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Ben McCollum convinces top freshman to exit portal, return to Iowa

Freshman forward Cooper Koch, son of former Hawkeye and NBA player J.R. Koch, withdrew from the transfer portal on Sunday after entering it two weeks prior.
Koch, a four-star prospect from Metamora High School in Peoria, Illinois, initially chose Iowa over offers from several schools but redshirted the 2024-25 season due to a lingering injury after appearing in 10 games.
New Hawkeye head coach Ben McCollum, hired the previous week, made retaining Koch a priority and expressed his excitement about Koch's return in a press release on Sunday.
Koch stated on Instagram, captioned 'Staying Home', that his decision to withdraw from the transfer portal and stay at Iowa was influenced by his belief that Coach McCollum's vision aligns with his own.
McCollum thanked the fans for their assistance in Cooper's return and believes that Koch, who averaged 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game, will be a key piece for the team moving forward due to his ability to shoot the basketball.

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WMBD

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Cooper Koch to remain at Iowa after initially entering portal

IOWA CITY, Iowa (WMBD) - More transfer portal news hit on Sunday afternoon, a Central Illinois native is staying put at his current Big Ten school. Metamora graduate Cooper Koch announced on social media he will remain with the Iowa Hawkeyes. But with former Drake coach Ben McCollum now leading the program, Koch wrote on social media he believes McCollum's vision for the program aligns with his own. Metamora grad is staying with the Hawkeyes. h…

2 days ago

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247Sports

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Iowa Basketball Player Profile: Cooper Koch

Breaking down what Koch brings to Iowa City and what his fit is in Ben McCollum's system.

2 days ago·United States

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KCRG

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Cooper Koch will return to Iowa, withdrawing his name from the transfer portal

Freshman forward Cooper Koch announced he’d return to Iowa next season, less than two weeks after entering his name in the transfer portal.

2 days ago·Cedar Rapids, United States

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The Daily Iowan

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Iowa men's basketball's Cooper Koch returns for 2025-26 season - The Daily Iowan

There’s one. During his introductory press conference last week, new Iowa men’s basketball head coach Ben McCollum made a plea for Cooper Koch, Pryce Sandfort, and Josh Dix to leave the transfer portal and return to the Hawkeyes. Nearly one week later, Koch becomes the first player out of the trio to withdraw from the portal. “After speaking with Coach McCollum, I believe his vision for the men’s basketball team is one that aligns with mine,” Ko…

2 days ago

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Bulletin-Review

+3 Reposted by 3 other sources

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Ben McCollum convinces top freshman to exit portal, return to Iowa

Cooper Koch, a four-star in the Iowa men's basketball recruiting class of 2024, announced his decision to withdraw from the transfer portal on Sunday.

2 days ago

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Sioux City Journal

Lean Left

Iowa transfer portal tracker: One Hawkeye withdraws from portal

A 30-day window opened on Friday for Iowa men's basketball players to enter the transfer portal following the program's coaching change. Keep track of all the departures and commitments.

2 days ago

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