By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Without Bennett Stirtz as its starting point guard, it is easy to assume that the Iowa men’s basketball team would have some growing pains this season.

It didn’t take long for that to happen as Iowa struggled to make shots in the first half of the season opener against Lipscomb. Iowa finally pulled away in the second half and ultimately prevailed 76-54 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

First-year forward Jaidyn Coon and Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman, a 6-foot-2 point guard, led a balanced Iowa offense with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

They were the only Iowa players to score in double figures, but Iowa had nine players that scored at least six points.

Coon also helped to energize the crowd with three rim-rattling dunks.

His ability to dunk has earned the 6-6 Coons the nickname, “the Hulk” from his teammates.

“Everyone cracks jokes about it,” said Coon, who is from Storm Lake. “It’s pretty funny because I do like to dunk the ball.”

The Hawkeyes only made 6-of-25 shots from 3-point range, and were just 14-of-28 from the free throw line.

So yes, it was a struggle at times as was to be expected without Stirtz, who led Iowa to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight last season in his only season as a Hawkeye, and in Ben McCollum’s first season as head coach.

Stirtz now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder after being selected in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

He leaves behind a team with a lot of intriguing pieces, but also with some questions at point guard where Kael Combs and Coleman are now filling the void.

“I like this team; they’re a fun team,” McCollum said of his squad. “We didn’t shoot it particularly well and we struggled to make the free throws. And they have to understand those are free. They’re not guarded.

“But I thought we got some check-the-wind threes that we just didn’t make that we’ve been making.”

Iowa played without 7-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever due to what has been described as a minor back injury.

McCollum seems optimistic that McKeever will play against Eastern Illinois on Friday.

“That’s the hope for sure,” McCollum said. “I think he probably could have gone if it was one of those games. But we’re just being very cautious with him.’

McKeever, who transferred from Saint Mary’s this past summer, started in the 88-64 exhibition win over Division II Maryville last Thursday at Xtream Arena in Coralville, but was replaced in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s season opener by 6-9 Cam Manyawu, who started every game for Iowa last season.

Manyawu was joined in the starting lineup by guards Kael Combs and Isaia Howard and forwards Cooper Koch and Tate Sage.

Lipscomb was trailing 26-14 when forward Devyn Martin made a layup with 7:06 left in the first half. His basket was the start of a 13-0 scoring that game Lipscomb a 27-26 lead with less than five minutes left in the first.

Ben McCollum called a timeout, and whatever he said worked as Iowa closed the first half on a 12-2 scoring run and led 38-29 at halftime.

Koch led Iowa with nine points in the first half, all of which came on 3-point baskets.

Koch made 3-of-4 shots from three in the first half, but his teammates combined to miss nine of 10 treys in the half.