Iowa's basketball team focuses on strength for the 2024 season

This story has been updated to add new videos.

MOLINE, Ill. – All eyes will be on the Quad Cities when the Iowa men’s basketball team takes on Washington State on Nov. 15.

It will be the Hawkeyes' first game at Vibrant Arena in 26 years. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said it is a priority to showcase Iowa basketball in the Moline area.

“Coming to the Quad Cities made a lot of sense on a lot of levels,” McCaffery said during a press conference Friday. “This is a basketball area. The basketball tradition in the Quad Cities is incredibly impressive, as is its connection to the University of Iowa, so it would only make sense for it to be here.”

For Brock Harding and Owen Freeman, it's a feeling of homecoming. It's about a 10-minute drive from Vibrant Arena to Moline High School, where Harding and Freeman played and won a state title in 2023.

“I just know it meant a lot to me, just knowing that the coaching staff and everybody at Iowa really wanted to bring this back,” said Harding, a former Illinois Mr. Basketball. “Some people don't have the money to come to Iowa City … so to be able to come back here and play in front of everyone in the hometown, it really means a lot to me.”

Hear from Owen Freeman on offseason strength training

Hear Iowa basketball player Owen Freeman talk about how he improved his strength during the offseason.

Marc Ray

The Hawkeyes are coming off a 19-15 season that included a trip to the NIT tournament, and there is optimism heading into the 2024-25 season with a focus on improvements in the weight room, especially given the Big Ten's more demanding schedule this season.

“Everyone just wanted to get in the weight room right,” Harding said. “I think everyone on the team (from) 1 through 16 has made great strides in the weight room. We really wanted to do that, especially as we head into a bigger Big Ten season. We knew we had to be ready to play in fast games, with quick turns, and we wanted to be ready for that.”

The expectations are clear: Secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Freeman, last season's co-Freshman of the Year in the Big Ten, believes that goal starts in the offseason.

“Obviously the NIT is a great tournament and we're proud to be a part of it, but we're committed to going far in the big tournament in March,” said Freeman, a former All-State selection for Illinois. “For me personally, it's just about expanding the playing field, making those strides in the weight room … definitely improving my game and just becoming more confident on that side.”

Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged 83.1 points per game, which was the third-highest scoring average in the McCaffery era. The head coach said the depth is a positive factor heading into the new season.

“We have incredible depth. Obviously we have three star players (Freeman, Payton Sandfort, Josh Dix), which always helps, but we have depth at every position. That will always show at some point,” McCaffery said. “I think we've put together a great mix of youth, experience, size, versatility, shooters and playmakers that really fits our style of play.”

Tickets for the Hawkeyes game against Washington State go on sale Thursday, September 26th at 12:00 p.m.

Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at [email protected] and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.

Iowa's basketball team focuses on strength for the 2024 season

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