The fallout continues for Iowa Men's Basketball after the departure of Head Coach Fran McCaffery. McCaffery was fired on March 14 after Iowa lost to Illinois in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hawkeyes are dealing with the aftermath of the McCaffery firing, and they lost two more players to the transfer portal.
Brock Harding, guard
Brock Harding is the second Hawkeye player to enter the transfer portal. He follows his former high school teammate and friend Owen Freeman, who entered the portal over the weekend.
— brock harding (@hardingbrock2) March 17, 2025
In a post on X, Harding thanked his teammates and coaches but stated the reason for his departure was Iowa's recent coaching change.
Harding was a sophomore guard from Moline, Illinois, who followed teammate Owen Freeman to Iowa after the pair won a state championship. Harding played limited minutes in his freshman year after arriving on campus.
He took on a larger role in his sophomore campaign, becoming a versatile player for the Hawkeyes. He started 24 of 33 games, and saw his points take a massive uptick from 3.3 his freshman year, to 8.8 this past season.
Harding's assist numbers also increased from 2.6 in his freshman season to 5.3 this past season as he had the ball in his hands more often.
The Hawkeyes lost a reliable ball handler and defender at the guard position and will have a tough time replacing Harding's versatility and toughness.
Pryce Sandfort, forward
Pryce Sandfort, the younger brother of Iowa star Payton Sandfort, has also decided to enter the transfer portal. Sandfort's decision comes after the final game of the season against Illinois, where he shared a tear-filled hug with his older brother in his final game.
— Pryce Sandfort (@prycesandfort) March 17, 2025
Sandfort thanked the coaches after two years in Iowa City and gave Hawkeye fans some hope. He left the door open for a possible return to Iowa if the situation for Iowa improves.
Sandfort was a scoring force for the Hawkeyes as the first man off the bench. He saw his numbers jump up across the board in his sophomore campaign, averaging 8.8 points (up from 2.3), 2.9 rebounds (up from 1.1), and 1.3 assists per game (up from 0.4) in an expanded role.
Sandfort was also a reliable shooter off the bench, shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. Iowa must convince Sandfort to return to Iowa if they hope to have any success during the 2025 season.
The Hawkeyes continue to deal with the aftermath of Coach McCaffery's dismissal, as Iowa has seen three rotational players enter the transfer portal since the decision.