Kael Combs, a standout guard from Drake, will be joining Iowa, following his former head coach Ben McCollum.
Combs’ decision to commit to Iowa was announced on Wednesday, making him the second former Drake Bulldog to follow McCollum to Iowa, alongside Bennett Stirtz.
This move marks the third stop in Combs’ career. After starting at Wyoming for one season, he transferred to Drake, where he played 31 games as a sophomore, averaging 12.9 minutes per game. During the season, he posted averages of 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1% from the field.
— Kael Combs (@k1combs1) April 2, 2025
Drake had a strong season, finishing 31-4 overall and 17-4 in conference play. The Bulldogs even pulled off an upset in the NCAA Tournament’s first round by defeating Missouri.
On the other hand, Iowa had a challenging season, ending the Fran McCaffery era with a 17-16 record and a 7-13 mark in the Big Ten.
McCollum was hired to lead the Iowa program and has already made strides in revitalizing the team by bringing in former players from his previous coaching stint. Stirtz, who was highly productive at Drake, averaged 19.2 points per game and shot 49.8% from the field, including 39.5% from three-point range.
With McCollum now in charge, he’s focused on rebuilding Iowa’s program, adding former staff members and recruiting new players from the transfer portal. Combs is the latest addition, and it will be interesting to see if other Bulldogs follow suit.
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