Iowa’s Elite Eight run last season ended with a painful memory: Illinois absolutely dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 16 out of 30 misses for a staggering 55.2% offensive rebounding rate. That struggle to lock down the defensive boards was front and center, a glaring weakness that screamed for a solution heading into the new season.
Iowa’s Big Problem Just Got a Bigger Answer
It wasn’t just that one game, either. While Iowa allowed a 29.2% offensive rebounding rate overall, which ranked a dismal 199th in the country, and a 28.4% rate in conference play, that was still only good for 6th. It was a team effort without anyone truly stepping up. Nobody was gathering more than 20% of opponent misses, and no one averaged more than 5 rebounds a game. After Alvaro Folgueiras transferred out, the need for a true big man was obvious. Enter Andrew McKeever, a 7’3″, 300 pound force of nature who just might be what the doctor ordered. This 4th year transfer from Saint Mary’s was a key piece on a team that went 27-6 and made the NCAA Tournament last season, and he’s already packed on an additional 15 pounds since joining the Hawkeyes. That strength and conditioning program is clearly doing work.
McKeever’s Game Is More Than Just Size
McKeever’s numbers are flat out eye-popping. He was second in the entire country in offensive rebounding rate at a wild 19.8%. Yeah, his *offensive* rebounding is literally on par with what you’d expect from a team’s best *defensive* rebounder. The dude led the WCC with 9.2 rebounds per game in just 23.8 minutes of play, mostly coming off the bench. That bench role hints that he’s still a bit of a project, especially considering he used to be a 6’2″ guard before a massive growth spurt. Those guard skills shine through, though; he’s a willing screener and defender, and his passing can be really slick. He can get his own layup from the elbow and draw fouls just by leaning on guys. He even scored 15 points against Seattle, a point shy of his career high. Now, don’t expect him to be an immediate scoring machine in the Big Ten with his 8.2 points per game on 50% shooting and 62.5% from the free throw line. Defensively, he uses that monstrous size well to make shots difficult, matching Iowa’s 2024-25 posts with 3.7 fouls called per 40 minutes. His lateral quickness is better than Trevon Jirak’s, but it’s not elite, and Seattle did manage a couple of blow-bys against him.
His undeniable size and potential mean Ben McCollum is going to have a blast figuring out how to deploy him. With three out of last year’s five starters returning, there’s a real shot McKeever slides right into that fifth starting spot, presuming Tate Sage also returns. We’re counting down the 45 days until the first tip-off on November 3rd to see this beast in action!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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