March 17, 2022. A date Cam Manyawu would like to forget. 

The Missouri 6A High School State Semifinal game featured the Nixa Eagles versus the Staley Falcons. Nixa was led by a standout guard from the southwest corner of the state named Kael Combs. On the other side, Manyawu, a rising forward from Kansas City, starred in a sixth man role for Staley. 

Combs’ game-high 19 points led Nixa to the 53-43 victory and a spot in the state championship game. Manyawu doesn’t remember too much of it, though he’d rather keep it that way. 

“It’s kind of one of those games that… I didn’t really want to relive,” he said. 

The two then-high school juniors never talked before that day, familiar with each other through mutual friends. Little did they know the journey they’d go on together from Wyoming to Drake and now to Iowa, where they’ve started nearly every game together in the loaded Big Ten conference. 

Missouri to Wyoming

Combs and Manyawu both admitted to being late bloomers in high school — impact players the first three years of high school, then earned Missouri Class 6 All-State honors for their respective senior seasons. They received interest in several mid-major and Division II programs.

Then-Sycamores assistant head coach Bryston Williams loved what he saw from both Missouri natives. Manyawu did receive an official offer from the school and initially committed to play there, while then-head coach Josh Schertz was focused on a transfer guard rather than Combs, a freshman. 

Shortly after Manyawu’s commitment, Williams took the head coaching job at Wyoming and offered both Manyawu and Combs. The pair committed shortly after and, ironically, ended up as random roommates — the start of their relationship. 

The Cowboys ended the 2023-24 season with a 15-17 record and an eighth-place finish in the Mountain West conference. Manyawu played a sizable role in his first year of Division I ball, playing 23 minutes a game across 32 appearances. Combs, on the other hand, faced more of a limited role, averaging 10 minutes across 27 games. 

Wyoming to Drake

One of the other commonalities with Manyawu and Combs’ high school recruitment was their very first offer: Northwest Missouri State. The head coach at the time? Ben McCollum. 

After earning four Division II national championships during his 15-year tenure with the Bearcats, McCollum took his talents to Des Moines, Iowa, to become the head coach at Drake University. 

He reached out to both former Cowboys, who were in the transfer portal, hoping that the upgrade to mid-major Division I was attractive enough. 

And it was — Manyawu andCombs moved states once again, this time as a planned duo. 

“Being one of the first coaches to talk to me in high school, that meant a lot to me, just the early belief in me,” Combs said. “You can always trust him and you can always depend on him, and that’s exactly what you want in a head coach. “

Their bond strengthened through vast success in the Missouri Valley Conference alongside new teammates and fellow Missouri natives Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, and Isaia Howard. Drake rolled through its competition for a 30-3 regular season record, a conference title, and a NCAA Tournament win. 

Manyawu and Combs both held similar roles like their previous year at Wyoming in terms of playing time and production — only difference being Manyawu starting all 35 games for Drake. 

Drake to Iowa

Regardless of Combs’ limited minutes, McCollum believed in him just as much as Manyawu. So much so that the coach brought along the duo to Iowa City the following year to play for the Hawkeyes.

“It felt super good honestly, just knowing that you have someone that’s going through the same things as you,” Combs said of he and Manyawu’s commitment to Iowa. “It doesn’t make you feel like you’re by yourself.”

And once again, Manyawu’s role remained the same as his two previous stops — 18 minutes a game, starting all 29 games thus far, averaging six points and 4.7 rebounds on 63 percent shooting. And right there alongside him in the first five is Combs, starting 25 of 29 contests with averages of 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 48 percent shooting from the floor. 

“Just seeing him be able to come here to Iowa, take on the challenge, and then be able to play from the jump and really contribute and be an everyday guy, I’m just happy for him,” Manyawu said of Combs’ increased opportunities.

If their 17-year-old selves in that high school semifinal game were to be told about the journey he and the guy on the other sideline would go through, they both wouldn’t have believed it. But they’re both grateful it did. 

“It’s a crazy story, but it’s our story,” Manyawu said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”