IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — New coach Ben McCollum has worked since his hiring in March to sell his program to the Iowa fan base.

The results, he said, have been positive. Now it’s up to his players to deliver.

“They need to have a chip on their shoulder,” McCollum said at Wednesday’s media day. “You need to play with a little edge. I think that when you take over a position, there’s naturally a great deal of excitement, and I think if you’re not careful, it can create a sense of arrival.”

Iowa was 17-16 last season and missed the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year, and the Hawkeyes’ 7-13 Big Ten record was their first under .500 since 2017-18. No surprise, fans began staying away.

The Hawkeyes were 11th in Big Ten attendance, averaging 9,161 tickets sold per game in 14,988-seat Car

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