It feels like years ago that long-time Head Coach Fran McCaffery was fired and replaced by former Drake Head Coach Ben McCollum. McCollum immediately rebuilt the roster by dipping into the transfer portal.
Two months later, the Iowa Men's Basketball roster has 13 players. Eight players were added from the transfer portal, three were added through the 2025 recruiting class, and two players were held over from the McCaffery era.
After the spring transfer portal window closed, On3 Sports ranked the Iowa transfer class as No. 6 in the Big Ten and No. 15 nationally. At the beginning og June, the Hawkeyes dipped slightly, ranking No. 7 in the Big Ten and No. 19 nationally.
A trio of Hawkeyes in the transfer class received recognition from a recent rankings list. In ESPN's men's college basketball transfer rankings for the 2025-2026 season, three Iowa additions rank in the top 100, including 2024 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year, Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz was the highest-ranked Hawkeye addition on this list, ranking No. 2 overall.
After McCollum left Drake for Iowa, Stirtz followed him. Hawkeye fans rejoiced after it was announced that Stirtz was leaving Drake for Iowa. He had a stellar 2024-2025 season for Drake and gives the Hawkeyes a star player to build around for next season.
During his first and only season in Des Moines, Stirtz was named the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Year after averaging 19.1 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game.
He was also named the MVC Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game.
ESPN's analysis of Stirtz is that he will fit seamlessly into Iowa's rotation, having already played under McCollum for several years. He will play against better athletes in the Big Ten, but McCollum's offense will allow him to thrive.
Stirtz is a slam-dunk transfer for Iowa Men's Basketball in the first season under Ben McCollum.