Ben McCollum Addresses Iowa's Biggest Transfer Portal Need

One of the best things about college sports is watching teams put together their rosters on a yearly basis.

Recruiting still matters, and the Iowa Hawkeyes will bring in Class of 2026 forward Ethan Harris next season.

The 6-foot-9 four-star recruit is certainly a great addition, but first-year head coach Ben McCollum knows he won't be enough.

In the age of the transfer portal, Iowa now has access to more players than ever before. When speaking with Eliot Clough, McCollum touched on what this team needs and it's a position he's clearly prioritizing with the window opening on April 7.

Ben McCollum on Iowa's Biggest Weakness

Ben McCollum shared last night after Iowa’s Elite Eight loss that he and the staff will be actively seeking a center in the transfer portal:

“We need some size. … We just don’t have a true five.” pic.twitter.com/sP95F3P1Hn
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) March 29, 2026

"We need some size. It just was hard," McCollum said after the loss to Illinois. "We just don't have a true five." The Fighting Illini certainly had a height advantage and they may have gotten off to a slow start but by the final whistle, they outscored Iowa in the paint, 40-12."

Illinois grabbed 17 more rebounds than Iowa, which is another glaring issue, as the Hawkeyes only had 21 rebounds themselves. Second-chance issues were a-plenty for Illinois as they grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, exactly double the number of Iowa's offensive boards.

Size, especially in the Big Ten, can make or break a team. Iowa was still able to get to this point with their tallest player being Alvaro Folgueiras at 6-foot-10, but that's a bench player who was only in the game for nine minutes. Sure, Cam Manyawu is 6-foot-9, but Illinois was still far too much to handle, and that's something McCollum mentioned after the game.

Iowa Eyes a Center in the Transfer Portal

Iowa C Trevin Jira — Mar 19, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes center Trevin Jirak (27) shoots the ball during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Sure, the Hawkeyes have 6-foot-11 freshman center Trevin Jirak, but the Iowa native averaged just eight minutes per game in his freshman campaign. He appeared in 17 games and was just 3-for-18 from 3-point range. It's not like Iowa needs their "five" to drill threes left and right, but in this style of offense, it would certainly help.

Iowa doesn't exactly have one particular player in mind, they just know adding a center is step one of this rebuild. The Hawkeyes are only losing three seniors, all of whom are guards, but that doesn't mean guard should be the only focus.

For McCollum to call out Iowa's lack of size, something that has been apparent all year long, it shows just how focused he is on fixing the issue. In the coming week, the Hawkeyes are expected to be quite active in the portal, and bringing in a seven-footer is at the top of their list.

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