byv1wDyrQL
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) August 13, 2025
"College Basketball Report" ranked McCollum as the No. 34 overall coach in college basketball heading into next season.
At No. 34, McCollum one of 11 Big Ten coaches on the list, and is ranked as the No. 7 overall coach in the Big Ten.
CBK Report has been high on the Hawkeyes all offseason, projecting them to finish in the top ten of the Big Ten next season and ranking McCollum as one of the top 50 coaches in college basketball.
McCollum's high ranking adds another layer of expectations for the Hawkeyes before he coaches his first game in Iowa City.