A strong paint presence was something of potential concern for Iowa men’s basketball coming into the 2025-26 season. With multiple transfers from Drake, many Hawkeye fans questioned if Iowa could compete down low against some of the Big Ten’s best. 

Junior forward Cam Manyawu may have answered that question with his dominant performance in the post in Iowa’s 91-51 win over Western Michigan on Sunday. 

Manyawu finished with 11 points on a perfect 5-for-5 day from the floor, while also collecting three rebounds and a block. 

“Just in the pick-and-roll, getting the ball and reading the tags, and it was just open,” Manyawu said about what worked for him. “So just being able to score it and use my body.”

Physicality is a staple in Big Ten basketball, with most of the top teams over the past few seasons possessing a strong post player, such as Purdue’s Zach Edey or Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn in recent years. 

Manyawu has embraced that physicality so far this season, averaging 8.4 points and 4.4 rebounds through 11 games, along with six blocks and seven steals. 

Manyawu has typically been undersized in every matchup this season, but it hasn’t stopped him from finding ways to outwork his opponents in the paint. At 6-foot-9, Manyawu was slightly undersized in his matchup with Western Michigan forward Max Burton, who is listed at 6-foot-10. 

The size differential didn’t bother Manyawu, much to the praises of his head coach, Ben McCollum.

“He’s outsized every game, but he understands angles, and he’s tough,” McCollum said. “He’s been excellent for us this season.”

McCollum also said that Manyawu’s preparation and ability to be ready consistently has improved over the last year. 

Manyawu’s 11 points on Sunday marks his fifth game with double digit points this season, and the third consecutive contest with those numbers. The Kansas City, Missouri, native also recorded a block for the third straight game.

Manyawu played just 13 minutes, mostly due to the game being out of reach early on, marking the first time since Nov. 20 against Chicago State that he’s logged 15 minutes or less. Regardless of time on the floor, Manyawu’s efficiency propelled Iowa to a blazing hot start.

Six of Manyawu’s 11 points came within the first 11 minutes of the game. Those quick points and defensive effort were the biggest keys to the Hawkeyes’ fast start they game planned for after a hard-fought loss to No. 4 Iowa State last Thursday. 

“Just executing the scout and understanding that our coaches do a really good job of giving us a good scout and knowing what to do,” Manyawu said about the fast start defensively. “We just have to execute and I think we did that.”

McCollum also added that the Hawkeyes’ concentration on defense was a big factor in them holding Western Michigan to just 16 first half points. 

Manyawu showed his ability to be dominant in the paint on both sides of the ball, but his leadership abilities were on full display, which is something McCollum has seen grow over the last year.

“He’s been phenomenal,” McCollum said. “His leadership has gotten exponentially better from last year.”