Iowa basketball tops Lipscomb: Takeaways from season-opening win

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Iowa basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with a win inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes took down the visiting Lipscomb Bisons, 76-54, to open the new season 1-0. They only shot 24% from the 3-point line and didn’t have a starter reach double figures. Despite that, Iowa was able to cruise to a victory thanks to its bench unit. That group led the way for most of Iowa’s second-half surge.

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There’s plenty that Ben McCollum will want to clean up after this performance. But it’s hard to argue with a 22-point win in the season opener. Especially when Iowa did so without starting center Andrew McKeever, who missed the game as he deals with a back issue. The Hawkeyes will hope to have him back for their next game on Friday night against Eastern Illinois. The rest of the squad picked him up in his absence.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Iowa’s home win over Lipscomb.

Jaidyn Coon will have a big role this season

Make no mistake, Coon was the best player on the court for the Hawkeyes in this game. The first-year guard and forward was excellent in his collegiate debut, leading Iowa in scoring with 12 points. Coon also added six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. He looked like he belonged on both ends of the court. At 6-foot-6, he used his length to be a defensive pest. He hit the glass hard and showed his athleticism with a few impressive dunks.

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Coon was a big recruiting win for McCollum. But not many anticipated he would have a big role early on. He showed that he’s ready for prime time in this game. The Hawkeyes have a good one in Coon. The Storm Lake native is going to play some big minutes this season.

The depth is a strength

Iowa’s bench scored 42 of the team’s 76 points in the win, accounting for over 50% of the total output. Coon was a big part of that, but he wasn’t the only depth player to show up. Second-year big man Trevin Jirak was great. He had six points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 21…

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Publish date : 2026-11-04 20:45:00

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