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The Iowa Hawkeyes aim to return to the NCAA Tournament with a four-time Division II national champion calling the shots and a retooled roster made up mainly of transfers from Drake.
Ben McCollum is coming off a splendid Division I stint with Des Moines-based Drake, guiding the Bulldogs to the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament double.
Drake made the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, beating higher-ranked Missouri in the first round before losing to Texas Tech. That eventful stint in Drake helped Iowa pick McCollum as its new coach, replacing Fran McCaffery, who was fired after guiding the Hawkeyes to a 17-16 mark last season.
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McCollum and his coaching staff picked up six transfers from his former school, two players from Villanova and Robert Morris and three high school recruits during the offseason. He also kept Cooper and Jacob Koch (not related to each other) for the 2025-26 season in the hopes of making a surprise run in the Big Ten.
Here's a closer look at Iowa's roster in the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Iowa basketball season preview for 2025-26
Starting lineup
Guard: Bennett Stirtz
Bennett Stritz is coming off an excellent 2024-25 season with Drake, averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game. The 6-4 guard's performance helped Drake reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Missouri Valley Player of the Year will be Ben McCollum's go-to-guy with the Hawkeyes, but he should bring his assist-to-turnover ratio down to keep the team afloat in the tough Big Ten Conference.
Guard: Brendan Hausen
Brendan Hausen will take the role of Iowa's top sniper following a big season with Kansas State. The 6-4 shooting guard tallied 10.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per outing for the Wildcats and made 2.7 3-point attempts in 33 games last season.
Hausen shot 39.0% from the field (38.8% from the 3-point line) and made 81.8% of his attempts from the charity stripe. He'll be the kickout option once Stirtz gets bottled up on the paint.
Forward: Cam Manyawu
Cam Manyawu made a great account of himself in his lone season with Drake. The Wyoming transfer started in all 35 games for the Bulldogs and averaged 7.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 1.3 spg.
The 6-8 Manyawu shot 57.8% from the field and is a great option in the power forward spot for Iowa if he improves his free-throw accuracy this season.
Forward: Alvaro Folgueiras
Alvaro Folgueiras is coming off a great stint with the Robert Morris Colonials, where he was adjudged the Horizon League Player of the Year. The 6-9 forward out of Malaga, Spain, tallied 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Colonials, who captured the conference regular season and tournament double.
Folgueiras had a 41.3% clip from long distance last season and will be of great help for the new-look Iowa squad in the wing/power forward position.
Center: Trevin Jirak
Trevin Jirak was a 2025 Mr. Iowa Basketball and Iowa Mas Preps High School Basketball Player of the Year honoree after putting up 16.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.5 apg and 2.1 bpg. The 6-11, 250-pound freshman shot 59.2% from the field and 38.6% from 3-pointers last season, making him a dual-threat player that coach Ben McCollum would likely utilize in pick-and-roll situations.
Jirak may use his range to give his smaller teammates a manageable space to operate in the paint.
Rotation Players
New Iowa coach Ben McCollum would likely use Tavion Banks as his sixth man based on his fine performance last season with Drake. Banks averaged 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists for the Bulldogs and could give the team some spark off the bench.
Returnees Cooper and Jacob Koch could also serve as reliable relievers for the Hawkeyes due to their experience with the team. Kael Combs and Isaia Howard played under the former Drake bench tactician last season and could be designated as relievers for Bennett Stirtz and Brendan Hansen.
Freshmen Tate Sage and Peyton McCollum may likely play spot minutes as third-string guards, while Joey Matteoni can play the three or four spot depending on the need.
Impact Players
The trio of Bennett Stirtz, Brendan Hausen and Alvaro Folgueiras is set to become Ben McCollum's top offensive options this coming season. Stirtz and Folgueiras were the best players of the Missouri Valley Conference and Horizon League, respectively and on paper, it's a dreaded duo that Big Ten teams should keep an eye on.
Outside shooting will be Iowa's calling card for the 2025-26 season, as Hausen and center Trevin Jirak are remarkable hitmen who can shoot from way downtown. Expect the Hawkeyes to try a long-range approach to keep opponents honest on defense, allowing Stirtz and Tavion Banks to slash to the paint for an easy layup.
What can you say about Iowa's lineup for the 2025-26 college basketball season? Let us know your insights in the comments section.
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