After one season in Iowa City, freshman Cooper Koch will enter the transfer portal, Hawkeye Beacon can confirm. A legacy Hawkeye, Koch is the son of former Iowa forward, JR.
This season, Koch played in just ten games before being sidelined with an undisclosed medical issue. Prior to being forced to sit out, Koch scored 4.6 points and added 2.1 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game.
Koch would have likely been a key fixture in the rotation this season, had he been healthy.
"It's not been easy for him," Fran McCaffery said at the time. "I really feel for him because he's a wonderful kid and a really good player. We could really use him. He desperately wants to be out there. But we're on top of his health situation, which is the most important thing."
Prior to the season, hopes were high for the former four-star recruit to not only contribute, but be an important part of Iowa's efforts to return to the NCAA Tournament. Coming out of Metamora High School, Koch was known as one of the top shooters in the 2024 recruiting class.
"A lot of times when guys are great shooters, that's what they're called. He's a shooter," McCaffery said. "I remember I went to see him out west, and he had eight threes in a row, that kind of thing. You remember, he is 6'8", so he can score inside. He does offensive rebound. He can post up. So he is a three-level scorer."
Considering Koch is a legacy recruit with four years of eligibility left (thanks to a medical redshirt) and loads of potential, he'll presumably be a priority for the incoming staff to retain.
Koch is the 6th player to enter the portal following the departure of McCaffery. Stay tuned to Hawkeye Beacon to follow along with portal and coaching search coverage.
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