A new era of Iowa men’s basketball is here. Ben McCollum is in his first year leading the black and gold. For the Storm Lake, Iowa, native, it’s all about setting the standard in year one moving forward. “What we really try to focus on is trying to consistently improve, trying to focus on that […]
A new era of Iowa men’s basketball is here. Ben McCollum is in his first year leading the black and gold. For the Storm Lake, Iowa, native, it’s all about setting the standard in year one moving forward.
“What we really try to focus on is trying to consistently improve, trying to focus on that process piece,” McCollum said. “If we have a successful day, not focusing on that necessarily but making sure that the next one is just a little bit better.”
The Hawkeyes are ready to prove people wrong.
“Coming out of high school I wasn’t highly recruited and nobody at this level wanted me, and Coach McCollum he reminds me of that sometimes, like, no one wanted you at this level, so you kinda got to come out here and prove it because you haven’t done anything at this level yet,” said Cam Manyawu, an Iowa junior forward.
“You know, the biggest thing for us, and myself, you know I’m a D2 guy that played. Mac is a D2 guy, there’s a lot of guys on this staff that are D2, JUCO guys,” said Bryston Williams, an Iowa assistant coach.” (Many of us have not) been at the Power 5 for 25 years experience and so. To show everybody that when you bring the right people together, the right core, that great things can happen.”
“(Coach McCollum) is a good coach. I feel like I’m the same player that I was at D2, but he has helped me with so much, my confidence, and knowing my reads, and my basketball IQ,” said Bennett Stirtz, an Iowa senior guard.
“I’ve always worked better with a chip on my shoulder, ya know, like either doubted or whatever, and same with those guys,” McCollum said. “Making sure that we continue to have an edge and not a sense of arrival, more so than anyone in the league. That’s what we are going to need to have to be able to be successful in the Big Ten.”
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Category: General Sports
