Latest news with #MVCTournament
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
College Basketball Player Transfers for Fourth Time on Thursday
The college basketball transfer portal has given players across the country an opportunity to find a new home and flourish under various coaching staffs. On Thursday, a former blue-chip recruit made an announcement, transferring to his fourth program. Advertisement According to Joe Tipton at On3, former four-star recruit Dominick Harris announced his commitment to Loyola Chicago. This will be Harris' fourth stop, having previously played for Gonzaga, LMU and UCLA. Harris originally committed to play for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs, rated as a four-star recruit while being ranked as the No. 10 combo guard and the No. 74 overall player in the nation, per 247Sports. Last season with the UCLA Bruins, Harris posted 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. Harris played just 7.3 minutes per game in his first season at UCLA. Before that, Harris played one season at LMU, where he averaged 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Advertisement In his first two seasons at the collegiate level, both of which came with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Harris struggled to crack the lineup. UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin with guard Dominick Harris (8).Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Harris will now play for Drew Valentine at Loyola Chicago, one of the most underrated college basketball programs in the country. The Ramblers finished its most recent season with 25-12 record. Since taking over as the head coach at Loyola Chicago in 2021, Valentine has led the Ramblers to an MVC Tournament title in 2022 and the Atlantic 10 regular season title in 2024. The former four-star will now have another chance to flourish under Drew Valentine and his staff at Loyola Chicago. Advertisement Related: Cooper Flagg's Mom Had No Words for Big Duke Announcement Related: Dawn Staley Makes Official Announcement on Tuesday
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
NCAA Coaching Carousel: Iowa Hires Drake Coach Ben McCollum
WICHITA, KANSAS - MARCH 22: Head coach Ben McCollum of the Drake Bulldogs reacts during the first ... More half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 22, 2025 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by) Ben McCollum, who won 31 games in his first and only season at Drake, has been named the head coach at the University of Iowa, as expected. He replaces Fran McCaffery, who was fired earlier this month after 15 seasons. In his lone season at Drake, McCollum guided the Bulldogs to a sweep of the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles. It marked the first outright regular season championship achieved by Drake since the 2007-08 season and the third consecutive MVC Tournament championship for the Bulldogs. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs earned a birth to the NCAA Tournament and achieved their first NCAA Tournament win since the 2021 First Four. Drake's win over the No. 6 seeded Missouri Tigers marked the first time the Bulldogs won a game in the round of 64, which propelled the Bulldogs into the round of 32 for the first time since 1971. Overall, McCollum and the Bulldogs finished the 2024-25 season a with a record of 31-4 and went 17-4 in MVC play, which also marked the most conference wins in program history. 'We are grateful to the student-athletes, coaches, staff, and fanbase that helped make this historic year possible,' Drake director of athletics Brian Hardin said in a statement. 'Certainly, we hoped for more than 12 months together with Coach McCollum, but Drake fans will always remember the feelings that were generated from this magical season. I wish Ben, Michelle, Peyton, Tate, and Grace well in Iowa City.' McCollum, who was hired in April of 2024, was named MVC Coach of the Year this season, while leading his players to multiple MVC and national accolades. Drake said it will 'begin an immediate national search for the next Drake men's basketball head coach.'
NBC Sports
24-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Iowa hires Ben McCollum, who swept Missouri Valley titles and won NCAA game in his one season at Drake
Ben McCollum, who led Drake's dominating run through the Missouri Valley Conference and a win in the NCAA Tournament in his only season with the Bulldogs, was named head coach at Iowa. Athletic director Beth Goetz announced McCollum's hiring 10 days after she fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the West Regional. Terms of his contract weren't announced. McCollum takes over a program that had its worst season in seven years. The Hawkeyes were 17-16 overall and, at 7-13, tied for 12th in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa also has seen a steep decline in attendance the last two years. The 43-year-old McCollum's ties to the Hawkeye State run deep. He was born in Iowa City, raised in Storm Lake and played junior college basketball in Mason City. His mother earned her undergraduate, master's and law degrees from Iowa. 'Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family,' McCollum said. 'The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together.' McCollum's coaching profile has been on the rise since he landed his first head coaching job at Northwest Missouri State and won four Division II national championships in 15 seasons. Four of his Northwest Missouri players joined him at Drake, and the Bulldogs became one of the top stories in college basketball this season. They were dubbed 'Division II Drake' by some, a moniker that only served to motivate the team. All four of the Northwest Missouri transfers were starters and one of them, Bennett Stirtz, led the Missouri Valley in scoring and was named conference player of the year and most outstanding player of the MVC Tournament. The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the MVC Tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Next was a 67-57 win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs had difficulty matching up with Texas Tech and lost 77-64. Now McCollum moves a little more than 100 miles east, from Des Moines to Iowa City. 'We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City,' Goetz said. 'Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career. I am confident that Hawkeye fans will enthusiastically support the McCollum family as we embark on the next chapter of Iowa men's basketball.' McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo was slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum called his system. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. They dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. McCaffery was Iowa's all-time wins leader and, at 15 years, the longest-tenured coach in program history. The Hawkeyes dropped seven of nine games in February and didn't qualify for the Big Ten Tournament until the last day of the regular season. The program has struggled to attract elite talent because of its shallow pool of funds for name, image and likeness compensation. Since McCaffery's firing, seven players have announced they would enter the transfer portal. Iowa's men were 10th in the Big Ten in average paid attendance this season, at 9,161 per game, though actual crowds appeared significantly less. That's an 8% drop from last season and 26% drop from 2022-23.
Chicago Tribune
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Iowa basketball hires Ben McCollum, who swept Missouri Valley titles and won NCAA game in 1 season at Drake
Ben McCollum, who led Drake's dominating run through the Missouri Valley Conference and a win in the NCAA Tournament in his only season with the Bulldogs, was named head coach at Iowa on Monday. Athletic director Beth Goetz announced McCollum's hiring 10 days after she fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the West Regional. Terms of his contract weren't announced. McCollum takes over a program that had its worst season in seven years. The Hawkeyes were 17-16 overall and, at 7-13, tied for 12th in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa also has seen a steep decline in attendance the last two years. The 43-year-old McCollum's ties to the Hawkeye State run deep. He was born in Iowa City, raised in Storm Lake and played junior college basketball in Mason City. His mother earned her undergraduate, master's and law degrees from Iowa. 'Returning to Iowa City as the head coach of the Hawkeyes is a dream come true for me and my family,' McCollum said. 'The passion of Hawkeye fans is unmatched, and I am incredibly excited to get started on this new journey together.' McCollum's coaching profile has been on the rise since he landed his first head coaching job at Northwest Missouri State and won four Division II national championships in 15 seasons. Four of his Northwest Missouri players joined him at Drake, and the Bulldogs became one of the top stories in college basketball this season. They were dubbed 'Division II Drake' by some, a moniker that only served to motivate the team. All four of the Northwest Missouri transfers were starters and one of them, Bennett Stirtz, led the Missouri Valley in scoring and was named conference player of the year and most outstanding player of the MVC Tournament. The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the MVC Tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Next was a 67-57 win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but the Bulldogs had difficulty matching up with Texas Tech and lost 77-64. Now McCollum moves a little more than 100 miles east, from Des Moines to Iowa City. 'We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City,' Goetz said. 'Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career. I am confident that Hawkeye fans will enthusiastically support the McCollum family as we embark on the next chapter of Iowa men's basketball.' McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo was slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum called his system. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. They dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. McCaffery was Iowa's all-time wins leader and, at 15 years, the longest-tenured coach in program history. The Hawkeyes dropped seven of nine games in February and didn't qualify for the Big Ten Tournament until the last day of the regular season. The program has struggled to attract elite talent because of its shallow pool of funds for name, image and likeness compensation. Since McCaffery's firing, seven players have announced they would enter the transfer portal. Iowa's men were 10th in the Big Ten in average paid attendance this season, at 9,161 per game, though actual crowds appeared significantly less. That's an 8% drop from last season and 26% drop from 2022-23.
Fox Sports
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Iowa hires McCollum, who swept Missouri Valley titles and won NCAA game in his one season at Drake
Associated Press Ben McCollum, who led Drake's dominating run through the Missouri Valley Conference and a win in the NCAA Tournament in his only season with the Bulldogs, was named head coach at Iowa on Monday. Iowa spokesman Matt Weitzel confirmed McCollum's hiring 10 days after athletic director Beth Goetz fired Fran McCaffery and two days after McCollum wrapped up a 31-4 season with a loss to Texas Tech in the second round of the West Regional. McCollum takes over for McCaffery, who was fired after the Hawkeyes went 17-16 and had their lowest Big Ten regular-season finish in seven years. Iowa also has seen a steep decline in attendance the last two years. The 43-year-old McCollum's ties to the Hawkeye State run deep. He was born in Iowa City, raised in Storm Lake and played junior college basketball in Mason City. When he left the state, he didn't go far. He finished his college playing days at Northwest Missouri State and was an assistant at Emporia State in Kansas. He went back to Northwest Missouri in 2008 for his first head coaching job and won four Division II national championships in 15 seasons. With four Northwest Missouri players heading to Drake with McCollum, the Bulldogs became one of the top stories in college basketball this season. They were dubbed 'Division II Drake' by some, a moniker that only served to motivate the team. All four of the Northwest Missouri transfers were starters and one of them, Bennett Stirtz, led the Missouri Valley in scoring and was named conference player of the year and most outstanding player of the MVC Tournament. The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the 12-team Valley and received no first-place votes. They ended up winning the regular-season championship by two games with 17 conference wins, their most ever. Then they won the Valley tournament to run their overall win total to a school-record 30 in 33 games. Next was a 67-57 win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. McCollum coaches a grinding style. The Bulldogs' tempo was slowest in the nation. Offensive rebounding is emphasized. The defense allows 58.4 points per game, fewest in the nation. Just over 1 in 5 opponent possessions ends with a turnover. 'Death by a thousand paper cuts,' McCollum called his system. The Bulldogs knocked off Miami, Vanderbilt and Kansas State on their way to a 12-0 start. Drake dropped back-to-back games before reeling off 11 straight MVC wins. McCaffery was Iowa's all-time wins leader and, at 15 years, the longest-tenured coach in program history. The Hawkeyes dropped seven of nine games in February and didn't qualify for the Big Ten Tournament until the last day of the regular season. The program has struggled to attract elite talent because of its shallow pool of funds for name, image and likeness compensation. Since McCaffery's firing, seven players have announced they would enter the transfer portal. Iowa's men were 10th in the Big Ten in average paid attendance this season, at 9,161 per game, though actual crowds appeared significantly less. That's an 8% drop from last season and 26% drop from 2022-23. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
