Not quick enough? Just because he is white? He’s plenty quick. He ranks 16th nationally in steals per possession. His 2.4 steals per game would be the best by any Iowa player since Pierre Pierce in 04/05.
Harding also ranks 17th nationally in assists per possession. As a comparison, he is averaging more assists per minute than Caitlin Clark did in her career.
Harding is shooting 50.6% from the field and 46.4% from 3.
Size is definitely an issue that holds him back. The steals on defense are nice, but his size prevents him from more effectively contesting shots and rebounding.
Is Harding an elite PG? No. But those saying that he doesn’t belong in the Big Ten are simply wrong.
Same as those that say Fran is a terrible coach. Objectively, that is just wrong. Over the course of the last decade-plus, not many teams have gone to the NCAA tournament with the same consistency as Iowa. He is not a terrible coach. He’s also shown to have a low ceiling, and so he’s not an elite coach either. It’s okay to say that you’d like to move on from Fran, and move on from the current roster, without saying that they don’t belong in the Big Ten. Objectively, Fran is a mid-level Big Ten coach and Harding is a mid-level Big Ten PG.
