After missing the first two games of Iowa's 2026-27 campaign with a back injury, transfer center Andrew McKeever's status remains unclear ahead of the Hawkeyes' matchup against Virginia Tech (2-0) on Tuesday, Nov. 10 in Sioux City, Iowa.
"Your guess is as good as mine. Sometimes with these, it's a little trickier. Because with these kind of back issues, you're trying to figure out, OK, when's the right time?
"It's not going to be 100% regardless, and so you're trying to figure out when the right time is to really put him back in. And then, it's a little bit on him, trying to figure out, OK, what can we do to help mediate some of that pain a little bit and try to figure it out from there. We're hopeful that he can get back sooner rather than later,"
Iowa head men's basketball coach Ben McCollum said of McKeever.
Ben McCollum on whether Drew McKeever will play vs. VT: "I don't totally know. The best way that I describe it is, I go into the games with two different plans and then figure it out from there. That's what I did last game. That's what I'll do this game." https://t.co/jgAmmMLX0S
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) November 9, 2026
McKeever was one of two transfers that the Hawkeyes added in the offseason. The 7-foot-3, 300-pound center is the tallest player in Iowa men's basketball history, and his presence both offensively and defensively would add another dimension for the Hawkeyes.
McKeever averaged 8.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 50% shooting across 33 games played and 10 starts last season at Saint Mary's.
Getting McKeever back will be key over this next 10-day stretch. Along with its Tuesday matchup against Virginia Tech, the Hawkeyes have dates against Creighton and at Xavier coming up.
"I don't totally know," McCollum reiterated on McKeever's status against Virginia Tech.
"The best way that I describe it is, I go into the games with two different plans and then figure it out from there. That's what I did last game. That's what I'll do this game. It's just one of those things. Backs are strange. An ankle's obvious. It's like, OK, you've got a sprained ankle, you're fine (after it heals). But backs are so tricky. It's like soft-tissue injuries. You just have no idea how it's going to feel the next day."
Iowa and Virginia Tech will tip off at 6 p.m. CT from the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, with the game broadcast on FS1.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Will Iowa basketball's Andrew McKeever play vs. Virginia Tech?
