Iowa’s first preseason Big Ten ranking may not have turned heads inside the program, but it does give Ben McCollum’s group another chip to carry into October.
The Hawkeyes, coming off that improbable Elite Eight run after finishing ninth in the Big Ten last season, have plenty of people talking after an eye-opening turnaround. But not everyone is ready to buy all the way in. Iowa lost three players from last year’s team - NBA-bound guard Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras, who transferred to Louisville, and Brendan Hausen, who graduated - even as the roster picked up more depth and balance.
Still, some outside voices aren’t viewing the Hawkeyes as an instant leap candidate. “The Field of 68” slotted Iowa at No. 10 in its preseason Big Ten power rankings, one spot behind where the team finished in the conference last season. Preseason lists only tell part of the story, but they do offer a snapshot of how the outside world sees the Hawkeyes entering year two under McCollum.
That external skepticism could fit neatly with how Iowa wants to approach the season anyway. McCollum and his players are unlikely to put much stock in rankings publicly, but a middling forecast can still work as fuel. Plenty of observers are optimistic about Iowa’s outlook, and the team gets an immediate chance to show whether that confidence is justified.
The schedule won’t give them much breathing room. Iowa opens Big Ten play at Purdue in West Lafayette, then faces an early home-and-away set with Nebraska.
The non-conference slate is tougher, too. In a league as brutal as the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes will learn quickly where they stand.
That matters because McCollum’s first year produced too many highs and lows. Iowa had the kind of wins that grab attention, but the rough losses were just as glaring. Year two has to bring more steadiness, and McCollum now has a full Big Ten season behind him to help get there.
On paper, this roster looks more complete. Iowa has a crowd of versatile wings and believes it can put four or five shooters on the floor at once.
The addition of 7-foot-3 transfer Andrew McKeever also gives the Hawkeyes a much-needed boost in size. If the young wings develop quickly, Iowa has the pieces to surprise some people.
The Hawkeyes still aren’t being placed alongside Illinois, Michigan State, and Purdue just yet. But if they can push toward a top-five finish in the conference, that would go a long way toward proving the preseason doubters wrong.
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