Ben McCollum’s offseason fix for Iowa’s size problem arrived with a 7-foot-3 answer.
After Illinois bullied the Hawkeyes on the boards in last year’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup, Iowa went into the portal looking for length, rebounding and a real interior presence. The result was Andrew McKeever, the Saint Mary’s transfer who is expected to bring exactly that to Iowa City.
The numbers from that loss told the story. Iowa was beaten on the glass 38-21, and Illinois collected 16 offensive rebounds that became 13 points. For a team that had ridden a Cinderella run deep into March, the lack of size finally caught up with it.
McCollum made it a priority to address that issue, and McKeever fits the bill. He described himself simply as “A defensive presence and a big presence on the glass,” and added, “I feel like I helped Saint Mary's a lot last year and can come in and do the same thing here.”
McKeever also spoke about the adjustment from Saint Mary’s to Iowa’s system, and it’s a different world for a big man. At Saint Mary’s, he said, the game was more about working with his back to the basket. Iowa, by contrast, asks its centers to stay active and help set up the offense.
“I like it, it's been good. It's definately an adjustment because Saint Mary is a little bit more stagnant for the bigs, more of a back to the basket type of thing.
This is a lot more active and you're kind of setting up the offense. It's been an adjustment but I'm liking it so far.
That transition hasn’t dimmed his enthusiasm. If anything, McKeever’s energy has already stood out during Iowa’s open practices, where his smile and motor have been easy to spot. He said he’s trying to keep that level up every day.
“I try to keep high energy to keep myself engaged with all the practices. It's pretty easy with these guys, they like a lot of intensity, a lot of energy. It's pretty easy to be yourself when you're out here.”
For McKeever, the move to Iowa was about more than just changing schools. He wanted a bigger stage and a chance to stretch his game, and Iowa’s style checked that box. The Hawkeyes’ run to the Elite Eight made an impression, too.
“Going to the next level is the biggest thing for me. Being able to expand my game was the biggest thing that was going to get me to achieve that. I feel like this offense is kind of perfect for me.”
“It was good to see them at the biggest stage, so that's a big thing. You could see, even before this year, how much of a winner Coach Mc[Collum] is. It added onto it, but you could already see what the pedigree was from him.”
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