Iowa Men's Basketball is just under three weeks away from its first game of the 2025-2026 college basketball season against Robert Morris.
All the pieces are coming together, but the new-look Hawkeye squad has a lot of unknowns heading into this season.
The roster and coaching staff have been completely rebuilt after Ben McCollum took over as head coach.
McCollum built the roster with four prospects from the 2025 class, including Peyton McCollum (his son), Trevin Jirak, Tate Sage, and Trey Thompson.
He also added three transfers from the portal, including Brendan Hausen, Alvaro Folgueiras, and Joey Matteoni.
The final group is players he brought with him from his Drake squad last season, including the 2024 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, Bennett Stirtz.
Stirtz will be the best player on the team, has already been named a preseason All-Big Ten selection, and is a projected top prospect for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Stirtz knows the lights will be brighter in the Big Ten, be he is not shying away from them.
During a portion of his availability this week at media days (posted by "247Sports"), Stirtz acknowledged that more eyes are on him this season, and Iowa has a great and loyal fanbase.
He is excited for the crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but knows the team will have to bring their best every night in the Big Ten because every game is a big game.
Stirtz also expects the team to play faster this season because they have more depth and shooting available to them.
He took a playful jab at fellow Drake transfer Cam Manyawu, stating that he cannot shoot, but overall, he is excited that everyone on the team can spread the floor.
Stirtz is excited for the opportunity to play with the Hawkeye program, and stated he feels like he is dreaming.
More eyes and higher expectations are on the new-look Iowa squad this season in Ben McCollum's first year as head coach.