The Iowa Hawkeyes open the 2026-27 season on their home floor Friday night, welcoming Lipscomb to Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City for a 7 p.m. CT tip on the Big Ten Network.
It’s the first game of Ben McCollum’s second season at Iowa, and the Hawkeyes are trying to keep the momentum rolling after last year’s deep NCAA Tournament run to the Elite 8. This time around, Iowa brings in a revamped roster built through transfer portal additions and a strong recruiting class.
Lipscomb arrives with a game already under its belt. The Bisons open their trip with Southeast Missouri State and then turn around for a second straight day of action against Iowa, making this the first meeting ever between the two programs.
The matchup features two teams coming off solid 2025-26 seasons. Iowa finished 24-13 and reached the Elite 8, while Lipscomb went 19-13 under Kevin Carroll, who enters his 11th season with a 141-148 overall record and a 19-13 mark at Lipscomb.
For Iowa, the early attention is on how the new pieces fit. The guard rotation is one of the biggest questions, and Kael Combs looks like a strong candidate to get the first nod. Isaia Howard and Ty’Reek Coleman should also handle plenty of the ball as McCollum’s offense gets rolling.
The frontcourt has its own possibilities. Andrew McKeever gives Iowa a true big-bodied center and paint presence, while Cam Manyawu offers a smaller, quicker look when the Hawkeyes want to speed things up. Both could see action early in the opener.
That’s the part of this team that stands out most heading into the season: the offense. McCollum’s teams are built to defend and drag the game into a grind, but the real mystery is how the attack will look with so many new faces. Friday night should offer the first real clues.
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