Illinois’ Mr. Basketball makes his way to Iowa City. What does freshman guard Brock Harding bring to the table for Iowa?
Let’s talk about the special youth revolution going on in Iowa City. There are so many young players to get excited about on this team, with multiple freshmen vying for playing time early on in their careers.
Given this will be somewhat of a transitional year for the Hawkeyes, who lost multiple starters from last season, we might just see the youngsters get a chance early on.
Owen Freeman isn’t the only supremely talented prospect that Fran McCaffery came away from Moline, Ill., with. Iowa was also able to sign Brock Harding, a 6-foot point guard who was named Illinois’ 2023 Mr. Basketball.
The talented Harding led his team to great success in high school and was greeted with much acclaim over his four years. Now starting it all over in Iowa City, Harding is already starting to turn heads with his play ahead of the 2023-24 season.
“The young guys have done well. Not surprised. We expected all four of them to contribute. Brock has made a seamless transition,” McCaffery said of Harding during Iowa’s media day.
One of the most exciting prospects on the team, get to know freshman point guard Brock Harding.
Ahead of the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season, Iowa is exploring a number of different options at point guard.
The point guard position will be a key battle to watch as the season unfolds for Iowa basketball. With star forward Kris Murray graduating to the NBA, selected in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Hawkeyes will have to forge a new identity on offense. All of that starts at point guard.
Incumbent starter Tony Perkins is back for his senior season in Iowa City. In his first full season as a starter, Perkins showed some promise. The Indianapolis native averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 44.0% field goal shooting.
He will be heavily pushed for playing time by some hungry underclassmen, namely sophomore Dasonte Bowen. Bowen, out of Boston, Mass., averaged 3.1 points in just 9.4 minutes of average floor time.
When asked about the point guard situation, head coach Fran McCaffery boasted about all four of his potential options at the position.
“We do have a lot of options at that position. I think we’ll see Tony there at times. I think Dasonte and Brock (Harding) and Josh Dix can all play that position. Normally you don’t have that many options,” McCaffery said.
Bowen is the player expected by most to really make a push for the starting role this season. He showed some great flashes in limited playing time at the end of last season.
Coach McCaffery talks a lot about pushing the pace, and Bowen is one of the most dynamic threats the Hawkeyes have running downhill. The 6-foot-2, 183 pound guard showed some special athleticism last season and can add a new element to the offense. The ability to hit shots from outside and be more than just a slasher will be huge for the Brewster Academy product.
It’s exciting to hear that true freshman Brock Harding will push for some playing time. He’s a really exciting prospect, we’ll just have to see if that’s just preseason coach talk, though.
As a youngster, he might not get his chance quite yet. Word around Iowa City is that he has made a seamless transition to college, though.
Josh Dix is an interesting name to see thrown in at point guard. With his height and shooting ability, most would project him as a shooting guard. However, if Iowa is looking to surround new star transfer big man Ben Krikke with shooters, Dix at the one is something they can definitely tinker with.
The 6-foot-5, 200 pound guard from Council Bluffs, Iowa, averaged 2.0 points per game in 9.2 minutes of average floor time last season.
However, the most interesting option may not come from one of these new faces. It’s important to keep an eye on returning starter Perkins and how his game has progressed this offseason.
In what Perkins expects to be his last season at Iowa, he likely morphs into the leader of this team. He’s talked about gunning for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and with his athletic profile, that’s certainly attainable.
If he can find more consistency in his game, and maybe hit some more shots from deep, Perkins could be an invaluable member of this starting rotation.
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Freshman point guard Brock Harding detailed how he is leaning on Iowa’s vets and on his basketball IQ to transition into his Hawkeye career.
When Brock Harding committed to Iowa on June 23, 2022, he was just the second Hawkeyes commit in the 2023 class. At the time, he joined Moline teammate Owen Freeman as Iowa’s pair of pledges in the class.
Now, that duo is officially on campus in Iowa City and they comprise half of the Hawkeyes’ 2023 signees. Harding and Freeman join guard Pryce Sandfort and forward Ladji Dembele as members of the 2023 Iowa class.
As this Iowa team gears up for an overseas trip that will be vital for its 2023-24 hopes, the extra practices and games are vital to Harding and the fellow freshmen’s growth. It provides the opportunity to get acclimated to college basketball more quickly.
“We’re fortunate as freshmen to have the overseas trip so we get 10 practices. So, we kind of get to put everything in now and get that in the back of our heads, so when practice comes in the fall, we’ll kind of have everything already put in and then it’ll be easier to transition once we get into the fall.
“It’s awesome just because, coming here, it’s the first time that we haven’t really had AAU basketball. So, to have games to look forward to in August, that kind of makes the summer grind that much more fun knowing that we have something to look forward to and games coming up here pretty soon,” Harding told reporters of the upcoming overseas trip.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Listening to the 6-foot-1, 160 pound point guard, it sounds like the transition to Iowa is going pretty smoothly to this point.
“It’s been awesome so far. Just the resources that you have, the people you have around you. We have a bunch of great coaches that have done great things. Everybody on this team wants to play at the next level and we have a bunch of coaches that have done that, so to be able to have guys to talk to, it’s been awesome,” Harding said.
“It’s good because you have somebody to look forward to, to talk to. We’re kind of going through the same things as freshmen being at a Big Ten school, so we kind of get to share that and it’s nice to have somebody to go to every time,” Harding said of Freeman.
Harding is roommates with Pryce Sandfort and the two have found common ground both on and off the court. He said his relationship is great with fellow freshman Dembele, too.
In a backcourt picture that also includes names such as Josh Dix and Dasonte Bowen, it’s been key to be able to pick the brain of Tony Perkins. As one of the elder statesmen and most experienced players on this Hawkeye roster, that information from Perkins and the other Iowa vets has been invaluable.
“He teaches. He’s kind of really stepped up in the leadership role. He said he was going to, and he really has. Just in practices, talking to all the freshmen. Kind of telling us where spots are going to be open, where we’re going to get most of our looks, where we’re going to get the ball. Just kind of all that stuff. Just because he’s played in the Big Ten for three years now. He kind of knows all the little things and it’s been nice that he’s shared with us that so far.
“Tony, Patrick, Payton… I mean, all of them. They’ve been around Big Ten basketball and now they’ve played it for two, three years, so just kind of everything that they’ve learned, they’ve been giving that to us freshmen. Payton obviously has his brother Pryce, so he kind of knows that we don’t know some of the things, so he’s been really good with that as well,” Harding said.
Asked if the speed of the game has been an adjustment, Harding pointed in a different direction for the steepest learning curve.
“Yeah, I mean, the speed hasn’t been too—I think kind of all the freshmen can speak—the speed hasn’t been that (big of a struggle), it’s just really the strength. The strength’s the biggest thing that we’re kind of (working on), we’re in the weight room every day learning that aspect of the game. We’ve got to be more physical. They let a lot of stuff go in the Big Ten, so just kind of learning that way to play is the biggest thing so far,” Harding said.
Fortunately for the young point guard, he arrived in Iowa City confident in his ability as a floor general. His basketball IQ is what he feels has made the jump to the college level the easiest thus far.
“I’d say just my basketball IQ. I’ve always kind of had that. 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 into the college level and then everything else is kind of coming along with that, so it’s been nice to just kind of have that as I’ve moved to the Big Ten level,” Harding said.
For an Iowa team that finished last season 19-14 (11-9 Big Ten), there’s plenty of changes happening. Gone are stars and key cogs Kris Murray, Filip Rebraca and Connor McCaffery.
Iowa is looking for players to emerge and to provide plenty of production. In the backcourt, Harding could be one of those names to deliver points and production quickly in Iowa City.
“It’s super fun. We have a bunch of guys that work hard, a bunch of competitive guys. So, we come at it, we get after each other during practice. On the court, we’re getting after each other. Off the court, we’re close and kind of just hang out with each other, so that’s been good so far,” Harding said.
Iowa begins its overseas trip on Aug. 5 as the Hawkeyes embark on a three-game set across Paris and Spain.
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A pair of Iowa basketball signees, Brock Harding and Owen Freeman, brought Moline its first-ever state championship.
A pair of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball signees brought Moline to a place it has never gone before. The Maroons are Class 4A state champions in Illinois.
Moline hadn’t played for the state championship since a runner-up finish in the 1951 season. Before that, Moline registered fourth place finishes in 1934, 1935, 1945 and a third place finish in 1940.
Now, thanks to Iowa signees Brock Harding and Owen Freeman, Moline has risen above the rest. Moline (35-3) toppled Benet Academy, 59-42, to capture the school’s first state championship from inside the State Farm Center at the University of Illinois.
Harding led the way, scoring 28 points. Freeman added six points and nine rebounds for the Maroons en route to the crown.
“It still doesn’t feel real. People told me teams not from Chicago or the ‘burbs don’t win it. We came here and shut them all up,” Harding told the Chicago Sun Times afterwards.
Freeman, a 6-foot-10 forward, joined Moline this offseason. He transferred in from Bradley-Bourbonnais and brought state title hopes and expectations with him.
“It’s so special to bring the championship back to a town like Moline. The community has been great. I can’t wait to celebrate,” Freeman said.
The pair each signed with Iowa back in November alongside forward Pryce Sandfort.
Here’s some of the reaction to the state championship. Plus, another look at the pair’s recruiting profile.
Iowa men’s basketball’s 2023 recruiting class received a jolt, earning a commitment from four-star small forward Pryce Sandfort.
Iowa men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery and his staff landed one of their top targets in the 2023 class. Pryce Sandfort out of Waukee Northwest High School in Iowa committed to the Hawkeyes.
With the Sandfort commitment, Iowa now has three pledges in its 2023 class.
According to On3, the 6-foot-7, 190 pound Sandfort is the nation’s No. 99 player, the No. 22 small forward and the No. 2 player from Iowa in the 2023 class. On3 also has Sandfort ranked as a four-star commit.
Meanwhile, ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports all rate Sandfort as a three-star prospect. 247Sports ranks Sandfort as the nation’s No. 135 player, the No. 29 small forward and the No. 2 player from Iowa. Rivals regards Sandfort as the No. 135 player nationally and the No. 37 small forward. Lastly, ESPN has Sandfort as the No. 39 power forward and the No. 2 player from Iowa.
Sandfort chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Clemson, Drake, Davidson, Nebraska, Seton Hall and Washington State. The Waukee native was also receiving interest from Gonzaga, Iowa State and Wake Forest.
“Before my visit, I was talking to my parents and I was telling them there is no way I’ll commit after it. I wanted to take a lot of visits and decide after that. But on the visit, it just felt like home. I didn’t want to be anywhere else or visit anywhere else. I fell in love with the campus and the vision that coach Fran (McCaffery) and coach (Matt) Gatens had for me. Also, I had a great time hanging out with the guys,” Sandfort told Sanderson.
He also liked how the staff envisioned his future in Iowa City.
“They see me fitting in perfectly with how they want to play. Playing fast, shooting a lot of threes, all of that. They see me playing the 1-3 or 4. Fran has told me before, he sees me coming in as a freshman and making 60 threes and having a big role right away. Obviously, it’s all up to me and how hard I work,” Sandfort told Rivals.
It’s a huge get for the Hawkeyes. Sandfort, the younger brother of current Hawkeye Payton Sandfort, joins Owen Freeman and Brock Harding as the third commit in Iowa’s 2023 class.
Here’s a look at Pryce Sandfort’s junior season highlights courtesy of QuadVisual on YouTube.
Point guard Brock Harding out of Moline High School committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes, becoming the second pledge in the 2023 class.
Iowa men’s basketball is having one heck of a day. Several hours after the Hawkeyes picked up a commitment from class of 2024 power forward Cooper Koch, Iowa has another in the form of 2023 point guard Brock Harding.
The 6-foot, 155 pound point guard committed to Iowa after earning his offer just three days ago. Harding is teammates at Moline High School with now fellow Hawkeye commit Owen Freeman. Freeman is a 6-foot-10, 220 pound center that’s rated as a three-star by 247Sports.
Harding is also a three-star recruit according to 247Sports. According to the recruiting experts at 247Sports, Harding is the nation’s No. 33 point guard and the No. 7 player from Illinois in the 2023 class.
On3 also lists Harding as a three-star commit. In the On3 consensus rankings, Harding is regarded as the nation’s No. 163 player overall, the No. 27 point guard and the No. 5 player from Illinois.
Harding chose the Hawkeyes over offers from Appalachian State, Bradley, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, IPFW, Loyola (Chi.), Radford, Rice, Saint Louis, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.
After receiving his offer from Iowa on June 20, Harding spoke with HawkeyeInsider’s Sean Bock to discuss what his primary recruiter at Iowa, former assistant coach Kirk Speraw, liked about his game.
“When Speraw saw me in the winter, he liked that I could pass, dribble, and shoot. He liked that I was under control with the ball. I was quick, but never too quick, where I couldn’t control myself. I did a great job of controlling the game, talking, and being the true point guard. That’s something that they wanted whether it be me or someone else in a different class. That’s something they think they could see me doing there,” Harding told HawkeyeInsider.
Iowa’s new assistant coach Matt Gatens liked Harding enough to extend the offer and it’s clear that Harding sees himself fitting in nicely with the Hawkeyes.
“I like that they have five guys on the court that can score at all times. They play up and down and get shots up. That’s somewhere where I can really affect the game is going up and down, and not just playing the half-court game. I’m really good in the full court with creating stuff for myself and others, and I feel like they do that with all five guys,” Harding said to HawkeyeInsider.
As evidenced in his AAU highlights below from Courtside Films on YouTube, Harding has terrific handles, excellent court vision and a pretty jumper. Here’s a look at Harding’s AAU highlights with MidPro Academy and his full recruiting profile.
In a major recruiting win, Iowa landed legacy commit Cooper Koch. The four-star power forward in the 2024 class is out of Peoria, Ill.
Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball just secured a big-time commitment from class of 2024 power forward Cooper Koch.
The 6-foot-7, 205 pound product of Peoria Notre Dame High School in Illinois is rated by 247Sports as a four-star talent, the nation’s No. 51 overall player in the 2024 class, the No. 8 power forward and the No. 4 player from Illinois.
ESPN also ranks Koch as a four-star recruit, the country’s No. 57 player nationally and the No. 3 player from the state of Illinois. Koch is the son of former Hawkeye forward J.R. Koch, who played for Iowa from 1995-99. His father was a second-round 1999 NBA draft selection of the New York Knicks.
“I have grown up dreaming of playing for the Hawkeyes. Yesterday I made that dream a reality! I am proud to say I have committed to play for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and Coach McCaffery!” Koch wrote on Twitter.
Iowa was Koch’s first Power Five offer all the way back on May 11, 2021. Now, he’s the first Hawkeye commit in the 2024 class. Koch chose Iowa over offers from schools such as Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Wake Forest and Wisconsin.
The commitment from Koch is a major recruiting coup for Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery. In fact, Koch represents the third highest-rated commit Iowa has ever secured according to 247Sports since the service began ranking players.
The only two players to rank ahead of Koch according to 247Sports were small forward Tyler Smith in the 2006 class and center Adam Woodbury in the 2012 class.
With that in mind, Koch’s commitment could help lure in other big-time players to consider making Iowa City a part of their futures. Iowa just recently offered 2023 Moline High School point guard Brock Harding. Harding is teammates with current class of 2023 commit Owen Freeman.
In the 2024 class, Iowa has also recently offered Lyon County High School point guard Travis Perry, St. Rita High School shooting guard Nojus Indrusaitis, Pewaukee High School combo guard Nick Janowski and Sycamore High School center Raleigh Burgess.
Here’s a look at some of Koch’s recent AAU highlights courtesy of TheHoosier on YouTube. Plus, Koch’s full recruiting profile is included below.
Brock Harding, a 2023 point guard out of Moline High School in Illinois, picked up his first major offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Thanks to an impressive showing on the AAU circuit with MidPro Academy and perhaps also some urging from Iowa’s lone 2023 commit, Moline High School point guard Brock Harding picked up an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.
The 6-foot, 155 pound point guard is rated as a three-star recruit, the nation’s No. 33 point guard and the No. 7 player from Illinois by 247Sports. Harding is teammates with Iowa commit Owen Freeman, who is also rated as a three-star prospect, the nation’s No. 134 player overall, the No. 30 power forward and the No. 3 player from Illinois by 247Sports.
The Iowa offer is the first high-major offer for Harding. He also has offers from Appalachian State, Bradley, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, Illinois-Chicago, IPFW, Loyola (Chi.), Radford, Rice, Saint Louis, Southeast Missouri State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois.
As HawkeyeInsider’s Sean Bock noted, it’s a substantial offer for Harding in part because it comes after Iowa’s primary recruiter for Harding left the program.
That would have been longtime Iowa assistant men’s basketball coach Kirk Speraw. After Speraw’s retirement, the Hawkeyes turned over Harding’s recruitment to new assistant men’s basketball coach Matt Gatens.
“When Speraw saw me in the winter, he liked that I could pass, dribble, and shoot. He liked that I was under control with the ball. I was quick, but never too quick, where I couldn’t control myself. I did a great job of controlling the game, talking, and being the true point guard. That’s something that they wanted whether it be me or someone else in a different class. That’s something they think they could see me doing there,” Harding told HawkeyeInsider.
Suffice it to say that Gatens and Iowa still really liked what they saw. Now, time will tell whether or not Harding will follow Freeman’s footsteps in committing to the Hawkeyes.
One thing is for certain: Harding understands how he would fit in with Iowa and thinks it would be a good match.
“I like that they have five guys on the court that can score at all times. They play up and down and get shots up. That’s somewhere where I can really affect the game is going up and down, and not just playing the half-court game. I’m really good in the full court with creating stuff for myself and others, and I feel like they do that with all five guys,” Harding said to HawkeyeInsider.
Here’s a look at Harding’s Hudl highlights as well as his full recruiting profile.
