By Hawk Fanatic

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa’s decision to fire Fran McCaffery as men’s basketball coach has proved costly in recruiting.

Joshua Lewis, a 6-foot-7 forward from Tampa, Florida, and a four-star prospect, has de-committed from Iowa.

“I was excited about playing for Coach Fran…but after the recent changes to the coaching staff I feel it’s in my best interest to explore other opportunities,” Lewis said to 247sports.

Lewis is ranked 69th nationally in the 2025 class by 247sports.

Fran McCaffery was let go the day after Iowa lost to Illinois 104-96 in the Big Ten Tournament last Thursday in Indianapolis.

He coached the Hawkeyes for 15 season and is the program’s all-time winningest head coach with 297 wins.

Iowa’s 2025 recruiting class, which also includes four-star forward Badara Diakite and three-star forward Dezmon Briscoe, was considered one of Fran McCaffery’s best classes on paper with Lewis as part of the class.

Lewis had previously been committed to South Florida, but switched his commitment to Iowa after South Florida head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim died this past October at the age of 43 due to complications during a medical procedure in Tampa.