Hawkeyes Sign 3 Prep Standouts

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery announced on Thursday that Owen Freeman, Brock Harding, and Pryce Sandfort have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Iowa.

“All three signees are a tremendous fit for our program,” said McCaffery.

OWEN FREEMAN
Forward, 6-foot-11, 225 pounds
Moline, Illinois (Moline HS)
“I am extremely excited and blessed to be joining the Iowa men’s basketball program. As a kid, I dreamed of an opportunity to play college basketball; being able to fulfill this dream makes me so happy and I can’t wait to get to Iowa! I was attracted to Iowa because of the staff and players. The coaches believe in me and my abilities, and I know they could make me a better player and person.”

• Transferred from Bradley-Bourbonnais HS to Moline HS for his senior season
• Senior year prep teammate of co-signee Brock Harding
• Bradley Bourbonnais record holder in highest field goal percentage in a season (.682), established in 2022
• Named Red Division Player of the Year, first-team all-state, all-area, and all-conference as a junior
• Averaged a double-double as a junior: 18.5 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks
• Two-time team Most Valuable Player and team captain
• Led Bradley-Bourbonnais to its first-ever Red Division Conference championship
• Single game career highs: points (32), rebounds (20), blocked shots (6), and assists (9)
• No. 20 ranked power forward nationally according to Rivals
• Also competed at Mid-Pro Academy with Harding — the No. 1 ranked independent team in the country — going 20-0 in 17-under in summer competition
• Pangos All-American
• National Honor Society inductee and High Honor Roll distinction as a sophomore and junior

FRAN McCAFFERY ON OWEN FREEMAN
“We are excited that Owen is joining our program. He is athletic. He’s tough. He’s skilled. Owen is someone we need to come in and help us right away and I know he can. He played with Brock a couple years on the AAU circuit.”

BROCK HARDING
Guard, 6-foot-1, 160 pounds
Moline, Illinois (Moline HS)
“I am super excited to make my decision official and get the opportunity to play in the Big Ten under one of the best to ever do it! I ultimately chose Iowa because I felt it was what was best for me to grow as a player and as a person. The University of Iowa is the right fit.”

• Senior year prep teammate of co-signee Owen Freeman
• Two-time first-team all-state and Western Big 6 honoree
• Metro Player of the Year after leading team to 28 wins and averaging 19.3 points, 5.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 steals as a junior
• Recognized on the 2022 Pekin Christmas Tournament First Team
• Averaged 16.5 points, 6.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 steals as a sophomore
• Scored over 1,000 points
• Team captain
• Netted a career-high 40 points versus Normal West High School
• Also competed at Mid-Pro Academy with Freeman — the No. 1 ranked independent team in the country — going 20-0 in 17-under in summer competition
• Most Valuable Player at the NY2LA Circuit
• National Honor Society honoree and Honor Roll distinction all three years

FRAN McCAFFERY ON BROCK HARDING
“Brock is a do-everything guard. He can shoot threes. He can shoot pull-ups. He’s quick and is a phenomenal passer. He’s all over the place always making the right decision. I’m excited to watch them play together this year for Moline.”

PRYCE SANDFORT
Forward, 6-foot-7, 190 pounds
Waukee, Iowa (Waukee Northwest HS)
“I am super excited to be a Hawkeye and play basketball at the next level for my home state. What really attracted me to the University of Iowa was the culture and style of play. I believe they both fit me perfectly.”

• Led Class 4A in points, blocks, field goals made, 3-pointers made, free throws made and defensive rebounds, and ranked second in total rebounds in 2022
• Led his team as a team captain to 20 victories and the state quarterfinals as a junior
• Averaged 26.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.9 blocks, shooting 52.6 percent from the field — including 40.5 percent from 3-point range — and 89.2 percent from the foul line his junior season
• Single game career highs: points (42) and rebounds (17)
• Earned first-team all-state (4A) and all-conference honors as a junior
• No. 27 ranked small forward nationally according to Rivals
• Enters his senior season with 1,047 career points
• Helped Waukee HS to the state championship in 2021 as a sophomore, averaging 7.8 points. 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 blocks per outing, shooting 56 percent from the field — including 50 percent from 3-point territory — and 79 percent from the foul line
• Averaged 9.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.2 blocks in helping lead Waukee HS to 23 victories and finishing the postseason as state runners-up as a freshman
• Also competed for D1 Minnesota’s AAU team, averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and two assists per game
• Three-time academic all-state

FRAN McCAFFERY ON PRYCE SANDFORT
“Pryce had a phenomenal junior year and summer. He’s a great shooter and he can really see the floor. Pryce gets by you and creates in the lane, but he’s also a good defender. He’s another versatile guy who can play pretty much 1-4 defensively.”

PRYCE SANDFORT
Forward, 6-foot-7, 190 pounds
Waukee, Iowa (Waukee Northwest HS)
“I am super excited to be a Hawkeye and play basketball at the next level for my home state. What really attracted me to the University of Iowa was the culture and style of play. I believe they both fit me perfectly.”

• Led Class 4A in points, blocks, field goals made, 3-pointers made, free throws made and defensive rebounds, and ranked second in total rebounds in 2022
• Led his team as a team captain to 20 victories and the state quarterfinals as a junior
• Averaged 26.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.9 blocks, shooting 52.6 percent from the field — including 40.5 percent from 3-point range — and 89.2 percent from the foul line his junior season
• Single game career highs: points (42) and rebounds (17)
• Earned first-team all-state (4A) and all-conference honors as a junior
• No. 27 ranked small forward nationally according to Rivals
• Enters his senior season with 1,047 career points
• Helped Waukee HS to the state championship in 2021 as a sophomore, averaging 7.8 points. 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.7 blocks per outing, shooting 56 percent from the field — including 50 percent from 3-point territory — and 79 percent from the foul line
• Averaged 9.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.2 blocks in helping lead Waukee HS to 23 victories and finishing the postseason as state runners-up as a freshman
• Also competed for D1 Minnesota’s AAU team, averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and two assists per game
• Three-time academic all-state
• Older brother, Payton, is a sophomore on the Iowa Men’s Basketball Team

FRAN McCAFFERY ON PRYCE SANDFORT
“Pryce had a phenomenal junior year and summer. He’s a great shooter and he can really see the floor. Pryce gets by you and creates in the lane, but he’s also a good defender. He’s another versatile guy who can play pretty much 1-4 defensively.”