Ben McCollum’s First Iowa Roster Lays the Groundwork for a Quick Turnaround

After a frustrating end to the Fran McCaffrey era in Iowa, the Hawkeyes are looking to get back on track in the Ben McCollum era. So far, all signs indicate that the effort has gotten off to a hot start.

CBS Sports’ David Cobb recently graded the rosters for the top college basketball programs with new head coaches in 2025, and the Hawkeyes earned an A-, only bested by Will Wade with NC State.

It’s not the first bit of praise McCollum has earned for his roster building. His work in the Transfer Portal has been rightfully praised by many publications. McCollum’s most prominent acquisition, Bennett Stirtz, figures to be the catalyst in righting the ship in Iowa City.

Stirtz and McCollum are a dangerous duo enough on their own. But fellow transfers Alvaro Folgueiras from Robert Morris and Brendan Hausen from Kansas State can provide even more production on the offense.

Iowa’s question marks under the basket and on defense remain, but not to such a concerning degree that this transfer trio can’t outscore them. McCollum’s offense, and Stirtz’s command of it from the point, will provide plenty of open opportunities for the many new faces in the Hawkeyes’ rotation.

As for returning Hawkeyes, eyes are centered on Cooper Koch. While he’s already a solid shooter, his continued progression as adefender and rebounder gives Iowa a solid starting point at its biggest weak point before hitting the court.

The pressure is on from the jump for McCollum and the Hawkeyes to hit the ground running, especially in conference play. Michigan proved in 2024-25 that a quick turnaround in the expanded Big Ten is more than plausible with the right setup. The Hawkeyes don’t have the same type of exciting pieces that turned the Wolverines around so impressively, but they do have the same capabilities.