Iowa enters McCollum's 2nd season tasked with carrying over momentum from surprise Elite Eight run

Ben McCollum’s first season as the Hawkeyes’ coach went from a rebuilding year to one to remember. Iowa had just one player back from the previous season, but McCollum turned the new roster into one that made it to the NCAA Tournament’s second weekend for the first time since 1999 and the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987.

Third-year forward Cooper Koch was the lone returning scholarship player from the 2024-25 team and remains one of the team's anchors. He started every game last season after missing most of the previous season because of injuries. ... Cam Manyawu, one of the players who came with McCollum from Drake, also started every game and was an interior anchor on a team that didn’t have a lot of size. ... Tate Sage was an unknown coming in as a freshman last season, but slowly matured into being a key part of the rotation, scoring 19 points in the Hawkeyes’ win over Nebraska in the South Regional semifinal.

Iowa lost leading scorer and All-American guard Bennett Stirtz to the NBA, a player McCollum called the “gravity” of his team. Alvaro Folgueiras, who transferred to Louisville, hit some big shots for the Hawkeyes, especially in the NCAA Tournament, but often had games where he was ineffective and didn’t play much. Tavion Banks, Iowa’s second leading scorer from last season, also is gone, as is guard Brendan Hausen.

McCollum went into the transfer portal and found 7-foot-3 Andrew McKeever from Saint Mary’s, a 300-pound center who will give the Hawkeyes the size they missed last season. Ty’Reek Coleman, a second-year guard from Illinois State, was in contention for the starting point guard spot. First-year guard Ethan Harris and guard/forward Jaidyn Coon will battle for playing time.

The Hawkeyes’ lone non-conference home game against a ranked team will be against Iowa State on Dec. 10. Iowa gets Creighton on Nov. 15 and Alabama on Dec. 21 in neutral-court games in Des Moines, and plays Virginia Tech in Sioux City, Iowa, on Nov. 10. The Hawkeyes also play at Xavier on Nov. 20. The Big Ten opener is Dec. 1 at Purdue.

Forward Trey Thompson reclassified before last season to join the Hawkeyes, sitting out the year. Thompson, who didn’t turn 18 until last December, could be a key player off the bench. … McCollum’s son, Peyton, also sat out last season in his first year. … McKeever is the tallest player in program history.

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FILE - Iowa head coach Ben McCollum racts to a foul call against Clemson during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 20, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

The 22nd-ranked Bruins have the talent to challenge for their first Big Ten title in their third year in the league. They have a mix of proven veterans and youthful energy necessary for a deep NCAA Tournament run. The school that owns a record 11 national titles has been knocked out in the second round the last two years, with its last Final Four appearance in 2021.

All eyes will be on Nikola Kusturica, the 17-year-old Serb who is already considered a future top pick in the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 wing gives UCLA one of the longest perimeter trios in the country, along with 6-8 returning two-way starter Eric Dailey Jr. and 6-4 junior Trent Perry, who become a reliable scoring option last season. Kusturica figures to have two seasons in Westwood before becoming old enough to meet the draft's minimum age requirement of 19. Also watch newcomers Joe Philo, a 6-8 forward, and 18-year-old Gunars Grinvalds of Latvia, a 6-7 forward who made his debut in both Spain's Liga ACB and EuroLeague last year.

The Bruins lost leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau, Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark. They added combo guards Jaylen Petty (Texas Tech) and Azavier Robinson (Butler) to help fill Dent's scoring and playmaking roles. Filip Jovic (Auburn), Philon and senior Xavier Booker will try to replace Bilodeau's scoring and rebounding presence.

The Bruins open on Nov. 2 against No. 5 Arizona in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series. Notable non-conference games are No. 15 Gonzaga on Dec. 5 in Anaheim, California, and a Dec. 29 meeting against San Diego State at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins open Big Ten play on Dec. 1 against Oregon, host Michigan State on Jan. 9, host defending national champion Michigan on Jan. 26, visit Illinois on Feb. 2 and play crosstown rival USC on Feb. 13 and March 6.

The Bruins were among the top 10 in the league in several categories last season, including No. 1 in turnover margin at plus-3.4. ... They were second in 3-point percentage at 37.9.

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FILE - UCLA head coach Mick Cronin reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, March 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang, File)

FILE - UCLA guard Trent Perry shoots a free throw during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, March 3, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang, File)

FILE - UCLA's Eric Dailey Jr. goes up to shoot against UCF's John Bol during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, March 20, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)