The Hawkeyes badly needed some size in the frontcourt, and the 7-foot-3 McKeever certainly gives them that.
Throughout the course of the 2025-26 season, there was one major flaw for the Iowa men's basketball team.
The lack of a dynamic scorer alongside Bennett Stirtz was very prevalent, but the most obvious problem for the Hawkeyes last year was their lack of frontcourt size.
Ben McCollum's group of Drake transfers held their own in most aspects of the game, but the 6-foot-9 Cam Manyawu and Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras were clearly undersized for the Big Ten, resulting in Iowa grabbing a conference-worst 20.5 defensive rebounds per game.
The Hawkeyes' mitigated those concerns with an improbable run to the Elite Eight, but rival Illinois' overwhelming advantage on the boards (38-21) played a large role in Iowa's 71-59 defeat in Houston.
McCollum told the media immediately after the loss that he was eying a big man in the transfer portal, and his search yielded exactly that. The Hawkeyes not only now have size, they feature the tallest player in program history - 7-foot-3 Andrew McKeever.
The Rundown
After redshirting in 2023-24, McKeever became a crucial piece of Saint Mary's sustained success in the West Coast Conference under former head coach Randy Bennett.
He appeared in 20 games during the 2024-25 campaign to help the Gaels reach the NCAA tournament, but McKeever's greatest success in Moraga, California occurred in the 2025-26 season.
Saint Mary's reached the NCAA tournament for the fifth consecutive year in part because of McKeever's dominant presence in the paint. He only started 10 games, but still led the WCC in rebounds with 9.2 per contest, including 125 offensive rebounds as well as 28 blocks.
McKeever recorded eight double-doubles on the year, with his best output being an 11-point, 18-rebound day in a victory at San Francisco on Jan. 13.
But Bennett left for Arizona State after the Gaels were eliminated in the NCAA tournament, forcing McKeever to enter the transfer portal on March 30. 247Sports ranked McKeever as a four-star transfer prospect, and he chose the Hawkeyes over reported offers from Michigan, Purdue, UConn, and others.
“We identified Andrew as a perfect fit for our program,” McCollum said in a press release after McKeever's signing. “With his size, Andrew is a very productive rebounder, both on the offensive and defensive glass. Offensively, Andrew is great in ball screen roll actions, and he is an elite passer. We’re excited Andrew is a Hawkeye.”
Analysis
Iowa fans have gotten used to seeing their bigs shoot the ball from beyond the arc in recent years, but that's far from McKeever's game. The box score numbers are an easy indication, but McKeever is your classic, old-school Big Ten center.
Why? Because he just does the dirty work - rebounding, blocks, steals - that every team in this highly-physical league desperately needs. Some college basketball fans will discredit the WCC for its mid-major status, but McKeever leading the ultra-competitive league in rebounding is certainly what made him an attractive target for some of the nation's top programs.
McKeever's offensive game will almost solely focus at or very close to the rim, but again, his defensive prowess outweighs his offense (only 8.2 points per game last season).
Saint Mary's entered its regular season finale against rival Gonzaga needing a win at home to clinch a share of the WCC championship, and McKeever's work on the offensive glass was the reason why. The Gaels narrowly out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 42-37, with all of McKeever's eight boards coming off the offensive glass. McKeever only played 12 minutes and scored just two points off the bench, but McKeever's performance allowed his team to pull away late in the second half for a 70-59 triumph.
A player shouldn't be evaluated by one game, but McKeever's work in such a crucial game shows what he can bring to the Hawkeyes as a valuable rim protector. And not only will McKeever help Iowa by bringing his own talents to Iowa City, his presence should help take the load off Manyawu and allow him to play his true position - the four.
The Hawkeyes appear to finally have a bonafide center.
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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]
