Drake transfer Isaia Howard has committed to the Iowa men’s basketball team, he announced on social media Thursday. Howard will have three seasons of eligibility remaining for new head coach Ben McCollum. 

The first-year is the fourth player to move to the Hawkeyes following McCollum’s shift to replace former head coach Fran McCaffery, who was fired after posting a 17-16 mark in 2024-25. 

Fellow Drake players Bennett Stirtz, Cam Manyawu, and Kael Combs have also announced their intent to come to Iowa City, with Stirtz confirming his foregoing of a potential NBA draft to focus on Iowa.

Howard’s size and shooting have made him a potential player to watch in the future. 

“Howard has good size for a guard,” Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register wrote. “He has been in a winning culture at Drake, has experience playing for McCollum and already appeared in two NCAA Tournament games.”

In his high school career, Howard nabbed over 3,000 points and more than 500 steals, culminating in the first-year being the No. 10 player in Missouri for the class of 2024.

Howard’s momentum carried him into a successful first season with Drake and McCollum, where, in 30 appearances off the bench, the first-year averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. 

His 6-foot-5 frame created opportunities for high numbers even in postseason play, including 21 points in the Bulldogs’ 70-53 win over Southern Illinois in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. 

Eleventh-seeded Drake later upset No. 6 Missouri on March 20 in the first round of the NCAA tournament, 67-57, with a seven-point effort from Howard. After a 77-64 loss in the second round to third-seeded Texas Tech, the Missouri native finished his first season 31-4, including 17-3 in conference.