Nice 5 minute video. Note in the background Mulvey working on his post moves! 
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Fran, Owen, Brock, Ladji (260 lbs) & PMac Met with the Media Today
- Thread starter Franisdaman
- Start date
Story from Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Note that Ladji's consistent, solid rebounding has really stood out.
Mike Hlas
Jul. 20, 2023 4:23 pm
IOWA CITY — You wouldn’t expect a couple guys who led a team to the big-school state boys’ basketball championship to be content riding the bench once they got to their college teams.
Brock Harding and Owen Freeman aren’t saying they’re going to be in Fran McCaffery’s Iowa rotation from the get-go come November, but who’s to say they aren’t?
“That’s my goal,” said the 6-foot-11, 225-pound freeman before a Hawkeyes practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday. Freeman joined Harding in pacing Moline to a 35-3 record and the Class 4A state-title in March.
“Nothing’s set in stone right now, but obviously that’s everyone’s goal. And I’m just trying to put in the work to make sure that happens.”
Harding, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard who was Illinois’ Mr. Basketball last season and scored 28 points in Moline’s 59-42 championship win over Benet Academy, was less committal.
“We’ll kind of see when that time comes,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he lacked confidence. He said his “basketball IQ” is top asset right now.
“I’ve always kind of had that,” Harding said, “the way I’ve played the game. I’ve always kind of played it right, played the point guard role, and that’s really transitioned well to the college level.”
Harding and Freeman comprise one-half of McCaffery’s four-freshman group. Power forward Ladji Dembele of Newark, N.J., and wing Pryce Sandfort of Waukee are the others.
After four straight seasons of featuring a 20-point-per-game All-America, McCaffery will have a different kind of team in the winter ahead. The scoring is almost certain to be spread around more. It may be one freshman or more who is involved along with returnees Patrick McCaffery and Tony Perkins, and transfer Ben Krikke of Valparaiso.
Iowa has had four freshmen average 10 points or more per game since 2017 in Jordan Bohannon, Luka Garza, Joe Wieskamp and C.J. Fredrick. But seldom have the Hawkeyes had more than one or two freshmen step in and play significant roles in a given season.
"I think it’s uncommon that it’s across the board,“ McCaffery said, but suggested his four rookies might be different.
“It’s not that you can’t learn a play. It’s learning the counters and nuances of it. The motion offense is seemingly simple. But if you’re not screening or moving and cutting with a purpose, it doesn’t work.
“These guys have, I think, basketball instincts.”
Dembele is the freshman who comes in with the least publicity, but McCaffery had plenty good to say about him.
“Ladji’s been really impressive so far,” McCaffery said. “He’s probably 260 pounds, but he’s got a really good skill set. He moves it, he can put it on the deck, he can make threes.
“He has been a phenomenally impressive rebounder, every day since he got here, which is what we need from that position. Most freshmen don’t come in and consistently rebound the way he has.”
The coach will get a chance to observe his freshman and veterans alike soon enough. Iowa will play three games during a 10-day trip to France and Spain next month.
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
www.thegazette.com
Rookies sound ready to rock and roll for Hawkeyes men’s basketball team
Iowa has four freshmen, and Fran McCaffery says they’ve all looked good so far in summer workoutsMike Hlas
Jul. 20, 2023 4:23 pm
IOWA CITY — You wouldn’t expect a couple guys who led a team to the big-school state boys’ basketball championship to be content riding the bench once they got to their college teams.
Brock Harding and Owen Freeman aren’t saying they’re going to be in Fran McCaffery’s Iowa rotation from the get-go come November, but who’s to say they aren’t?
“That’s my goal,” said the 6-foot-11, 225-pound freeman before a Hawkeyes practice at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday. Freeman joined Harding in pacing Moline to a 35-3 record and the Class 4A state-title in March.
“Nothing’s set in stone right now, but obviously that’s everyone’s goal. And I’m just trying to put in the work to make sure that happens.”
Harding, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard who was Illinois’ Mr. Basketball last season and scored 28 points in Moline’s 59-42 championship win over Benet Academy, was less committal.
“We’ll kind of see when that time comes,” he said, but he didn’t sound like he lacked confidence. He said his “basketball IQ” is top asset right now.
“I’ve always kind of had that,” Harding said, “the way I’ve played the game. I’ve always kind of played it right, played the point guard role, and that’s really transitioned well to the college level.”
Harding and Freeman comprise one-half of McCaffery’s four-freshman group. Power forward Ladji Dembele of Newark, N.J., and wing Pryce Sandfort of Waukee are the others.
After four straight seasons of featuring a 20-point-per-game All-America, McCaffery will have a different kind of team in the winter ahead. The scoring is almost certain to be spread around more. It may be one freshman or more who is involved along with returnees Patrick McCaffery and Tony Perkins, and transfer Ben Krikke of Valparaiso.
Iowa has had four freshmen average 10 points or more per game since 2017 in Jordan Bohannon, Luka Garza, Joe Wieskamp and C.J. Fredrick. But seldom have the Hawkeyes had more than one or two freshmen step in and play significant roles in a given season.
"I think it’s uncommon that it’s across the board,“ McCaffery said, but suggested his four rookies might be different.
“It’s not that you can’t learn a play. It’s learning the counters and nuances of it. The motion offense is seemingly simple. But if you’re not screening or moving and cutting with a purpose, it doesn’t work.
“These guys have, I think, basketball instincts.”
Dembele is the freshman who comes in with the least publicity, but McCaffery had plenty good to say about him.
“Ladji’s been really impressive so far,” McCaffery said. “He’s probably 260 pounds, but he’s got a really good skill set. He moves it, he can put it on the deck, he can make threes.
“He has been a phenomenally impressive rebounder, every day since he got here, which is what we need from that position. Most freshmen don’t come in and consistently rebound the way he has.”
The coach will get a chance to observe his freshman and veterans alike soon enough. Iowa will play three games during a 10-day trip to France and Spain next month.
Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com
Rookies sound ready to rock and roll for Hawkeyes men’s basketball
Iowa has four freshmen, and Fran McCaffery says they’ve all looked good so far in summer workouts.
www.thegazette.com
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Free story on our 4-star freshman forward who is originally from Mali in West Africa.
"He's so strong, it's insane," Owen Freeman said. "Trying to move him around is pretty difficult."
"What really surprised me is that he can shoot the ball really well," Freeman added. "He shoots it well in practice and in workouts -- three-pointers, mid-range, everything. He has got a really nice jump shot and that really impressed me from day one."
"Ladji works hard every single day," Harding added. "He goes after it and gets almost every offensive rebound every time down the court."
Click on "iowa.rivals.com" in the tweet below to take you to the full story.
"He's so strong, it's insane," Owen Freeman said. "Trying to move him around is pretty difficult."
"What really surprised me is that he can shoot the ball really well," Freeman added. "He shoots it well in practice and in workouts -- three-pointers, mid-range, everything. He has got a really nice jump shot and that really impressed me from day one."
"Ladji works hard every single day," Harding added. "He goes after it and gets almost every offensive rebound every time down the court."
Click on "iowa.rivals.com" in the tweet below to take you to the full story.
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Sounds like Ladji is probably going to be an immediate contributor.
If he is 260lbs he wears it well.
Still looks lean with a great frame.
Charles Oakley starter kit.
If he is 260lbs he wears it well.
Still looks lean with a great frame.
Charles Oakley starter kit.
I hope they realize it’s the Patrick McCaffery show this winter.
Yeah, he looks like what we were hoping Big Jelly would be.
Just like the last four years, Fran is going to ride his 4 main players, Patrick, Payton, Tony, and Ben Krikke 25 to 30 minutes for each of them, all others are fill ins. I'm still going with Riley Mulvey as the center to start the season because of his quickness, speed, length, rebounding, screening, and passing ability.
We'll see.
I bet Freeman is already ahead of him.
Jelly was hard to move (when he played).
I posted the full story above but Owen said this about Ladji: "Trying to move him around is pretty difficult."
Looks like and sounds like he has a B1G body already.
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I stated during the winter while watching Dembele on the NFHS network that he reminded me more of a young Reggie Evans then a Tyler Cook. Wasn't as explosive as Cook but you could tell that after halftime of their games he became much more aggressive and became a force on the boards. Had a decent outside shot, but didn't force it because of the other D1 players on the roster. He's going to be a good one as he adjusts to college basketball, maybe sooner then later....hopefully he is a scoring Reggie Evans
Not so bold prediction. Brock will take over starting and/or get the majority of the PG minutes at some point this season.
The only question is WHEN he takes over and also how the freshman B1G physical grind impacts him.
Brock could start day 1. Mike Gesell was a day 1 starter.
I think that’s a pretty bold prediction. If he beats out Bowen for more minutes I’ll be surprised.
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