Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Ben McCollum's Iowa Basketball REVOLUTION Could Lead Hawkeyes to FIRST Sweet 16 Since 1999 | Can Bennett Sturts Deliver?
Episode Date: October 31, 2025Iowa Hawkeyes basketball enters a new era with legitimate Sweet 16 aspirations under coach Ben McCollum. Point guard Bennett Stirtz could be an All-American, giving Iowa its best shot at reaching the ...second weekend since 1999.Host Trent Condon breaks down the roster construction, from sharpshooter Brendan Hausen's critical role to transfer Alvaro Folgueris as the X factor. Hawkeye Insider analyst Eliot Clough provides insights on the Texas Tech scrimmage and Iowa football's dominant 41-3 dismantling of Minnesota. Freshman Trevin Jirak discusses his physical transformation, while transfers Isaia Howard and Trey Thompson share their recruitment stories and adjustment to college basketball.The episode also covers Iowa women's basketball's 106-63 exhibition win over Ashland, highlighting Hannah Stuelke's floor game and questions about rotation depth heading into a challenging schedule.Tune in for comprehensive analysis of both Iowa basketball programs and what makes this men's team different from previous Hawkeyes squads.Follow Trent Condon on X: https://twitter.com/trentcondonLISTEN TO THE PODCAST: APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-hawkeyes-daily-podcast-on-iowa-hawkeyes-football/id1441592240SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0GTyz5ygevcGXdTF6QSoEoYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnHawkeyesSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!PelotonLet yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com.DoorDashWith DoorDash Streaks, you save every Saturday you order — stack it up all season and you could save up to $250. Order this Saturday. Keep the streak alive. Fuel your gameday — only with DoorDash. Terms apply. Promo period through 11/18.MazdaIt’s the small details that make the big plays. And just like there’s more to every player, there’s more to a Mazda vehicle.Mazda. Move and Be Moved. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Football season is around the corner, visit the FanDuel App today and start planning your futures bets now.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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With Iowa football on a buy, we take a look at the Iowa basketball team
and why Ben McCollum's first team has a chance to reach the Sweet 16.
You are Locked-on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes,
part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day.
Hey, welcome in.
I'm Trent Condon, and this,
is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day.
We are your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast, got you covered.
It is the crossover season with basketball and football upon us and a whole lot more wrestling.
Some of the fall sports wrapping up, it is a busy time.
I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio.
You can hear me currently on the Iowa Sports Radio Network each weekday from noon to two.
Today, we are going to break things down on the basketball front.
We're going to talk some about what we.
saw last night in the Iowa women's exhibition win as they get ready for the start of their season
next week. We'll be joined by Elliott Clough. Some thoughts on the scrimmage on the men's side
against Texas Tech, what he learned from that one and some football news and notes that we
will get into as well today. We are also going to hear a little bit later on from three of the
players that are going to be some big pieces for this Iowa basketball team, certainly in the
now and into the future. Isaiah Howard, an exciting transfer from Drake, a super athletic
guy that's really going to help them out this season. And then a couple of the big guys,
Trey Thompson, who reclassified, we will hear from him and is now part of this Iowa basketball team,
what he thinks he can do to help this squad out this season. And Trevin, in York, the big
man from Valley that comes in and another guy that's going to have to give them some minutes,
I believe, this season. In fact, let's begin there, the conversation and talk about this Iowa
men's basketball team as we have talked about kind of leading into this season. I know there's a lot
of excitement, new regime, Ben McCollum coming in, a guy that
certainly is going to do and build his program in a different way than what we saw previously under Fran McCaffrey.
And for all the disappointment of the Fray McCaffrey era, I still think that we have to remember the good moments, realize what he did and bringing this program back from the doldrums.
And now it's time for a new coach to lead them to another level and take that level that we haven't seen since I was a freshman in college.
And though you can't see it because I got a stocking cap on today, there is a lot.
of gray hair underneath that one.
1999.
I remember vividly watching the game at One I Jakes
against Yukon and the Sweet 16
in the last time that we saw,
Iowa, make the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
And I think that expectation
can still be there for a fan base.
It starts with Bennett Sturts, a player of this caliber.
If Bennett Sturts is an All-American,
that yes, that should be our expectations for this team.
It has been a long time since Iowa's had a point guard
like this. Not only that's going to play a ton, but it's going to be incredibly efficient,
going to be able to beat you at a myriad of different ways.
It's not just his ability to shoot it. It's to get his teammates involved. It's to control
the pace of the game. Do everything that an elite level point guard needs to do. And if you
get that kind of season out of Bennett starts, then yes, that's where our expectations are.
Now, to expect that, taking yet another league. Two years ago, he was playing D2 basketball.
Then he was in the Missouri Valley last year. And this final
tier, if you will, in the college space now, going into the Big Ten, how rugged it is,
the physicality that you have to play with, knowing game in and game out, just how good these
teams are, how well you're going to be scouted. It's going to be difficult, no doubt.
After starts, though, you have to see a lot of other guys that need to click this year.
And I think maybe one of the bigger ones is after we learned in these two games in the exhibition
against St. Louis and Texas Tech and those scrimmage games, as I was not shooting the ball well.
Well, one guy on this roster, we know along with Sturts that can shoot it well, as Brendan
Hassan.
And Hassan comes in, started his career, Villanova, played last season at K-State.
This is a guy that is just that, a sharp shooter.
Now, there's not a whole lot of versatility to his game.
There's not a whole lot more that goes into it.
What Brendan Hassan needs to do is knock down threes at a prolific pace, not just shoot
42, 43% or better from behind the arc, but he needs to do it with,
volume. They need that for the rest of this team to come together.
They didn't have that a season ago, McCollum and Company, when they were at Drake.
They didn't have that elite level shooting that he likes to have in his squad.
If Hassan can do that, though, I think that really opens up the rest of this squad.
From there, Alvaro Fulgaris, and I've called him the X Factor of this team.
This guy was a player of the year in his conference a year ago, and Fulgaris at 6'9
has a very interesting skill set offensively. He can make an open shot for
on the outside. He can put it on the tin. He can mix it up inside, get some rebounds and go that
direction. You go back and watch his Robert Moore's team a year ago in the NCAA tournament
against Alabama. You saw that they competed. They were right there and had an opportunity
deep into the second half of pulling off what would have been a major upset. In Full Garris,
he looks apart. Now, it feels like they're working to get him more engaged to not float, to
have the kind of tenacity that they want for all 25, 30 minutes that he's
going to be on the floor, but I believe
Sturts is going to be there.
Hassan is going to be able to shoot it from the outside.
Fulgaris, though, again, getting to
that level that we're talking about, getting
to the second weekend, he is an important
piece to be out there. Kim, Manwa
is also going to be another one of your starters
undersized to be a center in the
Big Ten, but he is tough, he is physical,
he is rugged, he's also
followed for him, and that leads to his concerns
because when he's out there, he's going to be fine.
I have very little concern
about him defensively,
being able to mix it up inside, get some offensive rebounds, be that junkyard dog.
I think you're going to get that out of Cam.
It's the rest of it.
That becomes the question.
And then from there, the questions are, who else is going to start on this team?
Sturtz, Hassan, in the backward.
Front court, Manuel, Fool Garris.
Both those guys are going to be out there.
Who is going to be the fifth starter?
Is it going to be Isaiah Howard?
We'll hear from a little bit later on.
Do they want to go with another ball handler and kill Combs, who is your backup point guard?
But they go to that direction and a guy that can shoot it,
a little bit better from the outside.
Tavion Banks, great athlete.
He is a guy that I know that they think really is going to be able to compete at that level.
Maybe it's Cooper Koch.
Now, we've heard a ton about Cooper after being one of the few holdovers from the Fran McCaffrier,
as he's still learning how to play defense in the way that McCollum and company expect them
to play on the defensive eye end of the floor.
But this Iowa basketball team, there's a lot of pieces.
And a couple of guys then that we didn't mention, talk about Trevon Yorah.
He has to be somebody that can come in.
And if injury trouble hits at 6-11, 250 pounds,
is he going to be able to go out there?
I don't have any concerns about your rock.
Offensively, he can score.
Watching him and calling the number of Valley games
that I did throughout the course of his career,
he is going to be able to score and he can score
against guys that are more skilled, more athletic.
He has that kind of skill set.
He can knock down a three-pointer.
He can go inside and battle.
He can knock down the elbow jumper.
He's got a very diverse skill set.
the question for him defensively and not just being able to body against
more developed guys inside but also working against pick and roll being able to do
those things moving his feet that is a question that you have tray Thompson a guy that
looked to be targeted for Purdue he competes he does not back down you know tate sage
maybe is going to get some minutes another freshman out of this group there is a lot to be
excited about about this team and I think they're going to be something that is
going to keep us invested all through
throughout the basketball season.
Well, let's hear from some of the players.
Trevine Yorock, Trey Thompson, and Isaiah Howard.
We'll hear from all three of those guys.
Before that, we'll hear from Elliott Club.
Get you some insight into a week ago that scrimmage against Texas Tech
what he heard about that one.
Plus, Elliot's got some football conversation for us.
As Iowa gets ready for Oregon, we got player interviews.
We got Elliott Clough.
It's all come your way next on the Locked-on Hawkeyes podcast.
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Elliot Kloft standing by in Iowa City.
Elliot Trent, Ken, thanks for coming on.
Football momentarily, just pick your brain,
if you know anything pursuant to the scrimmage against Texas Tech
that was played last week.
Any intel come your way on that game?
What stood out?
What they, you know, what may be worrisome?
What have you gleaned from people you've spoken with?
Sure.
So mostly our Sean Bach got that for us over at Hawkeye Insider, of course.
Sean covers recruiting for basketball and football as well for us.
But Tech, which is not a huge deal considering they are the preseason number 10 team in the country,
have a lot more continuity than this team considering all the moves with the transfer portal and all that.
Of course, that's the team that Drake will.
Sounds like Iowa had some troubleshooting from deep.
Still played a decent amount of young guys.
And, you know, as much as we can get from something like that without being there,
sounds like, yeah, they struggled to shoot from three,
which is something that wouldn't expect from this theme
considering Benester's Brennanhausen on the roster
and you've got some other young guys that can fill it up from three.
So, yeah, you know, maybe some concern there, I guess.
But, yeah, all things considered, it is still early.
They are playing Robert Morris for a reason next week,
get some things going.
But, yeah, it dropped a loss, but again, not a ton of concern right now.
Yeah, and they'll have an opportunity to kind of ramp up into the schedule here.
Is it more offensive or defensive?
You mentioned the shooting woes there, and that's a part of it, obviously.
What about on the defensive side of the ball?
What have you heard there?
One thing that I did here, it was an improvement from what they saw against St. Louis,
but certainly not, I don't think where Ben McCollum and that staff want them to be on the defensive end of the floor.
Right, yeah.
I would imagine you're still working on some things in terms of communication, rotation,
how you want to attack a pick and roll in such.
And, of course, they don't scout, you know, scrimmages.
So that has to.
The defensive effort and scheme is going to be contingent on who you're playing,
when you're playing, where you're playing,
and you just don't know exactly what everything is going to look like
when you're facing a team in a scrimmage.
And, of course, you know, I'm not saying that fitness isn't,
there is a problem, but who knows, maybe it is something to continue to work on
as the season goes along.
But thank you.
But anyway, just something to maybe think about right now.
I mean, team still hasn't played a full five-on-five actual game.
So just something of note for now.
But, yeah, again, the last thing I'm feeling right now is concerned.
Let's talk football, Trent, you done basketball-wise.
Just let's go back to Saturday night.
Of course, they're off this week.
They've won their last three and just a complete pasting.
of the gophers. Your takeaway from watching Grinowski, what he did, Kamari Moulton. Weigin
continues to stake his claim amongst the top punt returners or kick returners in Hawkeye
history. Your thoughts on the 41 to 3 win over the gopers. Yeah, to me, it's just a complete
exactly what Kirk's parents wants from his football team. Dominance in all three phases
is what we saw on Saturday against Minnesota. From like you said, Weigin,
Grinowski, the passing attack, the run game.
Defense is awesome.
You get that interception from Zach Lutmer.
I'm assuming you guys know this, but in case anybody's listening,
who might not,
that was, there were two touchdowns by two kids from the same high school
in Northwest Iowa on Saturday between Zach Lutmer and Reese Vander Zee,
both from Central Lyon, George Little Rock,
a power up there in Northwest Iowa.
So it's pretty cool.
I'd be curious to find out the last time that happened.
and, you know, haven't been an O-A-B-C-I-G graduate myself.
I was pretty proud of what Cooper was able to do
and his time Cooper DeGine was able to do here.
But got to be proud up there if you're from Central Lyon.
But anyway.
I'm glad you brought that up.
I did not know that.
I'm glad you mentioned that.
There you go.
Well, all things considered just about as perfect game as one can have in that moment.
Of course, things to clean up.
I'm sure, Mark, in my opinion, Mark has still been a little bit late on some throws.
some overthrows. You want to clean that up.
He's hoping he can be 100% by Oregon.
And of course, that would hopefully change some things on the throws.
Camarie Moulton, man, he is just like one shoestring tackle away from a big game,
or from a big gain or a touchdown every game, it seems like,
and multiple times.
And going back and reviewing the film, that was one thing.
The other thing to mention about Lutmer, too, is Phil Parker showing off some of his knowledge
on the defensive side of the field.
When they're running a traditional 4-3 and they don't have a catch out there,
they've got three linebackers.
Parker's putting Zach Lutmer at cornerback out there with PJ Hall.
So it's a move to keep one of your best players on the field.
And I noticed that in the rewatch.
I thought that was awesome.
And to mention the other central lion player,
Reese had that awesome catch in the corner of the end zone.
I just don't see anybody else on this roster doing that right now,
maybe other than Dayton Howard, who wasn't available.
but getting Reese back is huge and seems like he's really hit his stride now.
You know, this defense was frankly for Iowa standards bad in the first month of the season.
You go back to what we saw different portions of it, even against Albany, there were stretches.
But here they are, and they're playing at an elite level once again.
One thing that I was reminded of, Phil Parker talked about maybe having to change some things up
because of the way that they were tackling early in the season, maybe follow that one away for next season.
But what has it been?
What do you think is the key to this defense, seemingly turning it around and becoming once again an elite level defense?
I think chemistry and having played actual games on the field together is something that's incredibly underrated right now.
Because while this team had, or were veterans, they weren't experienced if that makes sense.
Because you go down the line with Jackson Rex Rock, now Jaden Montgomery, who has been awesome in stepping into that Mike linebacker role, Carson Shire,
than to Cohen Entringer and like a Zach Lutmer.
Lumpmer got to play a little bit last year
and got probably more experienced
than a redshirt freshman typically does,
but now they're starting to find some cohesiveness.
They're starting to obviously turn the ball over.
That's massive.
And the execution, I think, is there.
And honestly, like Montgomery has been a huge part of that.
His ability to read and react,
I think has been better than Jaden Harrell's was.
His ability to just make the play
when it's presented to him.
Trust his eyes.
Trust his film study.
That's been massive.
And, you know, another thing,
I think Xavier Wampa has really started to fill his shoes
in that free safety spot.
He is laying the wood out there on some of these hits.
And PJ Hall, I mean, he was great from the beginning of the season,
but he's really just elite.
Finally got that first interception.
Deshaun Lee is playing well.
Yeah, I mean, and I think that it's silly.
kind of coach speak, but confidence is a big part of that, too.
Like, they've been able to hold these, these pretty, pretty good teams to incredibly,
like Minnesota could do nothing, nothing against Iowa on Saturday.
The only reason they got in Iowa territory for that field goal was three penalties.
That's the only reason.
It should have been 410.
This defense is playing like one of the best in the country right now.
And, you know, at the beginning of the season, it would have been very easy,
especially with the way Dante Moore started the year.
to say, up, that's another blowout.
Top 10 team coming to Kinnick.
They're going to, I mean, you know,
a lot of these games, these top 25 games
haven't been at Kinnick, but
it was just a feel of Oregon's going to come to town
and beat the crap out of them.
And you don't feel that way anymore at all.
And a lot of it is because of this defense.
I wish it was this week.
That's when I want to keep that momentum.
Elliot Kluf.
Elliot, thanks for doing this.
We appreciate it.
We will talk to you next week.
Thank you, Elliot.
Sounds good. Thanks, guys.
Yep, thank you.
Hockeyinsider.com, 24-7 sports.
All right, talking with Trev in Yurok, the freshman from West Des Moines Valley.
Trev, good to see you once again.
Boy, you're looking different.
Looks like you're putting in that work.
Now, I saw you over in West Des Moines every once in a while.
I saw you, like, running in some of the practice fields and stuff like that.
You've been putting in the work, so tell us just physically.
I mean, weight-wise, are you down?
Are you stronger?
Kind of what's happening there working to transform your body?
Weight-wise, I'm a little bit heavier than I came in.
Not a whole lot, but it's more of a muscle.
than it is more a fat way, which is good.
My body's transformed a good amount.
I'm in the best shape that I've been in my life.
It's hard not to be what we do what we do every day.
So, you know, that's the biggest transformation so far with me.
Talking to Coach McCollum, he talked about your offensive skill set.
I saw it in the, like, 30 games I called of years over the last three years at high school.
Definitely know that.
And, you know, your story, starting kind of as a guard when you're a little kid
and then just grown as much as you did in middle school and early in high school.
certainly changes that. How about the defensive end, though? We know you can score and probably
score against anybody. What are you learning on that side of the ball? A lot, because there's a long way
for me to go yet. I haven't improved a little bit, but there's still a long ways to go.
And, you know, that's something that coach is always going to want me to be better at. It's
defending the ball, depending on the ball screens. You know, it's things that I'm trying
to figure out still because, you know, the quickness of everyone's a big difference in what I've
been playing. So just trying to adjust to that and, you know, doing what our defense is supposed to do.
I'm still trying to figure all that out, but I'll get there one day.
So defensively, right now, would you rather be going up against like a 7-1 behemoth inside
or going to get some ball screen with like Brayden Smith?
Probably 7-1 behemoth, probably.
That's more of my type.
Yeah.
Just go one-on-one and they'll see you stronger.
Who can win that matchup?
So your first year here, need some size inside, and foul trouble's going to happen.
You're going to have, I'm sure, opportunities this year.
What are your expectations for yourself in your number one?
Just to go out there and do my role.
You know, I'm not going to be the guy that goes out there
and scores 30 points of me to shoot 20 shots at me.
It's not what I'm here to do.
My goal is just to go out there, guard the ball streams,
do what I'm supposed to do offensively,
get to the next offensive action, make reads,
make good passes, and score and rebound when I need to do that.
Those are the things that I would be doing.
So take us back to Coach McCollum gets the job, makes the call.
I know Grandpa and Graham up there in Northeast Iowa, it's going to be a little bit further drive for them.
Talk to them after one of your Valley games two seasons ago.
But how that all came together and just the opportunity to wear the black and gold.
Yeah, so, you know, McCollum took the job here, and I grew up a lifelong Hawkeye.
My two brothers and my dad went here.
So I always wanted to be a hawk, and then, you know, I took the job here.
and like to said, now my grandparents got a farther drive.
But, you know, it's awesome to be here.
You know, we love being in the black and gold.
You can't wait for Carver to be fully packed again
and be where it needs to be.
I joined by Isaiah Howard.
Isaiah, tell us a little bit about the transfer,
kind of how it came together and whatever the phone calls,
other teams, other programs that were interested,
kind of what that was like after you made the decision
that you're going to enter the portal and leave drink.
Yeah, so Matt kind of called me and told me that he was going to come here and take the job.
And that's in full calling.
I would like for you to come with me.
If that's something that you would want to do,
so I said, yeah.
And I called my mom right after just let her know what was kind of going on.
I kind of already, I mean, you see the stuff in the media and stuff.
And she's always made me back.
So I just let her know and kind of was happy.
I told her that I would have to follow back and talked about it.
She was in the street groups and I'm here.
You're here.
So did you grow up like a Big 12 fan, like Kansas fan down there, K State,
Missou or?
Yeah, I was kind of Missou fan.
Okay.
I didn't really have a favorite, like, college basketball team.
I kind of just watched it.
I never really watched, like, basketball.
I mean, I watched it, but not, like, crazy.
Yeah.
So, yeah, I never really had it extremely, like, that hard.
So now in the Big Ten, different environments. You guys open up Big Ten play, of course, going on the road to Michigan State. You got the road trip to Iowa State, the non-conference. So tell us a couple of venues you're excited to go to here in your first go around in the Big Ten.
I think we're going to go to Oregon. I think. That ugly court?
Honestly, I've always wanted to go to Oregon. I was kind of like a few people from my family. Okay.
So Oregon will definitely be cool. Michigan State for sure. Iowa State.
I think a lot of the coastings would be dope.
So tell us a little bit about this off-season leading into it
and what your expectations are.
How you're going to help this Iowa team?
I hope my Iowa team is doing whatever I can do with,
because the score.
I'm on the bench.
I'm going to share all my teammates.
So yeah, whatever I can.
Watching last year, Drake, definitely could see that athleticism.
What about the outside shot?
What have you been doing?
kind of working and building that offense's skill set.
Yeah, that's definitely one of the bigger things I worked on in the soft season.
A lot of reps, you like seeing the ball against because of that,
just getting confidence, more confidence in it than I did.
I just get more reps.
I got Trey Thompson here, the incoming freshman for the Hawkeyes.
Trey, let's go back to the transition, making the decision to reclassify,
and then after you made that decision,
just kind of how quickly the recruiting process went.
It was a long recruiting process.
I, you know, a freshman year, I started getting my first offers,
and I got all the end of my junior year.
In the last week before I wasn't committed to anywhere,
I kind of, like, picked up really heavily.
I was taking visits to Vanderbilt here, Purdue, all those places.
And then, Coachman, decided to call me back at like an age of this year,
and then seven days, and I was here. It was crazy.
You mentioned Purdue, one of the people,
a lot of people in the recruiting industry thought you were kind of a lack for there.
And the fan base, I think, felt that way too.
What's going to feel the first time in your career you get to go back to Mackey?
Mackie, it's loud.
It's a great atmosphere to be in.
Coach Panthers, a great coach.
Coaching staff is great.
I love the people there as well.
I know nothing bad to say about Purdue, but I'm excited to play them for sure.
I can't wait to get it back.
So looking at this season, you're a little bit behind
and get to go through the same kind of workouts as everybody else.
Tell us a little bit kind of where you are getting ready
and what your expectations are in your freshman year.
Yeah, I get the other point.
I'm expected to be an impactful plan, whether that be two minutes or 10 minutes.
I'm just going to make an impact wherever I can, bring energy every single day in practice,
and hopefully, you can work on defense.
I'm so used to worry about my man in high school, but in college you've got to worry about all
because they're all in a very high level and a very, really good basketball players.
There it is, some interviews with the players from Media Day, Basketball Media Day as Iowa.
Hoop starts on Tuesday.
The women start on Monday.
They played an exhibition game.
We'll talk about that.
Some thoughts plus my picks of the week presented by Fandul.
As we continue, this is Lockdown Hawkeyes.
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Trent kind of back with you once again on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
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Wrapping things up.
And as we wrap up, a quick look at the women's basketball team.
We'll dive deeper into them.
Certainly next week as they open up the regular season on Monday night.
Exhibition win, though, against Ashland.
Zay Cruz 104, 63, jumped out to a 26-15 lead after the first quarter and rolled from there.
Really probably the biggest story is what happened with the starters.
Hannah Stalky, that was not a surprise.
She was a starter out there.
We knew that was going to be the case.
Ava Hayden playing next to her inside.
Stalky did fire off a couple of three-pointers, didn't knock them down.
But boy, she just runs the floor so well.
And now her and Hayden, who also runs the floor well, this is going to be fun.
Because with Chit-Chat Right, the new point guard, she is dynamic.
She is so fast in her with those two posts to run the floor the way that they do in hiding in Stolke, you get excited about that.
Taylor McCabe does Taylor McCabe things.
Knocks down three, three-pointers in the game, exactly what you want to see from her.
Kylie Fearbach struggled with the shot.
One of five from the floor, didn't make a three-pointer in the game.
Three to six also at the free throw line.
However, you see that good defense.
She's sharing the ball, doing the things that she's.
needs to do, but her bread and butter is going to be on the defensive end of the floor.
Being that locked down defender on the perimeter, that's what you need out of Kylie
Fear Brat.
I really like what I saw from Emily Rodriguez.
She is tough.
A different kind of skill set than what we've seen recently, an ability to go to the floor,
just the toughness that she brings.
And really, I mean, you go back and you look, her ability to be that bulldog inside.
You kind of get some Sydney Fultor vibes from her really, really like what we're going to see.
And I think there's going to be a whole lot more there.
Speaking of Biggs, Leila Hayes, she's going to help out tremendously this season, another post that they can run out there to help out with Hayden.
She's young.
It's going to take some time to develop, but really like that.
Of course, a lot of people are wondering about Addie Deal.
There were some good moments from Maddie Deal and has a skill set offensively that's certainly going to, I think, translate and help them out.
expectations sometimes get a little bit too high.
You know, another couple of players that I wondered about.
We only saw a minute of Tegan Malaney, also Taylor Stremlo, those two sophomores that
we saw glimpses a year ago, you know, who's going to make that big jump forward and
become a regular part of the rotation, something to keep an eye on.
Iowa women's basketball team opens up the schedule, not real difficult early on.
They'll take on Southern in that game on Monday night.
After that, it'll be against Evansville next week.
then nice match up against Drake.
We know they're always a contender in the Missouri Valley at you and I after that.
And then they go down to Florida, Baylor, Miami, Yukon a little bit later in the noncom,
a road trip to Iowa State this year.
So it'll be fun to watch this team.
And I think they got a chance to make a run.
And a lot of upside on this team, I think going forward.
That is it for today.
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Until then, go Hawks.
