After a long summer of preparation, the Iowa men’s basketball team returned to the court on Friday night for an exhibition contest against Minnesota-Duluth at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes defeated the Bulldogs, 102-81.
Here are five takeaways from the victory:
First game jitters
The last time Iowa played a live game prior to tonight’s contest was on March 24 in the National Invitation Tournament against Utah, and it showed to begin this one.
The Hawkeyes are usually known for their high-powered offense under head coach Fran McCaffery, but opened the gate shooting only 1-for-9 from distance.
Despite firing in 37.9 percent of his triples last season, star forward Payton Sandfort missed his first three attempts in the first half. The fourth-year opted to return to Iowa this season after treading the NBA Draft waters in the offseason. In total, the Hawkeyes went 3-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Iowa also began the contest with eight turnovers after averaging only 9.5 per game during the 2023-24 season. The Hawkeyes are usually a turnover-prone squad, but they struggled to connect on outlet passes in transition in the first period. Despite the rough half, Iowa responded with nine consecutive points to open the second half and coasted to victory from there.
“In the first half, our rebounding was not good,” McCaffery said. “Our turnovers were too many, but we took care of that in the second half and I’m proud of the guys for that.”
McCaffery also credited the toughness of the Minnesota-Duluth program under head coach Justin Wieck for providing a tough game for his squad. Wieck, a former Iowa player, led the Bulldogs to a 26-7 record and NCAA Tournament appearance last season.
“They forced us to be able to play through contact, and we had to adjust as the game went on,” McCaffery said. “It was a very good game for us.”
Freeman picking up where he left off
Iowa was one of the youngest teams in the country last year, with three freshman earning regular playing time.
One of those players was Owen Freeman, a 6-foot-10 center from Moline, Illinois. Freeman entered his college career as a three-star recruit, but his maturity quickly gained him a role in the starting lineup.
He initially struggled to adjust to the stiff competition in Big Ten play, but later emerged as one of the best big men in the entire league, posting 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. The freshmen was later named co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year alongside Mackenzie Mgbako of Indiana, becoming the second player in program history to receive the honor.
Fans and the media will often throw out the “sophomore slump” stereotype if a rising first-year struggles in their sophomore campaign, but Freeman got his season off to a fantastic start, collecting 22 points and eight rebounds against Minnesota-Duluth.
Mid-range maestro
Guard Josh Dix emerged as one of the best guards in the Big Ten last year, 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game.
Hailing from Council Bluffs, Iowa, Dix is best-known for his killer mid-range jumper, which seemed to be his go-to shot towards the end of the season. Highlighting this was a game against Northwestern on March 2, where he posted a career-high 24 points on 9-0f-13 shooting. Many of those points came from the mid-range, earning praise from the Hawkeye faithful.
Dix continued his momentum on Friday against Minnesota-Duluth, recording 19 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 8-of-11 shooting. The 6-foot-6 junior continued to fire from his signature spot, but he also chipped in two three-pointers and showed off his ability to finish at the rim.
Both Sandfort and McCaffery praised Dix’s toughness and playmaking ability.
“I think the biggest thing he’s gotten really aggressive [this offseason],” Sandfort said. “He’s always had that he’s always shown in practice, and now he has the confidence to go out and dominate these teams.”
“Nothing rattles him,” McCaffery said. “He’s not a mistake guy. He makes shots, he makes plays and moves from one there at the end. He doesn’t get tired and plays defense.
Newcomers gain valuable minutes
The Hawkeyes brought in four newcomers in the offseason, forward Cooper Koch, Morehead State guard Drew Thelwell, Manhattan forward Seydou Traore, and forward Chris Tadjo from Montreal, Canada. Koch and Traore were the first two men to come off the bench, while Thelwell entered the game shortly thereafter.
Traore cracked the scoreboard only 10 seconds after entering the contest on a nice turnaround jumper from the elbow, and Koch followed with a three-pointer one minute later off of a pretty assist from Sandfort. Both players struggled to end the game, with Koch tallying only a free throw and Traore collecting only one bucket.
Thelwell collected four points late in the game, while Tadjo didn’t see any action.
No reason to panic… yet
The Hawkeyes had their fair share of struggles tonight, but it’s important to mention that this was an exhibition game, meaning that it doesn’t count toward the season total. Iowa fans may have the right to be frustrated or nervous with the outcome of the game, but there is still a whole season of basketball left.
Iowa has three tune-up games against mid-major competition to open the season before its first test against Washington State on Nov. 15. Should the Hawkeyes struggle in those games, then this discussion might be different. But let’s pump the brakes, for now.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes return to action on Nov. 4 for the season-opener against Texas A&M Commerce, who went 13-20 during the 2023-24 season.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.