Michigan State’s Tom Izzo previews Iowa basketball challenge

As No. 25-ranked Iowa basketball(7-0) travels to East Lansing, Mich., for its Big Ten season-opener against No. 8 Michigan State (8-0) on Tuesday night from a raucous Breslin Center, legendary Spartans head coach Tom Izzo previewed the challenge of preparing for Ben McCollum and the new-look Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes certainly look much different since their last clash with the Spartans on March 6, as Iowa has added seven impact stars through the offseason transfer portal, along with a solid recruiting class, to quickly transform the program into a competitive roster under first-year head coach Ben McCollum.

Izzo shared that he has been impressed by how Drake improved dramatically in McCollum's lone season in Des Moines, then compared the Hawkeyes' head coach to Indiana Hoosiers football head coach Curt Cignetti in terms of the ability to bring players from their former team to their new programs.

“I was impressed for a couple of years watching Drake play and (new Iowa coach) Ben McCollum," Izzo said.

"Like Indiana in football, Iowa has taken a lot of that team, including his best player - who was player of the year in that league - and they know the system.”

The centerpiece of their transfer portal haul was senior guard Bennett Stirtz, who followed Ben McCollum from Drake to Iowa after capturing the Missouri Valley Conference Larry Bird Player of the Year and Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year.

So far this season, Stirtz has been everything advertised and more for the Hawkeyes, as he leads the team with an average of 18.6 points per game on 50% shooting and 45.7% 3-point accuracy.

As the Hawkeyes will be baptized by the fire of the always rowdy Breslin Center atmosphere for their Big Ten season-opener tonight, they will need to play at the top of their game against a high-flying and flashy Spartans squad.

Whatever the result may be from tonight's matchup, the compliment by the Big Ten's winningest head coach is certainly one to take pride in as the Hawkeyes attempt to ascend to the upper echelon of the conference this season and in the future.

Iowa and Michigan State will tip off tonight at 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Michigan State’s Tom Izzo previews Iowa basketball challenge