We are approaching the finish line of a shortened offseason for the Iowa men’s basketball team. The excitement building up to this season has made it feel like an eternity. We have been able to watch short stints of scrimmages over the last few months, but tonight, we will finally get to see the Hawkeyes take on an opposing school as they face Illinois-Springfield at Xtream Arena.

The Opponent

The Division II Illinois-Springfield Prairie Stars are making the trip to Iowa City tonight to take on the Hawkeyes. The Prairie Stars finished 17-12 last season before suffering a disappointing first-round postseason loss. They enter this season unranked in the NABC Top 25 Poll.

The leading returning player for Illinois-Springfield is 6-foot-5 senior Isaiah Davis, so look for him to lead the charge tonight. Iowa is expected to present a major matchup problem for the Prairie Stars. Illinois-Springfield comes in with an average height of 6-foot-4, and its tallest player stands at 6-foot-10, which is fairly average for the Division II level.

However, Iowa will create plenty of challenges with 7-foot-3 Andrew McKeever patrolling the paint, along with the tall, hybrid wings the Hawkeyes can put on the floor. The last time Illinois-Springfield faced a Division I opponent in an exhibition game, the Prairie Stars pulled off an upset over Northern Illinois in 2022. Ben McCollum has also won the last two times he has faced the Prairie Stars, with both matchups taking place during his time at Northwest Missouri State.

What to Watch For

The main thing I am looking forward to seeing is how the coaching staff handles the rotations. This team is as deep as any Ben McCollum has coached, so I will be extremely curious to see how many players he uses. I certainly believe we will see Jaidyn Coon in the rotation this year, but will McCollum turn to Ethan Harris at any point? I really like Ethan’s game and believe that, with his size and length, he could push for some minutes during his freshman year.

We have heard coaches speak extremely highly of Joey Matteoni and Trevin Jirak throughout the offseason. Will they get their chance to become consistent parts of the rotation? Tonight should certainly help us figure that out.

I am also really looking forward to seeing Trey Thompson finally get in on the action for the Hawkeyes. The highly touted four-star recruit out of Greenville, Tennessee, redshirted last season and will be an extremely fun player to watch. Hawkeye fans have high expectations for Trey, and they absolutely should. He has shown the ability to knock down the three-ball and make highlight plays at the rim when defenders run him off the line. Tonight will mark the first time he takes the court for Iowa.

Prediction

Iowa 94, Illinois-Springfield 50

Pick to Click

Jaidyn Coon