Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Bonus Episode: David Eickholt talking Iowa football & Hoops

Episode Date: July 27, 2024

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A bonus edition of Locked On Hawkeyes over your weekend, a long-ranging conversation with David Eichel. You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Let's look back before we look forward. Let's go back to last week. Opportunity to hear from Cade McNamara, Jennings Dunker, Jared Bowie. Every day. Let's look back before we look forward. Let's go back to last week. Opportunity to hear from Cade McNamara, Jennings Dunker, Jared Bowie. There are a few other guys that were there. Obviously, quarterback gets the most important position in sports.

Let's start right there with Cade McNamara. We've talked about it with you, David. He's healthy. He's been going through the drills. He is as close to 100% as you could hope for for a guy coming off an ACL injury. You look at this guy. He is your quarterback's quarterback, right? He's got the swagger, the confidence, the leadership qualities. He has all those things.

Does he have the ability, though, coming off of two major injuries to be able to hit the ground running and be ready to go August 31st against Illinois State? And right away at the beginning of the season, are we going to see close to 100% Cade McNamara, the football player? I think so. And I think this is the time right now, Trent, where he just needs to get in game. He needs to wear the brace, which he doesn't have to,

but doctors have advised him to wear it so he's going to abide by their wishes. He says he's 100%. He says he's been 100% for about a month. He said this is the first time since he got to Iowa that he's been to abide by their wishes. He says he's 100%. He says he's been 100% for about a month. He said this is the first time since he got to Iowa that he's been able to do all the drills, all the walkthroughs and everything without any sort of limitations. So that's really encouraging to hear. But I'm with you. I think he says the right things, the swagger, the moxie, the leadership. It's all apparent. And I was very impressed with his interview i thought he was very reflective i thought he was transparent i thought he was just incredibly honest about the journey that he's been on throughout the past 10 months because you gotta remember this is a guy

that got to iowa really was the first domino across college football trend in the ncaa transfer portal i mean he kind of shocked everybody when he announced he was going to Iowa outside of a few people obviously in the know. But, you know, being voted team captain, then getting hurt on August 12th during the only open spring, you know, fall camp that he had. And then it was never really 100% had that game against Penn State and came out and said this is not going to be us all year. And then he got hurt and saw the dominoes kind of spiral forward.

So I do think we're going to see, I don't want to say the best version of Cade McNamara, but as far as health goes, as far as ability goes, he has put on some weight. He says that's helped his arm strength. Him and Tim Lester seem to be getting along really well. I'm excited for the schemes. But at the end of the day, Trent, we sound like a broken record saying this. I am not buying stock into anything until I see the product on the field consistently improve. I think that first month

is going to tell us an awful lot about where this team can go. It's a huge one. And you know, the excuses are out. There's no chance for excuse anymore. You have what over 150 starts returning on your offensive line. You have a running back stable as deep as maybe I was ever had when you're talking about realistically 6'7 deep when you throw the incoming freshman in there. And we've seen four of those guys already be able to do it in Big Ten games. The wide receiver position is a question mark, but a tight end tandem as good as anybody.

I mentioned this last week. Addison Estrange would probably start for what, over 100 teams at the FBS level and maybe 110, 115. I mean, he's that good, and he's your number two. Tim Lester, he said all the right things himself. He's done the right things, but we have to see it. Yes, it is your number one of a new system, but I think we're just all salivating to see any kind of competency

on the offensive side of the football. There's no question, and I'll throw something at you i i talked about this on a couple other shows i talked about with heather on the drive on kxno earlier on monday this is a playoff or bust year for me i know how crazy that sounds when you think about they lose tory taylor they were dead last in offense last season but and this is something we'll be talking about for the next several weeks. I believe that this could be Kirk's best chance throughout the rest of his coaching career for him to make a playoff. No doubt. You look at the offensive line, they are turned most pieces.

This is where the offensive line has to be put together. Because I like George Barnett. I think he's a good coach. I think he's a great recruiter. I've heard a lot of really good things from people on the trail and from his current players. There has to be some sort of consistency. It has to be going back to the old Iowa offensive line. You're likely not getting Cade McNamara back next year. He's going to be 24 years old. You're going to be losing probably what, seven or eight stars on the defensive side of the football. You're likely losing Luke Lachey. This is the year if Kirk

Ferentz wants to get to a college football playoff it has to be this one and ultimately i believe iowa cannot go 10 and 2 with a blowout lost ohio state it would have to be a very close loss because you know they would rather put a three loss oregon team or a three loss tennessee or some other sec school over iowa even if iowa goes 10 and 2 i mean hypothetically, if Iowa goes 11-1 and loses by 40 to Ohio State, I think they're going to be on the fringe of getting in the first place as well. So, you know, it's going to be really interesting. I think Tim Lester understands the pressure.

I think Iowa fans are going to be able to give him a little bit more grace simply because he's trying to do different things, or at least we're hearing that they're doing different things on the offensive side of the football. But again, if they struggle to put up points against Troy, Illinois State, heck, even Minnesota, I think there's going to be a lot of anti-Iowa fans just very eager to see how the rest of the season unfolds. Offensive line's the key.

We've talked about this throughout the spring and summer. It is no doubt about it. They have to take a big step forward. A couple of depth pieces I want to get your opinion on. Saw Jennings Dunker crazy last week. He mentioned got up to 350 pounds and now back to 310. That's going to help him to tackle. I mean, it probably went into last season thinking he was going to be playing inside

and playing at that weight. He's definitely going to be better. But speaking of the depth pieces, we saw Keith Paper over the weekend win the Hale toss. He's a guy that still has got some work to do, I think, in terms of size. But can he help out a little bit inside? And then a guy, local kid here from Central Iowa, from Southeast Polk, transferred in, Cade Beaurud.

Those two guys and the potential right away. They're part of the future, I think, of the interior of the offensive line. But can they help out this season? Yeah, I think that's one of my big question marks. And I think I'm really happy you brought up Cade Borud because that's a guy that, you know, he gave up. He was a freshman All-American. He's a guy that played really, really well last year for a really good program, transferred into Iowa as a preferred walk-on.

I think he's going to be a sneaky piece that could shake up the offensive line. I really do. I don't think he's going to be capable of going in week one or starting. But, you know, over the course of the season, I think we could see him, you know, earn some rotational snaps and potentially be a guy that steps up next year. I like Cade Pieper a lot. I've heard a ton of good things behind the scenes by him the way he's continued to work i'm with you i think he needs to put on

another 10 to 15 pounds i don't think strength is going to be an issue as he mentioned he won the stolen beef days hilltoss so i'm not about to talk smack to him but uh you know i think he's done some good things behind the scenes and i I do know for 100% fact that George Burnett, Kirk Ferentz, they love these guys that have continued to be brought into the Iowa system. Leighton Jones is another guy. I don't think he's going to really break the rotation this year, but they're very high on him. There are just a number of pieces I really think that could work for Iowa.

But, you know, not to give Iowa the injury excuse, I don't think people realized how injured Iowa's offensive line was last year. Mason Richmond battled through a ton of injuries. Jennings Dunker was not 100% healthy. Logan Jones, I'm shocked that they even got him for 10 to 15 snaps near the end of the season because he was barely practicing. He was really not doing too much. Another guy that I think we need to throw in this equation as well what about tyler elsberry i i really thought if there was any player that

really rose their stock over the last month of season i thought it was elsberry that's a guy who's kind of you know been a little bit more of a depth piece a little bit more of a bench guy he was a very highly rated recruit coming out of illinois high four star guy this is going to be his final year i thought he played really consistent last season, especially toward that end. So maybe he shakes up a guard spot. They're comfortable playing him at center or at guard. So I'm with you.

I think Peeper's a year away. I will not be surprised at Borut if he picks up the lesser offense. Maybe we see him sneak up that depth chart just a little bit. And a year ago, I definitely, I think you're right when you're talking about the interior of that line. I thought they were better when Ellsbury was in there as opposed to having Logan Jones, and you can say maybe it was an injury or things like that.

One thing I do know, Kirk Ferentz and George Barnett, they absolutely love Logan Jones because from all the superlatives that those guys have thrown out about him, certainly hasn't matched what I've seen on the field with Jones. No, and I agree. I mean, I've picked Jones to be the breakout guy over the last year or two. I thought he stepped into an impossible situation, trying to take over for Tyler Linderbaum.

Same number, right? Iowa kid, tremendous wrestler, outstanding weight room freak, same number, same position, going from defensive line to offensive line. It was an unfair situation for Logan to be thrown in there because of how outstanding Linderbaum was. But again, assuming that Logan Jones stays healthy, it's a make-or-break year for him. He's very respected on the team as a leader.

I think he's had some good games. But the consistency has to be there, not just from him, but across the Iowa offensive line. Remember that quote from Tim Wester back in the spring, near the end of it, he said, the success that we've had on offense this year is because the offensive line is moving guys up front. And, you know, ultimately something else we need to mention as well with Cade McNamara suffering back-to-back season injuries, the offensive line has to keep them clean.

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of Major League Baseball. No doubt about it. Keeping him upright I think is important. So I got this theory. It's not even a theory. I think it in a way goes without saying, but if Iowa defensively is not going to be at the elite level that we've seen over the last couple of years, I mean, they've always been good and they've taken it to another level the last

couple of years. The concern for me on this defense has nothing to do with the 11 starters. It's the depth on the defensive line. All right. We've seen a little depth on the defensive line. All right. We've seen a little bit of Maxwell Wellen. All right. But Brian Allen, he's popped two spring practices in a row. Last year at Kids Day, he was outstanding.

Haven't seen it on the field. We've seen a little bit of Jeremiah Pittman, but that's it. A little bit. Can he be a guy at defensive tackle that can give you 20, 25 snaps a game? And then after that, it's a bunch of young dudes that we really don't know a whole lot about. The depth of defensive line, it was before you were around, at least on the beat, David Eichold, but 2010, that jumps to my mind. The difference that year from 2009 is they just didn't have depth there.

They got wore down, and that defensive line was sucking wind. Same thing in 2005, big expectation year, and they disappointed from those expectations, and it was up front. They were very young, very green up front that season. Tell us about the depth and some names that maybe we should know, including a freshman class that comes in. Out of that group, are there some guys there that can help out right away?

Again, we're talking about probably, what, a dozen, maybe 15 snaps a game. Is there any of those freshmen that you believe can help on the defensive line? Yeah, that's a big question for me, too. And I'm with you. I think Iowa doesn't feel great about the defensive line yet, but I don't think they're as panicked as the outside is. But that's simply because they've seen them work day in and day out. But I'd also point to this, and I hate bringing up injuries

because I'm not trying to criticize the players. Y.A. Black has had injury struggles throughout his career right and we know what he's capable of doing Ethan Hercate had that season-ending injury he was great last year the year before that he had an injury you lose Joe Evans who I think was probably one of the most underrated leaders on this Iowa the last couple Iowa teams what he brought to that room was outstanding remember after the Penn State game, he's the one who got all the defensive line together with all the coaches and said,

guys, we need to step it up. And it was a really, really intense, passionate meeting. You lose Logan Lee, who I think Logan Lee was probably right there with Joe Evans as far as leadership goes. So I think Jeremiah Pittman can take a step forward this year. You know me, I absolutely love Aaron Graves. I think Aaron Graves is going to be an absolute animal this year.

I think this is when he really pieces it together. I think he's going to have a legitimate NFL decision to make at the end of the year because this is a guy who I believe already has his bachelor's degree as well. I mean, he entered the University of Iowa with his associate's degree. But I like Ethan Urquhart. I like Max Llewellyn. I think this is going to be another

year for Deontay Craig. I mean, Deionte craig i love his explosiveness off the edge that first step that great swim move that he has but i think he needs to take it up to another level iowa has to have more pass rush that's something i'm gonna continue to kind of keep an eye on as well if there was one name of the freshman class i would say to keep an eye on i mean it's the most proven name of the freshman class I would say to keep an eye on, I mean, it's the most proven name of the group because I love the raw upside versus the guys who are really, really highly sought after. I like Shanee Shaneeke, Texas. I think he needs to put on maybe about 15, 20 more pounds.

But that's the guy I think you could line up a defensive tackle inside, outside, or as Kelvin Bell likes to say, a defensive lineman. Not an edge rusher, not a defensive to say a defensive lineman not an edge rusher not defensive tackle defensive lineman i think if you can at least master one or two different packages for shima shunike he has the athleticism he has the size um he has the wingspan he can do different things i think that's probably the name i'm going to keep a close eye on but as far as everything else trent i believe it's going to be an open competition going into the fall camp. Talk with David Eichold, taking a look at some Hawkeye football.

A little bit earlier, you mentioned the loss of Torrey Taylor, and it's going to be impactful. He was good right away when he showed up on campus in 2020 with nobody in the stands. In fact, he'd never been to a football stadium until his first game against Purdue. We saw that. Now, to put that kind of expectation on Reece Dakin, I think is a little bit too much. But what are we looking at here? I mean, I know this was kind of the hand-picked guy, if you will,

to go to Iowa out of Australia Pro Kick. They knew that this was the place for him, and it was probably their best prospect that they sent over here. Dakin, what's a realistic expectation for him in year number one? That's another big question mark for me. That's something I'm really interested in asking Kirk about this. But I'll tell you what I've heard behind the scenes, and I'm hesitant to say this because I don't want to put any pressure on him because I don't mean to put pressure on him.

But I know you've heard similar things, I believe, Trent. You can correct me if I'm wrong. Reece Dockin, where he's at right now is farther ahead than Torrey Taylor was when Torrey Taylor got here we've seen some of the videos I've talked to you behind the scenes his hang time is tremendous I don't know how he's going to fare in different weather I think Torrey was outstanding and you know kind of mastering different types of kicks and you know the good news about him going to the Bears and me being a Packers fan is I can root for

Torrey Taylor to get a ton of puns. I think that's going to be a lot of fun to look out for. But Reeves, I think, is just really focused on growing and learning this year. I think LeVar Woods does not get enough credit for the relationships he cultivates in that special teams unit

and how much he can kind of calm the nerves of younger guys. I think he knows how to coach those guys up. So I think Reese will do a good job. I think he'll have probably a couple games where he struggles, but Iowa's offense and defense needs to take as much pressure off of Reese as possible because going three and out as many times as they did last year, forcing Torrey Taylor to bail him out. And this is no shade toward Reese. It's not going to happen.

And last year is not going to be repeated from a 10-win perspective if Iowa puts as much pressure on Reese as they did Torrey Taylor. Like, Torrey Taylor flat out won Iowa games. That's not the case anywhere else in the country besides Iowa. They need to give Reese some grace. But I'm definitely eager to see him. I think he's going to become a quick fan favorite. And yeah, I think, you know, 40-plus average, bunch of kicks down inside the 20, probably

not a ton in the 10, but I think he's going to do a very decent job this first year, at least as far as freshman punters go. I think another big question for Kirk coming up on Wednesday is going to be about the kicker position in Drew Stevens. We're talking about special teams because they're important to what Iowa does. And Drew Stevens, he fell apart after looking like he was on his way to not just all Big Ten honors, potentially all American honors. It fell apart late in the season. He kept kicking the ball out of bounds, missing kicks. It doesn't even get the opportunity for the game winner to finish up the year in the regular season against Nebraska. Of course, we didn't get to see him attempt a kick

against both Michigan and Tennessee in the final two games of the year. But this is a guy that is talented. You're talking about raw leg strength talent. He is up there for a guy that's not huge by any means. It's not about the talent inside the leg. Is it between the ears with Drew Stevens and maybe what's been done to fix what went awry late last season? Yeah, no, I think you're exactly right.

I think it was between the ears. I think Drew Stevens had an outstanding first year. I think he made some big kicks. He hit the big kick, I believe, against Northwestern, kind of sent him to sleep. And, you know, I think LeVar Woods was very transparent when we got to talk to him. I think Drew Stevens was as well. I think they admit, you know, he

got a little bit too cocky at the time as a young kicker experiencing a lot of success. And that really led to the Nebraska game. And I know we joke about it. It is crazy to think about. Kirk Ferentz benched a kicker quicker than he did quarterback in that game. But nobody is also going

to blame Kirk for what he did in that game simply because you cannot put Drew Stevens back out there just based on what was happening I think you're right I think Drew Stevens has tremendous strength in his leg I think he has good precision with his kicks I think he's put on another five to ten pounds in the offseason I think he's talked to a sports psychologist we know the people that are very close to him. And I think LeVar Woods, I talked about the relationships he cultivates. I think LeVar Woods keeps his real as a gift. He basically told Drew that he's going to go out there and he's going to have to earn it. But I do think that he's going to be farther ahead from this standpoint. He's hit some big kicks before. He knows how to go out there and

go about his business. So now that there's been a few months where he can kind of just sit there and reflect and continue to grow, if he can mentally reset going into the next season, I mean, I got to tell you, I understand why people have their question marks, but at this point, just because we've seen him do it before, it's probably not in the top three on my most concerned list with Iowa. I really think he's going to piece it together.

I'm right there with you. I think it's going to be a bounce back year, and Iowa certainly is going to need that. All right, one more on the football front, and then we'll get a little basketball to wrap things up. Passion, drive, patience. The formula for winning championship is also what keeps your ride or die alive. eBay Motors has everything you need to maintain your vehicle and level it up to peak performance. Superchargers, roof racks, exhaust kits, LED headlights, and more.

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this is a team that makes the college football playoff. They get in. Is that it for Kirk? Because I think it is. You mentioned the future schedules, and you got years coming up with both Ohio State and Michigan on the schedule in a couple of years. At best, you're returning three starters on offense or four starters on offense and three on defense next season depending on how injuries play out it's going to be a completely

new team if it plays out in that fashion does Kirk can't hang it up after this year it's a fair question to ask and I'm always hesitant to say it because I don't want to sit here and give, you know, these kind of hot takes or I expect something to happen. Let me phrase it like this. This is probably the first time I've ever said this to you. And you and I have had plenty of conversations off the air about this. It will not surprise me.

It will not surprise me because not the fact that I don't think he still loves it. Cause we, we know he still loves it. He's an adamant about it. They're really, you know, the game emotions that he does after,

you know, after big wins and everything, he's always very emotional, but I'll, I'll caution with a couple of things. One, right. When Kirk's done,

Phil Parker's done. Phil Parker's not going to stay, not just at Iowa. He's going to be done coaching. I believe if Kirk hangs it up, so it'd be a whole new era of Iowa football. But for the reasons that you laid out, the fact

that they're not going to return a lot of starters, realistically, given the schedule, given NIL, given all these other things at hand, it's not the game that Kirk grew up on. I think Kirk's done a really, really good job, by the way, for the most part, of converting to modern football. So this is not a criticism at all of him. It makes the most sense for a storybook. I want to see what

his win percentage is after the season, if he's eligible for the college football hall of fame. I know he's going to say that's not a big deal, but let's be real. It's going to play a factor. It's going to play a factor. So I don't want to give a crystal ball take on it, but like if Iowa makes the college football playoff and, you know, they win one round and they go 11-2 or 11-3 at the end of the year, I think it makes sense. Of course, if he wants to keep coaching, he's a lifer. You don't fire him.

You let him do what he wants. It makes sense from Kirk Ferentz's perspective to hang it up, but I also don't want to speak for him in terms of if he should or not. That's scheduled in 2025. It is an absolute bear with, what, seven starters coming back. You go to Iowa State, of course. You go to Nebraska. You go to Rutgers.

You go to USC, Wisconsin on the road. Plus you got Oregon, Penn State coming to Kinnick Stadium along with Michigan State, Minnesota, Indiana. It is going to be a tough one in 2025. The chance is now. That's it. That's it, right. The new Big Ten, get used to it.

It is certainly a change, and this is the year for Iowa to certainly make their way forward. All right, let's get a little basketball before we wrap up and finish up some time. Want to jump over. We've talked about this throughout the summer with you at times, but boy, the buzz that has been created with this

men's basketball team, it's kind of crazy. I think I like this team more than most people, but more people have seen Trey R. And all of a sudden, they're like, ooh, yeah, this kid's got something. You see some highlight packages from Manhattan. Look at the makeup of this team. The potential to be just a little bit better on the defensive end.

You know they're going to score because that's what Fran McCaffrey coached teams do. And the other part, just not having a son on the team. I think that is going to be just something to renew. And just that extra hurdle that's been there for the last, what, eight years now for Fran McCaffrey, I think we're going to see

a different Fran out there on the hardwood this year. I do too. And I gottaaffrey, I think we're going to see a different Fran out there on the hardwood this year. I do, too. And I got to tell you, I am higher on this basketball team than most. I know I've kind of called my shot early, and I do think you were right there with me for the most part. But I've kind of evaluated the Big Ten. I'm not going to lie. I love Andy Katz. I think he's a stellar guy.

I've had a chance to talk to him. He's always been really cool to me. I think he's very knowledgeable guy. I've had a chance to talk to him. He's always been really cool to me. I think he's very knowledgeable about the sport. All that, so it's no disrespect. It's absolutely asinine to me that Andy Katz thinks that Iowa's 17th of 18 in the Big Ten entering next season. It just makes absolutely zero sense. I will not be shocked if when I look more in depth

and make my official preseason predictions, I have Iowa almost as high as number five or six. I mean, I really, really think this is going to be, I don't want to say a great Iowa team, but from a roster standpoint, and if they make the changes on defense, I think they have a team that's more capable of playing good defense, not great defense. We're not even going to go there. But I think they have a team that's more capable of playing good defense, not great

defense. We're not even going to go there, but I think rebounding wise, I think there could be worlds better. And I think that'll lead to them being better just in general, not giving up the second chance shots. If they can learn how to close out on corner three pointers, I think that's going to go a long way as well. But between Chris Todd, Joe, Sadu Traore, Laje Dembele, I mean, they got some athletic wings that love to play defense. The system's there. They have depth. And I'm very, very intrigued to see

how they piece it together. And winning translates at every level. And Drew Thelwell is the winningest player in Morehead State history. And he's starting a point guard this year. And a fun backup with Brock Harding. I think that's going to be a fun one-two combo. Two guys that do it a little bit differently

and has a chance this year to be up there. And if you're in the top six of the Big Ten, the top third of the Big Ten, that's pretty good. And potential maybe fighting for a top half seed, top eight seed, something like that in the NCAA tournament. That's my baseline. I don't think it's a stretch this year with this Iowa basketball team. On the women's side of things, before we get to Kaitlin Clark to wrap up,

we talked expectations last week. Lucy Olsen saying all the right things. One name that popped up, though, that I saw a ton in high school is Jada Jimfey. Now, we've seen her all over the place. She's the absolute perfect teammate, right? Smile on her face, keeps everybody loose, does all those things. But she did it in a role where she wasn't playing a whole lot.

Could she carve out a role on the hardwood this year for the basketball team? I think certainly she's in competition for it. And I do think, you know, keep in mind, her freshman year injuries kind of slowed her down. I think she dealt with a concussion. She dealt with an ankle injury. So I don't want to say it was a lost year for her, but she really didn't get as much work even in practice as many would think.

And then last year, I mean, look at the people that were playing over her. Right? I mean, who were you going to take off the floor at that point? But Jada Jimpey is an athletic wing that I've seen hit a bunch of threes in practice. She has a lightning quick release. She's kind of that do it all player. And then watching her and Jan Jensen interact, Jada's very much, she's very goofy, but she really buys into the team and she makes one mistake. She gets told how to correct it. She doesn't make that same mistake. She's asking good questions.

Like there's a very veteran presence around her. She was a top 75 recruit. And I think one of the best things that could happen for her again, not that she lacks the work ethic, but they got some young freshmen that are really pushing for similar roles that Jada wants. Taylor's tremolo. I think so. Nice job. A Tegan Mullaney, who is a name that everybody needs to keep an eye on that could play as a freshman, not just Ava Hyden, Tegan Mullaney as well. I think Jada has potential to carve out a role, but keep in mind, this is not Lisa Bluter's team. Jan Jensen is changing up a couple different things on both ends of the floor. I'm eager to see how it translates, but I think Jada is doing all the right things, but I think, you know, day in, day out, she's got to go out there and prove

it because it's a new team. There's talented freshmen coming in, but I think day in, day out, she's got to go out there and prove it because it's a new team. There's talented freshmen coming in. No spot safe. Oh, you know, okay, never mind. Lucy Olsen's and Sydney Holter's and Hannah Stolke's might be safe. Other than that, it's pretty much open season, I think. We'll get you out on this. David Eichold joining us.

I appreciate his time. Cheryl Reeve, the Olympic basketball coach, also the coach of the Minnesota Lynx. What did Kaitlyn Clark do to her? Man, she is just a miserable, miserable person. I know all the national media is trying to downplay it, that she doesn't have any ill will toward Kaitlyn. I think it's an all-star game, and she's getting double-teamed 94 feet

by the Olympic team. Like, oh, Kaitlyn only scored four points. Look how she ran the team. She didn't turn the ball over. Her and Angel Reese, I thought thought played great together. I'm very excited to see them in four years together. I did not think it was going to translate immediately as well as it did, but

I thought they played really well off each other. Cheryl Reeve, if you go back to her Twitter account, right when Kaitlin got in the WNBA, it was even the preseason, she was liking tweets when liking was still public. Everybody could go look it up. She was liking tweets with the hashtag, the WNBA. It was even the preseason. She was liking tweets when, you know, liking was still public. Everybody could go look it up. She was liking tweets with the hashtag. The WNBA is more than one player. There's just a sense of pettiness. There's the sense of entitlement. She seems to

be annoyed by all the questions about Caitlin being left off the Olympic team. At one time, she said she wasn't in charge of it. And then she was asked if she regretted it. She said no. But if you're telling me that the head coach has zero say in who they're coaching for the Olympic team, well, one, I think their agent and whoever's coaching did a total misservice to them about who they're coaching. They need to have some sort of say in that roster management. But just be honest, or at least own it, and give her her flowers. It's quite frankly ridiculous i mean cheryl reeve has never coached against or played in a game that had a bigger crowd

than when caitlyn clark completely took over the minnesota lynx arena completely completely took it over so i think there's a sense of pain if there i don't think caitlyn's where you know i don't think caitlyn's worrying too much about it i'm sure she's on a remote island completely ignoring her phone at this point is probably happy to some degree that she's not playing in the olympics but it's absolutely outrageous to me that cheryl reeve can't seem to get out of her own way and i get diana tarassi and all the mercury credit for as much as you know people talk crap about them they've been the ones who have really embraced caitlin going in the league so i think got to kind of tip your cap off to them.

No doubt. David I. Colt from HawkeyeInsider.com. He is on his way to Indianapolis getting ready for Big Ten Football Media Day. David, appreciate the time. As always, we'll talk to you again soon. Thanks, Trent. I appreciate you.