The Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Days signal that the start of the college basketball season is right around the corner.
For Iowa Men's Basketball, it is a transition period with new Head Coach Ben McCollum taking over for long-time Head Coach Fran McCaffery.
McCollum is attempting to reinvigorate a dormant Hawkeye fan base and prepare the new-look Hawkeye squad for next season.
During Big Ten Media Days in Chicago, McCollum addressed the status of the program and his efforts in the community to drum up support for it.
During his nearly 30-minute interview during Media Days (posted by "247Sports"), McCollum was asked multiple different questions, but three topics stood out from the rest.
McCollum wants the fans along for the ride
Ever since he walked onto campus, McCollum has been active in the community to bring more support to the program.
He has been adamant that he wants the community and Hawkeye fans to be involved in the program, not just when they succeed.
He wants everyone to be a part of the building process, and has been active in the community to show he is in it with them.
McCollum stated that he knows Hawkeye fans are passionate and want to look you in the eye and shake your hand in public, and he has not shied away from that.
He also stated that he has seen a lot of excitement so far, and wants the fans to be with them.
How he recruits is a big key to success
Anyone can recruit a talented player, but McCollum wants to recruit good kids first and the basketball aspect will fall into place.
McCollum stated that he always tells potential prospects in recruiting that building a good relationship with the staff is important, but what your actions say is even more critical.
McCollum brought six players with him from previous stops, demonstrating a good relationship between his coaches and players.
High-character players are important because they want other players to succeed, and that has been demonstrated by new Hawkeye Trey Thompson.
Thompson was initially part of the 2026 recruiting class, but reclassified to the 2025 class so he could join the Hawkeyes this season.
McCollum had nothing but praise for Thompson's character, stating that not only is he a good basketball player, but also a great representative for the program.
McCollum also stated that he's a kid that can be your leader into the future of the University of Iowa Men's Basketball.
The challenges of the transfer portal
At each of his previous coaching stops, McCollum was able to recruit the players he wanted without heavy interference from the transfer portal.
In the new era of college basketball where thousands of players tran sfer to new programs every year, McCollum noted that it has been a challenge to keep up.
He wants to stay ahead of the portal, especially now that it has been limited to one week, but the value he places on transfers is different from how others value them.
He noted that the value they have to the program is different than the value they have on the open market, and he only attempts to sign guys that fit his system.
McCollum noted that if you are a point guard, you probably want to come to the University of Iowa because they place a high value on that position.
He also stated that they place a high value on six-foot-eight to six-foot-ten players who can dribble, pass, and shoot.
Apart from getting the fans to run through a brick wall for him, McCollum and his staff are trying to prepare the new-look Hawkeyes squad for success in the Big Ten, starting with giving consistent effort night in and night out.