“Iowa’s Court Beckons: Another MVC Star Eyes Potential Hawkeye Destiny”

The buzz around college basketball transfers is heating up and the Hawkeyes from Iowa are right in the thick of it. They’re sniffing around the talented ranks of Southern Illinois guard Kennard Davis Jr., who aspires to revitalize an already impressive team. And let’s not fool ourselves—Iowa isn’t playing around here;there is some serious competition. Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arizona State, and the likes of even Virginia Tech and Arizona State are eyeing this enticing package. However, Davis has already checked out Ohio State and LSU on the recruiting trail.

Watch out, folks, because if Iowa lands Davis, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound dynamo could boost the Hawkeyes to heights we’ve haven’t seen in quite a spell. With numbers like 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and even a nifty 1.3 steals per game, he brings a significant amount of artillery. And lest we forget, he’s hitting the sweet spot from beyond the arc at 37.6%, certainly a delightful bonus for any team.

You get the feeling that Coach Ben McCollum’s got his eagle eyes on Davis, considering their prior encounters where Davis showcased his scoring prowess, dropping double-digits including a stellar first meeting with Drake. The stage is set for Iowa if they can clinch this transfer. Are they going to outmaneuver some of the biggest names in college basketball? We’ll find out. For now, I’m just enjoying this rollercoaster of a transfer season.

Keep your X fingers crossed and hope your favorite teams snag the talent they are chasing, or better yet, catch a dark horse from another school’s stable, like Iowa with Davis.

LEARN MOREContact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREFIowa joins a list of schools that also features Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Miami and LSU. Davis has already visited Ohio State and LSU.Davis played in 64 games and started 41 over his two seasons with the Salukis. The St. Louis, Mo., native is ranked as a four-star transfer portal prospect per both 247Sports and On3. 247Sports ranks Davis as the nation’s No. 54 transfer and as the No. 11 small forward in the transfer portal.

Then, Davis scored 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting in the second meeting between the two squads last season on March 7 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.Davis is a player that first-year Iowa head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum knows well. McCollum saw Davis and the Salukis twice last season.

According to The Portal Report, Iowa basketball is among the group of schools that have been in contact with Southern Illinois transfer guard Kennard Davis Jr.A 6-foot-6, 215 pound guard, Davis averaged 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range.Drake won both contests, but Davis poured in 22 points on an 8-for-13 shooting performance in the two teams’ first meeting on Feb. 1. Davis knocked down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in that first meeting.

Here’s a look at Davis’ highlights: