New Iowa head coach Ben McCollum arrived in Iowa City with the challenging task of rebuilding the men's basketball program.
With only two returning players (Cooper Koch, Jacob Koch), McCollum pieced together a roster with mostly transfers, including six transfers from Drake.
One of those transfers is former Missouri Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year Bennett Stirtz, and he has been nothing short of amazing this season.
Even though Stirtz has been a godsend for the program this year, he is no longer eligible. McCollum and the program will have a tough task replacing him, but McCollum could work some more magic by signing a lethal DII scorer who is set to hit the open market.
McCollum, Iowa must pursue Western Colorado's Aidan McDowell
McCollum has shown the ability to take Division II players and make them successful at the highest level, and he has the chance to do that once again with Western Colorado's Aidan McDowell.
Western Colorado guard Aidan McDowell, DII's leading scorer, plans to enter the @TransferPortal, his representatives at E1 Sports told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) March 2, 2026
The 6-4 sophomore out of Crete, Nebraska averaged 26.8 points per game this season.https://t.co/65es11B2hI pic.twitter.com/xFrEEZ90Gk
McDowell had a dynamic sophomore season for the Mountaineers after transferring from Division II Fort Hays State.
He led all of Division II in scoring with 26.8 points per game, including a career-high 37 points against Angelo State.
McDowell was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's (RMAC) player of the week five times last season.
According to On3 Sports' Joe Tipton, after Western Colorado's season finished with a 10-18 (8-12 RMAC) record, McDowell plans to enter the transfer portal.
McDowell's intention to enter the portal is great news for McCollum and his staff, who can swoop in and bring another lethal Division II scorer to Iowa City.
With Alvaro Folgueiras finally hitting his stride, freshman Tate Sage already getting valuable minutes, Trey Thompson ready for an expanded role, and talented freshman Ethan Harris joining via the 2026 recruiting class, McDowell would be a perfect fit for the program.
Everything is pure speculation right now, but if McCollum and the program want to make an under-the-radar signing, McDowell is a great candidate to replace Stirtz next season.