After the spring transfer portal window closed, Iowa Head Coach Ben McCollum wanted to add more talent to the roster for next season.
McCollum and his staff rebuilt the Iowa roster from the transfer portal with six former Drake Bulldogs, including recent addition Joey Matteoni, Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris), and Brendan Hausen (Kansas State).
The Hawkeyes also added in-state product Trevin Jirak from West Des Moines Valley High School, and flipped Drake commit Tate Sage.
Iowa had also secured the commitment of FIU transfer Ashton Williamson, but on Friday, Williamson reversed course.
Williamson will no longer join the Iowa Men's Basketball program after initially committing to them on May 21. Williamson's decommittment is a blow to first-year Head Coach Ben McCollum, who already lost the commitment of 2026 three-star prospect Navon Shabazz.
Shabazz, a native of Davenport, Iowa, initially committed to former Head Coach Fran McCaffery and reaffirmed his commitment to Iowa before changing his mind. Shabazz was the only recruit in the 2026 class.
Before committing to FIU and entering the transfer portal, Ashton Williamson attended Calumet High School in Gary, Indiana, and played post-graduate basketball for Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
During his first season with FIU, Williamson averaged 7.3 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game in 33 appearances (16 starts).
Williamson struggled shooting during his first season in college basketball, shooting 39.4 percent from the field, 32.9 percent from three-point range, and 67.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Williamson had the talent to succeed in the Big Ten, but needed to take a jump in his second year of college basketball. The Hawkeyes lost another potential primary ball-handler, but still have Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz and Kael Combs to carry bulk of the ball-handling duties.