The Iowa men’s basketball program is heading into the final stretch of 2025 with something it hasn’t had in a while: momentum. After a string of underwhelming seasons, new head coach Ben McCollum has injected fresh energy into the program - and not just on the court.
The Hawkeyes are currently on a nine-day holiday break before wrapping up the calendar year with a home matchup against UMass Lowell. But while the players get a brief pause, the grind hasn’t stopped for McCollum and his staff. Recruiting - the lifeblood of any rebuild - is in full swing, and Iowa’s presence has been felt at one of the premier high school showcases in the country: the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Florida.
McCollum made it clear early on that revitalizing Iowa basketball wasn’t just about X’s and O’s. It’s about re-engaging a fanbase that had grown distant during the program’s recent struggles. He’s said it before: this turnaround has to be a collective effort - players, coaches, fans, and future recruits all pulling in the same direction.
That’s where the City of Palms Classic comes in.
This annual tournament is a magnet for elite high school talent, and Iowa’s staff has been locked in - courtside, evaluating, building relationships. One of the names drawing serious attention is Kevin Savage III, a 2027 four-star point guard out of Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia.
Savage showed out in Fort Myers, putting together a strong week that highlighted exactly why he’s so highly regarded. He’s a shifty, dynamic guard who impacts the game on both ends - a scorer, a playmaker, and a tenacious defender. That kind of versatility is gold in today’s game, and Iowa has taken notice.
According to recruiting insider Sam Kayser, Savage named Iowa among the programs recruiting him the hardest, alongside the likes of Purdue, Auburn, Oklahoma, Oregon, Cincinnati, and Ole Miss. It’s a competitive list, but the Hawkeyes are firmly in the mix.
And they should be. With current point guard Bennett Stirtz playing out his final season of eligibility, Iowa is going to need a new floor general to carry the torch. Savage could be that guy - a foundational piece for the future of McCollum’s system.
The recruiting rankings back it up. Rivals slots Savage as the No. 8 overall prospect in Georgia, the No. 19 point guard nationally, and No. 75 overall in the 2027 class. 247Sports is even higher on him, listing him as Georgia’s No. 4 overall player, the No. 7 point guard, and No. 31 nationally.
Those numbers tell one story. The tape tells another. Savage plays with a confidence and edge that jumps off the screen - the kind of presence that can reshape a backcourt.
For Iowa, landing a player like Savage would be a statement. It would signal that McCollum’s vision is resonating beyond the walls of Carver-Hawkeye Arena - that top-tier talent is not only listening, but seriously considering a future in black and gold.
The rebuild is still in its early stages, but the signs are promising. McCollum is putting in the work - not just to win games now, but to build something sustainable. And if the Hawkeyes can keep making noise on the recruiting trail, the future might arrive sooner than expected.