Men’s Basketball Preview: Iowa Hawkeyes

What’s up y’all? It’s time for another Men’s Basketball preview, and today we’re looking at the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa finished last season with a 17-16 record, but a dismal 7-13 record in the Big Ten, leading them to fire head coach Fran McCaffery and hire Drake head coach Ben McCollum (they sure do love their McC coaches at Iowa, apparently). The Hawkeyes are coming into the season in a very similar position as Indiana, in the sense that much of the roster is going to look different. But, unlike the Hoosiers, who only had one player follow their HC to his new position, Iowa has four former Drake players on their new-look roster.

Leading the charge for Iowa will be transfer PG Bennett Stirtz, who led Drake in points (19.2) and assists (5.7) per game last season, while shooting an effective 49.8% from the floor and 39.5% from three. He is the head of the snake, as they say. As he goes, the team follows. He is a very effective playmaker in the pick-and-roll, and at 6’4” and 180 lbs, can withstand some contact in the lane to finish at the rim.

Another name to look out for is Spanish born Alvaro Folgueiras, a transfer from Robert Morris. Folgueiras, 6’9” forward, was the Horizon League Player of the Year, averaging 14.1 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. He’s a capable scorer from all three levels, with a nice touch around the rim, finishing at an efficient 67.3% from inside five feet while also leading Robert Morris with a three point percentage of 41.3%. He was also playing a little out of position last season, mostly being used as a small-ball center, but looks to slot into his natural PF spot this year at Iowa.

I think Iowa has a chance to be a much-improved team in the Big Ten this season. I like the pieces they’ve brought in, and I like the kind of Pick-and-Roll offense that McCollum is bringing in. I think it can be very effective when run properly, and the importance of bringing in his starting PG from last season (who led Drake to a 31-4 record) to run that offense can’t be understated. But they could also stumble against some bigger players/bigger programs, who they didn’t have to play much last season. Only time will tell, I guess. Oregon will host Iowa, time/date are TBD.

And, as always, ‘Sco Ducks.