Football player Kadyn Proctor saved Saturday for Hawkeye basketball fans

IOWA CITY — Big picture, Saturday was a winning day for Iowa Hawkeyes athletics.

Kadyn Proctor, a 6-foot-7, 360-pound offensive lineman from Des Moines and Southeast Polk High, verified the speculation of the previous three days and announced he was transferring from Alabama to Iowa.

A big get for the Hawkeyes, to say the least. Proctor started all 14 games for the Crimson Tide as a first-year freshman, the last game being a national playoff semifinal. He was a first-team Freshman All-SEC honoree.

Yes, it would seem Iowa would be able to make good use for Proctor, who flipped on a commitment to the Hawkeyes last year to roll with the Tide.

With a former playoff quarterback in Cade McNamara and a playoff tackle in Proctor, and a defense chock full o’ talented veterans, maybe all it will take is the right offensive coordinator to make Iowa a playoff threat now that 12 teams are getting into that party next year instead of just four.

Who might that OC be? As January nears February, the answer is murkier than ever.

Proctor was at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Saturday afternoon to watch No. 2 Purdue beat Iowa in men’s basketball, 84-70. So it wasn’t a perfect day in River City. Proctor arrived at the arena wearing Alabama crimson, or maybe it was just red. It had an Air Jordan logo, not the Alabama Script A.

Still, the bright red made Proctor stand out in the crowd as much as his size. He soon blended into the crowd in one way, though. He said he bought the black Iowa football shirt he switched into.

Another really big man wasn’t as kind to Hawkeye World. Purdue’s 7-foot-4, 300-pound Zach Edey made his farewell appearance to Carver an unkind one.

Edey had 30 points and 18 rebounds, and looked like, well, like a really, really big man with talent. And, with the knowledge of how to use his size and length against normal-sized major-college big men.

You can moan about foul calls Edey didn’t get or the Hawkeyes did, but the Boilermakers weren’t losing this game and Edey wasn’t getting outplayed.

The Big Ten standings say Purdue is in second place, a half-game behind Wisconsin at 6-2. But the Boilers are the best the league has to offer and will prove it over 20 games.

Iowa 6-10 freshman Owen Freeman has been a revelation so far this season, so much more polished than you might expect for a rookie post player. Facing a 6-inch height disadvantage against Edey on top of the Canadian’s skill set, Freeman had two shots blocked and learned some hard lessons.

There have been better days for the rookie, and there will be many more. Purdue Coach Matt Painter, who has been the Big Man Whisperer of college basketball over the last several years, likes what he has seen from Freeman, a six-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

“He’s got a combination of size and athleticism,” Painter said. “He can move. Sometimes the guys that can move don’t have the strength. He has both.

“Now he’s got to build to where he can drive that ball from the high post, he can shoot from the perimeter. Because he’s got that other stuff. He’s got the intangibles. His competitive spirit’s high. And that’s sometimes what you don’t see in a big.

“Look how many times he’s been Freshman of the Week. He’s been a very productive player. Now he needs to make that jump and be an all-conference type guy. He has the ability to do so.”

Edey’s finally leaving the Big Ten after this season. Meanwhile, Hawkeye football and men’s basketball should have big dudes to savor in 2024 and 2025.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com