Hawkeye Report Podcast

It's another special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We continue our series with the new Iowa men's basketball assistant coaches. This time we are joined by new assistant coach Connor Wheeler, who is in his second year with Ben McCollum after joining his staff at Drake.  We talk to Wheeler about growing up as the son of a coach in the Carbondale, Illinois area. The influence of his dad, who was a Hall of Fame coach and also his mom, who coaches softball at the high school level. We look back at his playing career, starting at John Logan on the junior college level and then at SIU-Edwardsville to wrap up his playing career.  After that, we talk to Wheeler about getting into coaching and grinding his way up from graduate assistant and video coordinator to player development and finally to a full time assistant coach at SEMO, where they made the NCAA Tournament.  Then we talk about how Wheeler ended up last August getting an opportunity to coach at Drake for Ben McCollum and how that team was so successfu

The Hawkeye Report Podcast is back and we have a lot of things to cover this week from football to basketball recruiting, along with the NFL Draft.  We open promoting the Chuck Long Charity Auction, which benefits the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities. Bidding is open until 8 pm on Saturday, May 3rd. You can get a look at the items up for bid and place your bids at this link. https://www.ctcqc.org/chuck-long-charity-auction Then we officially open the podcast discussing what we saw and learned at Iowa's open spring football practice on Saturday. We saw Mark Gronowski throwing an actual football. How did the quarterbacks look overall? We rave about several wide receivers as well. We also discuss the defense and the emerging players that impressed us, particuarly on the line and at linebacker.  We also discuss a pair of new transfer portal additions, including a quarterback from Wake Forest and a defensive back from cornerback. Are the Hawkeyes done in the portal?  After that we jump into the other b

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 edit

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

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 I

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 abou

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 th

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

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 f

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 wha

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 missi

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 I

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 ar

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 Bet

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

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 th

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 NCA

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.

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 a

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 a