It isn't a real game until Ben McCollum rocks his classic yellow tie, but we learned a lot from Iowa's first exhibition game of the season.
The Hawkeyes welcomed Illinois Springfield to Xtream Arena in Coralville and won by 24 points in front of 5,000 fans. It was a good first look at what Iowa could be this season, and while everything is still a work in progress, there were some encouraging signs. Iowa's offense looked good, and the defense stifled UIS, but Ben McCollum wasn't satisfied.
McCollum believes the squad 'didn't play well' in the win over UIS
Although it was an exhibition and doesn't count toward Iowa's official record or stats, it was great to see the squad back on the floor for the first time since last season's Elite Eight. Iowa not only brought the floor from that game to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but also returned most of last season's roster. With Bennett Stirtz now in the NBA, the squad will look different on both ends of the floor. Without a "star player," the squad should be more well-rounded, and it showed it against the Prairie Stars. We saw all 14 players against UIS, including the four newcomers, and although Iowa won by 24, McCollum wasn't happy.
Here is what Ben McCollum said on the Hawkeye Radio Network about how his team played in the 88-64 exhibition win over Illinois Springfield.
— Sean Bock (@SBock247) October 28, 2026
"To start, I thought we had some game slippage, meaning, the guys looked like they saw a ghost, initially, and like 'woah, this isn't the…
McCollum is a perfectionist and always wants his team to achieve their goals, and he doesn't believe they did that against UIS. He stated that he felt there was some "slippage" from Iowa's previous scrimmage to the exhibition. McCollum also said that he didn't think they played well at all, aside from a handful of guys. He also said they didn't execute or shoot as well as they did in scrimmages, and they are still tinkering with lineups to figure out what works. They haven't found the right combination of players who work well together, so they "just aren't there yet."
It is interesting that McCollum said they didn't shoot well, given that they finished shooting 53 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc. If they shot better in scrimmages, that is truly amazing. It clearly shows McCollum does not want his team to get comfortable beating teams they should beat, and he wants them to keep striving for perfection. He partially blamed the "struggles" on the coaching staff mixing and matching lineups and UIS playing a unique defense, but he clearly wasn't happy with the performance.
McCollum focused more on the lineups and execution rather than the box score, and he believes they fell short. He admitted he "sucks" at exhibitions because he constantly messes with lineups, disrupting flow and timing, but he is still holding the squad accountable. He is an extremely tough coach who gets the most out of his players, and whether it's an exhibition or the middle of the season, he won't let his team skate by. He was especially critical of Manyawu and wants him to step up and lead. He knows he's capable, but he hasn't done it yet.
It is only the first game of the season, but McCollum is already showing his high expectations.
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