Iowa took a tough one on the chin Saturday, falling hard to No. 13 Purdue at home, 78-57. The 21-point defeat marked the Hawkeyes' worst loss of the season and the largest margin of defeat for a Ben McCollum-led team since his 2009-10 Northwest Missouri State squad dropped a 25-point game to Missouri Southern.
But even in a blowout like this, there were glimpses of promise-particularly from a freshman big man who might just be carving out a role for the future.
Trevin Jirak, the 6-foot-11 freshman center, logged double-digit minutes for the first time since December 29. And while the box score won’t blow anyone away-six points, one rebound, one assist on 1-of-4 shooting-his presence was felt.
Jirak brought energy to a team that desperately needed a jolt. He got to the free throw line, moved the ball with confidence, and flashed that offensive skill set McCollum has been high on since the day he landed in Iowa City.
“We just weren’t going,” McCollum said postgame. “He moves the ball, he’s an elite offensive player.
… I thought he was good. Defensively he was behind a little bit, but offensively, he was really good.”
That’s the kind of quote that makes you think Jirak’s minutes are about to trend upward-and fast.
What makes Jirak’s emergence even more compelling is the road he took to get here. The West Des Moines Valley product, a three-time state champion, originally committed to Northern Iowa under Ben Jacobson.
But when McCollum made the jump from Drake to Iowa, Jirak reopened his recruitment and ultimately chose his dream school. It was a risk, but one that’s starting to pay off.
McCollum and his staff had tried to recruit Jirak while at Drake but got in late after moving up from Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State. Still, Jirak had already committed to UNI before his breakout showing at Peach Jam. That performance, though, left an impression.
“If he wasn’t the best player in that deal, he was pretty close,” McCollum recalled. “We’re like, ‘Man, he’s a Power 5 kid.’”
That Power 5 potential was on display against Purdue, even if it came with growing pains. Jirak was thrown into the fire against two of the Big Ten’s more imposing bigs-South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff and Purdue’s 7-foot-4 sophomore Daniel Jacobsen.
Defensively, the freshman’s lack of foot speed showed. But McCollum sees that as part of the process, not a roadblock.
“He’s gotten shockingly more mobile than when he first got here,” McCollum noted during a Monday media call. “Defensively, it’ll all depend on just that. It’ll depend on his leverage.”
The plan? Keep reshaping his body and work on the fundamentals-leverage, footwork, and positioning. McCollum even joked that Jirak might need to take a page out of Iowa football’s playbook, channeling the technique of offensive linemen like Logan Jones or Gennings Dunker.
“He needs to just make sure that he can leverage almost like an offensive lineman where you keep your feet on the ground,” McCollum said. “It’s a good thing we’ve got an O-lineman as our strength coach. So, we’re going to teach him some of those drills.”
The comparison to Nebraska’s Rienk Mast is telling. McCollum isn’t saying Jirak is there yet-far from it.
Mast is a veteran with years of experience, while Jirak is just getting started. But conceptually, the blueprint is there: improve the voice on defense, sharpen the instincts, and let the offensive skill set shine.
And that skill set is real. Jirak sees the floor well, understands spacing, and has a feel for passing that’s rare for a freshman big. He’s not just a project; he’s a player with real upside.
With six regular season games left-including matchups against top-tier opponents like No. 1 Michigan, No.
9 Nebraska, and No. 24 Wisconsin-Jirak may not be a focal point, but don’t be surprised if he’s called upon for a spark, some size, or a stretch of smart offensive movement.
“Now is a good chance to kind of recalibrate some things and adjust to get something to kick start what we’re doing,” McCollum said.
The coach knows what he has in Jirak. A winner.
A worker. A kid who’s in the gym every day, chipping away at the parts of his game that need refining.
And while his minutes may still be limited this season, the foundation is being laid for something more.
“He didn’t exactly move great in high school, either,” McCollum said. “For some reason, he won three straight championships.
There’s just something unique about winners. He’s a winner as a human being, and he’s in here working every single day.
He’s in there right now. He’s just one of those kids.”
One of those kids who might just be a big part of what Iowa is building-sooner rather than later.