The question that has been the elephant in the room since Iowa was bounced from the NCAA Tournament: Who will replace star guard Bennett Stirtz?
It will be no small task for the program to replace a player like Stirtz not only on the court, but also as a person and a leader.
He did so much for the program in his first and only season in Iowa City that he will be hard to replace, but it is something that has to be addressed before next season.
The Hawkeyes have guards Kael Combs and Isaia Howard returning next season, but to this point in their careers, they are role players, and the McCollum needs to find a high-level scorer and passer to run the offense. One way to accomplish that goal: the transfer portal.
Iowa desperately needs a replacement for Bennett Stirtz
Combs and Howard are serviceable options, and they can temporarily fill the void with how deep the squad is at other positions, but McCollum's system needs a high-level point guard to thrive, something Iowa currently does not have.
With the portal window officially opening on April 7, there will be no shortage of options for McCollum to choose from; it all depends on how many NIL resources the program has and is willing to allocate to bring in one of the top options.
The market for a starting-caliber point guard has the potential to be one of the most expensive this transfer portal cycle, and it remains to be seen whether Iowa is willing to spend the big bucks to pull in a top transfer.
McCollum has shown the ability to get the most out of whoever suits up for him, but in Division I, you have to have good guard play to make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.
If Iowa wants to repeat its success from last season, McCollum must find a high-level scorer to fill the massive void left by Bennett Stirtz.