Hawkeyes Roll Past Illinois Springfield in Exhibition Opener
The Iowa men’s basketball team stepped onto the floor at Xtream Arena on Tuesday night for their first public appearance since an Elite Eight run last season, delivering an 88-64 exhibition victory over Division II opponent Illinois Springfield. While the contest did not impact the regular-season record, the matchup offered a clear look at how second-year head coach Ben McCollum plans to retool his roster following high-profile departures.
University of Iowa students entering the Coralville arena received free gold T-shirts bearing the phrase “Mac’s Maniacs.” Inside the venue, the Hawkeyes shook off early shooting jitters to pull away in the second half, though the box score revealed distinct adjustments the coaching staff must tackle before the games begin to count.
Addressing Frontcourt Height With Andrew McKeever
Last season, the Hawkeyes faced a glaring disadvantage in the paint due to limited height. That dynamic shifted dramatically with the arrival of 7-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever, a transfer from Saint Mary’s. The Daily Iowan noted that McKeever’s sheer presence in the lane forced several Prairie Stars shooters to alter their attempts, while the Daily Iowan pointed out that he even swatted away a layup from guard Britton Dutton.
McKeever contributed two points and two rebounds, but his passing ability stole the spotlight. He finished with seven assists in 14 minutes of action—a career high, surpassing his previous best of six against San Francisco last year. One highlight included a one-handed catch and immediate feed to the corner for Isaia Howard, who drained a three-pointer.
“[McKeever] is a great passer and a great screener,” head coach Ben McCollum told the Daily Iowan. “He didn’t even get to see his whole deal. In a game like this, if it counts, we would have done nothing but throwing the ball inside the entire time, because they were low side doubling.”
Kael Combs Leads Iowa Scoring in Exhibition
Iowa faced the task of replacing top scorer Bennett Stirtz, who departed for the NBA Draft in the offseason. The starting lineup on Tuesday featured returning starter Kael Combs, Howard, Tate Sage, Cooper Koch, and McKeever. Combs led all scorers with 13 points, according to the Daily Iowan.
The Hawkeyes experienced an uneven start from beyond the arc, hitting just two of their first six three-point attempts. They found a rhythm as the half progressed, finishing 10-for-26 from deep for 38 percent, led by Sage knocking down three shots from long range. Howard also displayed an increased willingness to shoot from deep, finishing with eight points and a team-high nine rebounds in 22 minutes.
Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman served as the first player off the bench, contributing nine points, three assists, two rebounds, and one steal in 19 minutes. Peyton McCollum also logged strong minutes off the bench, tallying 10 points and two rebounds in 21 minutes after seeing no playing time during the 2025-26 season.
McCollum Critiques Execution After Rebounding Struggles
Despite the addition of height in the frontcourt, Iowa experienced momentary struggles on the glass. The Hawkeyes found themselves out-rebounded by Division II Illinois Springfield 19-18 at halftime, largely due to experimental lineups that kept players like McKeever and 6-11 center Trevin Jirak on the bench for stretches.
McCollum addressed the team’s overall execution after the final buzzer, telling the Daily Iowan, “Typical exhibition for teams of mine. We just didn’t play very well. Part of it was that it was unique defensively, where they just gave us shots a little bit… and we took the bait a little bit too much.”
Iowa recovered in the second half to secure a 36-32 advantage on the boards, bringing the final rebounding margin to 37-32 according to the Daily Iowan. The Hawkeyes have one week to iron out defensive rotations and rebounding consistency before officially opening the regular season.
Iowa hosts Lipscomb at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday, November 3, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
