US EditionBen 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.
13 Articles
13 Articles
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…
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…
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