Next season for the Iowa Men's Basketball team is difficult to project. The program is in a transition period following 15-year Head Coach Fran McCaffery being fired in March.
Former Drake Bulldogs Head Coach Ben McCollum was hired shortly after, but was left with only one remaining player (Jacob Koch) before convincing Cooper Koch to return to the program.
After McCollum brought most of his coaching staff with him from Drake, he rounded out his staff with Iowa native Luke Ogden and recruiting ace Luke Barnwell.
While completing his staff, McCollum was active in the transfer portal, adding eight players from the portal, including five from his former Bulldogs' squad.
The program rounded out the roster with a solid 2025 recruiting class, including Trevin Jirak, Tate Sage, and Peyton McCollum.
One of the most significant additions McCollum made was convincing Trey Thompson, a four-star forward prospect, to commit to the program.
Not only did Thompson commit, but he reclassified from the 2026 to the 2025 recruiting class so he could join the squad this season.
The Hawkeyes now look poised to make a splash with a new roster and coaching staff, and a recent rankings list has them finishing as one of the top teams in the Big Ten.
Way too early Power 5 conference power rankings 🏀 pic.twitter.com/IMrUwZsDh4
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) July 31, 2025
In College Basketball Report's way-too-early projections for the Big Ten next season, they have Iowa finishing No. 6 in the Big Ten in their first season under McCollum.
If the projection holds true, it would be tied for the second-highest position the Hawkeyes finished during the McCaffery era, with the highest finish being No. 3 in 2021.
The projections love the Hawkeyes to have a solid season during McCollum's first year, and the players have reportedly bought into the new system and culture.
During an interview as a part of open media availability after a summer practice, Iowa forward Cam Manyawu stated that everyone has had a good offseason, and has bought into the culture they are trying to establish.
If the new-look Hawks can live up to the hype, the energy around the team and the program will continue to grow.