Nov 20, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum reacts with guard Brendan Hausen (15) during the first half against the Chicago State Cougars at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa Eyes First Championship Of Ben McCollum Era

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Nov 26, 2025 1:00 PM ET

Feast Week in college basketball is one of the premier weeks of the entire year. Nothing tops March Madness, but the Iowa Hawkeyes find themselves in this year's edition of the Acrisure Classic. Head coach Ben McCollum has a chance to bring his first piece of hardware back to Carver-Hawkeyes Arena.

Iowa impressed many with their 74-69 win over Ole Miss to improve to 6-0. Not many suspected this Hawkeyes team to get off to as hot of a start as they have, but McCollum is clearly doing something right. Now, he's eyeing his first championship with the team.

Acrisure Classic Championship vs. Grand Canyon

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

According to ESPN Analytics, Iowa has a 71.2% chance to win this game. The Hawkeyes opened as eight and a half point favorites which is a sizable advantage, especially for a team playing back-to-back games for the first time this season. If Iowa wants to be prepared for March, this is their first opportunity to make a strong impression.

In their victory over Ole Miss, Bennett Stirtz played the entire 40 minutes. Kael Combs only missed two minutes as Cooper Koch missed five himself. Off the bench, Alvaro Folgueiras played 21 minutes as Isaia Howard had double digits himself (13).

Clearly, McCollum isn't worried about his guys playing back-to-back games. He knows the talent he has on his roster and he was doing everything in his power to get a win against the Rebels before focusing on the Lopes.

Grand Canyon's Statement Win Over Utah

Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After starting the season 5-0, Utah has lost back-to-back games. There's a world where Utah vs. Ole Miss was the clear favorite to be the Acrisure Classic Championship, but instead it's Iowa vs. Grand Canyon.

The Hawkeyes have less than 24 hours to prepare for the 4-2 Lopes, a team that has won two straight. Their loses this season have been to Youngstown State and Saint Louis, two interesting losses to have this early in the season.

The Lopes have had four different leading scorers in their six games. Senior Nana Owusu-Anane led the way in the team's first two games, but he's been the leading rebounder in all six. Grand Canyon's depth is second-to-none as the likes of Wilhelm Breidenbach, Makaih Williams and Jaden Henley could step up at any given moment. Of those four names, Williams is the only junior, proving just how much experience this team has.

This article first appeared on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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