Inside The Hawkeyes

Iowa's Ben McCollum Issues Blunt Response to Freshman's Confidence

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum didn't hold back in this response.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Jan 11, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) goes to the basket against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes forward Cooper Koch (8) goes to the basket against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Coming off another loss, the Iowa Hawkeyes sit at 12-4 (2-3) and may be going through a bit of an identity crisis.

Iowa knew they weren't able to compete with either Michigan State or Iowa State, but there was no reason for them to lose to both Minnesota and Illinois.

Now under .500 in B1G play, the Hawkeyes know they'll be unranked and have a ton of work to do. With No. 5 Purdue on the horizon, on the road no less, they need to figure things out quickly.

One of the post-game media questions directed at first year head coach Ben McCollum revolved around freshman forward Cooper Koch's confidence. Safe to say, McCollum didn't hold back.

McCollum's Blunt Response To Koch

The question McCollum was forced to answer revolved around telling Koch what he did wrong but not killing his confidence mid-game. When McCollum answered, it's clear exactly where his opinion lies on the matter.

"I don't really care about that. If he's got confidence issues he shouldn't be playing in the Big Ten," McCollum said as he laughed it off.

He continued, "I mean freshman you do a little bit, he's a redshirt freshman, but he went under a hand off on Wagler and it's just, you can't do that. You just can't. Like, we're getting stops and can't go under that."

Cooper Koch's Involvement

For the fifth time this season, Koch scored double digits. Ultimately, his 10 point performance was all for nothing as the starter shot just 4-12 from the field for one of his worst percentages of the season.

Koch shot just 1-8 in their win against UCLA, but the team was able to bail him out in that one. If the redshirt freshman wants to compete in the B1G, he not only needs to work on his defense, but his shot selection as well.

Of the 12 shots he attempted, eight were from three point range. Six of Koch's 10 points came from three balls as he added four rebounds and an assist. Koch isn't necessarily a rebound machine, though he did pick up his first career double double against Ole Miss on November 25.

Whether you love him or hate him, McCollum isn't going to hold back. He put the 6'8'' 220-pound freshman in his place after a poor defensive performance, and it's not like this is how he treats Koch exclusively. McCollum is going to tell you how it is, and that's something these Hawkeyes need to hear as a wake-up call is extremely necessary after their last two games.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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