With Bennett Stirtz off to the NBA, Iowa is seeking to bolster its backcourt. And without an incoming recruit in the class of 2026 listed as a guard, Ben McCollum and his staff have no choice but to turn to the transfer portal.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, Iowa knows one thing: Bennett Stirtz – who was the heartbeat of this past year’s Elite Eight squad – is gone. The rest remains largely up in the air, at least for now.
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 Iowa Hawkeyes are on the brink of doing exactly what needs to be done by extending head coach Ben McCollum — and far before the end of his contract.
This year was a return to relevance on the hardwood for Iowa men's basketball. Yes, the Hawkeyes made the NCAA Tournament seven times in the previous 12 seasons under Fran McCaffrey, but not once did it advance past the first weekend.
Last year, rising from the mid-major ranks (came from Drake), Ben McCollum didn’t have the luxury of landing the nation’s top transfer-portal prospects – save for the fact that he brought Bennett Stirtz along for the ride.
The last couple of weeks have been a borderline nightmare for head coach Jan Jensen and her Iowa squad. After a disheartening second-round exit to No. 10 seed Virginia in the NCAA Tournament (Iowa was a No.
For Iowa, Riordan is commitment No. 7 in a 2027 class that's shaping up to be pretty good.
For the first time in program history, the UCLA Bruins have won a women's national basketball championship.
Despite only playing half the year due to recovering from a major injury, McKenna Woliczko stole the show during the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game.
While Iowa Hawkeyes fans likely see the center position and think of Ava Heiden, this announcement is regarding Layla Hays. Hays took to social media on March 31 to reveal she's planning on returning to the program for the 2026-27 season.
First-year head coach Ben McCollum hasn't had a ton of time to win recruiting battles, but now he's in line to win his biggest yet. The Iowa Hawkeyes know they'll have a few players enter the transfer portal, and they already know they'll be without star guards Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks.
March 30 marked the date both Addie Deal and Callie Levin decided to enter the transfer portal. The Iowa Hawkeyes know they'll be without a pair of key reserve players a year from now as those two joined Kennise Johnson who put her name in the portal a week prior.
First year Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum wasn't afraid to say exactly what this team needs after they exited the NCAA Tournament in the Elite Eight.
A guy like Bennett Stirtz feels irreplaceable, but if there's anyone that can do it it's Ben McCollum. The Iowa Hawkeyes are fresh off a run to the Elite Eight that shocked the entire world.
Not one, but two Iowa Hawkeyes decided they were entering the transfer portal. Addie Deal's decision shocked many, but hers wasn't the only decision of the night.
While the Iowa Hawkeyes advanced to the Elite Eight, there's always a chance things get a big shake-up in the offseason. That hasn't been par for the course during most of Ben McCollum's coaching career, but now more than ever he has to dial in on the transfer portal.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are expected to lose former five-star and true freshman guard Addie Deal to the transfer portal, On'3 Talia Goodman reported on March 30.
The Iowa Hawkeyes love to recruit in-state players, but one they let slip away was Divine Bourrage. Bourrage decided LSU would be the best fit for her coming out of Davenport North High School, where she was a five-star recruit.
Once again, the Iowa Hawkeyes have added a three-star recruit to their Class of 2027. Their Class of '27 was previously ranked No. 30 in the nation, but the addition of Reilly Newman will continue to move them up the charts.
While the Iowa Hawkeyes couldn't get the job done against a fellow Big Ten squad in the Elite Eight, their ever making it that far to begin with was a massive accomplishment.
While all eyes have been on the NCAA tournament, the Iowa Hawkeyes secured their fourth commitment in the Class of 2027. Head coach Kirk Ferentz continues to put in the work as Jake Thies, a three-star safety out of Illinois, committed to the Hawkeyes on March 28.
Caitlin Clark officially returned to the court in March 2026 after an eight-month layoff by making her senior national team debut at the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan.
Iowa head coach Ben McCollum sure knows how to rally his team. Looking irate as his team dug itself into a 10-point deficit, McCollum rallied the troops to an eventual win over the higher-seeded Nebraska squad.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are on a historic run through the NCAA Tournament, and they just picked up a classic win against one of their biggest rivals.
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