Iowa Basketball Eyes Transfer Portal for a Game-Changing Center—Who Will Answer the Call?

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We’ve fully entered what used to be viewed as the offseason, a time when things got really slow, news was almost non-existent and if there was anything to focus on, it was Hawkeye football. The good ol’ days, as they were, are gone.

Now, we’re in a world where there is no offseason. Basketball never sleeps. And in the words of Michael Douglas, money never sleeps. From the moment the NCAA Tournament ended, full attention for every coach in America turned to the transfer portal. The same is true for a good portion of college basketball fans around the country.

For the Hawkeyes, there are two clear positions of need, as pointed out by BoilerHawk last week: center and point guard. Iowa is obviously losing its anchor in PG Bennett Stirtz who played virtually every available minute this season, leaving a massive void at the point. And Ben McCollum wasted no time calling out Iowa’s lack of size in the middle during his postgame comments after the loss to Illinois.

But which one is a bigger need? That was our Reacts question last week. Here are the results.

A whopping 81% of Iowa fans said center is the Hawkeyes’ biggest need in the transfer portal. Point guard came in a distant second at 18%, and everything else combined for just 1%. The fanbase has spoken, and the message to Ben McCollum is clear: get us a big man.

Can you blame them? Iowa’s Elite Eight run ended with a 40-12 paint scoring deficit against Illinois. That number isn’t a typo. Forty to twelve. In the paint. In an Elite Eight game. McCollum himself said it after the loss: “We need some size. We just don’t have a true five.” The fans heard him, and 81% of them are nodding emphatically.

That need became even more urgent late last week when Alvaro Folgueiras announced he is entering the transfer portal. The March Madness hero who hit the game-winning three against Florida is moving on, and while we will always have that corner three in Tampa, his departure means Iowa is losing its most versatile frontcourt option. The 6-9 forward averaged 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds this season and was Iowa’s third-leading assist man. Finding a true center was already the top priority — now it’s a five-alarm fire.

The 18% who said point guard aren’t wrong, either. Bennett Stirtz played 40 minutes a game and his departure leaves an enormous void. But the poll suggests fans trust Kael Combs to step into that role more than they trust Iowa’s current interior depth to hold up against Big Ten bigs. And honestly? That’s a fair assessment.

So Who Are the Targets?

As BoilerHawk outlined in his rotation breakdown, the portal window (for entries) is open through April 21 and Iowa is on the hunt. Let’s break down the names that have been floating around Iowa City, starting with the two big men the fanbase is clamoring for.

The Centers: Addressing the 81%

Andrew McKeever — Saint Mary’s — 7-2, 285 lbs — Sophomore

McKeever is the dream target — and the interest is mutual. Iowa hosted McKeever on an official visit this past Sunday, giving the 7-foot-3 center a firsthand look at what McCollum is building in Iowa City. He — and the interest is mutual. Iowa hosted McKeever on an official visit this past Sunday, giving the 7-foot-3 center a firsthand look at what McCollum is building in Iowa City. He, and it’s not hard to see why. The 7-foot-2, 285-pound center led the WCC in rebounding this season, averaging 9.2 rebounds per game to go with 8.2 points in just 23.2 minutes per night for a Saint Mary’s squad that earned an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. He started only 10 games and came off the bench in 23 — meaning his production came in limited minutes, which suggests a much higher ceiling with a full-time starting role.

McKeever is exactly the kind of player Iowa lacked against Illinois. He’s a legitimate rim protector, a dominant rebounder, and a physical presence that changes how opponents attack the paint. At 7-2, he would be the biggest player on Iowa’s roster by a significant margin and the kind of “true five” McCollum specifically asked for. The Livermore, California native committed to Saint Mary’s as an unranked prospect out of high school, so there’s a development story here too — a late bloomer who is just scratching the surface of his potential.

The competition for McKeever will be fierce. Multiple Power Four programs are circling, including Arizona State, UCLA, and others. Iowa’s Elite Eight run and McCollum’s track record of player development are strong selling points, but this is a national-level recruitment.

Sananda Fru — Louisville — 6-11, 250 lbs — Junior

Fru is the other name generating significant buzz in Iowa circles. The Berlin, Germany native started 29 of 35 games for Louisville this season, averaging 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. What jumps off the stat sheet is his efficiency: Fru shot an absurd 75.3% from the field on 127-of-167 attempts, making him one of the most efficient finishers in the ACC.