Iowa basketball has seen a stark shift in culture since the arrival of Ben McCollum.
The Hawkeyes turned from an offense-first system under Fran McCaffrey to a new two-way approach under McCollum. This year, Iowa runs one of the slowest tempos in the entire country, prioritizing playing strong defense and pairing that with a consistent offense. And the new approach is already paying dividends.
Advertisement
Iowa has raced out to a 9-2 start this season, and almost pulled a road upset over a top-five Iowa State squad last week. McCollum brought in a bunch of guys who play his style of basketball, and while there have been some bumps in the road early on, the results are hard to argue with. One trio of players, in particular, has been extra efficient on the court together so far.
Fox College Hoops released their top-five most efficient three-man combos in college basketball this year, and a trio of Hawks made the list.
The Hawkeyes’ combo of senior guard Bennett Stirtz, senior forward Tavion Banks, and sophomore guard Isaia Howard checked in on Fox Sports’ list. That trio has a 97 defensive rating, 99 offensive rating, and a 99 net rating in 155 possessions and 97 minutes shared on the court this season. That trio is the only Big Ten representative on the list.
Advertisement
Stirtz was the big name coming into the season, as the 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year was expected to play a huge role in Iowa City this year. And he’s done just that, playing solid defense and facilitating the offense, currently averaging 17.5 points and 4.9 assists per game. Banks has taken on a new role this year as a starter and has thrived. The former Drake Bulldog is averaging 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, while providing consistent defense as well.
The biggest surprise is Howard, who’s been a revelation for the Hawkeeys this year. He wasn’t expected to take on a huge role, but he has played himself into more minutes by averaging 7.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field in just over 20 minutes a night. His contributions have been excellent this year, and Howard is looking like a sneaky big pickup that McCollum brought with him from Drake.
That trio will get a chance to continue their elite play this Saturday, when the Hawkeyes take on Bucknell at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CST and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Advertisement
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa trio among most efficient in college basketball
