After eight days of rest, the Iowa men’s basketball team will return to action tomorrow evening for a tough matchup against No. 7 Purdue inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Boilermakers, who sit in second place in the Big Ten standings, present a stiff challenge for the Hawkeyes, but if Iowa is going to pull off a monster upset, it will have to do so without the services of second-year center Owen Freeman.
Iowa announced on Monday morning that the sophomore would finger surgery and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season as a result. Freeman has battled the injury, which is on his right hand, for a few weeks, but the ongoing effects from the injury proved to be too much for him to continue playing this year.
“It’s unfortunate timing for him and for us, but it’s one of those things where, as we said in the release, the risk of permanent injury was there,” McCaffery said during his weekly press conference on Monday afternoon. “That’s not something we’re going to deviate from, because health and welfare is the most important thing. So it’s just untenable for him to keep playing.”
In 19 games played this season, Freeman has collected an average of 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per contest. Each of those statistics are team-highs, and the center also leads the squad in field goal percentage at 63 percent. It’s obvious that his production will be missed in the lineup, but fourth-year guard Payton Sandfort is prepared to help others step up and embrace their assignments.
“It’ll be tough,” Sandfort said. “Obviously, he was a big producer and did a lot of good things for this team. But we have a lot of guys that are ready and accept the challenge. They’ve been working, they’ve been preparing for this. And you know, I think they’re really excited for the opportunity.”
The Hawkeyes aren’t known for their frontcourt depth, so replacing Freeman will not be an easy challenge. McCaffery and his staff are still figuring out who will replace Freeman in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game against Purdue, but he hinted at his potential choices.
The two most likely options that McCaffery mentioned are second-year forward Ladji Dembele and third-year center Riley Mulvey. Dembele began the season in the starting lineup, but his inconsistent play paved the way for Drew Thelwell to earn the spot. Dembele has provided some nice minutes in his bench role, totaling 3.5 points and three rebounds per game this season.
On the flip side, Mulvey has played sparingly this year, averaging only 2.7 points per game in roughly seven minutes of game action. Despite his lack of experience, Mulvey has garnered praise from fans and his teammates for his hustle plays, especially his work on the glass. Standing at 6-foot-11 inches tall, Mulvey is the tallest player on Iowa’s roster, and his size could be crucial for the Hawkeyes in the rebounding department, an area which they have often struggled in this year.
McCaffery also said that first-year forward Chris Tadjo may see more minutes, but it seems like fans will likely see either Dembele or Mulvey in the starting lineup tomorrow night. The challenge will be tough regardless of who fills the spot, but Sandfort says that he and the rest of the team is going to have to step up in order to knock of the Boilermakers.
“It’s not just going to be one guy that replaces him, but you know, it’s going to be a collective effort,” Sandfort said. “I’m excited for those guys. They’ve been waiting for this opportunity, and they’re going to get their chance. And my advice to them is just play their heart out. Know their role.”