Ben McCollum comments on Iowa basketball recruiting strategy

TL;DR

Iowa basketball coach Ben McCollum emphasizes a recruiting strategy focused on high school players rather than primarily relying on the transfer portal. He believes in developing young talent for long-term success.

Key points

Iowa coach Ben McCollum prefers high school recruits
The transfer portal is a significant factor in college basketball
Iowa has had success with both high school players and transfers

Mentioned in this story

Ben McCollum

Iowa Hawkeyes

In the modern-day age of college basketball, the transfer portal has become king when it comes to building and creating a roster.

Every offseason, thousands of players jump ship into the portal, hoping to go somewhere that has more money or playing time for them. This puts a ton of pressure on the coaching staffs at these schools, who have to replace key pieces every single year. While Iowa has certainly been involved in the transfer portal, it's not the main avenue through which they want to build their roster.

Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum sat down with WHO 13's John Sears last week, where he revealed how he wants to build his team at Iowa.

"We prefer to build with high school kids, trust our development, trust those kids, and then eventually they'll be the ones to play," McCollum said. "We've had success with the portal, and I've had success in the past with transfers. We want to make sure to do that as well, to get these high school kids to where, every year you're recruiting from within."

McCollum's approach is more old-school, with a focus on the high school ranks and using the portal as a supplement to that. This offseason has been the perfect example of that.

Iowa is only bringing in two transfers, the same number of high school recruits coming to the program next season. Tate Sage, Trey Thompson, and Trevin Jirak were all high school recruits last offseason for McCollum, who are slated to play huge roles next season. It wouldn't be shocking to see Ethan Harris or Jaidyn Coon, the two newest high school recruits, play a role in 2026 either.

McCollum practices what he preaches. His words aren't empty. When he says he wants to build his roster at Iowa from within with a lot of high school recruits, he means it. And he's building a culture in which that's a strong possibility. In the modern-day era of college basketball, that might be the most impressive thing he's done so far in Iowa City.

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Q&A

What is Ben McCollum's recruiting strategy for Iowa basketball?

Ben McCollum prefers to recruit high school players and focus on their development instead of primarily using the transfer portal.

How does the transfer portal impact college basketball recruiting?

The transfer portal has created pressure on coaching staffs to replace players annually, but some coaches, like McCollum, still prioritize high school recruits.

What has been Iowa's approach to building their basketball roster?

Iowa aims to build its roster mainly through high school recruits while also utilizing the transfer portal when necessary.