Iowa MBB Projected Starting Lineup, Rotation for NCAA Tournament

First year head coach Ben McCollum has been stuck on his ways with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

That's certainly not a bad thing as it got them to the NCAA Tournament, but don't expect any adjustments now when it comes to the team's starting lineup.

Of the 33 games this season, Cam Manyawu, Cooper Koch, and Bennett Stirtz have started every single one.

The other two starters, Tavion Banks and Kael Combs, have also played in all 33 games. That said, they've missed a few starts. Banks didn't start two games while Combs didn't start four, but either way they've gotten to this point and that's the five McCollum will be rolling with in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa's Starting Lineup:

First On The Floor. pic.twitter.com/JbtQfmeaFC
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 12, 2026

No. 14 Bennett Stirtz

No. 11 Kael Combs

No. 6 Tavion Banks

No. 8 Cooper Koch

No. 3 Cam Manyawu

These five have plenty of starting experience and nearly every one is an upperclassman. Banks and Stirtz are both seniors who played with McCollum at Drake last year. The same can be said for Manyawu and Combs except both are juniors. As for Koch, he's a freshman who averaged 13.6 minutes in 10 games with Iowa a year ago.

6'9'' is the tallest player Iowa has in their starting lineup and that honor belongs to Manyawu. The 250-pound forward brings some much needed height to the Hawkeyes though he's actually second on the team with 4.5 rebounds. Banks, a 6'7'' guard, leads the way with 4.7 boards per game. Keep in mind, Koch is right in the middle of those two at 6'8'' while Combs and Stirtz are 6'4''.

Role Players Off The Bench

Iowa G Tate Sag — Feb 14, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tate Sage (24) goes to the basket as Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) defends during the second half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

McCollum's go-to bench player is none other than Alvaro Folgueiras. The 6'10'' junior brings a lot to the table and is averaging 21.0 minutes per game. He's made one start this season though his role with Iowa is far different than whan he started 34 games at Robert Morris a year ago.

Sophomore Isaia Howard and freshman Tate Sage both have roles carved into this rotation as well. Howard is yet another Drake transfer who's made five starts with Iowa this season. His 18.8 minutes per game mark is slightly higher than Sage's, a player who hasn't started all year but still averages 15.9 minutes per game.

Senior Brendan Hausen can get hot at any given moment. McCollum has called out the Texas native for his defense, but he still averages 10.3 minutes per game and will likely attempt a shot or two against the Tigers. Depending on how the game is going, 6'11'' freshman Trevin Jirak could make an appearance as well.

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