What are the biggest transfer portal needs for Iowa basketball?

The first season under head coach Ben McCollum proved to be more fruitful for the Iowa basketball program than many thought.

The Hawkeyes made a stunning run to the Elite Eight, their farthest NCAA Tournament push in almost 40 years. Featuring a team of transfers and overlooked players, McCollum found the secret sauce to get them three tournament victories, cementing himself as one of the brightest young minds in college basketball. Now the key is to avoid becoming the dreaded one-hit wonder.

While it's great that Iowa made that run last season, it'll be up to next year's team to build on that success. It's going to be tough, with Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, and Brendan Hausen all graduating. McCollum is going to have to go to work in the transfer portal to fill some big needs. What do the Hawkeyes need to get in the portal this offseason to set themselves up for another run in March?

Here are the biggest transfer portal needs for the Iowa basketball program:

A primary ball handler

The biggest hole on next year's roster is at point guard. With Stirtz off to the NBA, Iowa is losing someone who played a ton of minutes, had the ball in his hands consistently, and made very few mistakes with it. The odds of replacing Stirtz with one guy in the portal are low. With that being said, picking up a new point guard who can handle the rock and run the offense is a must.

Kael Combs is returning, which is good for the Hawkeyes. But he's not the kind of player to be out there 35 minutes a night leading the offense. He's best suited to start in the backcourt alongside a point guard who runs the show. It's no small task, but finding the next point guard to take up Stirtz's mantle has got to be priority No. 1 for McCollum in the portal.

Some more size

Iowa had problems all season long on the glass because it was a smaller team. Those problems didn't cost them in the NCAA tournament until the Elite Eight game against Illinois. The Illini took full advantage of the Hawkeyes' smaller lineups, controlling the glass and doing whatever they wanted to in the paint. It's the biggest reason why Iowa didn't find itself in the Final Four.

McCollum will need to go hunting for more size in the portal this offseason. It would probably behoove the Hawkeyes to have a regular center on the roster that the coaching staff feels confident can give them good minutes. Cam Manyawu battled last season, but at just 6-foot-9, he struggled against more traditional centers. Iowa needs to ensure that issue doesn't come back to bite them again.

A sharpshooter

Iowa is losing a lot of 3-point production from last season. Stirtz led the team with 92 made threes last season, knocking them down at a 35.8% clip. Banks didn't shoot a ton from behind the arc, but did lead the Hawks at 44.2% from long range. Hausen hit 22 threes at a 32.8% clip, despite not playing a ton down the stretch. That's a lot of production from behind the arc not returning next season.

The good news for McCollum is that Cooper Koch and Tate Sage will be back. They shot 40.2% and 38.9% from three, respectively. Even with those two guys back, it would be smart for the program to add another sharpshooter to the roster to help space the floor. They just need someone that opposing defenses have to respect from distance, creating opportunities for everyone to get involved offensively.

If McCollum and the Hawks can add these three things to an already-impressive returning roster, the sky will be the limit for the 2026-27 Hawkeyes.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: What are the biggest transfer portal needs for Iowa basketball?