Isaia Howard Embracing His Role, Elevating Iowa’s Identity
IOWA CITY - When Ben McCollum took over as Iowa’s head men’s basketball coach, he had a vision for the kind of team he wanted to build - tough, unselfish, defensively sound, and relentless in effort. Sophomore guard Isaia Howard fits that mold so well, McCollum says he wishes his whole team played like him.
That’s high praise for a second-year player in his first season of Big Ten basketball. But spend a few minutes watching Howard come off the bench and it’s easy to see why.
Howard’s not lighting up the scoreboard every night, but his impact is undeniable. He’s become a key part of Iowa’s early rotation, typically checking in alongside his roommate and fellow sparkplug Tate Sage. Together, they bring a jolt of energy that’s helped reshape the Hawkeyes’ identity on the floor - gritty, fast, and fearless.
“I didn’t think I would end up here at all,” Howard said. “That’s always the goal, to play at the biggest level you can.”
Howard’s journey to Iowa wasn’t a straight line. He grew up in Plattsburg, Missouri - a town of just under 2,300 people tucked northeast of Kansas City.
It’s the kind of place where everybody knows everybody, and where dreams of playing Power Four basketball can feel a world away. But Howard never let that stop him.
A multi-sport athlete in high school, Howard played both safety and quarterback on the football field before deciding his future was on the hardwood. He originally committed to North Dakota State, but a gut feeling pulled him toward Drake - and more importantly, toward McCollum.
“I think it really hit home that I think Coach Mack was the guy,” Howard said. “So I just made a gut decision and went with it.”
That decision is paying off. Howard has bought into McCollum’s no-nonsense, defense-first system - a philosophy that mirrors how he was raised.
His mother instilled that mindset early, and it’s carried through every level of his development. Now, it’s showing up in the box score and beyond.
Through the early part of the season, Howard has posted a 21-to-15 assist-to-turnover ratio and tallied 23 steals - numbers that speak to his growing comfort on the court and his ability to make plays without forcing them.
“He’s a winner,” McCollum said. “He brings juice, brings energy.”
That energy is contagious. Whether it’s diving for loose balls, locking down on defense, or simply making the right pass, Howard has carved out a role by doing the little things - the kind of plays that don’t always make highlight reels but win games.
Now, the next step is unlocking his offensive confidence. Howard is averaging 6.6 points per game, currently seventh on the team in scoring. He’s shown flashes of scoring ability, but McCollum believes there’s more to tap into.
The challenge? Getting Howard to believe in his jumper the same way he believes in his defense.
“I think there’s always a way for you to get better in any aspect and to keep growing your game,” Howard said. “But I think shooting the ball obviously would help a lot.
There’s so many ways to space the floor. Shooting is huge.
So just being able to keep shooting the ball, shooting the ball way better, shoot the ball better.”
That kind of self-awareness - and hunger to improve - is part of what makes Howard such a valuable piece for Iowa. He’s not satisfied with just being a role player.
He wants to be a complete player. And he’s putting in the work to get there.
Even as he pushes to expand his game, Howard hasn’t lost sight of what drives him: family. He wears bright, eye-catching shoes - currently a dual-colored pink Nike pair - as a way for his family to spot him on the court. It started with leg sleeves, but the message is the same: they’re with him every step of the way.
That connection to home, to his roots, is what fuels him. And it’s what makes his rise from small-town Missouri to Big Ten basketball all the more meaningful.
“He just brings intensity, effort and energy when he comes in the game,” Sage said. “It’s just something we really need. He’s embraced his role and takes pride in it, and that’s something that’s really, really important to us.”
Howard didn’t always imagine himself playing at this level. But now that he’s here, he’s proving he belongs - not just as a contributor, but as a tone-setter for what Iowa basketball is becoming under McCollum.
And if the rest of the roster follows Howard’s lead, the Hawkeyes are going to be a problem for the rest of the Big Ten.