Since inheriting a depleted roster from the former regime, new Iowa Head Coach Ben McCollum and his staff have diligently worked to replenish their player pool.
McCollum built the current roster with five former Drake Bulldogs, including the Missouri Valley Player of the Year, Bennett Stirtz.
Iowa also added the 2025 Iowa Mr. Basketball winner, Trevin Jirak, and transfers Alvaro Folgueiras (Robert Morris) and Brendan Hausen (Kansas State).
Outside of the current roster and the three members of the 2025 recruiting class, the future of the program was in limbo.
The Hawkeyes secured a big recruiting win when sharpshooting, four-star prospect Trey Thompson committed to the program in the 2026 recruiting class.
Shortly after announcing he committed to the Hawkeye program, Thompson announced he was reclassifying to the 2025 class, stripping Iowa of their only 2026 recruit.
Over the summer, McCollum and his staff offered multiple prospects in the 2026 recruiting class, and over the weekend, they inked their first 2026 prospect.
Committed #iowahawkeyes @TheIowaHawkeyes pic.twitter.com/1PjDIUtYXV
— Ethan Harris (@EthanHarris35) September 13, 2025
McCollum and their staff made another crucial signing after 2026 prospect Ethan Harris announced he is committing to the Iowa program.
Harris is considered Washington's No.1 prospect and chose the Hawkeyes over Boise State, Gonzaga, and Washington.
Harris made an official visit to Iowa City over the summer and was drawn to the program due to the culture that McCollum is trying to build.
Harris also noted that McCollum wants him to play a stretch-forward role for the program, which perfectly fits his skill set.
During his junior season at Camas High School, Harris averaged 18.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
Harris became the first prospect in Iowa's 2026 recruiting class and gives the program a versatile forward who can shoot from the perimeter and grab rebounds at a high rate.