Hawkeye Report Podcast
A collection of podcasts from HawkeyeReport.com
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 690
04/25/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 690
It's another jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and special guest John Evans talk Iowa baseball, men's and women's hoops, and a little Iowa football ahead of the final spring practice on Saturday. We open with Iowa baseball where the Big Ten leading Hawkeyes host Indiana this weekend. Evans, who calls the Hawkeye games on radio, gives his thoughts on this remarkable season thus far and how they have bounced back this year after high expectations last season. When did Evans know that this team was heading in a potentially special direction? After that we talk with Kyle about the Iowa women's basketball team adding a key player in the transfer portal who goes by the name of "Chit Chat". What will she bring to the Iowa roster? Who does Kyle see as the possible starting lineup for the Iowa women's team this season? Then we move on to Iowa men's basketball and the latest official editions of the pair of players from the transfer portal, including a key power forward edition. We also discuss what Iowa needs to add to their roster and which positions they should fill. Finally we wrap up the show talking a little Iowa football. The Hawkeyes are set to have their final practice of the spring on Saturday and we are invited to watch. We discuss the areas that we are looking to focus on during the practice and several players who we will be watching closely at the open practice.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 689
04/22/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 689
It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We are joined by new assistant basketball coach Bryston Williams. He has a long history with new head coach Ben McCollum, going back to when he was his first recruit at Northwest Missouri State. We open discussing being McCollum's first recruit and a great story on how he landed him, with credit to Williams father. We talk about McCollum as a coach and the process so far of building the roster. What did they learn last year at Drake that helped them with building a roster? How important it was last year to have success against high level teams last year helped them with figuring out the right players this year. Williams discusses the time that he played for Northwest Missouri State against Iowa in 2011 and what he remembers about the game. Then we dive into his journey as a coach and what he learned during his time coaching in the G-League with Memphis and the Detroit Pistons and what he learned from the NBA Players. We dive into why he ended up coming back to college basketball and why he did that. We dicuss his why in coaching and why he does it every day. He talks about the staff that they have put together and how they are so close because they all have a long relationship with Coach McCollum. We talk about how his staff and his kids from Northwest Missouri State and Drake were all so loyal to him as a coach. Then we run down the players that they have brought along from Drake, including Bennett Stirtz and the other four players. What do they bring to the table? What has he seen from Cooper Koch in workouts? We wrap up talking about recruiting today and what it is like? How it's become more transactional and the depth they go to in trying to get to know players in the portal in a rapid manner.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 688
04/18/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 688
The portal news never seems to stop and we try to get you updated on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo fire up the podcast machine to give you the very latest on the Iowa basketball team and where things stand on the roster building front. We have the latest on three prospects, two from the portal and one from the high school ranks that are down to Iowa and another school. Which players do we think are most important for Iowa to land? Which players do we think that Ben McCollum and his staff will land? We give our thoughts and the needs left as McCollum continues to build his first Hawkeye basketball roster. Then we slide over to Iowa football, where Iowa is about one week away from wrapping up spring ball. But, the transfer portal is also open, which means the Hawkeyes are seeing a few players, like Brendan Sullivan, hit the portal and we have seen a few players visit, including a big offensive lineman who could join them this fall. We also talk about some of the comments from the Iowa players on Thursday and some suprises that we have heard about during spring ball in Iowa City that Hawkeye fans should be excited about heading into the season.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 687
04/14/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 687
It's a special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast as we are joined by Payton Sandfort. It's a nearly 45 minute conversation with the former Iowa great about his career, this past season, his injuries, his brother transferring to Nebraska, and a whole lot more. We open the podcast with the end and Sandfort discusses being named the winner of the Chris Street Award this year and what it means to him. He also discusses being able to meet Street's parents and getting to know them over the years. Then he goes into great detail about the number of injuries that he played with this past season and how he has told at one point that he might have to shut things down during Big Ten play and how he actually was able to finish up the season and leave everything out on the floor against Illinois. We discuss the very emotional end to the season and know that it would be the last time that he would play with his brother, Pryce, and what it was like in the locker room following that game against Illinois. We talk about all his memories of being a Hawkeye and the great moments along the way, including the big plays and wins over Michigan, Michigan State, and many others. We look back at the Big Ten Tournament title and his huge contributions to that along with what he learned from playing with Keegan and Kris Murray and how that helped him as a leader.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 686
04/13/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 686
It's a special weekend edition of the Hawkeye Report podcast talking about one of our favorite events of the year. We are joined by our good friend former Iowa great Chuck Long and Angie Peterson from the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities to discuss the upcoming Chuck Long Charity Auction. This will be the 28th edition of this great event that benefits the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities and is their biggest fundraiser each and every year. Iowa fans, specificially Hawkeye Report followers, have been a huge part of the success of this event since 2020 and we want to keep that momentum going. This year is another great event and Chuck Long has donated several one of a kind items to the auction, including his Rose Bowl ring from the 1982 Rose Bowl game, along with several other one of a kind items, including three things that involve the great Caitlin Clark. We discuss the upcoming event and some of the great items and tell you how you can get involved in a few short weeks. Bookmark the link here and get ready to start bidding on April 24th!
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 685
04/11/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 685
A lot of topics to cover in early April on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. In this edition it's Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann with plenty of news on several very important fronts. We open with some Iowa baseball talk. The Hawkeyes host rival Nebraska this weekend for a huge three game series. We dive into the matchup and look at how Rick Heller's club has gotten off to such a great start in Big Ten play and what it could mean for the Big Ten Tournament and Iowa's NCAA Tournament chances. Then we move over to Iowa football. Several Iowa players, including Mark Gronowski, met with the media on Thursday afternoon in Iowa City. What did the Hawkeyes new signal caller have to say about his recovery from surgery and his building relationship with offensive coordinator Tim Lester? We also have notes on several other Hawkeye players and insights on the new running backs coach in Iowa City. Then we head to the transfer portal. We start first with the Iowa women's basketball team and if there are any point guard targets emerging for them out of the portal. After that we switch over to the men's hoops front and discuss a couple of high school players, one who we think is already committed to the Hawkeyes. And we discuss several transfer portal targets for Iowa and what the Hawkeyes need to finish out their roster.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 684
04/04/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 684
The news just keeps on coming on the Iowa basketball front and we have plenty to cover in our latest podcast. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo break down all the latest roster news. Iowa continues to add players from the Drake roster that played for Ben McCollum. Meanwhile, the rumor mill is churning out plenty of talk about the potential portal destinations for Josh Dix and Pryce Sandfort. Is there a chance that one or both players will end up returning to Iowa? What do we make of the wild rumors regarding Josh Dix and where he might land? In the last three days we have seen him rumored to be headed back to Iowa or transferring to Indiana or Illinois. Why is all of that simply a guessing game. We also discuss a recent prediction for what Sandfort will do coming out of the transfer portal. Then we move over to Iowa football. First we open with some comments about what we think will generally be a busier than normal transfer portal for football this spring. Then we discuss what we saw at Iowa football practice from our brief look on Thursday morning. We look at the players to watch on offense and defense and what we think will be the surprise players this season for the Hawkeye football team.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 683
03/27/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 683
The edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast is a jam packed one. Tom Kakert, Tanner Lafever, and Kyle Huesmann are talking hoops, wrestling, football, and baseball for the Hawkeyes on this show. We open by updating the latest on Iowa basketball and what is happening in the transfer portal with new head coach Ben McCollum. A couple of Drake players entered the portal today and we assess where things stand with Iowa players who could be considering staying with the Hawkeyes. Plus, we react to Owen Freeman to Creighton news. Then a brief update on the start of spring football in Iowa City and a few thoughts on what Kirk Ferentz had to say about his team. Next we move on to getting the assessement from Kyle about the end of the Iowa women's basketball season. What went wrong for the Hawkeyes against Oklahoma in the season ending loss? Then we look ahead to the next season. What will the starting lineup look like at this point in time? Does Jan Jensen need to get into the portal to find help for next year and what positions do they need to fill? After that we update a red hot Iowa baseball team that heads into this weekends three game series at Minnesota tied for the top spot in the Big Ten with a 7-2 conference mark. What's been going right for Iowa in this hot streak. Finally we have Tanner running down anything and everything talking Iowa wrestling. We wrap up the NCAA Tournament run and the championship for Stephen Buchanan, along with other strong performances and then we we look ahead to the Iowa lineup next year.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 682
03/26/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 682
The Iowa Hawkeyes have a new men's basketball coach. His name is Ben McCollum and he was actually born in Iowa City and grew up worshiping Iowa basketball. Tuesday afternoon was his introductory press conference at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and Tom Kakert was there for full coverage. He and Matt Randazzo break down everything we learned in the press conference from Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz and the new head coach, Ben McCollum. We get the details on the contract and some basic ideas on the state of the name, image, and likeness commitment that Iowa is making to the program. We look at his potential staff decisions that he has made. Which coaches are coming from Drake? Will there be more players from Drake headed to Iowa City. What is the impact of getting Drake star guard Bennett Stirtz to Iowa to play? Also, will there be any Iowa players who are in the transfer portal think about returning? Who might those players be and how important is it to get one or two back? Also, McCollum seems to be on a mission to get fans back in the stands. How is he planning on helping to get more students back supporting the team?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 681
03/19/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 681
It's an NCAA Wrestling and basketball coaching search extravaganza . Tom Kakert and Tanner Lafever for an extra long podcast! We open the podcast with Tanner breaking down the entire NCAA Wrestling Tournament that starts on Thursday morning. We start at 125 pounds and work our way to 285 pound. We break down each class and discuss the path for all the Iowa wrestlers this weekend in Philly. Which Hawkeyes have the best chance to get to the finals and win an individual championship? Could we see Iowa get their first individual title since 2021? Will they be able to place three wrestlers in a title match? Which Iowa wrestlers might be able to finish higher than their seed heading into the tournament? What about the team race? Everyone is chasing Penn State and no one will catch them, but can the Hawkeyes finish in second place? Then we turn our attention to what turned out to be a long discussion on the Iowa basketball coaching search and the state of Iowa basketball in general. Who is the top choice now for Iowa now that Darian DeVries has taken the Indiana job? Are there any other names that we should be watching? What about Iowa basketball in general? Does the entire program from the in-game atmosphere need a complete overhaul? What can be done to breath more life into the games from a fan perspective?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 680
03/17/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 680
It was Selection Sunday in college basketball.and for one Hawkeye team it was a night to celebrate. For the other, it was a day to continue a search for a new leader of the program. We cover both of them on the podcast tonight. First, Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann discuss the big news of the night and that is the Iowa women's basketball team is a six seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes won't be at home this time around. They will be headed to Norman, Oklahoma to face Murray State in the first round and then potentially they will face Oklahoma for a possible trip to the Sweet 16. We take an early look at the first round match-up with the Murray State, who shoots the three ball more than just about any team in the country. Then there was some interesting news in the Iowa men's basketball search. West Virginia was left out of the NCAA Tournament. What could that mean for Iowa potentially pursuing their head coach Darian DeVries? Could it mean that Iowa will have a new head coach sooner than expected or are we still operating on the expected timeline?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 679
03/15/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 679
A rare Friday edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Probably term it an emergency edition as well with the University of Iowa parting ways with Hawkeye men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery on Friday afternoon. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discuss the departure of McCaffery from every angle possible. What led to his dismissal as Iowa's head coach? What was the tick tok of how things went down today in Iowa City following the Hawkeyes loss in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday night to Illinois? Would McCaffery have likely survived for one more year if not for a steep decline in attendance at home games? We also look back at McCaffery's tenure in Iowa City and the success that he enjoyed leading the program. Then we move on to the next step which is who the next head coach for the Hawkeyes will be? We look at what are thought to be the top two candidates for the job and how they compare to each other? Should a buyout number for one coach impact the hiring process? Who else is on the list of coaches that Beth Goetz might be looking to consider for the job? Finally we discuss the roster moving forward. The transfer portal is now open for Iowa players and it's going to be changing, potentially drastically, heading into next year. We discuss how the hiring process is so different than it was 15 year ago, largely because of the transfer portal and why Iowa needs to act fairly quickly.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 678
03/12/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 678
It's a post season podcast coming your way in this episode of the podcast. First, we are joined by Tanner Lafever, who takes us around the world of Iowa men's and women's wrestling, who had two very different results in their post season events. We open with a look at the Iowa men's wrestling team and their performance at the Big Ten championships. It was a third place performance for Iowa and zero individual titles once again this year for the Hawkeyes. What happened in their three title matches, including two top seeds that lost? Which Iowa wrestlers had stronger than expected performances? Which wrestlers are we concerned about heading into the NCAA championships. Meanwhile the Iowa women's wrestling team won their second straight national title over the weekend in Coralville. Iowa won the team title and crowned three individual champions. While Iowa didn't have as many titles it was still an impressive performance. We discuss the Hawkeyes struggled on Saturday in the semifinals, but came back strong in the next session. We also discuss what might happen with the event next year when it becomes an NCAA event. Finally we are joined by Matt Randazzo to discuss the Iowa basketball team and their win over Nebraska and their prep for Ohio State. What went right for Iowa at Nebraska and what was it like to be in Lincoln for the game? What about the future of Fran McCaffery? What is the latest regarding his future and when can we expect a decision from Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz? Why is it important that she say something sooner rather than later? Also, could Iowa be headed to Las Vegas for post season basketball?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 677
03/06/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 677
It's a massive wrestling weekend for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's squads and we have your full preview of the action coming up on the mat. But, before we start talking about wrestling, we have some Hawkeye football news. We have a new Iowa football commit to discuss. As we started to record, Iowa picked up a 2026 wide receiver commitment. We discussed the new addition. Then we talk about an interesting offensive analyst hire for Iowa and what that could mean for the offense. Plus, we give you a name to watch for the Iowa running back coach. Then we dive into Iowa women's wrestling. They are competing for their second straight title this weekend in Coralville and Tanner Lafever has your full and complete preview of what to expect. Will the Hawkeyes roll to a second straight title? Which weight classes will be the most interesting to watch? Lastly, we turn our attention to the Iowa men's wrestling team and their battle to win the Big Ten title this weekend in Evanston. What do we expect to see from the Hawkeyes this weekend. They go into the event with a pair of #1 seeds. Can both of them win their weight class? Is Penn State the clear favorite? Which Iowa wrestlers could pull a surprise and potentially rise above their seed heading into the event?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 676
03/03/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 676
Welcome to March and that can mean only one thing, conference tournament season for the Big Ten. We open the month with the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament coming up this week in Indianapolis. Kyle Huesmann and Tom Kakert open the podcast looking back at the Iowa women pulling away in the second half for a comfortable win over Wisconsin. By the way, they will play the Badgers in their first game in Indy and we discuss that angle of the game. But, we breakdown what we learned from Sunday's regular season final game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. What have we seen in the last month plus in terms of growth from this Iowa team? What were our takeaways from the victory on Sunday? We look at the Big Ten Tournament bracket and Iowa's path to a potential fourth straight title. We discuss not only Wisconsin, but what happened in the Hawkeyes only meeting this year with Michigan State, who they could potentially face on Wednesday. Which team is the favorite to win the crown this year? What about Iowa's seed in the NCAA Tournament? Are they a six seed on paper heading into this week? Could they get any higher or drop any lower? We also discuss potential players who could make the All Big Ten team this year for the Iowa women's team. Finally we get Kyle's update on Iowa baseball after dropping three of four to Washington State over the weekend in Texas.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 675
02/27/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 675
Back by popular demand, Matt Randazzo returns to the podcast. Tom Kakert and Randazzo open the pod talking about the topic that Iowa fans are itching to hear their thoughts on and that's Iowa basketball and Brock Harding. We look back at the loss at Illinois and also Harding's tweet from over the weekend calling out the social media comments that have been made towards the Iowa point guard. We assess his sophomore season so far and what's gone well and where he has struggled this season. Also, we assess the overall season and the fact that Beth Goetz went to Champaign with the Iowa men's basketball team. Does that mean anything about the future? What could the next few weeks look like for the Iowa basketball team and what are their chances to even make the Big Ten Tournament at this point? What has to happen for them to make it to any post season play? Then we discuss the surprising news from earlier this week that Ladell Betts has left the program to become the running backs coach for the New York Giants. Why would he make this move at this time? What direction will Kirk Ferentz look to fill this opening and are there any logical candidates out there for the Hawkeye to hire?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 674
02/23/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 674
A very special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We are joined by our great friend Scott Dochterman from The Athletic to discuss a wide variety of topics dealing with Iowa athletics and the future of college sports. We open the pod with a brief discussion of the Iowa women's basketball team dropping a game to UCLA on Sunday and how impressed we have been with their play in the last month. Then we move to Iowa men's basketball and the Fran McCaffery era. Scott and Tom Kakert have covered the entire McCaffery era in Iowa City and discuss the state of the program and the complicated history of Hawkeye men's basketball overall dating back to the days of Dr. Tom Davis. It's a lot to unpack as we look at what might be next for the Iowa basketball program and why it needs to be stronger in the coming years. From there we move on to the state of college athletics and the House Settlement that is expected to be officially coming in a few months. Scott was in New Orleans last week for Big Ten and SEC meetings and shares what he learned from the leaders of both conferences and how the enforcement part of this settlement will be complicated at best and unlikely to be enforced. We also dive into the potential new look to the College Football Playoff with it expanding to either 14 or 16 teams. We also look at the new look that the Big Ten might opt to in their playoff weekend with the league potentially given four playoff teams every year. If that were in place this past year, Iowa would have been playing another week with a chance to get to the College Football Playoff. If the SEC and Big Ten do a challenge series who would we like to see Iowa play? Finally the NFL Combine is coming up and Scott will be there later in the week. We look at the seven Iowa players who have been invited and which one will see their stock rise the most and what are the chances that Kaleb Johnson could move into the first round of the NFL Draft?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 673
02/21/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 673
It's another jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast this week. We open previewing the Hawkeye women's basketball team and Kyle Huesmann guiding us through that discussion. This weekend, Iowa hosts UCLA. Can Iowa pull off another upset against a national ranked team from Southern California? After that we discuss some Iowa baseball and preview their series starting Friday down at Stetson, which includes a contest against Notre Dame. What needs to go well for Iowa to emerge with at least a 2-1 record this weekend? Then we move on to Iowa men's basketball coming off a hard fought loss to Oregon on Wednesday night. Tom Kakert gives his thoughts on the loss and the missed opportunity. More importantly moving forward it looks like the Hawkeye path to even make it to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament is becoming even more complicated. We dive into that discussion and explain why it's challenging. Finally we wrap up on the wrestling mat with Tanner Lafever discussing a huge weekend for the Iowa men and women. First we dive into the meet on Sunday night in Iowa City when the Hawkeyes host the Oklahoma State Cowboys. We break it all down weight by weight with a couple of potential surprises in the Iowa lineup. Then we move on to the Hawkeye women, who start their path to another national title this weekend. Tanner runs down what to expect from the Hawkeye women.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 672
02/18/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 672
It's a Monday podcast that's jam packed with Iowa Hawkeye news and commentary. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the podcast dicussing the overtime loss by the Iowa women's hoops team on the road at Ohio State. We look back at the game and how Iowa fought back late to tie the game and send it into extra time before the Buckeyes pull away for the victory. What did we see from the Hawkeyes as they saw their winning streak come to an end? How did they battle back after being down by double figures in the first half and again at times in the second half? How have we seen Lucy Olsen really grow in the player many expected her to be this year? How important were Syd Affolter and Kylie Feuerbach in today's game and how well have they been playing in the last few weeks? We also dive into where Iowa might be seeded in the NCAA and Big Ten Tournament and what their path might look like. Then we move over the Iowa men's basketball team and their loss to Maryland on Sunday afternoon. Why was that game a tale of two halves and did the Hawkeyes perhaps just get worn down with the limited numbers and why they almost need to have their top players play almost a perfect game to beat a team like Maryland. What will the Hawkeyes have to do in theif final few games to be one of the 15 programs to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament. Finally we wrap up gettting Kyle's takes on the opening of the Iowa baseball season. The Hawkeyes were 1-2 in the series against South Florida. What were his thoughts on the starting pitching? The bullpen? And what about the overall performance of the offense?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 671
02/13/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 671
A huge road win for the Iowa men's basketball team means it's time to fire up the podcast machine and get things rolling. Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo and Kyle Huesmann break down the huge win over Rutgers and how the Hawkeyes were able to go on the road and beat the Scarlet Knights. We discuss the great performance by Josh Dix, who led the way. We talk about the huge shot down the stretch by Payton Sandfort and the strong play from Brock Harding and Pryce Sandfort, plus a huge contribution from Ladji Dembele. After that we dive into the world of Iowa women's basketball. The Hawkeyes have gone from losing five straight to winning five in a row heading into their game against Rutgers. What has changed with the Iowa women's team? How much of an impact has the lineup change had on this recent success? What about the really strong play from Lucy Olsen and Syd Affolter in the last two weeks? Iowa is now in the NCAA Tournament, but could they rise to as high as a six seed? Finally we have our mega baseball preview. Kyle breaks down all the positions and the key players to watch. We start with the pitching rotation and bullpen and move from the infield to the outfield and look at Rick Heller's squad, along with the schedule, which gets underway this weekend at South Florida.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 670
02/04/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 670
It's another jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. This week Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever break down what turned out to be a very busy and exciting weekend in Iowa athletics. We open the show discussing the news of the day, which is the season ending injury to starting center Owen Freeman. What does it mean for the Iowa basketball team and the rest of the season? Who will have to step up for the Hawkeyes moving forward at the center position and what might they do with the lineup? What about the rumors that Freeman could enter the transfer portal? Then we move on to a lengthy conversation about the Iowa women's hoops team and their upset win on Sunday afternoon over USC. We look back at the hot start from the Hawkeyes, the strong finish from Lucy Olsen and Addie O'Grady. We also talk about the way Iowa was able to figure out the pressure from the Trojans on defense. Then we talk about the highly ranked recruits that were at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday and if the Hawkeyes improved their position with them after the game. After that we talk about Caitlin Clark being honored and seeing her number 22 retired to the rafters. What was the moment like to be there and how great was that moment honoring the best player in program history. Then we move on to discuss the Iowa wrestling team and their loss to Penn State. What went wrong? How big is the gap between Iowa and Penn State? We also update a major recruit about to decide and if he could be headed to Iowa. Finally we talk a little football recruiting and wrap up with Iowa baseball talk the season just a little over a week away.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 669
01/30/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 669
It's a busy weekend coming up for Iowa athletics on a couple of fronts and the most famous women's basketball player in the world will be back in Iowa City. Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner LaFever hop on the podcast to discuss the return of Caitlin Clark, Iowa women's hoops playing USC on a huge recruiting weekend and we preview the Iowa wrestlers traveling to Penn State. Yeah, it's a busy weekend. We open the podcast discussing Clark and her return for her number being retired from Iowa women's basketball. We look back at her amazing career at Iowa and reflect back on when things all changed on their road to the Final Four in her junior year and where it went from there. Then we discuss one of the biggest recruiting weekends in women's basketball history with several top ten players in the Class of 2026 being on campus for the game against USC. Who are the visitors and what are the Hawkeyes chances with them? We also preview the Hawkeyes and the Trojans on Sunday and if Iowa can pull the massive upset. We move on to wrestling where Iowa will travel to State College to face #1 Penn State, who might have their best team in school history. We breakdown all the weight classes and the individual match-ups for the dual on Friday evening. We also try and build any sort of path for the Hawkeyes to pull an upset. What is the path for a surprise and could it happen?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 668
01/28/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 668
Following another road loss by double digits, it was time to fire up the podcast machine. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo are back and discussing the Hawkeyes 82-65 loss to Ohio State on Monday night. It was different than the previous two losses that saw the Hawkeyes fall behind by huge margins in the first half, but the result was close to the previous three road games. We look at the woes for the Iowa offense, which struggled to score the basketball consistently for most of the game. We examine the fact that for most of the game Iowa had only four players score a point and that didn't include Brock Harding and Josh Dix, who really struggled on Monday night in Columbus. We look at the road ahead, which continues in about eight days when Iowa hosts Purdue and then they host Wisconsin. Those two games become must win in a lot of ways as the Hawkeyes hope to not be left out of the Big Ten Tournament, which only invites 15 of 18 schools this year. We then wrap up the quick podcast with a look at very good football recruiting news that arrived in Iowa City after a big junior day this weekend. Iowa picked up three offensive line commits this weekend. What does it mean for the class and specifically the position group for the Class of 2026.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 667
01/21/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 667
The struggle is real for the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams, particularly on the road. Both teams are on losing streaks with one team not able to get any stops and the other struggling to score points. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the podcast talking about the Iowa women's basketball team that has dropped five in a row in conference play. The latest loss was at Oregon in a game where Iowa built a double digit lead in the first half before dropping the game. What has gone wrong with the Iowa women's team in recent weeks? Is it worth noting that they could have potentially won three of those games? What has gone wrong with the Hawkeyes lack of offense and in particular the struggle from the field by Lucy Olsen shooting the basketball? Are they officially in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament this year? What could their lineup look like next year? Then we move over to the Iowa men's basketball team who continues to struggle stopping opposing teams when they are on the road. Iowa is giving up 98.5 points per game on the road in conference games this year and allowed 99 and 94 at USC and UCLA on last weeks road trip. We dive into what the issues are on defense and just how crazy the numbers are in the analytics community. How important are the games this week at home against Minnesota and Penn State? We also discuss that Payton Sandfort hasn't practiced since they returned from LA and the impact on that front, plus a potential new 2025 recruit could be on the horizon.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 666
01/13/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 666
A lot of ground to cover on a Sunday night Hawkeye Report Podcast. Iowa athletics was busy and so were Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever covering their beats in Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and on the wrestling mat in Cedar Falls and Madison. We open the podcast with Tanner talking about his busy weekend and we start with what happened on Sunday in Madison as Iowa men's wrestling dominated Wisconsin on the mat. What were his thoughts on the lineup that Tom Brands put on the mat and could there be some key pieces returning soon? What's the state of the team right now heading into the heart of Big Ten season? After that we move on to Iowa women's wrestling. Last year the Hawkeyes barely won the national dual in their first time at the event. This year they dominated the event, winning it with relative ease on Friday and Saturday. What did Tanner think of the Iowa women's team and their performance and just how dominant were their hammers at the upper weights? Then we move on to a struggling Iowa women's basketball team. We get Kyle's thoughts on the Hawkeyes losing their third straight game for the first time since 2018. What's gone wrong with this team so far this season and are there any quick fixes for head coach Jan Jensen. We ask Kyle if he would make any changes to the current starting lineup and are Big Ten foes settling a few scores with Iowa women's hoops after the last few years? After we finish that discussion we move on to Iowa men's basketball where after giving up 116 in a loss to Wisconsin, Iowa has won two straight, inlcuding a dominating performance on Saturday night beating Indiana by 25 points. What do we make of this Iowa team and are they starting to find their footing? We have thoughts on how good Josh Dix is and the impressive second half performance in the last two games by Payton Sandfort. Also, does Fran McCaffery play eight and trust six right now? Finally we wrap up touching on the news that new transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski needing shoulder surgery that will sideline him for approximately six months. How does it impact the Hakweyes moving forward? Does this make retaining Brendan Sullivan for the 2025 season more likely?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 665
01/10/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 665
(Note: This podcast was recorded a few hours before the Mark Gronowski surgery news was released) Another edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast with a portal flavor to it. We are joined by the CEO of the Iowa Swarm, Brad Heinrichs to discuss a pretty successful transfer portal period for the Iowa Hawkeyes and the role that the Iowa Swarm played in it. We go over Iowa landing quarterback Mark Gronowski in the portal and what he will bring to the table for the Hawkeyes. How big of a role did Tim Lester play in his recruitment? Is there a current college quarterback that he compares to? We go over the other signees, including Hank Brown at quarterback, Jonah Pace, who might be the starter at defensive tackle, the addition of the wide receiver Sam Phillips, and fellow defensive end Bryce Hawthore. We go over the impact each player will have on the program. Then we talk about the portal process and the frustrations for coaches and collective leader when it comes to tampering in college football around the portal. Brad shares stories regarding this huge issue in college football today as schools try to get players to enter the transfer portal. We wrap up talking about the potential two deeps for the Iowa football team next fall and what they might look like. Are there any surprise players to watch?
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 664
01/08/2025
Hawkeye Report Podcast 664
It was a busy day for news on the Iowa football and basketball front. We open the podcast with Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discussing the huge win by the Iowa men's basketball team. After falling behind by 15 points in the scond half, the Hawkeyes rallied for a for an overtime win over the Cornhuskers. We dive into the massive performance by both Josh Dix, who scored 31 points, and Payton Sandfort, who scored 30 points after halftime. We look at both of their performances in this game and key plays that were involved in Iowa's rally. Then we discuss the big news on the football side of the equation and that is the signing of Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State. What's the impact of his decision on the quarterback room this year and how will Gronowski fit into the Hawkeye offense. How big of impact can a quarterback have on the Iowa offense? Should we be concerned that Brendan Sullivan might leave? What will the initial depth chart look like at quarterback this spring? Finally, we talk about the Iowa Swarm and how while many Iowa fans are very supportive, a vocal minority have been hyper critical and took issue with their fundraising and what they call lack of transparency. Why are those critics wrong in their statements?
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The Chuck Long Podcast
01/02/2025
The Chuck Long Podcast
With the Music City Bowl in the books it was time to visit with the great Chuck Long about the result of the game and the future of the quarterbacks at the University of Iowa. We open talking about the loss to Missouri and what happened with the Hawkeyes offense in the first half vs. the second half. Why did Brendan Sullivan play so well in the first half and why did he struggle in the second half? What did he think of the stuggles in the second half why has Iowa had issues with giving up double digit leads this year. Iowa lost this game giving up a score right after going up 24-14 and the defense allowed a touchdown. Then we dive into the quarterback room. How would he manage the room this spring in terms of reps? Is Sullivan the starter? Should the reps be divided up? We also discuss the process of developing quarterbacks and how to do that from a coaching perspective. Long also give us his analysis of Hank Brown, who is from Chuck's hometown of Wheaton. What did he thinks of his throws at Auburn and his potential. Then we discuss the College Football Playoff thus far and what we have thought about how it plays out.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 663
12/24/2024
Hawkeye Report Podcast 663
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! It's a marathon podcast to wrap up the year of Iowa athletics. Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever come together to talk all things Hawkeyes for one of the longest pods that we have done. First, we open talking transfer portal and the latest news regarding Iowa football. They picked up a defensive lineman commit and we discuss that news and how he fits into the roster. We also talk about the Hawkeyes missing on a quarterback in the portal and look at what could potentially be next at the position. Plus we discuss other prospects that Iowa is after in the portal. Second, we disucss the Hawkeye basketball team coming from behind and winning on a neutral site over Utah. What were our thoughts on the victory and how Payton Sandfort, Josh Dix, and Brock Harding were key down the stretch of the game. Why was this win so important to the post season hopes of the Hawkeyes as they get ready to head back into conference play to start the new year? Then we go into a long and interesting look back at Iowa athletics in 2024. We start with the biggest story of the year, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball and the impact they had not only in Iowa, but around the country. We look back at the Lisa Bluder retirement, Jan Jensen hiring and Lucy Olsen picking the Hawkeyes. Then we move to wrestling where Tanner discusses the Iowa women's team winnning a national title and Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades picked up silver medals in the Paris Olympics and perhaps more coming in LA in 2028. We talk Iowa soccer and baseball before diving into the top stories for the Hawkeye men's basketball team, which include the son's of the head coach heading to play basketball at Butler. Finally we wrap up the nearly two hour long podcast with a long discussion about Iowa football and we pick some bowl game winners for you.
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Hawkeye Report Podcast 662
12/19/2024
Hawkeye Report Podcast 662
Football transfer portal season continues to heat up in Iowa City. Just when you thought that the Hawkeyes might be done in the portal at the quarterback position they get involved with Penn State signal caller Beau Pribula, who entered the portal and will not play in the Nittany Lions College Football Playoff game this weekend. We dive into which schools are after Pribula in the portal and his speed dating visit schedule that included trips to Missouri and Iowa and will wrap up with trips to UCF and Indiana before he ends up making a decision. What are Iowa's chances of landing him? After that we look at other potential targets in the transfer portal for the Hawkeyes. Are there some names at wide receiver and defensive tackle to watch? We run all them down along with a few other names that they are still involved with as he head towards the holiday dead period beginning after this weekend. Finally we wrap up discussing the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams and where things stand with the vast majority of their non-conference seasons wrapped up. We look ahead to their next games starting Friday with the Iowa women hosting UNI and the men's team facing Utah in South Dakota.
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