Iowa Hawkeyes Starting Guard Enters Transfer Portal
Iowa is experiencing a wave of departures following the firing of longtime head coach Fran McCaffery.
Just days after McCaffery’s dismissal, another starter is leaving Iowa City. Sophomore guard Brock Harding has announced he will enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. This follows the earlier announcement from center and 2024 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Owen Freeman, who also declared his intent to transfer. Freeman’s portal entry is marked with a “no-contact tag.”
Harding revealed his decision to enter the portal through a social media post on Monday.
After coming off the bench for all 34 games in 2024, Harding became a key starter in 2025, making 24 starts and seeing his role expand significantly. He averaged 8.8 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45.4% from the field and 39.8% from three.
— brock harding (@hardingbrock2) March 17, 2025
Notably, in Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament win over Ohio State, Harding scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including the game-winning three-pointer to seal a 77-70 victory.
A 6-foot, 165-pound guard from Moline, Illinois, Harding was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 5 player in Illinois for the 2023 class by 247 Sports. He previously received offers from schools like Drake, Colorado State, Loyola (Chicago), Saint Louis, and UIC.
Although Iowa was Harding’s only power-conference offer, his impressive play has likely caught the attention of nearby programs who have seen his abilities firsthand.
The transfer portal officially opens on Monday, March 24, and with both Harding and Freeman leaving, the next head coach will likely need to turn to the portal to rebuild Iowa’s roster for the 2025-26 season.
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