Maryland men’s basketball at Iowa preview

Maryland men’s basketball is running out of firsts with head coach Buzz Williams.

The beginning of the Terps’ season has flown by. Now, they approach their first Big Ten game under their new head coach. They hit the road for the second time of the season to face a team undergoing a similar challenge — but having better early-season results — in Iowa.

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Maryland’s conference opener is slated to tip off at 4:00 p.m. Dec. 6 in Iowa City, with the game available to watch on Fox Sports One.

Iowa Hawkeyes (7-1, 0-1 Big Ten)

2024 record: 17-16, 7-13 Big Ten

The Hawkeyes decided to make a change after year 15 of the Fran McCaffery era ended, with the team having barely finished above .500 on the season. In came head coach Ben McCollum, who took Drake to the NCAA Tournament second round in 2024-25, his only season with the program.

McCollum brought a record of success to Iowa. Before Drake, he was a powerhouse at Division II Northwest Missouri State, where he won four D-II titles between 2017 and 2022. He also brought a few critical transfers from Drake that helped the Hawkeyes fly through their first seven games undefeated.

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Iowa was grounded in its Big Ten opener Tuesday, a 71-52 defeat at Michigan State. That was the second straight game the Hawkeyes scored under 60 points, a surprising turn. Their high-flying offense had averaged 87.5 points per game through their first six contests.

Players to watch

Bennett Stirtz, senior guard, 6-foot-4, No. 14 — Stirtz’s rapid ascent has come right along with McCollum’s. He was already an important player at Missouri Valley State but came into his own at Drake, where he was named player of the year in the Mississippi Valley Conference. He averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game for the Bulldogs while playing all but 20 minutes over the year.

The jump up at Iowa hasn’t fazed the senior, who is quickly asserting himself as one of the premier players in the conference. Stirtz leads…

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Publish date : 2025-12-05 12:00:00

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