Ben McCollum, Bennett Stirtz and more appear during Kickoff at Kinnick
Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum and others appeared during Kickoff at Kinnick on Aug. 22, 2025.
IOWA CITY — Iowa basketball‘s Trey Thompson is cleared to participate in all team activities after officially reclassifying, a program spokesperson told the Register.
Thompson, who joined the program in July, was previously permitted to participate in weight room training, but not on-court team workouts, as he finished up his high school coursework. Now that he has officially completed high school and is a full-time student at the University of Iowa, those guardrails are gone and Thompson is able to participate in all team activities, said James Allan of the UI sports information department.
The addition of Thompson marked a major recruiting win for Iowa coach Ben McCollum and his staff.
The 6-foot-8 forward was originally a member of the 2026 high school recruiting class, where he was pursued by Purdue, Tennessee, Kansas, UConn, Alabama and others.
Iowa offered Thompson in May, and he took a visit to the campus in June. If he had stayed in the 2026 class, Iowa would’ve been in his top group of schools. But Iowa presented the opportunity to move to the 2025 class and start college early, which made the Hawkeyes even more appealing.
“What separated them was me playing this year and getting better and getting Big Ten experience as a 17-year-old,” Thompson told the Register in July. “That’s a dream come true. Playing for a coach like coach McCollum is a dream come true. He’s a great guy, great coach, he’s about the right things and I really do appreciate that.”
Thompson is regarded as a four-star prospect in the 2025 class and the top-ranked player in the state of Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite.
“I like to pass the ball, like making the right play, the right reads every time,” Thompson said of his skill set. “I can shoot the ball pretty well for my size. I see the game in slow motion sometimes. I’m not going to ‘wow’ you with my athleticism, even though I can jump a little bit. Don’t get me wrong — I’m athletic. But I’m not the type of guy that has like a 55-inch vertical that’s going to be showtime, dunk on somebody’s head all the time. I’m more of like a fundamental basketball player that will beat you with smarts, intelligence, IQ and really just knowing how to play the game of basketball.”
As Iowa basketball continues its preparations for the 2025-26 season, Thompson is now fully in the fold.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com