The University of Iowa’s men’s basketball program has undergone a rapid roster transformation in 2025, but the team’s new head coach, Ben McCollum, is wasting no time rebuilding the roster with his stamp on it.
After he had completed one year of tenure at Drake University, McCollum took over the helm of the Hawkeyes following Fran McCaffery’s 15-year tenure, inheriting a roster that departures had really thinned. With the recent development, what he’s building in Iowa City might just be the Big Ten’s best-kept secret.
A New Era in Iowa City
Iowa parted ways with McCaffery earlier this year after a 15-year run that had its highs, like multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, but also found it challenging to break through in the Big Ten. Then enter Ben McCollum, a 43-year-old coaching expert who has been a winner at every stop.
Ben McCollum and Iowa are quietly building one of the most underrated transfer classes in the country:
5⭐️ Bennett Stirtz
4⭐️ Alvaro Folgueiras
4⭐️ Brendan Hausen
4⭐️ Cam Manyawu
3⭐️ Isaia Howard
3⭐️ Tavion Banks
3⭐️ Kael CombsBMC is cooking in Iowa City. 👀 pic.twitter.com/NTGx7WWfLf
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) April 30, 2025
Before taking the Iowa job, McCollum spent one season at Drake, leading the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, a Missouri Valley Conference title, and a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025.
Prior to that, he dominated at the Division II level with Northwest Missouri State, where he won four national championships and posted a 394-91 record over 15 seasons.
McCollum came to Iowa at a very critical time. The Hawkeyes’ roster was down to just four scholarship players when he took charge, with talents like Owen Freeman and Josh Dix transferring to Creighton. It was a rebuilding job that would intimidate most coaches.
When he arrived at Drake in 2024, he revamped the roster with transfers, many of whom followed him from Northwest Missouri State.
That team became one of college basketball’s feel-good stories, upsetting Missouri in the NCAA Tournament and playing stingy defense, allowing just 58.4 points per game, second only to Houston nationally, according to KenPom.
Building a Transfer Class with Familiar Faces
McCollum brings in players he knows and trusts. His 2025 transfer class is a mix of talents that includes: 5-star guard Bennett Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Player of the Year in 2024-2025. Stirtz averaged 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game at Drake.
He also brought three other former Drake players with him: 4-star forward Alvaro Folgueiras, 4-star forward Cam Manyawu, and 3-star guards Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks, and Kael Combs.
KEEP READING: 2025 Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
These are not just former Bulldogs joining the fold; he also landed 4-star guard Brendan Hausen, a sharpshooter from Kansas State who shot 39.1% from three-point range last season.
Add in 2025 high school commit Tate Sage, a 6’7” wing from Weatherford, Oklahoma, who flipped his commitment from Drake to Iowa to follow McCollum. Hawkeyes are starting to look like a team with serious potential, and fans can’t wait to see them compete next season.
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