When it rains, it seems to pour for the Iowa Hawkeyes. One day after the women's basketball program won a huge game against USC and retired the jersey of Iowa Hawkeyes legend No. 22 Caitlin Clark, the men's basketball program has now taken a serious hit.
It's bad enough that Iowa lost four of their last five games, but now they have lost their leading scorer for the rest of the season. Star Iowa forward Owen Freeman has been shut down for the rest of the season as he has to undergo surgery on his right hand after injuring one of his fingers, Iowa announced on social media earlier today.
This is a huge loss for the Hawkeyes as Freeman wasn't just their leading scorer, but he also led the team in rebounds and blocks. Freeman averaged 16.7 points per game, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks and he shot 63.8% from the floor, the highest of any starter or player that has appeared in every game this season.
Freeman will hopefully make a speedy recovery and return to the Hawkeyes next season, but he may not be playing for head coach Fran McCaffery.
McCaffery is on the hot seat now after missing the NCAA Tournament last season and now being 13-8 on the season, and your leading scorer is now out for the rest of the year, it just seems like making it to March Madness isn't going to happen for Iowa this season.
There was a lot surrounding McCaffery last season and whether or not the Hawkeyes would keep him around, but with the way things have gone lately, losing five of their last six games, all of them being to non-Quad 1 program, McCaffery is definitely feeling his seat warm up.
Here is to hoping for a speedy recovery for Freeman that has no setbacks because this kid is something special, especially for being just a sophomore. If he can come back healthy and better next season, Iowa might be a team to watch in the Big Ten next year.