By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Thirty minutes in July isn’t much time to make evaluations, but you do what you can with what you have to work with.

So here are five observations, or as some like to call them, takeaways, from having watched the Iowa men’s basketball team’s practice for approximately 30 minutes on Wednesday at the Iowa Practice Facility, which thankfully has air conditioning.

1. Iowa is well stocked at small forward/shooting guard: Sophomores Cooper Koch and Tate Sage, junior Isaia Howard, redshirt freshman Trey Thompson and true freshmen Ethan Harris and Jaidyn Coon are expected to fill these two positions on the wing, and between the six of them, Iowa head coach Ben McCollum will have plenty of options, with each having a unique skill set.

The 6-foot-8 Koch didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice, but fans saw what he could do in what proved to be a breakout season this past season.

Iowa probably wouldn’t have advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 without the contributions from Koch, who made 66 3-point field goals, which was second-most on the team, and he scored in double figures in 13 games, including five times in the final nine games.

Koch, who is the son of former Iowa player J.R. Koch, struggled early in the season, especially from three, but McCollum stuck with him as a starter and was rewarded for his patience and faith when it mattered the most.

The 6-7 Sage also came on strong down the stretch of last season as he scored a career-high 19 points, making 6-of-10 field goals and 4-of-7 3-pointers and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in the Sweet 16 win over Nebraska.

The Oklahoma native saw action in all 37 games last season, averaging 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16.1 minutes per game. He scored in double figures in eight games and had eight-plus points in 13 contests; and had five-plus rebounds four times. He also scored 10 points in the loss to Illinois in the Elite Eight.

Sage is versatile enough to play both small forward and shooting guard, and he could probably fill in at point guard if needed.

Much will be expected from Sage this coming season and he seems ready to accept a much bigger role.

“This is Big Ten, D-I basketball, so it’s obviously going to be a big leap,” Sage said. “But this is what I wanted. I wasn’t in high school wishing I could go sit on the bench on a D-I team. This is what I want.

“And then, obviously, going through high school, every year you kind of take a step and there is more and more expected of you. So it’s kind of like here; there’s more expected and I’m really to fulfill that role.”

The 6-5 Isaia Howard gives Iowa a third player on the wing with valuable game experience as he saw action in all 37 games with five starts, averaging 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and one steal in 18.2 minutes per game. He also shot 45 percent from the field; was second on the team with 38 steals; scored in double figures in four games; and had five or more rebounds five times and 3+ steals six times.

And while Thompson, Harris and Coon have yet to play in a game in college, the 6-7 Thompson gained valuable experience while being redshirted last season.

“I got better this year and that’s what the main goal was,” Thompson said. “So I’m very happy to be here. I’m happy to be a part of this program.

“Last year was a whole lot of fun for me.”

Harris, a 6-8 native of Camas, Washington, was rated as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite, and was ranked as a top three player in the state of Washington. He was also named the Class 4A State Player of the Year by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association as a senior after averaging 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.

He also reportedly turned down a  scholarship offer from West Coast power Gonzaga, which is located in his home state.

Rounding out the six pack is the 6-7 Coon, who was named 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball honoree after averaging 22 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals as a senior, while shooting 53.2 percent from the field, 29.8 percent from 3-point range and 64.1 percent from the free throw line. He was a two-time first-team all-state and three-time all-conference selection.

Coon, who is from McCollum’s home town of Storm Lake, had one of the most impressive dunks in Wednesday’s practice as he soared high above the rim on a breakaway windmill dunk.

Asked what his expectations are for his freshman season Coon said:

“Just keep a level head on my shoulders, get in here an do my work, and then, hopefully, it pays and I can get on the floor.

“But if it doesn’t, I trust in the process and I have trust in the coaches.”

**********

2. Andrew McKeever is more than just tall: The first thing you notice with new Iowa center Andrew McKeever, of course is his 7-3 frame, which makes him the tallest player in program history.

But the Livermore, California native also moves well laterally for somebody his size, is a willing and able passer and screener, and a rim protector.

McKeever is exactly what Iowa needed against Illinois in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s why McCollum wasted no time in recruiting McKeever from the transfer portal.

He appeared in 33 games with 10 starts as a redshirt sophomore at Saint Mary’s College last season, averaging 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He had 28 blocks and 18 steals, and finished with a .500 field-goal percentage (105-of-210) while shooting 62.8 percent (59-of-94) from the free throw line.

He also led the West Coast Conference in rebounding.

The addition McKeever should allow for 6-9 senior Cam Manyawu to play his more natural position of power forward. Manyawu played mostly in the post last season against opponents that were sometimes two and three inches taller.

**********

3. Point guard Ty’Reek Coleman gets to the basket: The transfer from Illinois State has a knack for getting into the lane because defenders struggle to stay in front of him.

Ben McCollum even mentioned that in the release announcing that the 6-2 Coleman has signed with Iowa in April.

“Ty’Reek is a twitchy, efficient scorer,” McCollum said. “He has a knack for being able to get into the lane to finish and he’s going to be a weapon in the pick-and-roll and drive-and-kick situations in our offense.

“Defensively, he is a strong guard who can really pressure the ball. We’re excited for Ty’Reek to join our program this summer.”

A native of Aurora, Illinois Coleman averaged 10 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists during his freshman season at Illinois State. He helped the Redbirds win 23 games and advance to the championship game of the NIT.

Quickness is one of the biggest factors in being a solid point guard, and Coleman is probably the quickest player on the team.

**********

4. Kael Combs looks ready for much bigger role: The daunting task of replacing All-Big Ten point guard Bennett Stirtz won’t fall on just one player, but the 6-4 Combs is being counted on to help fill the void.

Combs played under control during Wednesday’s practice while playing both guard positions. The Nixa, Missouri native showed last season that he could play both point guard and shooting guard, and he did the same in Wednesday’s practice.

Combs isn’t flashy, but he is solid and efficient.

He started 33 of 37 games last season, averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds. His 89 assists were also second-most on the team, and he scored in double figures in six games and had five games with 5-plus assists. He scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting with two 3-pointers and four rebounds in the NCAA Tournament First Round win over Clemson.

Combs was among six players that transferred to Iowa from Drake after McCollum was hired as the Iowa head coach in late March 2025.

Combs and McCollum have developed a level of trust that is crucial in the relationship between a head coach and his point guard.

Combs is also big enough to play alongside Coleman in the backcourt, giving McCollum even more flexibility.

**********

5. Peyton McCollum is more than just the head coach’s son: It would be easy to believe that Peyton McCollum is on the team only because his father is the head coach.

Hawkeye fans have seen that before when former point guard John Lickliter played for his father at Iowa, but it wasn’t pretty as Todd Lickliter only lasted three seasons as the Iowa head coach before being fired in 2010.

John Lickliter was under-sized, overmatched, and at times, overwhelmed on the court because he was in way over his head from a talent standpoint. He just didn’t belong on a Big Ten roster.

Peyton McCollum, on the other hand, showed just based on Wednesday’s practice that he does belong.

For one thing, he’s at least three or four inches taller than John Lickliter, and way more athletic.

There was one sequence in Wednesday’s practice when the 6-2 Peyton McCollum grabbed a rebound and then drove the length of the court before making a layup in transition, showing both skill and athleticism.

This isn’t to suggest that Peyton McCollum will ever be a star for the Hawkeyes.

But he could develop into a reliable option in the backcourt, especially if he can make threes and defend on the perimeter.

Peyton McCollum almost certainly wouldn’t be on the team without his father as the head coach.

But his father is a proven winner at all levels, and with that success comes certain perks, including having his son on the roster.