Next season for the Iowa Men’s Basketball team is difficult to project. The program is in a transition period following 15-year Head Coach Fran McCaffery being fired in March.<\/p>\n
Former Drake Bulldogs Head Coach Ben McCollum<\/a> was hired shortly after, but was left with only one remaining player (Jacob Koch<\/a>) before convincing Cooper Koch<\/a> to return to the program.<\/p>\n After McCollum brought most of his coaching staff with him from Drake, he rounded out his staff with Iowa native Luke Ogden<\/a> and recruiting ace Luke Barnwell<\/a>.<\/p>\n While completing his staff, McCollum was active in the transfer portal, adding eight players from the portal, including five from his former Bulldogs’ squad.<\/p>\n The program rounded out the roster with a solid 2025 recruiting class, including Trevin Jirak<\/a>, Tate Sage<\/a>, and Peyton McCollum<\/a>.<\/p>\n One of the most significant additions McCollum made was convincing Trey Thompson<\/a>, a four-star forward prospect, to commit to the program.<\/p>\n Not only did Thompson commit, but he reclassified from the 2026 to the 2025 recruiting class so he could join the squad this season.<\/p>\n The Hawkeyes now look poised to make a splash with a new roster and coaching staff, and a recent rankings list has them finishing as one of the top teams in the Big Ten.<\/p>\n Way too early Power 5 conference power rankings \ud83c\udfc0 pic.twitter.com\/IMrUwZsDh4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) July 31, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In College Basketball Report’s<\/a> way-too-early projections for the Big Ten next season, they have Iowa finishing No. 6 in the Big Ten in their first season under McCollum.<\/p>\n If the projection holds true, it would be tied for the second-highest position the Hawkeyes finished during the McCaffery era, with the highest finish being No. 3 in 2021.<\/p>\n The projections love the Hawkeyes to have a solid season during McCollum’s first year, and the players have reportedly bought into the new system and culture.<\/p>\n During an interview as a part of open media availability after a summer practice, Iowa forward Cam Manyawu stated<\/a> that everyone has had a good offseason, and has bought into the culture they are trying to establish.<\/p>\n If the new-look Hawks can live up to the hype, the energy around the team and the program will continue to grow.<\/p>\n More Hawkeyes News:\n