By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – In the span of about 12 hours, Iowa fans learned that Ben Kueter will have hip surgery and not play for the Iowa football team this fall; that Iowa women’s basketball assistant coach Raina Harmon has been hired as the new head coach for Florida Gulf Coast and that former Iowa guard Josh Dix has committed to Creighton.

The news would continue on Friday as sophomore forward and Waukee native forward Pryce Sandfort announced that he has committed to Nebraska, and then just a few hours later, On3 reported that freshman forward/guard Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, who transferred from Miami (Fla.) to Iowa in January, had entered the portal.

That’s a lot for Hawkeyes fan to digest in a short time.

Kueter’s mother, Tina, posted on Facebook Thursday night that her son will have hip surgery that will cause him to miss the 2025 football season, but that he should be ready for the 2025-26 wrestling season.

Ben Kueter finished in eighth place at the 2025 NCAA Championships at 285 pounds, earning All-America honors as a redshirt freshman.

He then posted on social media that it was back to football where he plays linebacker for the Hawkeyes.

But then Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz cast some doubt on Kueter’s football status by saying in a recent press conference to mark the start of spring practice that that Kueter should take some time off.

This will be the second straight football season that Kueter, a 2023 graduate of Iowa City High School, will have missed at Iowa.

He stepped away from football for the 2024 season to focus solely on wrestling, but with the understanding that he would return to football this spring.

That two-sport plan has since changed with Kueter now set to have hip surgery.

As for for Raina Harmon, her loss will be felt in that she was a key piece to Iowa’s success in women’s basketball on and off the court.

But that is the risk with having a talented assistant coach because others schools take notice and that ultimately leads to an opportunity for career advancement.

“It’s a great day for FGCU to welcome Raina Harmon to the Nest as the next leader of our women’s basketball program,” said Colin Hargis, FGCU director of athletics. “Harmon’s energy, passion and commitment to student-athletes combined with her coaching experience will champion the continued growth and success for the FGCU women’s basketball program.”

The loss of Dix, meanwhile, is real gut punch for new Iowa head coach Ben McCollum.

Dix, a 6-foot-6 guard from Council Bluffs, would have given McCollum an established player with All-Big Ten potential to help build around.

Imagine a backcourt with Dix and 6-4 point guard Bennett Stirtz, who played for McCollum at Drake this past season, but has since committed to Iowa.

McCollum at his introductory press conference mentioned the name of three Iowa players – Dix, Cooper Koch and Pryce Sandfort – as Iowa players that he hoped would at at Iowa.

So far, McCollum is one-for-three as Cooper Koch, a 6-8 freshman forward, announced recently that he will stay at Iowa.

By choosing Creighton, Dix will be much closer to his hometown and he will join a program that has made five straight NCAA Tournament appearance under veteran head coach Greg McDermott.

Creighton also has won at least 22 games in each of the past six seasons.

Pryce Sandfort in choosing Nebraska will now play for head coach Fred Hoiberg, and for a Big Ten border rival.

For Hawkeye fans, that has to sting a little bit.

Pryce Sandfort, who is the younger brother of former Hawkeye Payton Sandfort, was a key player for Iowa off the bench this past season.

The news hasn’t been all bad for McCollum as four of his players from Drake, including Stirtz, have announced that they will follow McCollum Iowa.  The number could grow to five if forward Tavion Banks were to commit to Iowa as is expected.

Dix will join former Iowa forward Owen Freeman at Creighton next season.

Freeman was the first of nine Iowa players to enter the transfer portal after Fran McCaffery was fired as the Iowa head coach.

Sophomore point guard Brock Harding entered the transfer portal shortly after Fran McCaffery was fired and Harding since committed to TCU, while senior center Riley Mulvey has committed to Siena, which is in his home state of New York.

Former Iowa forwards Ladji Dembele, Seydou Traore and Chris Tadjo also have entered the portal since Fran McCaffery was let go.

Fran McCaffery didn’t take long to find a new job as he was recently hired as the new men’s basketball coach for Penn, which is his alma mater and is located in his hometown of Philadelphia.