IOWA CITY -- Former Morehead State guard Drew Thelwell has announced his commitment to Iowa out of the transfer portal. Premium subscribers knew of Thelwell's incoming decision on Monday.
A 6'3", 195-pound guard out of Orlando Florida, Thelwell started 68 games for the Eagles over the last two seasons. He chose Iowa over UCF, Miami (FL), Wake Forest, SMU and Michigan among others out of the portal. The three-star transfer has one year of eligibility remaining.
Thelwell's most productive scoring season came during his junior campaign, as he put up 11.1 points per game to go with 4.3 rebounds per game. He also shot 46.3% from the field, 38.1% from three-point range, and 73.2% from the free throw line.
As a senior, his production in those categories took a small dip, as he put up 10 points and three rebounds per game while shooting 43.5% from the floor, 33.8% from deep and 64.5% from the line.
Though his scoring and rebounding numbers dropped from his junior to senior seasons, his assists per game drastically increased, going from 2.8 to 6.2 per contest to finish with 211 for the season. He ranked 15th nationally in total assists and 18th in assists per game in 2023-2024.
The winningest player in program history at Morehead, Thelwell was pivotal in the Eagles' Ohio Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships that culminated in the second NCAA Tournament appearance in his four years in blue and yellow. All in all, Morehead went 94-40 from 2020 to 2024.
In addition to the wins record, Thelwell has the most single-game assists in program history with 19.
Prior to his decision, Thelwell informed Rivals that he had been "in consistent contact" with Iowa, and that he "loved the staff." Following his visit on Monday, premium subscribers were made aware that a source confirmed to me that he would be committing to Iowa.
The Impact
Following the departure of Tony Perkins, Thelwell fills an immediate need in adding backcourt depth. Not only does he fill the need from a depth perspective, but the addition is important in that he brings size to the Iowa backcourt. Prior to Thelwell's commitment, Brock Harding was the lone scholarship point guard remaining on the roster, and he stands at 6'0" and 162 pounds.
With the majority of his points coming at the rim, Thelwell isn't an elite shooter by any stretch. Though more shooting is always a positive, his ability to attack the rim forces opposing defenses to collapse. Given his ability to distribute the ball, this will likely result in more opportunities for Josh Dix and Payton Sandfort to make open shots, not to mention the possibilities on the pick-and-roll with Owen Freeman.
Despite his shooting woes during his fourth year at Morehead, the Orlando, Florida native has shown the ability to stroke it from deep. At the very least, he is a threat to make open shots, which opposing teams will have to respect.
Thelwell looks like an excellent fit in what Iowa wants to do as he shares the ball at a high level, thrives in a fast-paced game, and brings size to the backcourt.
