Ben McCollum's Iowa Rebuild Beginning To Take Shape

With over 12,000 fans in attendance, it's clear Iowa Hawkeyes fans are noticing what Ben McCollum has done to the program.

Iowa is in great hands with first-year head coach McCollum and second-year head coach Jan Jensen on the women's side of things.

In just 12 games, McCollum was able to get this program into the Top 25. That's a place they haven't been in years, and all it took was a few great performances against the likes of Xavier and Ole Miss to get Iowa recognized.

Sure, they have two losses on the year, but their 74-61 win over UCLA proved they are here to stay. White-Out night delivered a stellar environment for this men's program, one they haven't seen in quite some time. Moving forward, McCollum knows fans are going to continue to buy in and this is a rebuild that will go far beyond just his first season.

McCollum Pleased With Attendance vs. UCLA

Ben McCollum started today’s presser by acknowledging the fans. Said they probably gave Iowa an extra 10 points.

“We’ll keep fighting for them, and we’ll keep trying to prove it. We hope they continue to come out and help us win, because, really, they were the difference.” pic.twitter.com/05Pq2WmMdC
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) January 4, 2026

Numerous media members in attendance were saying how packed the game was and how the environment was the best in recent memory. Knowing the Michigan State and Iowa State games were both on the road, Iowa hasn't really had a chance to host a quality opponent this season.

UCLA was their first, and they had sold over 11,000 tickets a day prior to the game. Once it was game time, Carver showed up for a fan-favorite theme night and helped propel the Hawkeyes to victory.

Jan 3, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (6) shoots the ball as UCLA Bruins forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) defends during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

"We’ll keep fighting for them, and we’ll keep trying to prove it. We hope they continue to come out and help us win, because, really, they were the difference," McCollum said in his post-game interview. He's been sending messages to the fanbase left and right, and it seems like he's only needed a couple months to make a difference.

Iowa's Rebuild Continues

The crowd immediately after Tavion Banks’ dunk until the end of the game.

Man, were the fans terrific tonight. Great atmosphere all night long. pic.twitter.com/pkgHEVHY9q
— Brad Schultz (@BradMSchultz) January 4, 2026

In exactly one week, the Hawkeyes will host No. 20 Illinois for their biggest home game of the year. No one is asking for a sellout, but this is a huge ranked game for Iowa that will air nationwide on FOX.

Tipoff time has yet to be revealed, but first, this team will head to Minnesota for another B1G battle on Jan. 6. McCollum's squad is currently 12-2 (2-1) and will be playing a Golden Gophers team that is 9-5 (2-1) and has won four straight. They can't focus on Illinois until they get past a tough road test, but from there, one can only imagine what the environment will be like at Carver for McCollum's first-ranked battle in Iowa City.

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