Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa's First Big Matchup Looming After Win

Originally posted on Iowa Hawkeyes on SI | By Lane Mills | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Iowa Hawkeyes are officially 1-0 in the Ben McCollum era. The retooled roster under a new regime hosted the Robert Morris Colonials in their first game of the season; an expected win against a weaker non-conference opponent, no doubt, but the dominant nature of the victory still implies that this black and gold group are more than what meets the eye.

Immediate Improvement

In the far-and-away victory, Iowa outpaced Robert Morris in both halves, outscoring the Colonials 49-26 and 52-43 in the first and second, respectively. To a final score of 101-69, Hawkeyes fans were given a full treatment as to what the program is capable of under a new system. After last year's disappointing trends, excitement has hit a new high for a multitude of reasons.

In Fran McCaffery's last year at the helm, his ultimate Iowa roster came out to a final record of 17-16; more specifically, their 7-13 conference finish doomed both his tenure and the team's postseason hopes last season in one fell swoop. Shortly after the Hawkeyes parted ways with McCaffery, McCollum came on the scene in the spring and hit the reset button. Now, he and the Hawkeyes are gearing up for one more "gimme" game before their first heavy challenge of the season next week.

Win No.☝️ pic.twitter.com/ORh4MCa3Wl
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) November 5, 2025

An Early-Season Test

After a game (a hopeful tune-up) against Western Illinois, the Xavier Musketeers will come into town to provide the Hawkeyes their first test from a major competitive conference, hailing from the Big East. Also 1-0, with a home win over Marist, the Musketeers are led by first-year HC Richard Pitino.

Son of basketball legend and current St. John's lead man Rick Pitino, Richard became known at his last stop job with New Mexico for his gritty brand of boots-on-the-ground basketball similar to his father's long-replicated, tried and true philosophy.

Pitino's Musketeers, while not ranked or considered to be on the same level in the bigger picture as this year's Hawkeyes, should represent a significant mark-up in competition from Iowa's first two opponents, giving fans a better idea as to how their team will handle the steep incline that comes with conference play, especially in the B1G.

From that point forward, the Hawkeyes will have hardly stretches like that of their first two games again, bracing for a schedule littered with high-key matchups within and outside of the conference. All eyes are on the team's date with Xavier as a litmus test for the rest of the year.

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

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