Bridge to Boston: Iowa men’s basketball assistant coach Courtney Eldridge and guard Dasonte Bowen

Boston will be represented on the coaching staff and playing roster of the Iowa men’s basketball team.

Courtney Eldridge, who recently was promoted from recruiting director to assistant coach, played for Hawkeyes Coach Fran McCaffery at North Carolina Greensboro. Eldridge is from Boston. He has been on McCaffery’s Iowa staff for seven years, first as video coordinator.

Eldridge helped open the relationship McCaffery and Iowa formed with incoming 6-foot-3 freshman point guard Dasonte Bowen, also a Boston native.

“Dasonte, I’ve known almost before he was born,” Eldridge said Tuesday. “I know his older siblings. His father, Ray, is a Boston police officer. I played for him in the Boston Police Athletic League growing up. We do have a special bond that extends beyond the basketball floor.

“I first took Coach McCaffery to see (Dasonte) when he was like 15 years old. I think it was right after (former Iowa assistant coach Andrew Francis) left and I was on the road for that specific period. I took Coach to watch him play down in Georgia and Coach said ‘I’ll take this kid right now.’

“He was going into his sophomore year and we just stayed on him and monitored him. He just got better year in and year out, and developed skills that we haven’t had at the point guard position since I’ve been here.

“He’s got a fiery side to him as well. He can shoot the ball. He gets downhill and creates for others. I’m excited about him. I can’t wait to get him on campus here in a couple of weeks. We’ve got a lot of high expectations for him.

“Everybody back home are excited that him and I are together here. Hopefully it builds kind of a bridge back from the East Coast to out here in Iowa.”