Iowa overcame an inconsistent Big Ten season to advance to the program’s first Elite Eight in 39 years during coach Ben McCollum’s program debut.
After losing several key pieces from that group, headlined by leading scorer Bennett Stirtz, the Hawkeyes will aim to build dependability as they progress forward.
Lipscomb offers the first test as the Hawkeyes open their season Nov. 3 in Iowa City.
“You just keep creating a habit of being ready,” McCollum said. “There’s no excuses. We’re in an infant stage of trying to develop the winning habits, and we haven’t developed them yet. It takes a while to get to where you understand what winning is. Winning, for me, is like the ability to be ready every single day, and we’re not there yet.”
Naturally, McCollum used offseason workouts to help give the team a head start.
“Creating an intense environment,” Iowa’s Kael Combs said. “That’s what (McCollum) always preaches. You want to create an intense environment, so that when you get into the games, you’re composed.”
The Hawkeyes hope returners such as Combs can jell quickly with newcomers to that end. Iowa’s transfer portal additions include Illinois State guard Ty’Reek Coleman (10.0 points per game last season) and Saint Mary’s center Andrew McKeever (8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds).
Lipscomb will travel to Iowa after visiting Southeast Missouri State for its season opener Monday night.
The Bisons also are set to play road games against two of the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten counterparts, Purdue and Ohio State, later in November. Lipscomb coach Kevin Carroll said in a press release that the team’s nonconference schedule “is intentionally crafted to challenge us and prepare us for the demands” of the team’s Atlantic Sun Conference slate.
Carroll guided the Bisons to a 19-13 finish in 2025-26, his first season with the program. Lipscomb returns its fifth- and sixth-leading scorers from last season in guard Mateo Esmeraldo (9.9 ppg) and forward Titas Sargiunas (9.7).
“The mental stress at this level is a lot more but it doesn’t really come from the coaching side of it; it comes more from the managing expectations, managing the process of evaluating and recruiting players now,” Carroll told basketball analytics organization Wisely Optimize in October. “And the establishing and the creation of resources that allow you to retain your best players and go get good ones.”
