The blare of the buzzer followed by the roar of the crowd. The players on the court embracing in joyous celebration. Most would assume this scene as a game-winning shot – at the very least, something from the offensive side of the ball.
But in Iowa men’s basketball’s 83-58 victory over Rider on Tuesday night, the shouts of approval weren’t for a shot that swished, but a shot that never occurred. With just over 10 minutes to go in the contest, the Broncs, down 23, were desperate to score, but every passing lane or driving angle was obstructed. Gridlock on hardwood. The ball swung to the three-point line for a last-second triple, but the shot clock had already hit zeroes.
The fans inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena rose to their feet, delivering the loudest applause of the night. Iowa guard Drew Thelwell raised both arms in the air, egging on the crowd who found delight in Hawkeye defense – a feature common on the gridiron but a rarity on the court.
For the Iowa men’s basketball team, offense was its trademark specialty, as the Hawkeyes ranked top-20 in Division I in points per game for the last four years. Yet over that same span, the team never ranked better than 239th in terms of points allowed per game. Just last season, the Hawkeyes’ 79.21 points allowed per game and 108.9 defensive rating ranked 341st and 315th, respectively.
The 2024-25 squad sports this same offensive prowess – averaging more than 80 points per game – but also delivers fireworks on the defensive end. This display was dialed to the max against Rider, as Iowa forced 20 turnovers – including two 10-second violations and seven steals – and allowed just one triple.
The Rider contest wasn’t an outlier, either. Iowa has held their opponents under 50 percent shooting from the field in each of its five games. In three of those contests, the Hawkeyes forced at least 18 turnovers.
For Thelwell and fellow transfer Seydou Traore, two key pieces of this defensive turnaround, committing to defense isn’t so much a skill as it is a commitment.
“We just want to get steals,” Thelwell said in his postgame press conference. “I just don’t think we want them to score. It’s just our will. We’re imposing it on the other team.”
“Just take it personal,” Traore added. “I feel like that’s the key. If you take it personal, nobody’s going to score on you.”
The shot clock violation was the final note of a masterpiece defensive concerto for the Hawkeyes. Two possessions prior, the Broncos were overwhelmed by a stifling Iowa press and couldn’t get across the halfcourt line in time.
With Traore playing the role of a free safety and roaming the middle, he and Thelwell collapsed on Rider’s guards, forcing lateral passes as precious time bled off the clock.
Traore said he hadn’t played this role in the press until he got to his previous school, Manhattan University, coming out of high school in New York City. His coach at the time, John Gallagher, had a simple message: cause havoc.
For Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, Iowa’s successful press isn’t solely about disruption, but connectivity among all five players on the court. It’s about having awareness of an offense’s press break, knowing where the point guard is, and keeping track of the man in the middle.
Following the 10-second violation, Traore scored on a second-chance layup. The Broncs got the ball over mid-court their next possession, but Thelwell swiped at guard Tariq Ingraham at the top the key, prying it loose and coasting down the court for a layup. He finsihed the contest with five steals and seven assists. Traore’s impact didn’t appear on the stat sheet, but the forward notched several deflections and was a mainstay in the Hawkeyes’ stifling press.
“They’re both really versatile,” McCaffery said of the pair. “Both are experienced guys so they don’t rattle. They don’t get sped up.”
After arriving from smaller conferences – Thelwell from Morehead State of the OVC and Traore from the MAAC – it’s clear the bright lights of Big Ten basketball aren’t fazing. As the duo continue to chart their course in the Black and Gold, Iowa enters unfamiliar territory as a team that impresses with its defense.
“The first thing I heard when I walked into the film room [after the Rider game] was, ‘We kept them under 60 [points],’” Thelwell said with a smile. “So I definitely think it’s a good step in the right direction.”