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Tavion Banks exploring all options for future

On3 imageby: Tom Kakert04/15/26HawkeyeReport

While Iowa men’s basketball fans wait for news on potential portal prospects landing in Iowa City, a player who has been with Ben McCollum for the past two years is leaving the door open for a possible return to the Hawkeyes.

Senior forward Tavion Banks posted on Instragram on Wednesday that he is “exploring all options” regarding his future.

In his statement on social media, Banks, who just wrapped up his fourth year in college, first announced that he was declaring for the NBA Draft, which seems like the most logical next step in his career having exhausting his eligibility.

But, he also put his name in the NCAA transfer portal and also declared that if a fifth year was allowed he would love to be a Hawkeye.

This is where things begin to get a bit on the murky side. There are a couple of active court cases that are being considered that are attempting to not classify junior college against the four year eligibility clock. Banks spent two years at Northwest Florida State College before transferring to Drake and eventually to Iowa for this past season.

For those wondering why he might put his name into the portal, the reality is Iowa may be out of scholarship spots or room on the roster if/when any court decision is made and the portal window closes on April 21st.

Banks was the sixth man of the year in the Missouri Valley conference two years ago and then transferred to Iowa with five of his teammates once McCollum was hired as the new head coach.

This season he played in all 37 games for the Elite Eight Hawkeye team, starting 35 of them. He as Iowa’s second leading scorer at 10.2 points per game. He led Iowa in rebounding at 4.6 per game. Banks also shot 44% from three (19-43).

He had a career high 26 points against Indiana and scored 20 points in Iowa’s upset win over Florida that propelled the Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

Iowa has lost one player, Alvaro Folgueiras, in the transfer portal. They have yet to sign a player on the men’s side, but continue to host prospects, hoping to land a post player and a point guard from the portal.

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