With 1,710 points, 786 rebounds, 340 steals, and 285 assists, Journey Houston’s basketball career at Davenport North High School was nothing short of dominant, especially considering an injury limited her to two and a half seasons with the Wildcats.
Ranked the 85th overall prospect by ESPN, the four-star recruit made the decision to stay in her home state and play for the Hawkeyes.
Her first name was given to her to follow the trend of “J” names in the Houston home. Now, she’s looking to make herself a household name in Iowa City.
Arriving at one of the nation’s top teams, Houston has already begun adapting to the atmosphere both in the locker room and on the court.
“Being a part of the culture with all the positivity just means a lot,” she said.
As Houston adapts to the culture, she continues to make improvements on the court. While the first-year hasn’t seen a lot of minutes as the season progresses, head coach Jan Jensen sees potential in Houston’s work ethic.
“Journey is going to keep growing,” Jensen said. “She’s got a nice motor that I like.”
Houston said she feels as if certain aspects of her game have improved as she continues to figure out her role on the team.
“My shot has definitely improved,” Houston said. “I’m playing the forward position, and a lot of big girls like to sag off, which gives me an open shot.”
Houston backs up star forward and senior Hannah Stuelke. Stuelke has averaged 26 minutes per game, while Houston has averaged 11. The impact Houston brings to the game is an option of depth for Jensen. Houston has competed with sophomore Teagan Mallegni for minutes off the bench.
“I like the combination of what I can do,” Jensen said. “If we need defense and a motor down low, we can go with Journey, but Teagan’s got a heck of a shot, and she’s really improved on defense.”
At this point in the season, Houston seems to have earned Jensen’s trust as the first option off the bench for Stuelke, earning 89 minutes to Mallegni’s 16, but some of the disparity is due to injury.
Mallegni missed Iowa’s game against Fairfield due to her tonsil removal, and Houston stepped up production. The 5-foot-11 forward delivered seven points in 20 minutes of action before topping that performance the following weekend with a career-high 14 points against Rutgers.
Hoston credits Stuelke as a leader for her this season “because she’s in the same position as me.”
“She’s been great and her rebounding has been really good,” Stuelke said. “I’m really proud of her for working so hard.”
Houston averages 4.4 rebounds per game, ranking fourth on the team that leads the Big Ten in the category. Iowa sophomore guard Taylor Stremlow sees Houston as embodying a “blue-collar mentality,” accepting her limited minutes but maximizing her production.
Houston takes her opportunity and capitalizes, unafraid to snag boards under the basket and confident in taking shots, averaging 50 percent from the floor this season.
While she may have a minor role as the season continues, it’s likely Houston will be asked to step up in a major way after Stuelke’s departure at the season’s end.
“I want to be here,” Houston said. “I’m gonna give it everything I can, take it day by day, and keep learning and getting better.”