Ben McCollum: Ben McCollum reportedly set to bring 7 transfers to Iowa in his first season feat. Bennett Stirtz

Ben McCollum has been working hard in the transfer portal ahead of his first season at Iowa. Several Drake stars, including Bennett Stirtz, are following the coach, who has also secured a transfer from Robert Morris and one from Kansas State.

On Tuesday, The Field of 68 posted about Ben McCollum's impressive portal additions on Instagram.

"Ben McCollum is bringing Bennett Stirtz along with 6 new faces to Iowa🔥How will the Hawkeyes do in Year 1 of the McCollum era?" the Instagram caption read.

McCollum comes to Iowa as a seasoned coach with 16 years of experience. In 15 seasons at Northwest Missouri State University, McCollum led the team to four NCAA Division II national championships, including three consecutive titles in 2019, 2021 and 2022.

This past season, McCollum moved to the Division I to coach at Drake. The Bulldogs had a school-record 31 wins, were Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament champions, and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with McCollum's guidance.

After one season at Drake, McCollum will now take over as the coach of the Hawkeyes.

“Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family,” McCollum said on March 24. "The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together."

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McCollum will aim to utilize his transfer pickups to bring success to an Iowa squad that has missed the NCAA Tournament two years in a row.

All about Ben McCollum's seven Iowa transfers

Of the seven players joining Ben McCollum at Iowa from the transfer portal, five are following him from Drake. The most notable transfer is Bennett Stirtz, who served as the Bulldogs' star point guard.

Stirtz led Drake in points (19.2), assists (5.7) and steals (2.1) last season. The 6-foot-4 junior originally planned to go through the pre-draft process for the NBA while maintaining his college eligibility but has since redirected his focus solely on Iowa.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Drake at Texas Tech - Source: Imagn

Cam Manyawu, a power forward who led the Bulldogs in rebounds (5.3) and blocks (0.7) last season, is also joining the Hawkeyes. Reseve guards Isaia Howard and Kael Combs, as well as power forward Tavion Banks, are also making the transition from Drake to Iowa.

The Hawkeyes are getting two transfers who didn't play under McCollum at Drake. Sophomore power forward Alvaro Folgueiras transferred from RMU, where he led the team in rebounds with 9.1 per game. The Hawkeyes will also get the help of shooting guard Brendan Hausen, who put up 10.9 ppg as a starter at Kansas State last season.

McCollum has done well rounding out Iowa's roster in the transfer portal and will now look to lead the team to success in his first season.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos