Under new Head Coach Ben McCollum, the Iowa Men's Basketball program continues to add talent from the transfer portal. Much of that talent has come from former Drake Bulldogs.
Before replacing former Head Coach Fran McCaffery at Iowa, McCollum spent one season at Drake, guiding the team to a 31-4 record. That includes a Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season title, conference tournament title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
McCollum, a native of Storm Lake, Iowa, was called to replace McCaffery after one season at Drake and could not pass up the opportunity.
After most of the Iowa roster left the program following the coaching change, McCollum was charged with rebuilding the roster.
He added five former Drake players from the transfer portal, including Bennett Stirtz, the MVC Player and Newcomer of the Year, and Tavion Banks, the MVC Sixth-Man of the Year.
On May 27, McCollum pilfered Drake again, adding another former Bulldog to the 2025-2026 Iowa roster.
Joey Matteoni was McCollum's first high school recruit at Drake after initially committing to him at Northwest Missouri State. Matteoni redshirted his first year at Drake and has four years of remaining eligibility.
Matteoni is a six-foot-nine, 215-pound forward prospect from Overland Park, Kansas. He was unranked coming out of Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park in the 2024 recruiting class.
Before committing to McCollum at Northwest Missouri State and following him to Drake and Iowa, Matteoni was a star for Blue Valley Northwest.
He is a two-time First Team All-Eastern Kansas League selection and earned the league's Most Valuable Player award during his senior season.
During his senior season, Matteoni averaged 19.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, including a 28-point, 20-rebound game. He also shot 64 percent from the floor.
Matteoni gives the Hawkeyes more front-court depth and will be a great addition to the Hawkeyes' roster.