Ben McCollum Reveals Iowa's Transfer Portal Approach

After the first Elite Eight run since 1987, Ben McCollum and the Iowa Hawkeyes have a chance to reload talent during this month's transfer portal window.

The obvious transfer portal targets include a point guard capable of filling Bennett Stirtz's shoes and a center.

Stirtz led Iowa in scoring with 19.8 points per game in his first season of Big Ten basketball, and the Hawkeyes finished 354th in rebounding, with guard Tavion Banks leading the team at 4.6 boards per game.

It may seem like a luxury to only have two main objectives in transfer portal recruiting, compared to other programs that have to rapidly field a roster during that time, but there are many teams with similar needs to Iowa.

McCollum recognises the difficulty of landing the "perfect fit" and is instead focused on a player's character rather than play style.

"I don't know if we're going to get the perfect fit," McCollum said on 'Off The Bench with Sean Roberts and Lucas Strain' on April 7.

"I think from a personality perspective, we need to make sure we land that, meaning we need to get the right kids. If it's not perfect, then that's OK. We just have to make sure we get guys who can dribble, shoot and pass, and guys that are the right emotional fit. Guys that are winners."

McCollum Searching for Personality Fits

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum talks with forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) in the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

In a world where agents represent many student-athletes, McCollum said that he insists on speaking to the players first before contacting agents and the players' previous coaches.

So far, McCollum thinks he has identified a few players who can fit the Hawkeyes' personality.

"We think we have identified some, but you just never know," he said. "It's not a perfect world and you really don't know at the end of the day, until they are in your program for a consistent amount of time, how good they'll be."

McCollum's transfer portal approach may seem a bit unorthodox. Scouting for talent and fit is usually the more popular approach in the transfer portal, but McCollum warned that a transfer's film could be misleading.

"As you're watching that film, what you have to be careful of is sometimes that system fits them better, so their stats may be inflated," he said. "And sometimes, that system fits them worse."

The foundation is set. Time to build. 💪 pic.twitter.com/bBk2TTI3yb
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) April 7, 2026

One example McCollum cited was the national champions, the Michigan Wolverines. He mentioned how players like forward Morez Johnson Jr. and center Aday Mara both played at other Big Ten schools in 2024-25 — Illinois and UCLA, respectively — and each posted career highs in their first seasons with the Wolverines.

"Part of it was probably because they weren't system fits, then they went to Michigan and became system fits," McCollum said. "That's another thing in basketball that's a little bit unique, where productivity matters but it's not what it matters in football, just because there is a system component to it."

McCollum's system yielded a 24-13 record with three wins as the lower seed in the NCAA tournament last month. With several needs to be addressed, McCollum and his coaching staff have been at work since the portal's opening on April 7.

But because of the system component, the value of transfers can vary, which can make evaluating and recruiting during this period tricky.

"Those evaluations are more of what they are worth to you, and it's not always going to be perfect because it's a quick turnaround with this portal stuff," he said. "You have to make sure you get the right emotional fit, first and foremost and make sure that they can play for you, and then try to mix everybody together."