Peyton McCollum’s first season at Iowa has already been shaped by setbacks, patience and a return to the floor that took longer than anyone wanted.
The oldest son of Iowa coach Ben McCollum was already headed toward a redshirt year before the injuries piled up. A left foot issue in the winter knocked him out for an extended stretch, and just as he got back to playing pickup, he stepped on someone’s foot in what he called a “freak deal” and hurt his right foot.
“I was mad,” McCollum said. “I was very angry.
A lot of emotions going on. It was a rough time.”
He didn’t stay there for long.
“The next couple of days, we recovered, we were fine, we were just on to the next,” McCollum said. “Like, got to recover from this one. We’re going to recover and rehab even harder this time.”
McCollum has since made it back onto the court for the Hawkeyes, and his coach said the recovery work was a big part of that.
“He’s been playing well,” Ben McCollum said of his oldest son. “Had to do a great job with (athletic trainer Brad Floy) and (director of men’s basketball athletic performance Logan Ogden) getting him rehabbed back to health.
He’s had some good practices. He’s competing, all that.”
While he was sidelined, Peyton McCollum leaned on movies to keep his mind right. He said he mostly worked through IMDb’s top movies and figured he got through about 60 or 70 of them.
“I really enjoy watching movies,” he said. “So I kind of just binge-watched movies.
And then, obviously, focus on your team, as well, because we were in the offseason. Just hanging with the guys, doing everything with them.”
Asked about the rankings, he didn’t exactly give IMDb a spotless review.
“There’s some of the older ones, I’m like, 'Eehhh, I don’t know,' maybe just because they’re classics,” McCollum said. “But, yeah, I agree with most of them.”
Now that he’s back, McCollum says the biggest adjustment is taking better care of himself day to day. He admitted he hasn’t always been big on recovery, but the injuries changed that.
“Just making sure my body’s prepared every single day,” McCollum said. “I’ve never really been like big into recovery, ice baths.
Just being in that training room, making sure to take care of your body more, because it’s pretty strenuous on your body when you’re just going all year long. So just realizing to take your time away from basketball to actually help your body, help your mind.”
That matters for Iowa, which last season mostly relied on just two primary ball handlers, Bennett Stirtz and Kael Combs. This year, the Hawkeyes could have more options. Combs, McCollum, Tate Sage and Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman all have a chance to handle the ball and give Iowa more depth in the backcourt.
McCollum sees his role as more than just another guard in the mix.
“I think I can bring (being a) great teammate, energy, a little bit of leadership if need be,” McCollum said, “and obviously when my shots (are) not falling or when I’m not getting to the basket, a great defender, as well.”
At 6-foot-2, he doesn’t bring big size for the Big Ten, but Waukee Northwest coach Brett Watson pointed to something else: maturity and a calm approach. In McCollum’s lone season with the Wolves, he helped them reach the state championship game and shot around 40% from deep as a senior.
A lot has changed since his high school days ended in 2025, with the injuries and Iowa’s Elite Eight run among the biggest developments. But after all that, McCollum finally has a chance to contribute for the Hawkeyes, and maybe fill some of the guard depth they were missing a year ago.
“It’s been a long ride, but it’s awesome to come and compete again,” McCollum said of returning from foot injuries. “That’s what I love about basketball.”
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TyReek Coleman May Be Iowas Answer In The Biggest Moments
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