One Final Preview Before New HC's First Season at Iowa

Following what may have been the most eventful offseason for the men's basketball program in Iowa City since the last time they hired a coach — 15 years ago, for those counting — the sun is set to officially rise on the Ben McCollum era in less than one week. The Iowa Hawkeyes will tip off against the Robert Morris Colonials at home next week.

Every Game Matters

Some fans may have trouble getting excited for a "gimme game" like this one, and it is somewhat true that it's hard to tell what a team is truly capable of by how badly they beat a bought-in opponent in the first game of the season.

But it's also true that exciting, highlight-filled performances go a long way for a fanbase that just endured one of their favorite team's worst seasons in a long while. Having gone 17-16 overall (7-13 in the B1G) and missing the NCAA Tournament by a wide margin, the marked downturn of the 2024-25 Hawkeyes was enough for the team to decide to part ways with longtime head coach Fran McCaffery.

Iowa's men's team has rarely been elite, but to be bottom-feeding (fourth from the bottom, to be exact) under droves of better, more competitive conference members is exactly the sort of thing that doesn't fly in the black and gold nest on any level.

A change had to be made, and it came in the form of former Drake Bulldog, Ben McCollum.

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz | Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

History of Winning

After leading the aforementioned Bulldogs to a conference championship and first-round win in March Madness — over the SEC-in-origin Missouri Tigers, no less — the lead man's resume clearly called for a promotion, and the then-lacking Iowa program wasted no time in bringing him in.

With McCollum comes Drake's far-and-away leader Bennett Stirtz, a senior guard with proven leadership capabilities, oodles of conference accolades and the ability to score consistently from just about any spot on the hardwood.

Take that transfer in tandem with the rest of the Hawkeyes roster, both additional transfers like forward Alvaro Folgueiras and freshman Trey Thompson, and the team's outlook suggests potential national relevance by the time the dust settles, assuming everything comes together.

While the Hawkeyes won't open the season ranked in the AP Poll, a few B1G wins and traditionally convincing performances from the likes of Stirtz and his teammates later would like change some voters minds with relative ease.

With Ben McCollum at the helm, the Hawkeyes are primed to set a new standard for men's basketball in Iowa City, and their first opportunity to make that happen is now just days away.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!