Iowa men's basketball is going to have a significantly different looking backcourt this season. With the departure of Tony Perkins, the Hawkeyes' second-leading scorer, team-leader in assists and minutes last season, Fran McCaffery's point guard spot is set for a massive change.
Enter Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell and returning sophomore PG Brock Harding.
A mid-major stud with NCAA Tournament experience, Thelwell ranked 15th nationally in total assists (211) and 18th in assists per game in 2023-24 (6.2). Harding expects a bigger role after averaging just ten minutes per game during his freshman campaign.
Both expect to lead. Both expect to contribute. It's up to the duo and Iowa' coaching staff to figure out how they'll complement one another on the court in 2024-25.
Competing for Minutes
It's unclear who will start and/or play more minutes between the duo, and they know they'll have to compete with one another to earn time on the court this season. Each brings different skill-sets to the table.
"I think a big reason they brought me here [was for athleticism and defense]," Thelwell said at Iowa's Monday media availability. "My last four years, we were a defensive team. There are little things I can pick up on really quickly without them having to teach me it. I bring that competitive edge every day, too."
"He's just a winner," Harding said of his new backcourt mate. "He played in the tournament last year, and we didn't. He's a super athletic guy, can get up into people, speed the game up, read the floor -- it's been fun to see what he's been able to bring to the table so far."
Thelwell has been impressed with what he's seen from Harding, too.
"He passes the ball really well," Thelwell said. "When I'm guarding him, I'm trying to read his eyes and take some of his feel. He's smaller than me, too. His ability to finish in the paint -- I'm seeing some of those things he does and trying to apply them to my game."
Junior shooting guard Josh Dix described the pair as getting 'chippy' in their early practices this summer.
"They've been battling every day, but it's good," Dix said. "They push each other. They compete. If they do that, then every one else will. They're just making each other better."
The duo of PGs relish in the competitive nature of the summer workouts.
"We're both competitive guys who have won throughout our whole lives," Harding said. "Whoever wins on a certain day, they're going to let the other one hear it, then off the court we're good. We both know it's on-the-court competitiveness."
"We're both competitors," Thelwell added in affirmation. "At the end of the day, we're brothers. Off the court, he's the funniest guy in the world. We sit next to each other in the locker room -- like, we're close. But, when we get in the four lines, it's all about winning."
They both want the backcourt competition to fuel the Hawkeyes' improvement, too.
"We're both quick, athletic guys that can guard," Harding said. "We want to change the narrative around the team this year. We want to guard, get up in people and make them turn the ball over. I think, having two guards that can do that will change the game and speed things up."
Individual Growth
This summer has been fruitful in terms of the point guards' individual growth as well. For Harding, it has all started in the weight room.
"I've been trying to put on as much weight as I can," he said. "I'm not done. I'm not where I want to get to, so I've been working with our strength coach and nutritionist trying to get on as much weight as I can. I'm up eight pounds right now. I want to get a couple more. I know I'm going to lose some in the season, so I want to enter the year a little heavier."
Harding's jump shot has been a focus as well. During a pre-interview team shoot-around, he made ten-straight threes in front of the gathered press.
"I've moved my pocket up a little bit, so I can get it off against close-outs, get it out quicker," he said. "I worked with Coach (Matt) Gatens on that, and it's been fun to do. It wasn't fun to start -- he'll tell you I didn't like doing it at the start. But it's been fun to see where it's gotten to. It's quicker, feels good out of my hand and every one feels like it's going in."
For Thelwell, he's taking development at a measured pace after spending most of his career with a different program.
"The first week was probably the most difficult part," he said. "I was trying to learn everything, and I wanted it to be perfect. I came from a program where I knew what to do every single second. So, I think I just needed to take a second, take a deep breath and say 'Hey, you've done this for four years. You can do this.'"
In the meantime, he's learning how to lead this team as one of its most senior members.
"In spots there are times for me to learn and grow, and in other spots [Coach McCaffery] expects me to talk to teammates when there's something going wrong, or there's a little chaos," he said. "I slow things down and point guys to get in the right positions. There are things I can do even though I don't know everything. I'm working to be the point guard this team needs."
