Bryston Williams pinpointed an intriguing player to keep our eyes on this season

As we approach the men's college basketball season, one thing is certain: Iowa has a plethora of talented wings.

Ben McCollum made his recruiting strategy clear last season, saying versatile six-foot-seven to six-foot-ten players will do very well with the program. He has stuck to that philosophy, recruiting players like Ethan Harris, Trey Thompson, and Jaidyn Coon to add to an already loaded forward group. With Tate Sage and Cooper Koch expected to play even bigger roles this season, McCollum has multiple versatile wings at his disposal. Iowa isn't lacking perimeter talent, but assistant coach Bryston Williams pointed to someone we haven't talked about enough who will get a chance to shine this season.

Bryston Williams had nothing but praise for third-year forward Joey Matteoni

Williams was in Ben McCollum's first recruiting class at Northwest Missouri State as a player in 2009 and has spent much time with him as an assistant coach. After serving as an assistant coach in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies (2016-2018) and the Detroit Pistons (2018-2021), Williams returned to the college ranks. He has an eye for talent and has been a big part of McCollum's recruiting since joining his Drake staff in 2024-2025. Iowa has a lot of talent on the roster, but Williams identified someone we haven't talked about much: Joey Matteoni.

Williams had nothing but praise for Matteoni, calling him a "very high IQ kid" who does a lot of good things on both ends of the court. Williams praised Matteoni's ability to guard the pick-and-roll, and he is also adept at keeping the offense flowing. Star guard Bennett Stirtz often had the ball in his hands last season, and without him, Williams stressed that Matteoni is elite at keeping the offense flowing while also maintaining its advantages. He said Matteoni is elite at "knowing his role," and he will get more opportunities this year.

Matteoni showed flashes of what he is capable of last season, but played sparingly in his first full season. He played in only 11 games last season, averaging 1.5 points in 3.5 minutes per game. Matteoni was a First-Team All-State selection his senior year after averaging 19.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and McCollum saw enough to offer him while he was at Drake. Matteoni followed McCollum to Iowa City and now has a chance to make an impact in his third collegiate season.

Interestingly, Williams singled out Matteoni as a player to watch because clearly no one had him on their radar heading into the 2026-2027 season. Williams described the exact characteristics McCollum and the coaching staff actively look for and recruit, and very few people outside of the program knew Matteoni possessed them. Williams' high praise for Matteoni didn't come out of nowhere; Matteoni has clearly been impressive during the offseason. With Alvaro Folgueiras (transfer to Louisville) and Brendan Hausen (graduation), space has opened up for players to step into expanded roles, and Matteoni appears to be someone who could earn one.

Iowa has a crowded forward rotation and not enough minutes to go around, but Williams is very high on Matteoni. It is never bad to have too many talented wings, especially in the Big Ten, and McCollum always finds ways to get the most out of his roster. Jaidyn Coon, Ethan Harris, Trey Thompson, and Matteoni will compete for minutes with Cooper Koch and Tate Sage likely starting this season, and it will be very interesting to see how the rotation shapes up when the Big Ten Conference schedule starts on December 1 at Purdue.

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