Iowa basketball held a media availability session earlier today, which allowed the assembled press to talk to several newcomers to the Hawkeyes. One prominent newcomer -- 6'11" big man Owen Freeman, a 3-star center from the Quad Cities.
Freeman talked about acclimation process at the college level, noting that it "Took me a little bit to get acclimated. It's completely different going from high school to now playing grown men. I feel like I've adjusted really well, being in the system now, and constantly going to work with [my teammates]."
One factor that's made the acclimation process smoother for Freeman is the presence of a familiar face. 6'1" guard Brock Harding is a longtime friend of Freeman; they were also teammates at both the AAU level and the high school level, where they led Moline to a 4A state championship last March. Freeman was very happy to have Harding around in Iowa City as well.
"It's really good to have someone you're super-close with you for the journey. Just being someone that I can go to, that I can talk to whenever I need it is big," Freeman said. "I always wanted to play with Brock, I really wanted to continue my playing career with him. When he got the [Iowa] offer, I was hyping him up, texting him, and talking to him all the time. When he was finally able to make that decision [and choose Iowa], I might have been a little happier than he was, just because I know all of the work he's put in."
One of the key things that attracted Freeman to Iowa? Style of play. Iowa teams have played at a fast tempo ever since Fran McCaffery arrived in Iowa City 13 years ago, and that was a definite factor in Freeman's decision to play at Iowa. "It was a huge factor," he noted. "Getting up and down, being able to to play free, scoring a lot of points -- that was huge with my decision. Style of play was very important to me."
When asked about his own game, Freeman discussed his quickness and his shooting touch as two of his strongest attributes right now. "My quickness and just being able to make moves out to the perimeter," he said. "I've been shooting it really well. Being able to produce at this level and being quicker against guys who are big and strong is key for me."
Freeman, a true freshman, was asked about playing early this season, and he expressed optimism about that possibility. "That's my goal, what I'm working for," he said. "There's nothing set in stone right now, and that's everyone's goal [to play early]. I'm trying to put in the work to make that happen."
There should be plenty of opportunities for big men on next year's Iowa team as the Hawkeyes look to replace two starting big men in Kris Murray (off to the NBA) and Filip Rebraca (graduation). Depth big man Josh Ogundele also departed after the season. Freeman is one of several new big men on campus this winter who will be trying to fill the voids left by Murray, Rebraca, and Ogundele. In addition to Freeman, Iowa also brought in true freshman forward Ladji Dembele (a 4-star, 6'8" prospect from New Jersey). They also added a pair of big men through the transfer portal, with Ben Krikke arriving from Valparaiso and Even Brauns coming from Belmont.
READ MORE:
* Valparaiso Transfer Ben Krikke Commits to Iowa
* Valpo Beat Writer on Ben Krikke's Fit at Iowa
* Belmont Transfer Even Brauns Officially Joins Iowa
* Even Brauns Exclusive On Decision To Transfer to Iowa
Freeman said that he's already learned a lot from the other big men on the team. "Being able to handle the physicality, learn the offense, produce in that kind of way, run the offense, and run the floor. I've learned a lot from all the guys here."
"Hes a great player. He had all those schools reaching out to him for a reason," said Freeman about Krikke. "His post work, his post footwork, his jump shot are all good. He's super hard to guard. I'm just taking tips form him, trying to learn every day. He's been a great mentor. He runs the floor like crazy. That's the thing I'm trying to take from him the most, the way he runs the floor. But he can shoot it, he can drive, he can do everything. That's what makes him so hard to defend."
Fellow true freshman Ladji Dembele has also made an impact already, according to Freeman. "He's great. He's strong, it's insane. He's 260, you try to move him around, it's pretty difficult," explained Freeman. "He can shoot the ball really well -- [he's been] shooting the ball well at practice and workouts. 3-pointers, mid-range, he's got a really nice jump shot. He's just a great all around player, he's got a high ceiling."
Finally, Iowa has a trip to Europe coming up in August. Freeman is excited about that opportunity and thinks it will help this year's team come together "It's very important," he said. "It will be my first time playing with these guys, and being out on the court against pro athletes. I'm looking forward to it, and seeing how the team is doing and how we click on the court."
