Ben McCollum hasn’t wasted any time making his presence felt in Iowa City. Since taking the reins of the Hawkeyes program, he and his staff have started to reshape the roster with a few key recruiting wins - and one of the biggest so far is the commitment of Ethan Harris, a four-star forward out of Camas, Washington.
Standing 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 200 pounds, Harris brings a rare blend of size, skill, and motor to the table. He’s currently ranked No. 110 nationally and the No. 17 power forward in the 2026 class, per 247Sports. That’s a significant get for Iowa, especially considering they beat out programs like Gonzaga, Washington, and Boise State to land him.
So what makes Harris such a compelling piece for Iowa’s future?
Let’s start with the production. As a junior, Harris filled up the stat sheet: 18.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3 assists, and nearly 3 steals and blocks per game.
That’s not just box score stuffing - that’s impact basketball on both ends of the floor. He led a seasoned Camas squad to a deep playoff run, falling just short in a double-overtime heartbreaker in the state quarterfinals.
The Papermakers are 15-4 this season and currently ranked 11th in Washington’s Class 4A - and Harris is a big reason why.
What really makes Harris stand out, though, is how seamlessly he fits into McCollum’s system. Iowa is building around a group of hybrid forwards - long, skilled, versatile players who can do a little bit of everything - and Harris fits that mold to a tee. While he might look like a traditional three or four in a conventional system, under McCollum, he’s more of a point-forward with the freedom to initiate offense, switch on defense, and create mismatches all over the floor.
“He brings the ball up a lot for his high school team,” McCollum said recently. “He can really pass, he can really shoot, and he creates a lot of mismatch problems because of that.”
That kind of versatility is exactly what McCollum wants. He’s building a positionless frontcourt where multiple players can handle, screen, drive, and shoot - and the more of them you have, the harder it becomes for defenses to keep up.
Harris joins a young core that includes Cooper Koch, Tate Sage, Trey Thompson, Isaia Howard, and Alvaro Folgueiras - all of whom bring different flavors to the hybrid role. Harris, with his guard-like skill set and relentless energy, adds another layer.
“His energy is through the roof,” McCollum said. “He’s fiery now. He’s ready to go.”
That motor isn’t just for show. Harris played his AAU ball on the Pro16 Circuit with Select Basketball, where he averaged 9.9 points, 6.9 boards, 2 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
He was named to the All-Defensive First Team - a nod to his ability to guard multiple positions, stay in front of quick guards, and rotate effectively off the ball. That kind of defensive versatility is gold in today’s game, and it’s a big part of why Iowa prioritized him early.
In fact, Iowa was one of the first high-major programs to get serious about Harris, even bringing him in for an official visit before extending an offer. Other schools like Virginia Tech, Gonzaga, and Washington had offers on the table, but Iowa had been quietly recruiting him for a while, trying to keep things low-key before the rest of the Power Five caught wind.
So how did McCollum even find Harris, a Washington native, when Iowa typically doesn’t recruit that far west?
“I was tipped off by another coach,” McCollum explained. “He said, ‘Hey, if this kid gets a bigger offer, he’s perfect for you guys.’ I watched him for five minutes and said, ‘He’s pretty good.’”
That tip turned into a full-court press. McCollum and his staff didn’t want to overexpose their interest publicly, but they made it clear to Harris that he was a priority. And when other Power Five programs finally came calling, Iowa had already built the relationship.
McCollum even compared Harris to Ryan Hawkins, one of his former stars at Northwest Missouri State. Hawkins was a high-motor forward who helped lead the Bearcats to three national titles and later transferred to Creighton, where he earned Second Team All-Big East honors. While Harris might be more advanced offensively than Hawkins at the same stage - with better ball-handling, more perimeter twitch, and the ability to guard 1 through 4 - the comparison speaks volumes about what McCollum sees in him.
Harris is the type of player who can knock down threes off movement, attack closeouts, and finish at the rim. He’s comfortable in ball screens, capable of initiating offense, and has the defensive chops to switch across multiple positions. That’s the full hybrid package, and it’s why he’s such a natural fit next to Iowa’s length and skill at the forward spots.
Right now, Harris is the lone commit in Iowa’s 2026 class, but McCollum has made it clear they’re not done yet. The Hawkeyes are still in the market for a guard in that class and potentially a developmental big if the right one comes along.
But make no mistake - Harris is the headliner. He checks every box McCollum looks for in a recruit: size, skill, motor, versatility, and a competitive edge that jumps off the screen. For a program looking to build a modern, flexible roster that can play fast and switch everything, this is exactly the kind of piece you want to start with.
“He’s got some juice now,” McCollum said with a grin.
And if Harris brings that juice to Iowa City the way McCollum believes he can, the Hawkeyes just landed a foundational piece for their future.