Advertise on podcast: Hawkeye Report Podcast

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.