**2026-2027 Iowa Basketball Season Thread**

[BBK]

I hope the Iowa Basketball team has a successful season! Ben is a really good coach, but this year will be different without Stirtz. I’m developing expectations despite being told to know better by @whammo!

It'll be fine without Stirtz. Losing him is being completely overblown

 

[Lee Beevers]

It'll be fine without Stirtz. Losing him is being completely overblown

I like the team, but losing a guard you played 40 minutes a game seems jarring. Hopefully someone steps up and can settle the team when they’re in a difficult situation on the road.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

Full year of sage and Koch being the focal point on offense. They'll be fine. Points won't be a problem.

 

[BBK]

Hannity and Combs will be fine

 

[BBK]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

 

[CleteyColgate]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

Better

 

[BBK]

Better

I agree

 

[Lee Beevers]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

Koch averaged less than 8pts per game last year. I agree that he has some turning into a stud potential but easy big fella.

 

[Talkin' Goat]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

They’re too different to be able to compare IMO. But Stirtz’s defense left enough room for improvement that the overall net impact of losing him isn’t as massive as many would think. Pair that with growth in others, transfers, etc and we may be back in business, boyz.

 

[Billy Butters]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

You might be getting a little carried away. They're such different players it will be hard to compare but Koch played off of all the attention that Stirtz got. I don't really ever see Koch as a great isolation player. Stirtz quickness and ability to draw a second defender was what opened everything else up. Sounds like Coleman could be a stud but you need someone else that can do that and it's not Koch IMO.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

As a non ball knower, there were a lot of games early in the year last year where Koch really didn't give you anything. He'll be more like the last month than he was the first 3 months.

 

[BBK]

Koch averaged less than 8pts per game last year. I agree that he has some turning into a stud potential but easy big fella.

You must have missed the last 9 games where he averaged 11.4 ppg and turned into perhaps our best defender

 

[Lee Beevers]

You must have missed the last 9 games where he averaged 11.4 ppg and turned into perhaps our best defender

I did not. I like his potential, but we both know he’s not the guy who’s going to be at the top of the key with the ball and the shot clock running down. If he is we’re fucked.

 

[jquintana]

McCollum has proven year after year that his system and teaching methods work. I don't understand everyone getting their pants all in a bunch about losing a player. He has lost all-conference players every year for the last 10 years or so. By the end of the year, Iowa will be a very good team, and no one will want to play them.

 

[BBK]

Some of y'all are weird

 

[Hawk&Balls]

I did not. I like his potential, but we both know he’s not the guy who’s going to be at the top of the key with the ball and the shot clock running down. If he is we’re fucked.

At the same time he can also score lots of points as the second best player on the team

 

[The Dad]

I think by the end of this year Koch will be every bit as good as Stirtz was

Vandenberg was better than Banks.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

It'll be fine without Stirtz. Losing him is being completely overblown

He was our entire offense

 

[gohawkeyes811]

Obviously we don't expect you to understand what words actually mean, but clearly Stirtz was not Iowa's entire offense.

I think Stirtz is being both overvalued and undervalued in this discussion. He was the focal point, and he was the main reason they made the elite 8, regardless of his tournament statistics. Him being on the floor in those moments was the most important reason for Iowa advancing IMO. Example - no one that makes that play running to catch the inbound on the Folgers three. You don't lose someone like Stirtz and have it not matter.

However, I don't think this is some major blow to the team with McCollum at the helm. The dude is obviously insanely talented at evaluating what he can get out of his players. Coleman should fit in nicely and the rest of the team is going to improve as well.

 

[rodg12]

Ty’reek Coleman going to make L Wade’s obsession with young Peyton McCollum continue to look like the ravings of a complete dumbfuck.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

It's beyond strange.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Yes, it’s totally strange to not want to use a scholarship on a D3 kid.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

Lol.

 

[Billy Butters]

Yes, it’s totally strange to not want to use a scholarship on a D3 kid.

It's more important for the 15th man on the roster to bring positive energy and work ethic to the lockerroom than basketball skill. They'll never see meaningful minutes so who gives a shit if they are good at basketball.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

That's not what they said when pounding those garage beers.

 

[LifelongHawk]

It's beyond strange.

Hard time for him, hates Ferentz and wanted to post Fire Ferentz hundreds of times this fall, and the Hawks so far stellar season has him discomboobulatede.

 

[TurdBurgler]

Stirtz has been better at the next level than I expected. Granted it's preseason still. He was a great hawk.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

I feel like there could possibly be a greatly inflated sense of self importance occurring.

 

[Fletch]

Stirtz has been better at the next level than I expected. Granted it's preseason still. He was a great hawk.

McCollum nailed this as well. Thought he’d be a better pro because of the spacing

 

[LifelongHawk]

16th pick of the draft, we're obviously better off without him. Some people.

I do think Ben somewhat fit the system to Stirtz, and we'll see more aggressive defense and motion offense without him.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

Stop it lwade

 

[BBK]

16th pick of the draft, we're obviously better off without him. Some people.

Which no one said

 

[BBK]

Vandenberg was better than Banks.

Joanie loves Chachi

 

[shoot-the-three]

It's more important for the 15th man on the roster to bring positive energy and work ethic to the lockerroom than basketball skill. They'll never see meaningful minutes so who gives a shit if they are good at basketball.

Not if the 15th man took playing time away from a kid who lives on the cul-de-sac.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

It's more important for the 15th man on the roster to bring positive energy and work ethic to the lockerroom than basketball skill. They'll never see meaningful minutes so who gives a shit if they are good at basketball.

that’s the problem. He’s not the 15th guy. Everyone is reporting that he will be in the rotation.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Hard time for him, hates Ferentz and wanted to post Fire Ferentz hundreds of times this fall, and the Hawks so far stellar season has him discomboobulatede.

I don’t hate Ferentz. I am bored with Ferentz and our complete lack of competitiveness against top teams.

 

[Hawk&Balls]

that’s the problem. He’s not the 15th guy. Everyone is reporting that he will be in the rotation.

Show your work

 

[tallperson54]

I dont think a single person has said he'll be in the rotation wtf?

 

[AZmessDAWG]

I dont think a single person has said he'll be in the rotation wtf?

Read between the lines!!!

 

[Shawneemicks]

He’s in the top 15 of the rotation I bet

 

[Lee Beevers]

The cul-de-sac has been reporting it for months if you’ve been paying attention.

 

[LifelongHawk]

I don’t hate Ferentz. I am bored with Ferentz and our complete lack of competitiveness against top teams.

Point stands

 

[gohawkeyes811]

I don’t hate Ferentz. I am bored with Ferentz and our complete lack of competitiveness against top teams.

Yeah those Indiana and Oregon games last year
Just no competitiveness whatsoever.

 

[douglasbader]

I don’t hate Ferentz. I am bored with Ferentz and our complete lack of competitiveness against top teams.

He lost four games by 15 points total last year and three of them were top teams

 

[gohawkeyes811]

Ferentz must have fucked a bunch of the cul-de-sac wives.

 

[douglasbader]

Not to mention, he beat a team that barely missed the college playoff to end of the year

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Congrats to the hawks on being so close.

 

[gohawkeyes811]

That's not the point. We're calling you out for being wrong on what you said. You just can't admit it?

 

[gohawkeyes811]

Words mean things Wade.

 

[L. Wade Childress]

Words mean things Wade.

How long did we just go without a ranked win?