Virginia Tech vs Iowa prediction: Iowa's post-Stirtz offense gets its first real test against Virginia Tech
Both programs are rebuilding on the fly, and the Hawkeyes must slow the Hokies' new transfer shooters without the guard who ran everything.
- Expect few possessions, with Iowa's committee backcourt chasing a rebuilt Virginia Tech that leans on transfer shooters.
- Ethan Copeland's outside shooting against an Iowa defense that struggled to protect the paint and sent opponents to the line.
- No line is posted yet; last season's adjusted net ratings, 21st for Iowa and 55th for Virginia Tech, frame the gap.
Life after Stirtz, at a crawl
Bennett Stirtz is in the NBA, and Iowa has to find out what its offense looks like without him. Last season he played 37.8 minutes a game and used 26.9% of Iowa's possessions while he was on the floor. That was a heavy share of the offense for one guard.
Ben McCollum, now in his second season with an extension through 2032, built a deliberate team around him. Iowa averaged 60.8 possessions per 40 minutes last season, the slowest pace of all 365 Division I teams. That tempo should hold, which keeps the possession count low and makes every empty trip matter.
Point guard is now a committee of Kael Combs, Ty'Reek Coleman and Peyton McCollum, the coach's son, who is back from broken bones in both feet and hit two threes in the Oct. 27 exhibition. Iowa beat Illinois Springfield 88-64 that night, and McCollum still wasn't satisfied. Coleman brings the best shooting numbers of the group: he shot 41.6% from three at Illinois State last season.
Virginia Tech rebuilt around shooting
Mike Young's roster returns just 37.2% of last season's minutes, so the Hokies' 2025-26 team numbers are a weak guide. The newcomers matter more, and the headliner is Ethan Copeland, who made 42.9% of 254 three-point attempts at Stetson last season.
He joins Ben Hammond, a returner who shot 43.1% from deep last season. Isaiah Elohim (Florida Atlantic) and Jaylen Curry (Oklahoma State) add two more guards who took on real usage elsewhere. This team should spread the floor.
Amani Hansberry is the frontcourt anchor among the returners. He has been described as fully cleared for basketball activities after a knee issue, though that clearance carries no confirmed date. Forward Sin'Cere Jones was recovering from a season-ending lower-body injury, and no update on his status for this season has surfaced.
Where Iowa's defense gave ground
Iowa's weakness last season sat inside the arc. Opponents made 54.5% of their twos against the Hawkeyes, which ranked 313th, and Iowa blocked shots at a rate that ranked 338th. The Hawkeyes also fouled often: their opponent free throw rate (free throw attempts per field goal attempt) ranked 289th.
The main fix is 7-foot-3 Andrew McKeever, who averaged 9.1 rebounds at Saint Mary's last season. Iowa's minutes-weighted average height is 79.3 inches, against 76.4 for Virginia Tech, so the Hawkeyes should own a size edge. If McKeever changes shots at the rim, the Hokies get pushed toward the perimeter, which is where their roster is built to live anyway.
The turnover battle
Iowa's defense made its living taking the ball away. Its forced turnover rate, the share of opponent possessions ending in a giveaway, was 20.9% last season, 19th in the country. Virginia Tech's offense protected the ball well, ranking 65th in turnover rate. With most of that backcourt gone, though, the new Hokie guards are playing together for the first time against real pressure.
In a game this slow, a handful of live-ball turnovers could swing it. Virginia Tech also ranked 300th in defensive rebound percentage last season, though Iowa did little on the offensive glass and may not test that.
Key players
- Ethan Copeland (Virginia Tech): He scored 15.0 points per game at Stetson last season and made 109 threes.
- Ben Hammond (Virginia Tech): Last season he posted an offensive rating of 122 while shooting 86.5% at the line.
- Amani Hansberry (Virginia Tech): He started all 30 of his games last season and averaged 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds.
- Isaiah Elohim (Virginia Tech): He averaged 12.4 points in 32 starts at Florida Atlantic last season.
- Cooper Koch (Iowa): He made 40.2% of his threes last season with an offensive rating of 128.8.
- Andrew McKeever (Iowa): The 7-foot-3 center averaged 9.1 rebounds in 23.1 minutes at Saint Mary's last season.
- Ty'Reek Coleman (Iowa): He averaged 10.0 points with a 58.2% effective field goal percentage at Illinois State last season.
- Cam Manyawu (Iowa): He made 63.1% of his shots last season, all of them inside the arc.
Numbers that matter
| Iowa pace, last season | 365th | The slowest tempo in Division I points to a low-possession game. |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Tech returning minutes | 37.2% | Most of last season's roster is gone, so the newcomers define this team. |
| Copeland 3-point % | 42.9% | He hit that mark on high volume at Stetson last season and gives the Hokies a perimeter centerpiece. |
| Iowa opponent 2-point %, last season | 54.5% | It ranked 313th, and the Hawkeyes are counting on McKeever to fix it. |
| Iowa forced turnover rate, last season | 20.9% | The 19th-best mark nationally tests a Virginia Tech backcourt that is new to playing together. |
Virginia Tech vs Iowa: quick answers
When is Virginia Tech vs Iowa?
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.