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The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

What Ben McCollum’s hiring means for Iowa men’s basketball

McCollum’s coaching style is vastly different from the fast-paced Fran McCaffery system, but his style has garnered plenty of praise from coaches and fans alike.
Brad Schultz, Assistant Sports Editor
March 24, 2025
Kirby Lee-Imagn Image
Mar 22, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs coach Ben McCollum during press conference at Intrust Bank Arena.

Ben McCollum has only been Iowa’s head men’s basketball coach for a few hours, but that hasn’t stopped a palpable buzz from spreading through Iowa City. Hawkeye fans are undoubtedly excited about a fresh era of Iowa basketball, but that new breath of crisp air will often bring a vast change in style.

Here’s what Iowa fans should expect from a McCollum-coached squad:

Tenacious defense 

Tenacious defense is a phrase Hawkeye fans have likely been waiting to hear for a long time. While previous coach Fran McCaffery produced some of the nation’s highest-scoring offenses in his 15-year tenure, poor defensive performances were blamed for Iowa’s poor track record in the NCAA tournament.

But any casual fan who has paid the slightest bit of attention to McCollum’s Northwest Missouri State and Drake teams has probably seen the exact opposite.

Drake was far and away the Missouri Valley Conference’s top defensive unit in 2024-25, allowing opponents to score 58.9 points per game. The Bulldogs were the only team in the league to allow less than 60 points per contest, but the impressive numbers still don’t entirely tell the full story.

Coincidentally, McCollum’s final Northwest Missouri State squad in 2023-24 allowed their opponents to score 58.9 points per game. The Bearcats were known for those exact defensive principles Drake implemented this season and rode that stellar defense to a 29-5 record and Division II Sweet 16 appearance.

One year later, No. 11-seeded Drake entered its NCAA tournament matchup against No. 6 Missouri as a -6.5 point underdog, but the Bulldogs might as well have been the higher seed because of how well they played on defense. The Tigers came into the contest scoring an average of 83.6 points per game, but they never could find any sort of a rhythm against McCollum’s defense.

That’s because Drake was consistently doing the dirty work – deflecting passes, making appropriate switches, and diving for every loose ball on the floor. Missouri did make a few brief scoring spurts, but the Bulldogs’ defense was the reason why they pulled off the upset.

“No one gets players, who shouldn’t be able to guard, to be better on D than McCollum,” former Division II rival coach Craig Doty said on his X account.  “Mitch Mascari should get blown by every possession. Daniel Abreu shouldn’t be able to guard 6-foot-10 big men. Bennett Stirtz should be attacked off the bounce constantly to wear him out and get him in foul trouble. Opposing coaches know these things and try them. But it doesn’t work well. McCollum’s best, and most underrated strength, is coaching team defense.”

Big Ten basketball has long been known for its tough, physical play, and McCollum’s defensive style could translate well to a Hawkeye program that has desperately needed a strong defense for some time.

Crisp, timely offense 

McCollum’s offenses aren’t as prolific as McCaffery’s high-octane units once were, but that doesn’t mean McCollum’s teams can’t score either.

Northwest Missouri State was perennially regarded as one of the most efficient offenses in the nation during McCollum’s 15 years there, and that efficiency immediately translated over to Drake in 2024-25. The Bulldogs didn’t blow opposing teams away with their scoring – posting 69.8 points per game – but their offensive efficiency ranked 50th in the entire country, a solid benchmark for a mid-major squad.

McCollum’s teams can run up-and-down the floor when necessary, but they prefer to take a patient approach and get the best possible shot on every possession. That strategy has resulted in many late shot clock situations, but unlike a lot of squads, McCollum’s teams found a way to convert. In fact, CBS Sports showed a graphic during the NCAA tournament that ranked McCollum’s Drake team first in the country for scoring with under four seconds left on the shot clock.

It is difficult statistic to believe, but the Bulldogs would constantly run themselves into late clock scenarios against Missouri, but the poise of guards such as Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks allowed them to find the open man more often than not. When they aren’t battling the clock, McCollum’s offenses are well-respected for their heavy ball-screen actions and consistent cutting.

“Stirtz was a second team all-conference player in our Division II league last season,” Doty said. “He is now one of the best players in the country in NCAA Division I and a serious NBA prospect. No one develops point guards better than McCollum.”

McCollum will be introduced as Iowa’s 23rd head coach during a press conference at 3:30 local time on Tuesday inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A live-stream of the press conference can be found on the official Iowa Hawkeyes YouTube channel.

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