Nice story from one of the Register beat writers. And sorry,
@LaQuintaHawkeye , no guard for you!
Iowa men's basketball: Roster plan, offseason development and other notes
Tyler Tachman
Des Moines Register
May 9, 2024
DAVENPORT — Iowa men’s basketball is still on the market to bolster its 2024-25 roster.
As it currently stands, the Hawkeyes are looking to add one more scholarship player.
Iowa is targeting a specific archetype, which assistant coach Sherman Dillard described like this:
“I’d like to say a wing forward/power forward, if you will,” Dillard said at an I-Club event in Davenport on Wednesday. “Stretch four would work.”
“We’re looking for a versatile forward. I guess you could put it that way.”
Iowa tried getting that from the portal in UMass transfer Matt Cross, who took a visit to Iowa City. But Cross ultimately committed to SMU, leaving Iowa still on the hunt to fill that spot.
So far, Iowa has seen the departure of four scholarship players from last season’s roster and the addition of three. The transfer portal is now closed, meaning the window for players to enter is over. However, there is no deadline for those already in the transfer portal to find a new home.
- Out: Ben Krikke (exhausted college eligibility), Tony Perkins (transfer portal), Dasonte Bowen (transfer portal) and Patrick McCaffery (transfer portal).
- In: Chris Tadjo (high school signee), Cooper Koch (high school signee) and Drew Thelwell (Morehead State transfer).
- Returners: Josh Dix, Owen Freeman, Brock Harding, Ladji Dembele, Pryce Sandfort, Even Brauns and Riley Mulvey.
But a major part of the roster situation is still in limbo…
…which makes everything a little more complicated.
After the most productive season of his college career, Payton Sandfort is going through the NBA Draft process while still maintaining his college eligibility. Sandfort was recently invited to the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, which is held in Chicago in mid-May.
Sandfort’s decision about his future is one of the most impactful dominoes of the offseason for Iowa.
If he returns, it would immediately cement expectations for what the Hawkeyes can accomplish in 2024-25. Sandfort, who averaged a team-high 16.4 points per game last season, would enter his senior season among the best players in the Big Ten. Having a core trio of Sandfort, Dix and Freeman inspires some confidence.
But if Sandfort goes through with his professional pursuits, it would be a big hit for Iowa on multiple levels. The Hawkeyes would be losing a primary scoring option and, on top of that, a tremendous leader. That scenario would drop some serious doubt into what the Hawkeyes are capable of next season.
The deadline for Sandfort to decide his plans is May 29.
“We’re not sitting back on our hands and saying, 'OK fine, if he leaves, we’re fine,'” Dillard said. “Yeah, we’ve been thinking about it. But we haven’t done anything in terms of trying to replace him at this point…We’ll have to deal with that when it comes. The old adage I have: It’s not a headache until your head starts hurting.”
As for the players who have participated in team workouts this spring
Dillard had some high praise. His words carry some weight, given he has been on staff for every season of the Fran McCaffery era at Iowa. Granted, the Hawkeyes haven’t been able to have spring workouts
every year that he’s been here. But this is still a notable comment:
“Maybe the best offseason we’ve had in the spring in terms of the energy that the young men brought to the table each and every day we had workouts,” Dillard said. “A lot of times you’re forcing it on them. You’re trying to push them. This group brought it every day on their own. They really did. I saw a difference across the board with everybody in terms of their attitude. They were self-driven and they just seemed so enthusiastic about what they were doing. It wasn’t like it was work to them.”
As for particular individuals who stood out, Dillard was hesitant to give names, but the few mentioned included Dembele and Harding.
That is a good sign, given some of Iowa’s potential success will hinge on the 2023 recruiting class’ development as sophomores. Dembele and Harding showed flashes of potential coming off the bench last season, but it is clear that there is still much more in the tank.
“Shooting the ball a heck of a lot better,” Dillard said of Dembele, who finished the season at a 31% clip from deep.
Similarly, Dillard said of Harding: “He’s improved his shot. He had somewhat of a low release in his jump shot... He’s gotten it up. He’s gotten more lift on his jump shot.”
Harding shot an efficient 37.5% from deep last season, though it was on a relatively low volume. Shooting remains a wildcard for Harding, who is a phenomenal distributor with the ball in his hands. If he can shore up his jump shot, he would become even more lethal in pick-and-roll situations, enabling him to make defenders pay for going under screens.
Speaking of shooting
Freeman showed versatility in a season that led him to be named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year. But an aspect that is still a work in progress is shooting, whether that be a 15-footer or a 3-pointer.
Freeman attempted just four shots from deep last season and didn’t make any. Adding that as a consistent part of his skill set would make him even more difficult to guard and would be valuable down the road for his professional aspirations.
“He continues to work on that,” Dillard said. “I’ve particularly had a conversation with him at a workout one day. It’s all about his ball spin. Like the rotation, backspin on the ball. I don’t want to give out too much information but (he) has a little bit of a corkscrew. If he can clean that up and make that pure… I think you’ll see a more efficient shooter.”
More on Iowa basketball transfer Drew Thelwell
The lone transfer portal addition for Iowa, as it currently stands, comes to the program with a relatively impressive resume.
Thelwell is the winningest player in Morehead State program history. The Eagles won at least 22 games in each of his four seasons there. Last season, Thelwell averaged 10 points, 6.2 assists and three rebounds per game. With the departures of Perkins and Bowen, two ball-handling guards, Iowa found what could very well be a sound replacement.
He has the chance to make a positive impact in the box score and also in less quantifiable ways.
“We didn’t say we wanted a pass-first point guard, we didn’t say we wanted a scoring point guard,” Dillard said. “We just said, let’s find the best fit for this team coming and he checked all the boxes. He’s crafty, he’s shifty, he’s smart, he’s a facilitator, he can score from deep, he’s not a ball hog. I think he’s perfect for how we play. And then on top of that, the intangibles. You won’t find a classier young man in terms of how he carries himself. Terrific leader. I think he’s going to be terrific for our team.”
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contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
Longtime Iowa men's basketball assistant Sherman Dillard provides insight on where the Hawkeyes stand this offseason.
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