After a bruising, possession-by-possession battle for Iowa bragging rights ended in a 66–62 Iowa State win, the most revealing moment came not during the final free throws, but at the podium. Cyclones head coach TJ Otzelberger used his postgame availability to publicly acknowledge the work being done across the aisle by Iowa head coach Ben McCollum.

Coming out fresh from a hard-fought victory, Cyclones head coach TJ Otzelberger addressed the press right after and, in a very sportsmanlike gesture, gave due props to his state rivals and their Coach, Ben McCollum. “They’ve got a good team, a good program way of doing things that there’s a lot of guys you can that they trust their coach, they’ve been with him for a number of years and that comes out with how they play and the decisions they make on the court and those are also things even though its a new coach and a new team when you bring, when you got a handful of guys that have been with you and they have that experience with you that pays off and you can feel that during the game,” surmised the Cyclones coach.

And it’s a fair assessment on TJ Otzelberger’s part.McCollum was hired as Iowa’s head coach on March 24, 2025. Even then, he is managing to do fairly well. He is presently 8-2 this season and only had one loss before their battle against the Cyclones.

The familiarity with the squad has also aided Coach McCollum.Six players on Iowa’s roster, Cam Manyawu, Bennett Stirtz, Tavion Banks, Isaia Howard, Kael Combs, and Joey Matteoni, previously played for McCollum during his stint at Drake University and followed him to Iowa.The same bunch of players who won McCollum the Missouri Valley Conference regular season. As a matter of fact, the relationship between Stirtz and McCollum dates back even further.

Stirtz had previously played Division 2 of the NCAA at Northwest Missouri State right under McCollum’s tutelage, and he very well knows the demands and expectations of the coach. Stirtz was also one of the key figures in the match against the Cyclones and the third player to hit double figures (10) after Tavion Banks (14) and Cam Manyawu (10).

The Hawkeyes have already found a Coach in who they can rely on and has team that trusts their Coach. Now we will have to keep our eyes peeled as to what gameplan changes and strategies before they take on Western Michigan, but as of now, he feels proud of the way his boys delivered.

That respect was reciprocated on the other side, even in defeat.

Ben McCollum Proud of His Team After a Nail-Biting Game At Iowa

“Was proud of our guys’ effort, didn’t think we came off as half great. I thought we started some guys that had two fouls in the first half, and they had sat for a long time, and they weren’t totally tuned in, and it was really difficult to recover from that stretch.” McCollum said in his post-match interview. Despite the pensive mood, he gave credit to his boys for the heart they displayed in such an end-to-end game.

The match could have swung either way from the way it was going. Hawkeyes had actually built quite an early 13-point lead during the opening phase, but Cyclones fought back to minimize the deficit. When halftime came, the Hawkeyes looked in a commanding position.

But it only takes a few good moments to turn the tide, and that’s what happened. Joshua Jefferson powered Iowa State’s comeback, and the Cyclones ripped off a huge run (reported as 19–0 spanning the halves) to seize control. Iowa cut it to 62–61 late, but Jefferson’s free throws finished it.

Top Stories

Forced to Leave FOX, Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman Says ESPN Is Like ‘U.S. Government’ & Clearly Distinguishes the Two Networks

Arrest For Shaquille O’Neal’s Stolen Range Rover Made But More Bad News Awaits

Who Is Paige Shiver? All About Michigan Football Staffer & Daughter of Veteran Bears Scout Jeff Shiver

Mike Tomlin Finds $180 Million Aaron Rodgers Replacement After QB’s Retirement Announcement: Steelers Insider

Lakers’ Gabe Vincent Dishes on LeBron James, Luka Doncic’s Sacrifices, Role on the Team and More (Exclusive)

What Settlement Agreement Have Michael Jordan & NASCAR Reached? Everything to Know From Evergreen Charters to Payout

The defense of Iowa State also played a factor, feels Bennett Stirtz. “They’re all just great defenders, and they kind of shut me down, but it’s a team game, that’s why I play basketball, and our other teammates stepped up, and I am super proud of them,” said Stirtz, who played an underwhelming game compared to his usual standards.

Bennett, who has an exceptionally nice average of 17.9 points, found it hard to maneuver out of Blake Buchanan’s (4BLK), Joshua Jefferson’s (2 BLK) grasp. Freshman Tate Sage (8 points) and Isaia Howard (7 points) really chipped in after coming from the bench to compensate for those inadequacies.

Overall, the Hawkeyes had quite a good showing and have every right to keep their chin up after the warrior display they put on for the fans. Who knows, maybe this loss against TJ Otzelberger‘s team will prove to be beneficial in the long run.