INDIANAPOLIS -- Drew Thelwell sat in front of his locker in bowels of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A towel draped around his shoulders, he still wore his black jersey trimmed in gold and adorned by a gold block IOWA.
As left the court of the Hawkeyes' 106-94 loss to Illinois on Thursday, the senior used the towel to cover his face.
"I know it is the last one I will get," Thelwell said. "Every moment kind of just hits you real quick. It is like, 'Dang, this is really over.'"
Unlike his final game with Morehead State last year, Thelwell said the postgame emotions possessed a distinctly different feeling.
"Last year, I knew I was going to come back to college basketball," Thelwell said. "I just did not know where or what that situation was going to look like. But, this year, I know I am done. I do not think I have another year left. Even if I did, I do not know if I would take it, but it felt crazy."
Thelwell quickly endeared himself to the Iowa fanbase in his lone season with the program after transferring following a record-breaking career with the Eagles.
According to the Orlando, Florida native, his time in Iowa City meant the world to him.
"They gave a kid a chance," Thelwell said. "That is all I could ask for. Hopefully, everybody saw that I gave my heart to this program. I truly loved it here."
Thelwell started 20 games for the Hawkeyes and appeared in 29. He averaged 9.5 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 25.4 minutes per game.
However, the stats fail to show the true impact the guard had on the program and the impact it had on him.
Thelwell frequently took it upon himself to fire up the faithful fans who attended home games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena after big plays.
Nothing helped show what he brought to the floor better than a 74-63 loss to Wisconsin last month. With the game close late, Thelwell, who scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished three assists in the game, sustained an ankle injury. Nevertheless, he managed to convince the coaching staff to let him back into the game. The ankle did not hold up and he ultimately missed the next two games due to the injury.
As he reflected on his season with the Hawkeyes, Thelwell explained that the year under head coach Fran McCaffery made a significant impact on his personal self-perception as a basketball player.
"Honestly, he probably changed my life," Thelwell said. "I was not even sure if I was going to play professional basketball. Now, in my mind, I know I can do it. He just made me feel more comfortable as a player offensively. He just allowed me to be myself and it kind of showed this year.
"I feel like I am comfortable playing against bigger guys, stronger guys, faster guys. That is really what it comes down to just the confidence level."
He added the moment he realized he felt comfortable playing against a higher level of talent came during Iowa's 89-80 loss to Iowa State. Thelwell scored 10 points, brought down six rebounds, recorded four assists and two steals in the matchup against the then No. 3 Cyclones.
He does not recall the exact moment or play, but he left the court that night with an overwhelming confidence.
"I was like, 'I can do this,'" Thelwell said. "... I yelled a lot. I remember that from the game. Probably, the two corner threes. I was getting stops on (Keshon) Gilbert. He shot like 3-for-13 that game. So, he is one of the best guards in the country, so it boosted the confidence there."
According to McCaffery, "convincing" Thelwell he could play professionally was not a difficult task.
"That kid can play," McCaffery said. "He is talented. He is smart. He is tough. He has character. He has got all the qualities you need. I am really impressed. He was a great college -- not a good college -- a great college player. But, he wanted to prove himself at this level. It would have been great to see him if he had been healthy all year long because that ankle injury did really set him back for three or four weeks.
"He was great today. He has been great ever since he came back."
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