Iowa Basketball: Why Drew Thelwell is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

After four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, Iowa missed the mark and fell short last season. Recent studs like Luka Garza and the Murray brothers have ignited great basketball for the Hawkeyes though things were different this past year. There wasn’t a big star and the Hawkeyes finished right at .500 in the Big Ten, but could things be different in the years to come?

The first bit of good news is that leading scorer Payton Sandfort is back, as are talented starters Josh Dix and Owen Freeman. Sandfort took a nice step forward as a junior and will be even more of a leader. The Hawkeyes have been plagued a bit by the Transfer Portal, with second-leading scorer Tony Perkins as part of that exodus. Grad transfer forward Ben Krikke is also gone, leaving Freeman to step up in his absence.

There are also going to be a few new faces in Iowa this upcoming season that’ll help solidify this roster. The Hawkeyes added a few intriguing freshmen, though we’re focused on their transfer additions right now. Fran McCaffery and his staff added two prominent players, with one of them being former Marshall guard Seydou Traore. After showing great potential as a freshman, Traore gets to see if he can hang in the Big Ten.

Today’s focus instead falls on that second addition. Drew Thelwell is a point guard coming from Morehead State. The Orlando native spent four seasons with the Eagles, serving in a bench role as an underclassman before taking on a much more important backcourt role the last two seasons. This past senior season saw him average 10.0 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Thelwell brings experience, scoring potential, and leadership to Iowa. He slides into an important role in orchestrating the offense and adds another double-digit scorer into the fold. His 3-point shooting did take a step back this past season, though his overall numbers look pretty solid. Obviously there’s a significant difference between the OVC and the Big Ten and it’ll be important to see how he handles that transition in his final season of eligibility.

Thelwell was 15th in the nation in total assists last season and hopes to make a smooth transition into this Hawkeyes offense. Iowa returns those three top players from last season, which left them the type of hole that Thelwell can nicely fit. This Hawkeyes squad doesn’t need Thelwell to be a hero, just to be smart with the basketball and develop that shooting touch even further. He’s a very helpful addition on a squad that didn’t necessarily add a ton this offseason.

Every team is dealing with new and moving pieces and it’s hard to make overarching conclusions, though it’s fair to wonder if Iowa added enough to compete in this expanded Big Ten. Thelwell is a solid piece and fills an important role, but will he have the impact that the Hawkeyes need this season? Can this collection of players get back to the Big Dance after coming short last year?