Tag: Owen Freeman

Owen Freeman named Big Ten Freshman of the Week yet again

For the fifth time in his young career, Iowa big man Owen Freeman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Once again, Iowa center Owen Freeman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. This is the big man’s fifth time receiving the award this season after the league announced its weekly awards on Monday.

The Moline, Ill., native earned the distinction after averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, while shooting 75% from the field and 83.3% from the charity stripe during two Big Ten games against No. 21 Wisconsin and Rutgers.

Against the Badgers, Freeman secured his second double-double of the season, becoming the first Hawkeye freshman to record multiple double-doubles since Luka Garza. Not bad company to be with.

With a career-high 37 minutes, Freeman finished with 14 points, shooting a cool 7-of-9 from the field. He rejected three shots and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds.

In the win over Rutgers, Freeman scored 15 points, adding two blocks to move into the top eight in program history by an Iowa freshman.

There was a lot of hype surrounding the Illinois native following a stellar preseason, and he has so far lived up to his top billing. Through his first 15 collegiate games, Freeman has been the top freshman in the conference, leading the league in points (155), rebounds (85) and blocks (30), while ranking second in steals (17) and field goal percentage (.633).

Just days into the new year, Freeman is already etching himself into Big Ten history. His five Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards are tied for the ninth-most in league history. They are the most accolades since Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens was honored seven times during the 2021-22 season.

It is obvious that Freeman is a big-time talent, a presence on the interior that Iowa has been desperately looking for this year. The Hawkeyes have showcased some great bigs in school history, from Luka Garza to Filip Rebraca last year. Just tapping into his potential, Owen Freeman appears to be the next in line for that throne.

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Takeaways from Iowa basketball’s foreign thumping of Paris All-Stars

Iowa men’s basketball got its overseas stay started with a 123-77 blowout of the Paris All-Stars. What are the takeaways for the Hawkeyes?

The Iowa women were not the only basketball team to travel to Europe this week. While Caitlin Clark and Co. were busy crushing it in Italy, the men started off their European tour in Paris, France. Iowa basketball opened up their foreign tour with a 123-77 victory over the Paris All-Stars.

All 11 Hawkeyes scored in the blowout win, with a few notable performers leading the way. The Hawkeyes worked through some issues early on, and head coach Fran McCaffery was able to get a good first impression of his young squad early in August.

While the victory is great to see, no matter who the opponent is, the performance is really what matters here. This early into the preseason, this was a great chance to get our first takeaways of the new team. Here is the recap from the 123-77 victory over the Paris All-Stars.

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Iowa Hawkeye hoops signees track down Moline’s first-ever state title

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.

2023 4-star small forward Pryce Sandfort commits to Iowa Hawkeyes basketball

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.

Sandfort caught up with HawkeyeReport’s Blair Sanderson of Rivals to share why he committed to Iowa.

“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.

2023 PG Brock Harding commits to the Iowa Hawkeyes, joins teammate Owen Freeman

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.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2023 point guard Brock Harding

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.

Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2023 PF target Carey Booth sees stock rising

Iowa recently offered 2023 power forward Carey Booth out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo. Booth’s stock is on the rise.

Iowa recently offered 2023 power forward Carey Booth out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colo. The 6-foot-10, 215 pound power forward picked up his offer from the Hawkeyes on April 9.

Booth also plays for Under Armour Association squad KC Run GMC where he’s really started turning some heads. 247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein mentioned Booth as one of the players that stood out in the early portion of this spring’s live period.

“At the Under Armour Association, Carey Booth, the son of of longtime NBA player and current (Denver) Nuggets GM Calvin Booth, made a major impression. Is a 6-10 forward, is just beginning to tap into his vast potential, but showed clear upside on both ends of the floor for KC Run GMC. Xavier, Wake Forest, Marquette and Oklahoma State jumped right in with both Duke and Villanova expected to watch this coming weekend,” Finkelstein said.

As Finkelstein mentioned, Booth is the son of former Penn State star, NBA veteran and now Denver Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth. According to 247Sports, Booth now holds offers from California, Colorado State, Georgetown, Iowa, Marquette, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, San Francisco and Texas Tech. With Booth’s recent play in the UAA, his recruiting rankings across the board should be on the rise in short order.

As it currently stands, Booth is ranked as a two-star power forward by 247Sports. He is rated as the nation’s No. 34 power forward and the third-best player from Colorado by 247Sports. ESPN regards Booth as a four-star talent, then No. 96 player nationally, the No. 12 center and the No. 3 player from Colorado. Booth is without a star rating on both On3 and Rivals.

Iowa currently has one player committed in its 2023 recruiting class, four-star power forward Owen Freeman out of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill. Freeman is ranked as the nation’s No. 83 player overall in the 2023 class, the No. 9 power forward and the No. 2 recruit from Illinois in the 247Sports composite rankings.

Here’s a look at some of Booth’s recent highlights with KC Run GMC from Brandon Goble on YouTube.

Iowa Hawkeyes offer 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg

Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg received an offer from the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa and head men’s basketball coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] aren’t wasting any time letting class of 2025 small forward [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] know how much they like his game. The Hawkeyes offered the 6-foot-8, 195 pound wing from Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, Maine.

It’s obviously very early in the 2025 cycle and Flagg just finished up his freshman season. As a result, there aren’t really any player recruiting rankings to look at yet. Still, the Iowa offer and recent interest from Michigan and UCLA shows the power-five ability coaching staffs feel Flagg possesses.

247Sports national basketball recruiting analyst Dushawn London wrote a get-to-know piece on Flagg back in January.

Class of 2025 forward Cooper Flagg has emerged as a player to keep on the radar. Flagg plays his high school ball at Nokomis Regional School in Newport Maine. At 6-foot-7 Flagg brings a lot of versatility and length on both sides of the ball and is already off to a hot start to his high school career.

“The biggest takeaway so far is playing against the better people in the area,” he said. “Going through middle school there wasn’t really much competition but now it’s the maximum competition around the area.” – London, 247Sports.

London noted that Flagg will also play AAU for Maine United. After the Hawkeyes offered, UCLA extended an offer to Flagg two days later. According to 247Sports, Flagg also holds offers from Bryant and Albany.

Iowa men’s basketball is set to look different in the 2022-23 season. That’s guaranteed after the departures of standout sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] to the 2022 NBA draft and longtime sharpshooter [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag].

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery will also be looking to replace transfer portal defections in guard Austin Ash, guard Joe Toussaint and forward Josh Ogundele. The Hawkeyes signed a pair in the 2022 class, three-star Brewster Academy point guard [autotag]Dasonte Bowen[/autotag] and three-star Abraham Lincoln High School shooting guard [autotag]Josh Dix[/autotag].

Projecting forward, Iowa has a commitment from four-star, class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag] of Bradley-Bourbonnais High School in Bradley, Ill.

Here’s a look at Flagg’s game courtesy of SLAM.

Iowa basketball commit Owen Freeman impresses at NY2LA Swish N’ Dish

247Sports reporter Brandon Jenkins mentioned Iowa commit Owen Freeman as one of the players that impressed at the NY2LA Swish N’ Dish.

Iowa men’s basketball head coach [autotag]Fran McCaffery[/autotag] and his teams have won at least 20 games each of the past four seasons. Sophomore Keegan Murray emerged as a national player of the year candidate this past season, averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

The Hawkeyes rode the stardom of [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] and a talented supporting cast that included the Big Ten’s all-time 3-pointers leader in [autotag]Jordan Bohannon[/autotag] to a Big Ten tournament title and a 26-10 overall record. The season ended with another disappointing NCAA Tournament flameout against the 12th-seeded Richmond Spiders, 67-63.

Still, it was quite the season for a team that was replacing the 2020-21 season’s national player of the year in [autotag]Luka Garza[/autotag]. In order to keep the good times rolling, McCaffery and his staff need to continue to lure top talent to Iowa City.

It appears that the Hawkeyes are doing just that with class of 2023 power forward [autotag]Owen Freeman[/autotag]. The 6-foot-10, 220 pound power forward is rated as the No. 83 player nationally and the No. 11 power forward in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Freeman took part in the NY2LA’s annual Swish N’ Dish event.

247Sports reporter Brandon Jenkins mentioned Freeman as one of Friday night’s eye-catchers.

Fran McCaffery has found a potential go-to guy on the inside in Owen Freeman. He has excellent hands and touch around the basket and combines it with solid footwork and a will to battle for success on each low post possession. It was good to see him taking advantage of his size yesterday evening as he finds joy playing around the basket. He projects as another big man target Iowa will go through when a quick two points are needed. – Jenkins, 247Sports.

It’s great to hear that McCaffery and company appear to have found another talented scorer on the inside. Freeman is currently the only player committed to the Hawkeyes in the 2023 class. Iowa signed a pair of players in the 2022 class, three-star point guard Dasonte Bowen out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire and three-star shooting guard Josh Dix from Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

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Wisconsin basketball offers 2023 PF Owen Freeman during his visit

The Badgers go in on 2023 PF Owen Freeman

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After a successful visit to Madison, Wisconsin went in on fast-rising 2023 prospect Owen Freeman. The 6-foot-9 power forward has an impressive offer list already piled up and the Badgers have officially added to it.

Freeman currently holds offers from the likes of Butler, Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Marquette, and Ohio State among others. The Bradley, Illinois native plays his high school basketball at Bradley-Bourbonnais. In his Hudl highlights (shown below via YouTube), Freeman’s length stands out as does his fluidity with the basketball for his size.

Wisconsin will be in a battle for a player who is piling up offers, and quality Big Ten offers at that, in June.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJKNs0igrks