Tag: Fran McCaffery

2024 Iowa basketball target Donnie Freeman talks upcoming visit to the Hawkeyes

Donnie Freeman, a five-star power forward in the 247Sports composite, caught up with Rutgers Wire to preview his upcoming trip to Iowa City.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are heavily in the mix for one of the best players in the 2024 class. Donnie Freeman, a five-star power forward recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings, caught up with Rutgers Wire to review his unofficial visit with the Scarlet Knights and to discuss his upcoming official visit to Iowa in September.

“Coach (Fran) McCaffery is very active with talking to me,” Freeman said of his relationship with Iowa. “He really likes how I can impact the game in many ways and he loves my longterm potential.”

That relationship should only improve after the September visit.

“(It’s) good and getting better,” Freeman said. “I’m building a good relationship with coach (Fran) McCaffery and the staff.”

According to the 247Sports composite, Freeman is the nation’s No. 25 player, the No. 4 power forward and the No. 1 player from Washington, D.C. In the 247Sports ratings, Freeman is a four-star power forward, the No. 33 player nationally, the No. 4 power forward and the top player from D.C.

Meanwhile, ESPN rates Freeman as the No. 20 player overall, the No. 2 power forward and the top player from D.C. Rivals ranks Freeman as the No. 24 player nationally, while On3 lists Freeman as the No. 42 player overall, the No. 10 power forward and the top player from D.C.

Iowa offered Freeman on Aug. 16 and the 6-foot-8, 190 pound power forward out of St. John’s High School is already planning a Sept. 15 visit. In addition to his Iowa offer, Freeman also holds offers from Bryant, George Mason, Georgetown, Marquette, Maryland, Old Dominion, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas, Virginia Tech and Xavier.

Here’s a look at his full recruiting profile below.

‘Looking to create my own legacy here at Iowa’: Kris Murray excited to take over for the Hawkeyes

In a conversation with Andy Katz, Iowa’s Kris Murray broke down his excitement for the 2022-23 season and his focus this summer.

Last week, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery caught up with reporters where he discussed a number of topics about his 2022-23 roster.

Naturally, one of the first questions McCaffery was asked was the importance of star forward Kris Murray’s decision to return to Iowa City.

“Well, first of all, I’m really excited for him. First time in his life that he hasn’t played with his brother. He accepted the challenge of coming back. As I said before, he bet on himself. A lot of guys, if they have a two-way, they take it. He could’ve gone to a two-way if he wanted, but he wanted to come back. He loves his teammates and he wants the responsibility that’s going to be placed on him. And he’s ready for it, he’s worked hard for it and I’m excited for him,” McCaffery said.

Now, it’s Kris Murray’s turn to sound off on some of his thoughts during Iowa’s summer workouts in a recent interview with Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network.

Iowa Hawkeyes freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen looking to help Iowa any way he can in 2022

Freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen shared how he’s adjusting to Iowa basketball and his 2022 expectations.

Freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen spoke with Hawk Central and reporters about his transition to Iowa and Division I basketball. In his initial conversation since touching down in Iowa City, Bowen displayed a very team-first mindset that fits the Hawkeyes culture extremely well.

When prompted with the player who pushes him the most in practice, junior guard Tony Perkins came to mind.

“Tony’s aggressive, I’ll say that. I don’t think anybody pushes me around but Tony’s definitely aggressive,” Bowen said.

It isn’t just Perkins, though. The veteran leaders this offseason have made it a point to get the incoming freshman used to the physical play of Big Ten basketball.

“I think everybody’s got a little edge to them, so I’ll say everyone’s physical, especially with the freshmen trying to get us used to it. Especially when we get into playing these in-conference games for sure, these other hard-nosed schools that like to push you around. So, I think they’re helping us adjust to that really well,” Bowen said.

It is clear early on that the competition to replace longtime starter Jordan Bohannon at the guard position is a fierce one with multiple players pushing each other to get better and earn the spot. For Bowen, it’s all about doing whatever he can to help the team win games.

“Wherever coach needs me at for us to win, that’s what I’m going to play for sure. I compete every day, I show up to get better every day. He (guard Ahron Ulis) does the same, so wherever coach feels is best to have us both at to win, I think we’ll both be fine with,” Bowen said.

The former three-star recruit further illustrated his team-first mindset when talking about misconceptions with his game.

“I say that I’m a ball-dominant point guard. I can score, but I can pass the ball. So, I can do whatever the team needs me to do. I think people misunderstand a lot of scoring guards out there. They think they’re selfish, stuff like that. I feel that I get my teammates involved, but I can score when necessary as well,” Bowen said.

A lot of Iowa’s lineup looks to be pretty set heading into next season. While the Hawkeyes lose Keegan Murray, who was just recently named Most Valuable Player of the NBA 2K23 Summer League, his twin brother Kris figures to take over his spot. Kris Murray tested out the NBA draft waters this summer, but, ultimately, made the decision to return to Iowa. Returning starter at forward Patrick McCaffrey is back as well and should be another key piece.

With a lot of experience in the locker room, Iowa is looking to once again contend for the Big Ten crown and hopefully make it further in the NCAA Tournament this year. There is a hole left at guard with the departure of Bohannon, though, a position many players on the roster can contribute at.

Previously mentioned Tony Perkins started 15 games last year, averaging 7.4 points per game. Sophomore Payton Sandfort is a player many in the industry are expecting to break out next season. Ahron Ulis also averaged around 14 minutes per game last year.

There are a lot of contenders for that starting spot, a lot of players with a solid background of work for Iowa. Bowen has a lot of talent as a scoring guard, and while he may not start year one, he can be a valuable contributor off the bench for Iowa with his team-first mindset. Look out for Bowen in the future, too.

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Iowa Hawkeyes men’s hoops frosh Josh Dix updates his progress from scary injury

After suffering a broken tibia and broken fibula, Iowa Hawkeyes guard Josh Dix is rehabbing very nicely and expects to be fully ready soon.

Iowa Hawkeyes 2022 signee Josh Dix suffered a scary injury that ended his high school career. On Jan. 21 with his Council Bluffs Lincoln squad leading Le Mars 52-33 and 1:45 remaining, Dix went up to block a shot, found his legs tangled and wound up landing awkwardly.

What resulted was Dix suffering a broken tibia and broken fibula, the same injury Paul George suffered in 2014. Naturally, that put his true freshman season—or at least the start of it—in question with the Hawkeyes.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said he’s expecting Dix back, full-go to start the month of September. On Tuesday, Dix met with the Iowa media and discussed the injury, his rehab and when he expects to fully integrate into the Hawkeyes’ rotation.

Everything Iowa Hawkeyes’ Fran McCaffery had to say in previewing his 2022-23 roster

With summer workouts taking place, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery met and discussed his roster for the 2022-23 season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2021-22 men’s basketball season was a memorable one. Iowa rifled through the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, winning four games in four days to capture the program’s third all-time conference tournament title.

Overall, Iowa ended the season 26-10 (12-8 Big Ten). Over the past three seasons, the Hawkeyes have combined to win 68 games and finished each season ranked in the final Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Now, after enjoying one of the national player of the year candidates each of the past three seasons in Luka Garza for two and Keegan Murray last year, it’s time to turn the page onto the 2022-23 men’s basketball season.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery caught up with reporters to update the health of incoming signee Josh Dix, talk about Kris Murray’s upcoming season and a number of other topics pertaining to his 2022-23 men’s basketball roster.

Updating 11 recent Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball 2022 summer offers

A busy summer has continued over the past month for the Iowa men’s basketball staff. Here’s a look at 11 of their latest offers.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Iowa men’s basketball program. Keegan Murray was drafted No. 4 overall by the Sacramento Kings and has put on a show with his NBA Summer League performances.

Murray’s stardom throughout the Summer League has made Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery look pretty smart with his remarks for any of the immediate naysayers. Murray’s fit with the Kings is looking better every second.

Meanwhile, in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes got great news with the return of Keegan’s twin brother, Kris Murray. Kris is happy with his decision to come back to Iowa for another season and it sets up an opportunity for him to fully showcase everything that he’s capable of as the Hawkeyes’ primary star.

With the potential emergence of Payton Sandfort and more production from Patrick McCaffery, Iowa has the makings of another NCAA Tournament team heading into the 2022-23 men’s basketball season. All in all, it’s a pretty talented projected starting lineup and set of reserves for the Hawkeyes.

Of course, Iowa had some staff changes this summer as well. Courtney Eldridge was elevated to one of the Hawkeyes’ assistant coaches from director of recruiting and player development. That replaced the departure of former assistant coach Billy Taylor.

Then, to replace former assistant coach Kirk Speraw, McCaffery and the Hawkeyes went and found a familiar face in new assistant coach Matt Gatens from Drake. Gatens sounds thrilled with the opportunity to be back in Iowa City.

Finally, Iowa added Tristan Spurlock to the staff as the team’s director of player development.

Of course, while all of this was underway, the staff remained busy on the summer recruiting trail. Hawkeyes Wire detailed a series of seven Iowa basketball offers last month.

That group included 2023 small forward Kaden Cooper, 2023 small forward Jamie Kaiser, 2024 center Raleigh Burgess, 2024 combo guard Nick Janowski, 2024 shooting guard Nojus Indrusaitis, 2024 point guard Travis Perry and 2025 center Kai Rogers.

Of course, Iowa also picked up a commitment from four-star, class of 2024 power forward Cooper Koch out of Peoria Notre Dame High School in Illinois. Koch is rated 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 by 247Sports.

That’s just the tip of the recruiting iceberg. Over the past month, 11 more players across the 2023, 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes have been offered by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Let’s take a look at those 11 players below.

Iowa Hawkeyes set to take on Duke Blue Devils in Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 6

The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to take on the Duke Blue Devils in a primetime matchup with national prominence on Dec. 6.

The Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team is going to be taking on one of the nation’s premier blue bloods when they travel to the Jimmy V Classic in December of this upcoming season.

The Hawkeyes will make their way to Madison Square Garden in New York City to take part in the mega-event. On Dec. 6, Iowa will take on the Duke Blue Devils along with a matchup of the Texas Longhorns battling it out against fellow Big Ten Member, the Illinois Fighting Illini.

This will be Iowa’s first appearance in the Jimmy V Classic. Duke, Illinois, and Texas are all making their fourth trip to compete in the event that is held to generate donation money and awareness for the V Foundation for Cancer Research that is named after Jim Valvano.

However, it will be Iowa’s fifth trip to Madison Square Garden under head coach Fran McCaffery. The Hawkeyes advanced to the NIT Championship in 2013, participated in the 2K Classic in 2014 and 2018 (champions), and competed in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament.

Iowa has cracked the code against Duke just once in its history as they are 1-7 against the Blue Devils all-time in head-to-head matchups. The matchup this year may be a bit more wide open for the taking and a good chance for Iowa to get a win against the blue blood.

Iowa did lose two key figures after last season, Jordan Bohannon and Keegan Murray, but looks to continue building on a Big Ten Championship. Duke is entering a new era under head coach Jon Scheyer after all-time great Mike Krzyzewski retired following Duke’s Final Four appearance in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

The exact times for the games has not been set, but fans can expect both of these matchup to be aired on ESPN.

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‘His teammates will love playing with him’: Fran McCaffery on Sacramento Kings’ Keegan Murray

Iowa’s Fran McCaffery raved about Keegan Murray’s fit with Sacramento, saying “his teammates will love playing with him.”

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery was telling anybody who would listen that Keegan Murray would take a backseat to no player in this recent 2022 NBA draft class.

What others passed up was the Sacramento Kings’ gain with the No. 4 overall selection. Jacob Keppen immediately broke down why Murray was a great fit with the Kings from day one, and his 2022 NBA Summer League performances have done nothing to disappoint those proclamations.

Over three games in the 2022 California Classic Summer League, Murray averaged a league-best 19.7 points per game, shot 51.1% from the floor and 43.8% from 3-point range and grabbed eight rebounds per contest.

Through his first two games in the NBA 2K23 Summer League from Las Vegas, Murray averaged 21.5 points per game, shot 44.4% from the floor and 40.0% from 3-point distance and grabbed six rebounds per game.

Those numbers are set to go up after Murray dazzled in his most recent game with 29 points, seven rebounds and four steals in an 86-80 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Of course, that matchup featured Murray against No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren. In one Summer League game, it wasn’t close who the better player was on this particular night.

In short, he’s been as advertised. It’s no surprise to McCaffery who caught up with Jason Ross of Sactown Sports 1140.

Here’s everything McCaffery had to say about Murray’s Summer League showings so far.

Iowa guard Payton Sandfort pegged for breakout season by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein feels Payton Sandfort can emerge as one of Iowa men’s basketball’s best players in the 2022-23 season.

Is there a young Iowa guard flying under the radar?

While, yes, most of the attention for next year’s men’s basketball team is firmly placed on Kris Murray, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweeted out about another potential breakout star for the Hawkeyes.

That breakout candidate is sophomore-to-be Payton Sandfort. The 6-foot-7 wing out of Waukee High School in Iowa earned praise from Rothstein following an inaugural campaign where he averaged five points and 1.9 rebounds per game in just 10.5 minutes of average floor time.

As demonstrated by Rothstein, Sandfort didn’t play a ton of minutes in the 2021-22 season. When on the court for extended periods of time, he looked like a guy Iowa could count on in the future. As Rothstein noted, Sandfort averaged 11.7 points per game in contests where he logged 15 or more minutes of floor time.

Hawkeye fans saw early in the season Sandfort’s potential against some tuneup opponents in early November. Sandfort scored a career-high 21 points against SWAC opponent Alabama State. He then dropped 19 the following game against Western Michigan, sinking five of his seven 3-point attempts.

His performance under the bright lights of the Big Ten Tournament was encouraging as well. In his 15 minutes of action against Northwestern in the tournament’s opening round, Sandfort scored 13 points and added three buckets from long range. Against Purdue in the conference championship game, he scored 10 points off the bench and didn’t miss a single shot.

There is a lot of hope for a big sophomore breakout from Sandfort this upcoming year, and it would really boost Iowa’s chances of repeating as Big Ten Tournament champions. Iowa lost some key contributors this offseason. Recent No. 4 overall 2023 NBA draft selection Keegan Murray is the obvious one, but Jordan Bohannon started for about a half-decade.

The hope is that Kris Murray can follow in the footsteps of his twin brother, Patrick McCaffery can live up to some of the preseason love he’s garnered and then Iowa can find production in other places as well.

Sandfort showed a lot of potential as a shooter coming off the bench his freshman year, and those key performances in the Big Ten Tournament are very exciting. If he can take his game to another level, his partnership with Murray alongside a returning Patrick McCaffrey and Filip Rebraca could take Iowa back into the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

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Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery refutes Keegan Murray’s low ceiling label

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery pushed back against the notion that former Hawkeye star Keegan Murray has a low ceiling.

Many saw Iowa forward Keegan Murray as the high-floor, low-ceiling type of prospect. Just don’t let Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery hear that, though.

“Anybody who would bring that up is not worth listening to because they clearly don’t know anything about the game,” McCaffery said in a recent interview with Locked on Kings.

McCaffery didn’t mince words one bit defending his former star against anyone that would downplay Murray’s potential.

“It’s as idiotic of a statement as I’ve ever heard. Clearly, you are making a statement about who you are talking about. Because, if you do your homework, you would know that’s not the case,” McCaffery said.

There was a mixed reaction from fans on social media after Murray went No. 4 overall in the 2023 NBA draft to the Sacramento Kings. Many saw Purdue guard Jaden Ivey as a better prospect with a higher ceiling.

Ivey’s an extremely athletic guard in the mold of a Ja Morant. While he might not have the greatest floor with his 3-point shot still needing development and his turnovers remain a bit of a problem, many viewed his ceiling being as high as anyone’s in this draft and better than Murray’s.

McCaffery would not put down now-Detroit Piston Jaden Ivey to prop up Murray.

“I’m a big Jaden Ivey fan. I’ve coached against him for two years. I know his mother well. We were at Notre Dame together. I was an assistant coach, she was playing and coaching. I think the world of him,” McCaffery said.

He did say Murray was most likely a better fit for the Kings’ current roster, a point Hawkeyes Wire explored on draft night. With point guard De’Aaron Fox there, Ivey would have been an extremely similar player. He’s not a carbon copy at all, but both are explosive guards who can drive to the hoop. The Kings needed a secondary scorer from the wing who could shoot and play defense.

“He plays both ends, he doesn’t make mistakes, he makes plays for his teammates, he fits with his teammates, and he consistently performs. I think the hardest part for any general manager is to try and predict just how consistently a guy will be able to perform for 82 games. That is so incredibly hard to do. But I can promise you, Keegan Murray will be able to consistently perform for over 100 games,” McCaffery said.

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