The Iowa basketball roster has been completely rehauled this offseason following the departure of Fran McCaffery and the arrival of Ben McCollum.
The Hawkeyes saw most of their 2024-25 roster either graduate or transfer, leaving lots of roster spots for McCollum to fill. And so he got to work, bringing in a plethora of transfers and filling out Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class. He brought a lot of guys with him from Drake and went outside the state for talent as well.
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And some of those transfers have risen above the rest, receiving a ton of hype entering the 2025-26 season. 247Sports put together their top 30 Big Ten basketball transfers, and a pair of new Hawkeyes made their way onto the list.
Which Iowa basketball players were named top transfers in the Big Ten?
Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz (14) looks to shoot a free throw during practice June 19, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
The first Hawkeye to appear on the list was Bennett Stirtz, ranked as the second-best transfer in the entire conference for the 2025-26 season. Only Yaxel Lendenborg to Michigan was ranked higher by 247Sports. Everyone is familiar with Stirtz’s story at this point. The 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year was at Drake with McCollum last season and followed his coach to Iowa City.
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He can score at all three levels, is an elite facilitator, and a good defender. His playmaking will help Iowa spread the floor and be a way more efficient offense while not lacking anything defensively. He’s an extremely talented player who is receiving early NBA Draft buzz already. It makes total sense that he’s ranked that highly on the list.
Mar 21, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; Robert Morris Colonials forward Alvaro Folgueiras (7) reacts in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the NCAA Tournament First Round at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Stirtz is joined on the list by his new teammate Alvaro Folgueiras, who came in at 16th on the 247Sports ranking. The Robert Morris transfer averaged 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game last season for the Colonials. The incoming junior is coming off some incredible performances with Team Spain at the U20 EuroBasket, including a 28-point, 17-rebound, nine-assist masterpiece in his final game of the tournament against Slovenia.
He was the Horizon League Conference MVP last season and will help shore up a frontcourt that lost a lot of production from last season. Folgueiras should play well off of Stirtz’s playmaking and will be a huge addition to the Hawkeyes in 2025-26 and beyond.
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The duo of Stirtz and Folgueiras could be one of the best in the entire conference, and paired with McCollum’s other moves, could help lead Iowa to some postseason success. The hype around the Iowa basketball team is extremely high right now, and these two players are a big reason why.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Pair of Iowa basketball players named to best Big Ten transfers list
