Guard Drew Thelwell signed a scholarship tender with the Iowa men’s basketball team for the 2024-25 season, it was announced Wednesday by head coach Fran McCaffery. Thelwell has one year of eligibility remaining after playing four seasons at Morehead State University.
During his Eagles’ career, Thelwell averaged 7.1 points, 3.0 assists and 0.8 steals in 114 career games. He scored 810 career points and had 339 assists, shooting 43 percent from the floor and 34.8 from 3-point range. He will graduate in May with a degree in sports management.
Thelwell concluded his Morehead State career with 91 career victories – the most in program history. He helped the Eagles to two Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) regular season titles and two postseason appearances – one NIT and one NCAA Tournament.
“We are excited to welcome Drew to the Hawkeye family,” said McCaffery. “Drew has a complete skill set with exceptional passing abilities and most importantly, he’s a winner. He will be a tremendous fit for our program.”
The Orlando, Florida, native started all 68 games during his junior and senior seasons. He averaged a career-best 11.1 points and 2.8 assists as a junior, shooting 46.3 percent (133-of-287) from the floor and 38.1 percent (51-of-134) from 3-point range. The Eagles won 22 games, claimed the OVC regular season title and advanced to the NIT.
As a senior, Thelwell averaged 10 points, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals for a team that went 26-9, shared the OVC regular season title and won the OVC Tournament to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Thelwell led the OVC and ranked 15th nationally in assists (211) and was tops in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.71), ranking 36th nationally.
“I was looking for the right fit and with the Iowa coaches and overall program, I found it,” said Thelwell. “I wanted to find a family and a home away from home and I believe the University of Iowa is the perfect fit.
“I am a player that likes to push the ball; Iowa’s system does that and allows you to play free. This is a dream come true for me. These are the opportunities you think about as a kid.”