Hawkeye Report Podcast

We continue our summer coaches series by visiting with former Iowa player and current Hawkeye tight end coach, Abdul Hodge. The conversation begins with discussing what he has learned about coaching the position and on offense in the last five years? How does he lean to the tradition of the tight end position at Iowa and the success that the players have had with the Hawkeyes.  Then we talk about recruiting today and if it is a transaction or if it is more of a relationship business. How Is Hodge seeing things from a parent perspective with his son, A.J. being recuited as a football player at Iowa City West High School?  After that we are talking about the group of tight ends that he will be working with this fall. We start by discussing the return of senior Addison Ostrenga and run down the entire tight end room, including emerging star D.J. Vonnahme, and all the way down to new freshman Luke Brewer. 

We have been off for nearly two weeks, but the Hawkeye Report Podcast is back in action this week. We have plenty to get caught up on and start with Tom Kakert reviewing his trip to Las Vegas to watch NBA Summer League with several former Hawkeyes taking part, and three days spent at the Nike EYBL event. We have plenty to say about five star point guard Cayden Daughtry and his performance in the event.  Where do the Hawkeyes stand with the talented guard? Are the Hawkeyes in the lead. Plus we discuss the interesting angle that developed in Vegas and that was former Hawkeye Bennett Stirtz showing up at the EYBL games to watch Daughtry and Tate McCollum and what questions Daughtry asked him and what he thought of the talented point guard. Then we talk some football and get caught up on our fearless forecast, which was published for the 23rd straight year on July 4th. What was the record that we picked for the Hawkeyes? Who are we predicting they lose to this year? We also look at the ten bold predictions for the Iowa football team this season and what some of those are. 

We continue our summer podcast series with a first time guest on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert is joined by the host of Locked On Hawkeyes Podcast and now former KXNO host, Trent Condon. It's been an eventful week for Condon and he discusses the last week for him from a professional sense with the owners of KXNO essentially dumping all the talent at the station. We spend the bulk of the time on this podcast talking Iowa football and basketball. We open that discussion by talking about Hawkeye football. The conversation starts with the concerns heading into the season regarding the Iowa defense, particularly the tackle position. We break down the line, the linebackers, and Zach Lutmer and the Hawkeye secondary. Is this as simple as in Phil Parker we trust?  Then we move to special teams. There's a whole lot of change at the position, starting with the coordinator and then moving on to both the kicker and the punter, along with finding a new return man. Then we move to the offensive side of the ball and discuss the quarterback battle, the upgrade of talent at receiver and if it will pay dividends, and why the offensive line will be strong again this season. Plus we look at Iowas win total of 7.5. Will they go over or under that total. After that we move on to men's basketball and talk about the program that Ben McCollum is building. We discuss the addition of Andrew McKeever and what he will do for the Iowa team and McCollum having a legit seven footer for the first time and what that might be like. Could we see a twin towers look for the Hawkeyes? What about the development of Trevin Jirak? And we talk about scheduling and how McCollum has put together a solid non-conference slate of games. 

It's a double dose of the Hawkeye Report Podcast to wrap up the week. There's been a lot going on with Iowa athletics and we needed to do a bit of housekeeping to get caught up on the news on several fronts. Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever are on this edition of the podcast and we open talking about Iowa's Bennett Stirtz being a first round pick eventually landing with the Oklahoma City Thunder. We discuss that selection and what it might mean for Hawkeye basketballl.  Then we move on to get the views of Huesmann from Iowa women's basketball practice today. They also met the media and he gives us a summary of what Jan Jensen had to say to the media after practice. What did we learn overall from the visit? We also talk a bit about the toxic nature of the discourse involving Caitlin Clark in the WNBA and how it is impossible to have a rational discussion about it on-line.  Then we move on to Iowa men's and women's wrestling. Lafever talks about Spencer Lee and an incoming freshman for the Hawkeye women's team winning this past weekend, which means they are representing the USA later this year. We also talk about the wrestling rosters for both teams.  After that we discuss the NCAA approving 5 for 5 for athletes, which means that players will now have five years to play in college. No more redshirts and appeals for sixth years. It all starts once they enroll and/or reach 19 years of age. We run down ll the major sports at Iowa and discuss various players and how it might impact them moving forward.  Finally we discuss the Hawkeyes who will be representing the Iowa football team at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago later in the month of July. 

We continue our Hawkeye Report Summer Podcast series this time with Associate Head Coach and Linebackers Coach Seth Wallace joining us for a great conversation about Iowa football and mentors.  We open the show talking about keeping a work/life balance as a coach and the demands of the job. He talks about the importance of having some time off this time of the year to spend time with family. Wallace also talks about the state of college football, in particular how it has change post the House settlement that allows schools to play their athletes. How has that impacted recruiting? Has it become more of a transaction and if it is, then is that a red flag?  Then we talk about the Iowa linebacker room heading into the season. He discusses the development and potential of Cam Buffington at middle linebacker and is Jayden Montgomery slated to start at the Will backer spot? How do you keep the possible LEO backer patient when they only potentially play 25% of the snaps? Who is contending for playing time there? Also, who are some potential candidates to play the Cash position this fall?  Wallace also talks about some of the young players on the team at linebacker, including four new faces, two of whom joined the team back in January. We talk about the potential for Zach Lutmer this year and where he might play on defense, plus we get his thoughts on the new addition at safety, Tyler Brown.  Finally we wrap up discussing the addition of the legendary Tom Moore to the coaching staff. Wallace talks about the impact that he is having and the value he adds to the coaching staff, plus how he reminds him of someone like Norm Parker. 

We continue our Hawkeye Report Summer Podcast series as we are joined by Iowa quarterback coach Billy VandeMerkt, who took over that position earlier this year.  The pod opens with getting to know VandeMerkt better. His upbringing in Illinois and how Tim Lester attempted to recruit him to play quarterback for him at Elmhurst College, where he was the head coach at the time. We then discuss his journey into coaching and how it got started thanks to a coach who is now an NFL coach. How that coach is now an NFL head coach and how his rise led to VandeMerkt becoming a coach for the New York Jets.  Then we dive into VandeMerkt and how he ended up at Iowa in 2025 and the role that he filled last year as a senior analyst and what his responsiblities were. Then this year he is elevated to the quarterback coach job. What that has been like for him? What does he look for in a quarterback in terms of traits that make them successful?  We also discuss the race at quarterback this spring between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. How did they manage and plan everything this spring and did they manage it as well as they had hoped? How will the offense change this season with a different style of quarterback this year? When do they want to make a decision regarding the starting quarterback position?  Also, who are some of the receivers that impressed him this spring and thoughts on the passing game. We get his thoughts on the other quarterback including Jimmy Sullivan, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Tradon Bessinger and we wrap up talking about learning from Tom Moore and Kirk Ferentz. 

We continue our summer of podcasts on the Hawkeye Report Podcast and this is a great guest. We are joined by Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz to get caught up on everything going on with Hawkeye athletics.  The conversation opens with a discussion of the upcoming renovation of Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the process to get to this point and what will be next starting this fall? Then we dive into the complicated world of Name, Image, and Likeness and how that process has gone for the Iowa athletic department in the last year or so. What has been the challenges and how have they dealt with the House settlement spending and the over the top spending that goes beyond the cap. How have they helped student-athletes with financial management? We also talk about how they have worked with Learfield to build partnerships with sponsors to get over the cap money to student-athletes. Goetz also discusses how they have are working to potentially get patches on jerseys and if that could be used to get more financial resources to players at Iowa.  Then we dive into the new coaches and the satisfaction from making a good hire for an athletic director, as Goetz did with Ben McCollum. We talk about her participation on the hiring of a new women's soccer coach and as a former college soccer player and coach how that was important to her. Along with that we discuss the health of non-revenue sports.  We also talk about the need to be well versed on the legislative side of things these days and get her thoughts on the Protect College Sports Act, which the Big Ten has opposed to this point. Finally we wrap up getting her thoughts on the sold out Savannah Bananas games coming to Kinnick Stadium on July 3rd and 4th. 

We continue our summer series of podcast with special guests, this time with Iowa assistant football coach Jay Norvell. It's a fun, interesting, and informative podcast talking about his career as a player and coach.  The podcast begins with Norvell talking about how a kid who grew up in Madison, Wisconsin ended up playing football at the University of Iowa. He talks about the influence that Hayden Fry and his staff had on him as a player and getting into coaching. We talk about the great 1985 Iowa football team and his memories of that season and the win over Michigan.  Then we dive into his coaching career, including being part of the NFL and his long career as a college coach at various stops, as an assistant coach and head coach. We talk about how a guy who played defense as a player ends up coaching his entire career as an assistant on offense. He talks about play calling and why he likes to be on the sidelines during a game.  After that we also discuss the addition of the great Tom Moore to the Iowa staff and what that will mean for the Iowa program to have someone who has basically seen it all in his coaching career. Norvell talks about the Iowa offense under Tim Lester and if there will be more passes thrown to running backs this season. Plus we look at the running back room this year for Iowa and how he could use the talent on hand.  Finally we wrap up talking about his father, Merritt Norvell, who was a trailblazer in the world of college athletics and he we wrap up talking about what it has been like working for Kirk Ferentz. 

On this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast, we get caught up on a several topics. Most of them involving Iowa athletics and the Hawkeyes, plus an extended conversation on the story of the week in college sports. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the show wrapping up the Iowa baseball season. Huesmann goes in-depth on the overall season, the injuries to the pitchers that ended up impacting the overall season, and we look ahead to next year and the needs for Rick Heller's team.  Then we talk some Iowa men's and women's basketball. We try to take an early look ahead regarding the possible starting lineups for both teams. What will Ben McCollum do with his starting lineup and will it continue to be focused on the defensive end of the floor? What about Jan Jensen and her team. Huesmann has a couple of interesting thoughts on what the Iowa head coach will end up doing this winter.  Then we move over to the WNBA and talk about Caitlin Clark and the drama that just seems to follow her and the Indiana Fever at every turn. Plus she had a game winning three late in the win over Washington on Monday.  Then we move over to football recruiting. Iowa had a pretty positive weekend, landing a pair of new recruits. We look at the new additions that bring the total number of commits in this class to 12. How much more would they like to add in what will end up being a smaller class? Finally, we dive into the story of the week, Bredan Sorsby, the Texas Tech quarterback, being able to get an injunction from a judge in Texas that will allow him to play for the Red Raiders even after gambling on his own team while he was at Indiana. What is our reaction to the news? What could happen next? 

It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast! We are joined by newly retired Big Ten official and Iowa City native, DJ Carstensen. We have a lot to discuss, beginning with how the former hoops standout and college player ended up being a high level basketball official.  We talk about his time in Iowa City growing up during the 70's and early 80's when the Hawkeyes were flying high and attending basketball games in The Fieldhouse. How he worked camps at Iowa when the Hawkeyes were coached by greats like Lute Olsen, George Raveling, and Tom Davis.  We look back at his time with officiating and how he rose up the ranks from working D2 and D3 games to calling high profile games in the Big Ten on a weekly basis before retiring at the end of this last season. We learn about his time calling games, how he was able work with coaches like Fran McCaffery, who could be colorful on the sidelines. We also discuss his work with Coaches vs. Cancer in upstate New York and how McCaffery and many other coahes he has met over the years have donated to the cause.  We discuss the court decision today on allowing a player who bet on his own team to play college football and gambling in general on college sports and the feedback he got as a official. We talk about makeup calls and other falsehoods that fans might believe. Finally we discuss the shortage of officials and training the next group for the future of the games we love to see being played. 

A good thirty minute podcast today including a great interview and a look at a huge recruiting weekend for Iowa football. First the interview. Tom Kakert visits with Iowa assistant coach Luke Barnwell about his first season as an assistant at the University of Iowa.  We begin talking about the great run in the NCAA Tournament and particularly dive into the victory over Florida. A year earlier, Barnwell was at Texas Tech and part of the scout in the Elite Eight loss to Florida. One year later, he handled the scout when Iowa beat Florida to advance to the Sweet 16. He talks about that and the run and how he was also coping with the sudden loss of his father in early March.  We then dive into what he learned working this year for Ben McCollum, along with the portal and player development that he saw this spring from several of the returning players. What has he seen from Trey Thompson and what can he do this season? What will Ethan Harris bring to the Hawkeyes and just how big is Andrew McKeever and how can they use the seven footer? Then we move over to football. It's a huge weekend with 18 prospects on campus, including 8 unocommitted players. We run down the entire list of uncommitted players and where they might be leaning. With a small class expected, what positions are a priority?   

Another very special guest joins us on the podcast this week. This time it's Masters and Open champion Zach Johnson on the pod. Coming up on June 8th, Johnson will host his annual Zach Johnson Foundation Classic at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids with seven other winners of majors joining him.  More details can be found here: https://zachjohnsongolf.com/zjf-classic/ We talk about his foundation classic and the great golfers that will be joining him at the event. Then we dive into the talking about Iowa athletics and Hawkeye sports. We talk about the Iowa football program and the longevity of Kirk Ferentz as the head coach and his relationship with him. We talk about Iowa taking the now former Drake basketball coach (where Johnson went to college) and what he thought of the run by Ben McCollum in year one with the Hawkeye program. Then we get Johnson's prediction for Iowa football for this season and we also talk a little more golf and the upcoming events he will be playing in Iowa (for the first time) and the John Deere Classic in July. 

Special guest on the latest edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We are joined by the Head Coach of the Iowa women's basketball program, Jan Jensen, for a great conversation. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann visit with Jensen about the newly announced two game series with UCONN that begins this season, along with the art of non-conference scheduling today.  We talk about the new additions to the Iowa women's basketball roster via the transfer portal and the impact that they could have this year. How will it impact how they operate on the offensive end of the floor and that they will adjust with more of a four out look on that side.  We talk about the upcoming arrival of five star forward McKenna Woliczko and what she will bring to the table once she arrives in early June. Jensen discusses how she can play a variety of different roles this winter.  Is there a player that has really elevated their game since the end of the season? Jensen gives us a very candid answer on the player that has jumped up and how the team has responded to the disappointing end to what was a very good season last year. 

We continue our in-depth coverage of Iowa men's basketball recruiting, specifically the 2027 point guard group. In this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast, we are joined by Jamie Shaw, who is the senior basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com and On3.com to get his views on the long list of prospects that Iowa and Ben McCollum continue to explore.  We get Shaw's thoughts on Cayden Daughtry, TJ Jamison, Jaxson Davis, Jalen Davis, Antonio Pemerberton, and the latest rumbling on the recruitment of 2027 point guard Davion Thompson. What are his thoughts on each of the players and which schools are all of those players considering? It's a great rundown of the news and we also get Shaw's thoughts on Iowa's run in the NCAA Tournament and Bennett Stirtz success potentially paying off for the Hawkeyes on the recruiting trail.

It's a special holiday edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. While the rest of the world is enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day, Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo and putting together nearly an hour of podcast content for Iowa fans to listen to.  The main topic this week is 2027 men's basketball recruiting. Tom Kakert spent the last two weekends on the road watching most of the top point guard prospects on Ben McCollum's radar and that is what we are discussing. We learn more about his clear top choice among the point guards and why all five or perhaps six on Iowa's radar would be home run additions to the Hawkeye program.  We run down all six, including a new name that is actually an old name that has apparently jumped back on to the radar for the Hawkeyes. We discuss one of the prospects planning an official visit to Iowa in June and if there is a chance that he commits. Plus where things stand with the rest of the group of recruits.  Then we move over to football where the Big Ten is set to announce the start times for the non-conference games, plus other select contests this season coming up on Wednesday. We went down the entire Iowa football schedule and speculated on the start times for those early season games, along with the rest of the schedule, including the Nebraska game on Black Friday. 

It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast to open the week. We are joined by the Iowa men's basketball chief of staff, Jesse Shaw as we look back on a great season and look ahead to the future.  We open talking about the first year at Iowa for Ben McCollum and his staff and how they were able to establish the culture for this program and the success they enjoyed reaching the Elite Eight. We talk about Shaw and his role during games where he is in charge of match-up's on the court and the process he goes through to plan ahead and adjust during the game.  Part of his job is to coach rebounding on the team and that was an issue at times and overall during the season. He reflects back to the Elite Eight game and how they lost the glass in that game. Then we slide over to the newest addition to the Iowa roster, 7 -foot-3 center Andrew McKeever and why they went after him and what he will bring to the table from a rebounding perspective and the impact that will have on the team.  We also discuss roster managment and the possible impact of 5 for 5 on a roster and recruiting moving forward. The impact that the post season run had and is that a proof of concept moment for McCollum and this program. Also the amazing success that McCollum has in a tournament setting. Finally, how superstitious is McCollum and how deep does it go? 

It's another busy edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo open the pod this week talking about the news from Monday that Ben McCollum officially signed his contract extension. What does it mean for the program and how long will McCollum be at Iowa? Then we look at the Big Ten foes, both home and away and two plays for the Hawkeyes next season in men's basketball. What do we think of the early ranking for Iowa men's hoops over at Bart Torvik's site? He has Iowa 44th in the country and 12th among Big Ten schools. Is that way too low? We also discuss the expansion of the NCAA Tournament and Bennett Stirtz is at the NBA Combine and measured in today. What do we think of his chances of being drafted in mid to late first round of the NBA Draft next month? Then we move over to football where the big news last week was Iowa playing a game on a Friday evening at Washington. How much more difficult was that make an already challenging three game stretch that includes a trip to MIchigan, followed by a home game against Ohio State before traveling a day early to Seattle? Does that change our overall outlook on the season? Finally we dive into the world of recruiting. Iowa has ten verbal commitments and they picked up a quarterback recently. What are our thoughts from the recruiting trail? 

It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Today we are joined by the head of the Iowa Swarm Collective, Brad Heinrichs to discuss the rebranding of his organization and why that needed to take place. We also discuss three very unique and interesting events coming up during the month of May and June in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport involving great songwriters from Nashville and special performances of their songs.  You can get more details here: https://the-swarm-inc-jcgb.vivenushop.com/seller/the-swarm-inc-jcgb/section/music-city-live-ud08 We also discuss how the College Sports Commission and NIL review process has been a real challenge for everyone involved, particularly the student-athletes. Also how that has impacted the ability for collectives to distribute NIL money for opportunities that they have provided to student-athletes.  Then we talk a whole lot of Iowa football and get into who we think the starting quarterback will be this fall at this early date. What we think of the running back room and the receivers, which could be the strongest group in a long time in Iowa City. Then we look at the defense, where we have concerns up front for the Hawkeyes and how the linebackers and secondary are looking after spring ball.  We also talk some Iowa men's basketball and the great run. What did Brad think of the performance and how important it was for the Hawkeyes to do this in the first year to get Iowa fans back involved with the team. Can Hawkeye fans fully support both men's and women's basketball this winter? Also, we talk about the future of college athletics and if non-revenue sports are going to on the chopping block in the future with the cost of college athletics rising each and every year while schools try to pay for student-athletes. 

It's a post spring practice edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast and we are thrilled to be joined by Scott Dochterman from The Athletic to discuss what we learned about the Iowa football team this past Saturday.  We open talking about the offensvie side of the ball, including the quarterback position. How long into fall camp will that race go and is there a leader or a tell from head coach Kirk Ferentz. After that we move to the receivers and the excitement about some of the new faces and returning players. Plus the great run of success that the Hawkeyes have enjoyed along the offensive line. How does that group shape up this fall? Then we move over to defense, where there appears to be quite a few question marks on that side of the ball. We discuss our biggest area of concern, which is along the defensive line, where there are a group of young players, but they are inexperienced in terms of snaps. We talk about Cam Buffington probably starting in the middle and the job that Jayden Montgomery has done since last year and his move to a different position. We wrap up talking about the defensive backfield and how everything will seeingly be fitted around where Phil Parker has to place Zach Lutmer. We also dive into the world of Iowa's special teams, which is very different this year and what we feel good about with that group of players.  Finally we wrap up talking about the Hawkeyes in the NFL Draft. It was a record haul of Iowa players this year, particularly to Pittsburgh, who hosted the draft. What were our takeaways and we also look ahead to who might be drafted next year from the Iowa roster and how it might be from the junior or even third year sophomore class. 

Iowa fans, it's time for one of our special podcasts that we do each year. Starting Thursday, The Chuck Long Charity Auction will be open for on-line bidding. Each year the event raises money for the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities. This will be the 29th edition of the event that has raised over three million dollars helping children and famiies in the QC area.  We are joined by Chuck Long and Angie Peterson to discuss the history of the event and how important it was it is to the families who might not be able to afford the care. We also talk about the great Hawkeye items that are up for auction, along with all kinds of other sports items and plenty of high end adult beverages, and various cool items for men and women.  Please register and get your bids in today at this link: https://givebutter.com/c/85n3DO/auction/register

It's Sunday and we finally have some news for the transfer portal for the Iowa men's basketball team. Ben McCollum has landed a pair of prospects in the last couple of days and we are here to discuss it. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo fired up the podcast machine to discuss the latest news.  We open our discussion with the Hawkeyes landing Illinois State guard Ty'Reek Coleman and what he brings to the table. We talk about his overal game and stats an the fact that he can play three more years at the D1 level and how he fits into the Hawkeyes future plans at the guard position.  Then we move on to the biggest addition in 7-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever. He made his commitment official on Saturday and the Hawkeyes beat out schools like UCONN and others to land the big man who is transferring from St. Mary's. We discuss what he will bring to the table from an offensive and defensive perspective. Will he immediately move into a starting role?  After that we dive into a potential starting lineup for next year based on what they have on the roster now? Which five players are now likely to start and who might be the new faces in the lineup? Will Ben McCollum lean on veterans starting next year and continue to sub early on?  We also ask what's next? What is the status of the appeal or Tavion Banks? Could he be back for one more year? Is Iowa done in the transfer portal during this cycle? Could they look for help at one more position?   

It's a Thursday afternoon podcast with Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann. We have plenty to discuss heading into the weekend with the Hawkeyes. We open the show talking women's basketball. Huesmann gives us an update on the Iowa women's basketball team in the transfer portal and the latest addition to the team. We also talk about other potential additions that they are working on to the team.  After that we are moving on to the Iowa men's team, who are waiting for their first portal addition for next season. We update where things stand with the targets that have emerged and what we are heading. We also update where Alvaro Folgueiras might be headed in the portal.  Finally we move on to Iowa football and react to the NCAA coming down on Kirk Ferentz for something that happened over three years ago and that he had already admitted to and submitted his own level of punishment. Meanwhile, there are coaches every day committing worse NCAA crimes, including the usual stuff like contacting players to try to lure them into the transfer portal. We also rundown what we learned about the race for the starting quarterback job and what new running backs coach Jay Norvell had to say to the media.   

The transfer portal is wide open and as usually completely wild with twists and turns each and every day. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann break down all the latest news on the men's and women's transfer portal and the Iowa Hawkeyes targets.  We start with the women's side of the portal because Jan Jensen landed her biggest target this cycle. We discuss the shooting guard addition for the Iowa women's team and how it will impact the squad immediately starting this winter. What will it mean for the lineup moving forward? What else do the Iowa women need to land and who are some of the targets on their radar? Then we move over to the men's transfer portal, where as of Sunday evening, Ben McCollum has not landed a target. Where do things stand? Who is on campus and what are Iowa's shot with a big center prospect? Who are some of the other targets that the Iowa coaches are looking at in the transfer portal? What are Iowa's needs in this portal cycle?  After that we talk some football recruiting. Iowa missed out on quarterback Jake Nawrot from the Chicago area. He as a legacy recruit and the #2 quarterback in the country according to Rivals.com. What happened for Iowa to miss out on him and why did Kentucky end up landing the talented quarterback? Who is Iowa's main target in the Class of 2027?

It's portal season once again, this time for men's and women's basketball. We are talking about it with Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo on the podcast. We start with the Iowa men's basketball team and what they need in the portal. We also run down the potential visitors to Iowa City in the next week and who might be the most likely to be at the top of their list. We also discuss the possible departure of one player from the Iowa roster and why that might end up happening.  Then we move on to the Iowa women's team, who has seen five players leave since the end of the season. We run down the list of three players who are set to visit Iowa this weekend, including one of the top guard prospects in the portal, who has links to an assistant coach at Iowa and one of the Hawkeye players.  Finally we wrap up talking about the thirty minute window that we had to watch the Iowa football team. What did we think of the quarterbacks? What was the make-up of both the offensvie and defensive lines? What did the new punter look like at practice? What was the secondary look like in terms of personnel?

The college basketball portal for men's and women's basketball is set to open next week. The Iowa women's and men's teams will be active when it opens up and Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann hop on the podcast to preview portal madness that is set to arrive next week.  We recorded this podcast just before the commitment of 2026 wing prospect Jaidyn Coon, but we dove into the portal, starting with the Iowa women. We discuss the players who have departed already, particularly the surprising exit of Addie Deal from the program after one year. We look at the reaction to the news from Iowa fans and how some have unloaded on Jan Jensen because of the departure. Then we look at the needs for the Iowa women's team in the transfer portal and some potential targets that could emerge. Plus, Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard took a dig at Iowa women's basketball today on a video and we react to it.  Next we move over to the Iowa men's team and one player that we think Hawkeye fans should watch as a potential player who could enter the transfer portal. Then we look at some possible targets for the Hawkeyes at the center and point guard position when the portal opens up and the roster heading into next season.  After that it's a look at Iowa football this spring. We met with Kirk Ferentz for the first time in a couple of months and the Iowa head coach had plenty to discuss. He talks about his staffing changes that he made this spring and the hiring of Jay Norvell as the running backs coach. We also talk about the quarterback battle this spring, running backs, and the unsettled nature of the Iowa defense this spring. 

The Iowa men's basketball season has come to a close. The Hawkeyes were right there with the Fighting Ilini for about 35 minutes before their conference rival created some space on the scoreboard. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo break down the games from beginning to end.  We open talking about how Iowa really jumped the Illini out of the gate and how they came out very strong on both ends of the floor. Then we discuss how Illinois battled back and yet in the first half the Hawkeyes kept holding on to the lead at halftime. We talk about the true difference in the game being the fact that Illinois won paint scores 40-12 and dominated the rebounding numbers, particularly on the offensive glass.  Then we break down where the game finally got away from Iowa when the Illini went to the post and scored eight straight points to create some distance, while Iowa forced some shots up late. We talk about Iowa not getting significant contributions from players who have been key in the last few games and how Bennett Stirtz really carried the team.  After that we try to put this season in perspective and what this run this year means to the program. How will it help with the transfer portal that opens up next week and with their recruiting efforts this spring with the 2027 high school class. We also talk about the roster next season and what we have heard about an upcoming extension that will be coming for Ben McCollum. 

It's another emergency podcast because the Iowa men's basketball team continued their run in the NCAA Tournament. On Thursday evening Iowa basketball, playing in their first Sweet 16 game since 1999, rallied late and finished strong, beating Nebraska and advancing to the Elite Eight when they will now face rival Illinois.  Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo meet up for another late night podcast following a Hawkeye victory. We discuss the Hawkeyes slow start against the Cornhuskers and how they rallied late in the first half after falling behind by double figures. We talk about the huge shot by Tate Sage at the end of the half and how that was a nice spark heading into half time.  Then we discuss how the Hawkeyes kept the game close, but couldn't get the lead for a good chunk of the second half. Then we look at the final couple of minutes, the huge back to back three's from Bennett Stirtz and Sage, along with the huge mistake by Nebraska having four players on the floor to cover Iowa and Alvaro Folgueiras massive dunks late in the contest. Finally we take an early look at the match-up on Saturday against Illinois. We look back at meeting back in early January and what we can learn from it, along with what we think of the game now at this point in the season.

A busy edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast covering a lot of topics. We start with Iowa men's basketball and bring on a very special guest and someone that Ben McCollum talk about following the Hawkeyes stunning victory over Florida and that is Kent McCausland.  We look back at Iowa shocking the world, or at last the south region bracket, with a huge win to knock out the top seeded Gators. What did McCausland see from the Hawkeyes in the win and how proud is he of Cooper Koch, who he has known since he was a little kid of his great friends and teammate J.R. Koch. He talks about how Cooper has developed this year and gained his confidence. He also talks about his text to Coach McCollum and how he reached out to him on a regular basis after wins and losses. Plus the Sweet 16 win has brought back the group chats with several of his former teammates from the 1999 team and we talked about their run in the NCAA Tournament.  Then we move on to Iowa wrestling and we are joined by Tanner Lafever. The Hawkeyes picked up a fourth place trophy in the NCAA Championships this past weekend in Cleveland. What did we think of the performance by the Iowa wrestling squad? They seemed to have finished strong with several wrestlers exceeding their seed. We salute Gabe Arnold for earning All American status at 197 pounds, which is not his natural weight class. We also talk about Mikey Caliendo not shaking hands at the podium being a whole lot of nothing and too much being made of Algelo Ferrarri taking medicals out of the tournament once he lost in the semifinals. We also look ahead at what is going to be the most important off-season of the Brands era.  Finally, we visit with Kyle Huesmann from Carver-Hawkeye Arena after Iowa women's basketball team played poorly in back to back games, losing to Virginia on Monday afternoon in double overtime. It was two straight games of subpar play from the Hawkeyes. Do they just play too tight when they are at home in the NCAA Tournament? Did that ugly loss to UCLA just wreck them? We also take a quick look into the future, where we think Iowa will be active in the portal. 

Iowa fans, it happened. The long nightmare is over and the Iowa men's basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16! Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo are back on the podcast to look back at this historic night in the history of Hawkeye basketball as Iowa knocked off #1 seed and defending national champion, Florida to advance to the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Houston against Nebraska.  We look back at how the Hawkeyes did it. How they pulled off the upset as 10 point underdogs in what was basically a road environment. We discuss the huge plays made by Tavion Banks, who led the team with 20 points, even though he struggled from the foul line. We go in detail about the incredible clutch shot in the final seconds by Alvaro Folgueiras to give the Hawkeyes the lead and the even more incredible and emotional scenes afterwards involving Alvaro and his mom, along with Cooper Koch and his dad, J.R. who played on Iowa's last Sweet 16 team. We also spend some time talking about Cooper and his huge three pointers in the second half and how every time Florida made a push, Iowa was there to respond and keep fighting. Plus the great deal of toughness that this team showed, which is going to be a hallmark of Ben McCollum's teams moving forward. 

In the month of March in college basketball it is about surviving and advancing. The Iowa men's basketball team did just that on Friday evening as they survived and advanced by beating Clemson 67-60 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Tampa.  Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo were ready to talk about the game following the victory and had plenty to discuss. We looked back at some of the keys to the game from an Iowa pespective and how they played out exactly how they needed to for Iowa to win. It was the first to 60 would win and that was Iowa and also how the Hawkeyes won the rebounding battle and shot more free throws than their opponent.  We discuss the overall pace of the game how it was played just about exactly how we expected going into it. We talks about the standout performances from Kael Combs and Alvaro Folgueiras and how they are x-factors in the games. We also talk about the upcoming game against Florida and the massive challenge that they will present to the Hawkeyes. 

It's a huge wrestling podcast to get you ready for the NCAA Championships in Cleveland later this week. There will be nine Hawkeyes hitting the mat in Cleveland and our wrestling expert, Tanner Lafever joins the pod to break it all down. We look at all nine weight classes for the Hawkeyes and he gives his predictions for the finish for each wrestler.  Can any Hawkeyes continue the programs streak of putting a wrestler in a title match? Will the Hawkeyes finish in the top four this weekend and bring home a trophy? What do the preseeds say about Iowa's chances of achieving that goal?  Then we talk a little basketball....specifically Florida basketball and a potential match-up with the Gators since Tanner is a follower of their program.

It's Selection Sunday and that means time to talk about both the Iowa men's and women's teams in the NCAA Tournament this year. We have plenty to discuss and Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo, and Kyle Huesmann are there to get you up to speed on both Hawkeye teams and their initial path in the NCAA Tournament.  First we open with the Iowa men. They made the Hawkeyes wait, but they landed an 8 seed and will be headed to a place where the Hawkeyes just won a bowl game, Tampa. We breakdown the Iowa vs. Clemson game and take an early look at the key players for the Tigers and Iowa's reaction to the matchup. Plus we get a health update on Bennett Stirtz, who was nursing a bruised quad in the Big Ten Tournament.  Then we move over to the women's draw. Iowa was a two seed, which was suspected they would be heading into Sunday. We also got a health update from Iowa head coach Jan Jensen that seemed to be positive. Kyle Huesmann gives his thoughts on the Hawkeyes draw this week , including their first and second round opponents, plus the Hawkeyes also also hosting a first four game this year that will lead into a 7/10 matchup with Georgia.  Good to have post season basketball to discuss on the podcast. Thanks for listening. 

The run for the Iowa men's basketball team in the Big Ten Tournament has come to a close. After picking up one win over Maryland, Iowa dropped a close one on Thursday to Ohio State at the United Center in Chicago. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo take a look back at the short run for the Hawkeyes in the Windy City.  First, we look back to the initial win over Maryland and how Iowa came back from trailing by 11 in the first half to going on a 21-0 run to basically salt away a victory. We discuss the strong performance and continued hot shooting from forward Cooper Koch and how he has gotten in a groove from three point range in the last two weeks.  Second, we look at the loss today to Ohio State and how the Hawkeyes rallied late in the game to have a chance to tie before falling by three points. Our real focus is on some of the interesting comments regarding settling for good versus being great from Ben McCollum and what he meant by those comments. We also talk about the questions we have with some of the decisions made by McCollum, like sideline out of bounds play and calling timeouts when you are on a run on offense.  Finally, we look at where the Hawkeyes likely sit heading into Selection Sunday. What seed seems likely right now for Iowa? Who are some possible opponents? Could they face a familiar face in the first round? What locations could Iowa be headed for the first round game? 

Last week we previewed a very busy weekend for Iowa athletics. Now we open the week by reviewing what happened on the basketball court and on the wrestling mat. We are joined by Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever to look back at what happened, both good and not so good for the Hawkeyes. We start with women's basketball where the Hawkeyes made it to the title game in the Big Ten Tournament with a pair of impressive wins over Illinois and Michigan that certainly secured Iowa a two seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. We also have to discuss the blowout loss at the hands of UCLA in the conference title game on Sunday. We look at what went right in those games this past weekend and the impressive play of Taylor Stremlow and company in their run to the title game.  Then we look at the potential two seed options for the Iowa team and why we think that will be where they land and discuss some of the other two and three seeds that Iowa could see in the NCAA Tournament.  After that we move on to men's basketball and the Hawkeyes losing in overtime to Nebraska in Lincoln on Sunday afternoon. What happened in this game? Why was Iowa able to rally from down ten late in the second half to tie the game and send it to overtime? What about the performance of Kael Combs and Cooper Koch, who both scored 18 points in the loss. How did the game get away from Iowa in overtime?  After that we discuss the men's team and the NCAA Tournament. Is Iowa in the Big Dance? How good should they feel going into the Big Ten Tournament and do they have more work to do in Chicago? What seed could they be looking at?  Then we head to the mat and get Tanner Lafever's view of the first NCAA women's wrestling championships that took place this past weekend in Coralville. Iowa ended up finishing a close second in the event. What matches swung the event away from the Hawkeyes and we take an early look at the Iowa team next year, which should be very strong.  Finally we wrap up discussing the Iowa men's wrestling team, which took fourth in the Big Ten meet in State College this past weekend. Who impressed for Iowa and wrestled above their seed? We rundown how Iowa's nine NCAA qualifers performed in the event this weekend. 

As promised, we have a whole lot of Hawkeye Wrestling to discuss this week on the podcast and no one better to do that with than Tanner Lafever, our great wrestling writer.  This weekend the Iowa women's wrestling team will be looking for their third straight national title, but it will also be the first NCAA championship in the history in the history of the sport. It might come as a suprise to some folks to know that Iowa is actually not favored this weekend.  We break down the key weight classes heading into the event that takes place in Coralville this weekend. Who are the main competitors with the Hawkeyes in the team title race? Which weight classes might swing the team title race? Do the Hawkeyes have a significant advantage with the two best wrestlers in this event on their side? Then we move over the Big Ten Wrestling championships, which will be held in State College, PA because Penn State needs more of an edge in this event. Kidding....kind of. We discuss the strange seeding that took place this week in the preseed and why it has created quite a controversy heading into the event that takes place Saturday and Sunday. Is Iowa really projected to finish seventh? How many wrestlers will the Hawkeyes qualify for nationals and will this be a complete runaway for Penn State? 

We are headed into conference tournament season on the podcast and that means we have plenty to discuss. We open the week with an in-depth discussion with Kyle Huesmann about Iowa women's basketball as they look to win the Big Ten Tournament championship later this week in Indianapolis.  Before we preview the games on the court, there was news off the court for the Iowa women on Tuesday as Ava Heiden was named first team All Big Ten. Forward Hannah Stuelke repeated as a second team selection and Chit Chat Wright landed on third team honors. Senior Kylie Feuerbach was named to the all defense team and Addie Deal was named to the all freshman squad. We discuss all of those players and their honors on the show.  Then we move on to the actual games and Iowa's draw for the event in Indianapolis. How far with the Hawkeyes advance? How incredibly deep is the field of teams in this event? Can anyone touch UCLA? After that we look at Iowa's potential NCAA Tournament seed. This past weekend the Hawkeyes were named as a two seed and #6 overall by the selection committee. Are they pretty much locked into the two seed line heading into conference tournament play? Could they potentially reach a one seed? Which teams could be headed to Iowa City for NCAA Tourament play? 

Welcome to the month of March! That can mean only one thing, a whole lot of talk about Iowa men's and women's basketball. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo recorded the pod on Sunday night and the primary focus is on the men's basketball team.  We open discussing the bad loss on Satruday to Penn State. Iowa had a five point lead with 4:30 left in the game and only scored two points the rest of the way. What led to the struggles of the Iowa offense late in the game? What do we think of the lineup choices made by the Iowa coaches in the final minutes, along with Ben McCollum saying his assistant coaches handle substitutions during the game? Then we discuss the Hawkeyes struggles on defense on Saturday, allowing Penn State to shoot 64% for the game and 72% in the second half of the contest. Why have they tended to struggle on defense at times?  After that we discuss Iowa and the Big Ten Tournament. Are the Hawkeyes now out on getting the double bye in Chicago? What would the path look like? We also look at the Hawkeyes NCAA Tournament chances. Obviously they took a hit, but is Iowa still in the field of 68?  We move on to the Iowa women's hoops team, who wrapped up their regular season on Sunday with a convincing win at Wisconsin. We talk about the strong play on Sunday from Chit Chat Wright and particularly Taylor Stremlow. We also quickly looked ahead to the Big Ten Tournament and is Iowa locked into a two seed in the NCAA Tournament?  Finally we wrap up the show with a few notes from the NFL Combine in Indy and the strong performances from several Iowa players. 

Following a busy weekend of Iowa sports, we have a whole lot to discuss on this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner LaFever are on the show to start the week covering everything from men's and women's basketball to women's wrestling and a little Iowa baseball. We open the show with the biggest win of the weekend by the Iowa women's basketball team. It was the Ava Heiden show on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye as the Hawkeyes knocked off highly ranked Michigan by double figures. Kyle Huesmann was there and gives his thoughts on the victory on Senior Day for the Hawkeyes. We also look at where the Iowa women will be seeded in the Big Ten Tournament and could they be trending towards a two seed in the NCAA Tournament? Then we move to the wrestling mat and start with the Iowa women winning their regional this past weekend and advancing all ten of their wrestlers to the NCAA championship meet, which will be held next weekend in Coralville. Tanner LaFever was matside for the event and gives us his in-depth rundown of the action and what the national meet might look like in less than two weeks time.  We also discuss the Iowa men's wrestling team and their loss down in Stillwater, Oklahoma on Sunday evening. It was a one-sided affair going against the Hawkeyes. What is the state of this Iowa team right now heading into Big Ten's in State College in less than two weeks? What will the Iowa lineup look like at that point? Then we move on to Iowa men's basketball. The Hawkeyes lost a tough one on the road on Sunday at Wisconsin. Iowa led at half, but then struggled to score and get stops in the second half of action. We discuss why this is a massive week for the Iowa men's team facing Ohio State and traveling to Penn State. We also look at how Iowa needs to play if they are going to have a shot against the better teams in the conference.  Finally we wrap up with Kyle Huesmann looking back at Iowa's baseball team taking two of three over Florida Atlantic, but potentially losing one of their top pitchers in the process. 

We are basketball heavy this week on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Following the Iowa women's team winning their road contest at Purdue on Thursday night, we are joined by Kyle Huesmann to break it all down.  Iowa played without Hannah Stuelke in the win due to an upper body injury. We discuss what the injury might be and how players like Journey Houston stepped up in her absence. We also discuss the terrific game from Ava Heiden against Purdue and the hot shooting from Taylor Stremlow in the first half of the game.  Then we discuss how the Hawkeyes are sitting when it comes to the Big Ten Tournament. Are they in good shape to be a top four seed and earn that extra bye for the event in Indianapolis. We also look at where they sit when it comes to the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Is Iowa still in good shape to be a top four seed in a regional and host their first two games of the tournament? After that we move over to men's hoops and take a look back at the first big win over a ranked opponent with the Tuesday victory over #9 Nebraska. What went into that win and why was the defense the key. We also spend a few minutes of the Fred Hoiberg vs. Iowa fan post game incident. Then we look at Iowa basketball and their path into the Big Ten Tournament. What do they need to do to make sure they get a top eight seed in Chicago? Can two wins get there there? After that we explore the Hawkeyes potential path is in the NCAA Tournament. Are they now trending towards a seven seed in the Big Dance?  Finally, we talk Iowa baseball for a few minutes with their big series coming up down at Florida Atlantic. 

It's a bit of a therapy session for Iowa Basketball fans on the podcast. We are joined by Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo to look back at what was a bumpy week for the Hawkeyes on the court with a pair or tough losses.  We look back at the losses to Maryland and then the 21 point loss at the hands of Purdue. After a six game win streak, the Hawkeyes are struggling. What has gone wrong in the last two games? Is it a struggle from the Iowa offense or defense? Which one needs to be fixed first? Are Hawkeye players deferring too much to Bennett Stritz and have they lost confidence in their shot?  We look ahead to the game on Tuesday against Nebraska and the return of Pryce Sandfort to Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Then we also look ahead to the remaining schedule and discuss what Iowa might end up with record wise in the final six games.  Finally we talk about the Hawkeyes NCAA Tournament resume so far. What stands out as good and what is going to be a discussion point from the committee? What seed to we think the Hawkeyes will end up with in the NCAA Tournament? 

It was a busy Wednesday night for Iowa basketball as both the men's and women's teams were in action. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes it was not a clean sweep for the two squads. We open the podcast talking about the Iowa men's basketball team suffering what is certainly their worst loss of the season, a 77-70 defeat at Maryland.  It was a strange box score from the game where Bennett Stirtz was terrific, scoring 32 points, dishing out 6 assists, and having zero turnovers. But, the second half shooting from the outside was part of the story on how the Hawkeyes lost this game, going just 3-16 from three in the second half. We discuss that and how the Iowa team needs more consistent second and third options on offense if they are going to defeat teams heading into March.  Then we move over to the women's side of the equation where the Hawkeyes ended a three game skid with a win over Washington in Iowa City. We visit with Kyle Huesmann from Carver-Hawkeye Arena to get his thoughts on the victory. We also discuss the Iowa defense really stepping up, Hanah Stuelke dominating the class, and Chit Chat Wright playing a terrific game, particularly shooting the ball from three point range.  Finally we wrap up the podcast talking Iowa men's and women's wrestling with Tanner Lafever. We look back at the men's team and their performace last weekend at Ohio State and the lack of offense from the Hawkeyes on the mat becoming a growing problem. Then we look ahead to this coming weekend. It's senior night on Friday against Michigan. Can Iowa win that meet? How close will it be?  After that we discuss a huge winning weekend for the Iowa women's wrestling team last weekend in Coralville. Tanner was on site for it and runs down the high level drama that took place. Coming up shortly will be the NCAA Regionals for women's wrestling and he looks at the potential lineup for the Hawkeyes and where they have some tough decisions to make. 

It's another busy week on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. This week we open with some Iowa men's basketball talk. We look back at the Hawkeyes win over Northwestern on Sunday and what we learned from the team in that victory. Iowa has now won six straight in conference play, how has Bennett Stirtz led the way and which other players are standing out? We look at where Iowa stands in the NCAA NET and what stands out as good in their resume at this point and where can they improve it as we head to the middle of February. Then we take a look at Stirtz and the season that he is putting together and how it compares to other great Iowa basketball point guards in school history.  Then we move over to Iowa women's hoops as the on the other end of the equation with three straight losses. We discuss the huge upcoming game against Washington on Wednesday evening and if Jan Jensen might be considering a lineup change for this game and what it might be. We talk about how critical this stretch will be in terms of the Hawkeyes hoping to stay in line to be a host for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.  Then we dive into the start of the Iowa baseball season. Kyle Huesmann gives us a great breakdown of the upcoming season for Rick Heller and the Hawkeyes. We breakdown each position group heading into the season and also take a look at the early season schedule for the Hawkeyes. 

The Big Ten Conference has officially released the football schedule for the 2026 season and the Iowa Hawkeyes now know who their opponents will be each week in the final nine weeks of the season.  Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann hop on the podcast to discuss the very latest on this news. Iowa opens their Big Ten schedule with what most would consider to be their three toughest games of the season, including road games at Michigan and Washington and in the middle is a visit from Ohio State.  We talk about the entire schedule for the Hawkeyes and how it is laid out this year. Which games are the most challenging beyond the first three games? How do we see the season playing out for Iowa at first look?  Then we move on to women's basketball. The unfortunate season ending injury to Taylor McCabe is now offical. We get Jan Jensen's reaction to the news and that Addie Deal will be moving into the starting lineup. Plus we preview the next two games for the Hawkeyes, at USC and UCLA.  After that we move over to men's hoops. Wednesday evening the Hawkeyes will be playing USC in Iowa City. We take a look at that contest and the upcoming road trip to the west coast. Plus we look at how the analytics sites are viewing the Hawkeyes next ten games, which is pretty favorable.  Finally we talk about the news that the Iowa women's soccer coach is leaving for Michigan. What's the impact and why is Beth Goetz the perfect AD to hire a replacement given her soccer background. 

It's a special Sunday evening edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann are on for just over thirty minutes talking exclusively about Iowa women's basketball following the Hawkeyes convincing 91-70 victory over nationally ranked Ohio State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  We discuss the hot start for the Hawkeyes, clicking right out of the gate from the floor and continued to play solid basketball, particularly when it comes to scores in the paint from Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden.  There was also a downside to the game for Iowa and that was one the headlines. That was the possible significant injury to Taylor McCabe, who left the game just 23 seconds into the contest. What did Jan Jensen say after the game about her status?  One player who really stepped up in that opportunity was Addie Deal. The freshman scored a career high 20 points in the contest and filled that void. Will she get the opportunity to move into the starting lineup if McCabe is out longer term? How does that impact Iowa's rotation moving forward? We also discuss the strong play of Chit Chat Wright, who has been an outstanding point guard and also shooting very well from beyond the arch.  Then we wrap up looking ahead to next week as the Hawkeyes head to the west coast for a pair of very tough games. The first face USC, who has been up and down, and a week from Sunday they face the #1 team in the conference in UCLA.   

Back to back days of shows for the Hawkeye Report Podcast. This one was not an emergency podcast, but it might as well be one as the Iowa women's basketball team held on for an overtime win at Maryland.  What made it more dramatic than it needed to be was the Hawkeyes blowing a 17 point lead with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter before outscoring the Terps in overtime, 12-5 on their way to a seven point victory.  Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann headed to the podcast shortly after the game and broke it down from all the angles. We open looking at the end where Iowa somehow got off the deck after blowing that 17 point advantage and held it together in overtime to get the win.  We discuss that while the blow lead might get a lot of attention from fans coming out of this game, the bottom line is Iowa won on the roat at a Top 25 team and that will matter when we get to March.  We also dive into the big plays from this game. That includes Journey Houston coming up huge early in the fourth quarter to help Iowa build a lead. Also some huge free throws in overtime from Chit-Chat Wright and a massive game on the glass from Hannah Stuelke as well. Plus Taylor McCabe finding her three point shooting stoke and how important that will be moving forward.  We also look ahead to Sunday's game against Ohio State and where Iowa might sit from an NCAA Tournament seed perspective heading into that game.  Finally, Iowa has officially landed their Aussie punter and we discuss that latest roster move for the Hawkeye Football program. 

It's another busy edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast with Tom Kakert and Tanner LaFever covering a lot of ground on all the winter sports.  We open the podcast actually going back to a fall sport, football. The Hawkeyes may have wrapped up thier portal work on Wednesday when they landed Ohio State defensive back transfer Cody Haddad. We talk about how he might fit into the Iowa secondary and the impressive haul and re-working of the safety position this off-season.  Then we moved to Iowa men's basketball with a discussion of the Hawkeyes win on Tuesday evening over Rutgers. We also look back a bit at the win over Indiana on Saturday. Our main focus was on the win over the Scarlet Knights and how Tate Sage and Isaia Howard really stepped forward to save the day for the Hawkeyes. Plus we look ahead to the off weekend and why this break comes at a really good time for the Hawkeyes before they get back to action next Wednesday.  After that we take a brief look at the Hawkeye women's hoops team and their big game on Thursday evening against Maryland. We look at how Iowa has a tough stretch against ranked opponents that started this past weekend against Michigan State.  Then we move on to the final portion of the podcast and talk Iowa men's and women's wrestling. We open with the men's squad and the continued drama off the mat and how Tom Brands responded to it on Tuesday of this week. We look back at the one-sided loss to Penn State and preview Iowa traveling to Nebraska this Friday. We also updated a busy weekend last weekend for the Iowa women's wrestlers and how they are racing towards the nationals portion of the schedule. 

It's another very busy addition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. This time it's Tom Kakert and Tanner Lafever talking Iowa athletics on the podcast. We open the show discussing Iowa hiring a new special teams coordinator. It's a name that you probably heard here on the pod when Levar Woods departure was announced, Chris Polizzi.  We look at his background discuss why this is a good hire. Plus we mention that Iowa appears to be closing in on a punter who is from the land down under and has the same trainer as Tory Taylor.  Then we discuss some potential late additions to Iowa's portal class that are on campus this week. What impact could they have and who are new targets at positions of need.  After that we look back at Wednesday nights game at Purdue. How did Iowa play in that game and what led to the game being very tight from start to finish. Which Iowa players stood out in the game? What was the factor in the second half that led Purdue to hold on for the victory. Finally we do a complete and total breakdown of the upcoming Penn State at Iowa wrestling meet that takes place at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday evening. We take a look at each match-up at every weight class and if Iowa is favored against Penn State in any of them. Also, we take a look back at the national duals last weekend for the Iowa women's wrestling team and the surprising loss in the semifinals by the Hawkeyes. 

It's another busy week of Iowa Hawkeye athletics for us to review and preview on the podcast. We are joined by Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann to break it all down this week.  This week we start with Iowa women's hoops. Huesmann was in Evanston and Bloomington this week to cover the Hawkeyes two road victories. Neither were pretty, but they were victories and he talks about how they got there in those games and the way they rallied on Sunday in the victory over Indiana. Plus we look ahead to this coming week that begins a very challenging stretch of basketball for Jan Jensen's squad, including home games against Oregon and Michigan State.  After that we slide over to men's basketball where Iowa has dropped two straight, one on the road at Minnesota and on Sunday a home defeat at the hands of Illinois. Why slow starts have become a real problem for the Hawkeyes and they couldn't quite dig out the hole, particularly against the Illini. Is Ben McCollum going to have to work the refs more aggressively in conference play? How big is this week with road games upcoming against Purdue and Indiana? When was the last time that a Ben McCollum team lost three in a row? Hint it's been longer than a decade.  Finally we transport ourselves into the transfer portal, where it was a busy couple of days for the Hawkeyes. More importantly it was positive and productive one. We look back at Iowa landing a pair of players on Friday afternoon. Both were their top targets with interest in the portal, including a wide receiver and a safety. Then on Sunday Iowa lands a safety, running back, and another wide receiver. Are they done? 

The transfer portal is open and the Iowa Hawkeye Football team has been busy shopping for players, and yes, losing a few on the way. We discuss that and more on the Hawkeye Report Podcast.  First, we talk some Hawkeye Basketball. We open discussing the Iowa men's team having a shot to tie the game at Minnesota, only to miss three shots and lose by three to the Gophers. Tom Kakert was in Minneapolis for the game and discusses what he saw and the conversations he had with Ben McCollum and the players after the game, including the Hawkeyes dealing with illness among several team members.  Then we preview the huge game on Sunday against the Fighting Illini. They are the biggest team in all of college basketball and Iowa will have to deal with those size issues. We also talk about the rivalry between the two schools and how important this game is with Iowa having to travel to Purdue and Indiana next week.  Finally, we dive into the transfer portal talk. We discuss the players who have left the Hawkeyes, including the surprising departure of Koen Entringer and Brian Allen. Then we discuss the players who will be joining the Iowa program later this month and equally as important, we have a list of potential targets that are still out there and we break all those down, plus how much room is still left on the roster.

It's a post bowl game edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo join up to talk about the Iowa football team beating Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl, 34-27 on New Year's Eve. It was a strong performance for the Iowa offense, led by Mark Gronowski and featuring huge plays in the passing game from DJ Vonnahme and others along the way. We talk about the fast start, led by a huge run by Gronowski and the huge trick play early in the second half to put points on the board.  Plus we discuss the defensive effort of the Hawkeyes, who did a pretty solid job against Diego Pavia and in the first half in particular, Iowa put plenty of pressure on the Heisman Trophy runner-up in the game. We also discuss the game changing strange play on a Vanderbilt punt along with one poor decision that we think Iowa made that took possible points off the board.  Finally we look ahead to the portal and the next season also gets a quick look at the end of the podcast.