After a subpar 2024-2025 season, the Iowa Men's Basketball program underwent massive changes. The Hawkeyes finished with a 17-16 (7-13 Big Ten) record and were bounced from the Big Ten Tournament in the second round.
Following an early exit in the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and promptly fired long-time Head Coach Fran McCaffery.
Following McCaffery's exit, 13 players entered the transfer portal, and three 2025 recruits decommitted from the program. After the mass exodus from Iowa City, the program had one scholarship player, Jacob Koch.
The program's future was bleak until Athletic Director Beth Goetz hired a home run to replace McCaffery: Drake Men's Basketball Head Coach and Iowa native Ben McCollum.
McCollum immediately used the transfer portal to rebuild the depleted roster. Six of the transfers were pulled from Drake, but another transfer is receiving recognition.
In ESPN's men's college basketball transfer rankings for the 2025-2026 season, Iowa addition Alvaro Folgueiras cracked the top 100.
ESPN ranked Folgueiras as the No. 54 best transfer in the 2025 class. He was ranked highly due to his shooting and passing ability, and how perfectly he would fit into McCollum's system.
After Folgueiras entered the transfer portal from Robert Morris, McCollum and his staff aggressively pursued him. He did not commit to the Hawkeyes right away, but the Hawkeyes were lucky to add him from the portal.
Standing at six feet nine, Folgueiras is a sharpshooting big who also excels at finding open teammates with his passing ability. He was named the 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year after averaging 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game for the Colonials.
He shot an impressive 54.8 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Folgueiras is a perfect fit for McCollum's system because he can stretch the floor and find open teammates with his passing skills. This gives point guard Bennett Stirtz the freedom to create, or drive to the basket and kick the ball out to open shooters.