Lucy Olsen to fill the Caitlin Clark Void? The Iowa Men to Play DEFENSE this Year (!?!)

For the first pod repping Hawkeye Beacon, Eliot, Adam and Ross breakdown everything from the latest Iowa men's and women's basketball media availabilities.

By the sounds of things, Lucy Olsen may step up in a big way for the Hawkeyes this winter. Though she certainly won't be the next Caitlin Clark, there's a mold for her to follow in Iowa City. Plus, the freshmen are coming in and competing, including new big Ava Heiden and others.

On the men's side, defense and athleticism have greatly improved with the additions of Drew Thelwell, Seydou Traore and Chris Tadjo. How much do those additions affect the depth on Fran McCaffery's squad, whether Brock Harding will share the court with Thelwell, how important it is that Owen Freeman gained 20 pounds over the offseason and more.

How Thelwell and Harding have Meshed Thus Far: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/point-men-pgs-drew-thelwell-brock-harding-aim-to-gel-lead-in-2024-25

Owen Freeman Gains 20 pounds: https://iowa.rivals.com/news/summer-work-freeman-s-jumper-added-weight-plans-to-work-with-luka-garza

July 8 MBB Availability Takeaways: https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/july-8-mbb-media-availability-takeaways.446671/#post-12260713

July 11 WBB Takeaways: https://iowa.forums.rivals.com/threads/wbb-open-practice-1-thoughts.446894/#post-12267509

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