Brock Harding More Comfortable in Year 2

Iowa PG Ready to Build of Freshman Campaign

Iowa s Brock Harding (2) reacts while playing Illinois Sunday, March 10, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. / Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen /

Brock Harding has found his voice.

Not that he lost it. It’s just that the Iowa sophomore guard is starting to use it more.

The learning curve of a freshman year is gone now, and his role is going to undergo a bit of a change, so Harding knows he can speak up.

“That’s always been a part of my game,” Harding said during Monday’s media availability at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “I’ve played point guard, I’ve played shortstop in baseball. Those are kind of leadership roles.

“People aren’t going to like you sometimes when you’re yelling at them on the court. But everybody knows I want to win, and that’s how you win. People respect me off the court, and that’s what makes this team special.”

Harding played in every game last season, but he was on an experienced team with veteran players like Tony Perkins and Payton Sandfort. Still, he said, some of them told him it was OK to talk more.

“Guys like Payton, Josh (Dix), they tell me to use my voice,” Harding said. “They know that’s how I play. Them telling me last year to use it during the season, that’s really helped me this year. I just want to use my voice as much as I can.”

Harding averaged 10.8 minutes per game backing up Perkins at point guard. Perkins is gone, off to Missouri as a transfer for his final year of eligibility after four seasons with the Hawkeyes, so now Harding and transfer Drew Thelwell are going to be expected to run the offense.

“He has a great mind,” Thelwell said. “He has a great feel for basketball and I enjoy playing with him. He’s really good.”

Harding had 86 assists against 29 turnovers last season, but he wants to have more of an impact on the offense than just as a passer.

Before he talked during Monday’s availability, Harding was working on his 3-point shot. In one rotation around the arc — five shots each way — Harding made all 10.

“I’ve kind of moved my pocket up a little bit, so I can get (shots) up quicker against closeouts,” Harding said. “I worked with (assistant coach Matt) Gatens with that, and it’s been fun to do that. It wasn’t fun early on, he’ll tell you I didn’t like doing it at the start. But, I mean, it’s been awesome to see where it’s gotten to. It feels good out of my hand — every shot feels like it’s going to go in.”

There is a growth in Harding’s game that Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said impressed him.

“For him, he’s a confident player,” McCaffery said earlier this summer. “He’s very sure of himself, which lends to his ability to be able to lead. He’s been a leader his whole life. He’s a talker, he exudes confidence, which sort of permeates the rest of the team. His feel for the game, it’s next-level stuff. He definitely sees what’s going on, and he’s not afraid of anything. The opponent, the atmosphere, the road, nothing bothers him.

“The other thing is, he can score. He did that last year, but he can do it even more, be even more aggressive. He’s going to make plays for himself and his teammates. But he doesn’t have to feel the need to make a play every time down the court. Move it, move it, then make a play. Move it, move it, then go. And I think he’s figuring it out.”

It took one season for Harding to figure out what to do, and what to say.

“Getting a Big Ten season under your belt, getting to play a lot of minutes — a lot of freshmen don’t get to do that,” Harding said. “I got to learn from Tony, Dasonte, Josh. It was good to learn from them. Now I get to expand my role this year and just use what I learned last year.”