Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - EXCLUSIVE: Ben McCollum Joins The Show on Iowa's Basketball Revolution | Can He RESURRECT Hawkeye Hoops Glory?

Episode Date: April 9, 2025

Can the Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball Team Rise Under New Leadership? Discover how Ben McCollum, the newly appointed head coach, plans to transform the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program. With a focus on tou...ghness and connection, McCollum shares his vision for building a winning team. He discusses the challenges of recruiting in today's college basketball landscape, emphasizing the importance of retention over quick fixes. McCollum also outlines his strategies for offensive and defensive efficiency, aiming to make the Hawkeyes a formidable force on the court. Featuring insights from McCollum's experiences at Drake University and Northwest Missouri State, this episode offers a deep dive into his coaching philosophy and future plans for the team. Don't miss the chance to hear how McCollum intends to engage fans and elevate the Hawkeyes to new heights. Listen now for exclusive insights into the future of Iowa basketball!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!Turbo TaxReady for stress-free taxes and the most money back, guaranteed? Head over to TurboTax.com today and get matched with your Expert. Only available with TurboTax Live Full Service. Real-time updates only in the iOS mobile app. See guarantee details at TurboTax.com/guarantees.Supply HouseJoin the Trade Master program today at SupplyHouse.com/TM and start ordering plumbing, HVAC, and electrical supplies with just a few clicks. Plus, use promo code SH5 for 5% off your first order. That’s SupplyHouse.com!Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEGE for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.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)

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Starting point is 00:00:00 We got the man, new Iowa men's basketball coach Ben McCollum joins us today. You are Locked On Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome in, I'm Trent Condon and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day.
Starting point is 00:00:32 We're available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit that Subscribe button. Helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code LOCKDOWNCOLLege for $20 off your first purchase. Well, it is an exciting one today as we've been waiting and now we have the opportunity to hear from Ben McCollum. No, not
Starting point is 00:00:57 a press conference, a conversation with Coach McCollum that I had earlier today on the radio side of things. So excited to be able to bring that for you here today. And our first conversation with Coach McCollum. For every dayers, you know the story. Ben McCollum and me, same age. That's maybe some of the excitement level for me, personally, about him as a coach. When he knocked, I thought, the press conference
Starting point is 00:01:20 out of the park, he tapped into a lot of things that excite me and a lot of things that I remember and the memories that I pass along and I talk about a lot here about what Iowa basketball is. Look, I've been doing this on Lockdown Hawkeyes for a number of years now. I've been in the media space for over two decades and hosting a daily sports radio show, talking Hawkeye seemingly every single day for the better part of now 22 years. I know the ins and outs. I know the highs and lows of Hawkeye seemingly every single day for the better part of now 22 years. I know the ins and outs. I know the highs and lows of Hawkeye athletics as a fan and also on the media side. And I think you'll find this conversation is one that you'll get to find a little bit more about his personality, something that I wondered about, but also some of his basketball acumen, what makes things click, and we
Starting point is 00:02:02 will get into that with Ben McCall. I'm also going to talk some football today as spring practices here and everything calendar wise has been pushed back a little bit because of what's happening with the men's basketball program. That has changed kind of the way that we talk about things and the way that we evaluate spring football but we're going to get into that a little bit more a little bit later on here in the show today before that after that conversation with coach McCollum but we begin today's program with a look at the transfer portal and it's always evolving it's always changing there is a lot of rumors rumblings a lot happening right now is we are in a dead period and the dead period as it pertains to bringing guys on campus letting them see the campus official visits even unofficial visits are not allowed. Now, that also does not say that players on their own cannot visit a campus. They're allowed to do that. If they want to go that route, they just don't get the compensation in order
Starting point is 00:02:53 to make that happen. So there are things that are happening and there are a lot of things that are happening behind the scenes. And that's what we continue to hear murmurs about potentially a high school prospect making a commitment that we're going to find out more information probably throughout this weekend guys coming in visits and you know as it went through and if you missed the program yesterday you can go back and we talked about a number of the transfer candidates for Iowa basketball. Honor Hough a five-foot shooting guard from Chattanooga lightning quick quick, a guy that can fill it up from the outside but also has been able to do things as a guard and thinking of him and Sturz playing together. We talked about a couple of Drake former commitments
Starting point is 00:03:33 at the high school ranks that are seniors finishing up their high school career. Tate Sage, potential him, six foot seven two guard, maybe a small forward type that was a Drake commit potential there. And a few other candidates that are out there. Big Man from Grand Canyon in Duke Brennan, Wes Ennis from out of Lincoln University and D2 Kid, Teyshaan Comber from Evansville, and Trevon Urock from West Des Bois and Valley. So those are some of the names that we mentioned in the past, but there is more there. And one name that I didn't bring up, and I don't know why he was on the list and I just glossed over it apparently
Starting point is 00:04:05 was Brendan Howson from Kansas State. So Howson's a guy that they've been involved with. He was one of the earlier phone calls that Coach McCullough made. This is a guy that began his career at Villanova, played two seasons at Villanova before transferring this past season to Kansas State. He is an elite level shooter and that's where you start the conversation. That is what he is a shooter. This is not a guy that's going to be the combo guard. He's not gonna be a guy that is gonna be even probably a backup point guard. He's a shooting guard. That's what he is but he is an elite shooter and as coach
Starting point is 00:04:40 McCollum has talked about, this is what he is looking for when they get to the level they wanna do. When they hit that apex of a program and putting it all together. They want to have shooters all over the floor. This guy can fill it up 43% as a freshman sophomore year. He shoots 38% from three with the volume going up. And then this past season in his junior campaign at Kansas State 93 pointers on the year 90 of 232. Ninety of two thirty-two. Thirty-eight point eight percent from behind the arc. Six foot four. Decent size. Decent defender looking at some of the analytical numbers for him. Not elite by any means but going to go into a system I think that's going to help. Plus he had a monster game against Iowa State and well that's something that rings a little bit true as K-State pulled one of the bigger upsets of the year at that time. A double-it underdog and went into Ames and got the victory and Brendan Howzen was a big part of that one. Some other news that is also happening at the
Starting point is 00:05:34 basketball program and as all these new assistants have come in we've heard the names we talked about Sash obviously his connections with his brother Tyler Sash playing for the University of Iowa. I'm hearing him. You can tell just how joyous he is to be a part of the Hawkeye family. But the latest that they got is probably the biggest, and it's Luke Barnwell. Luke Barnwell is a guy that has deep connections in the prep scene. He has deep connections in the AAU circuit. So he ran Sunrise Academy for a number of years, but most importantly here recently, he was
Starting point is 00:06:10 at Texas Tech. This is a guy with connections that is recruited at the power five level. And what do you see? This is what I always like to look at. If you see a fan base that's incredibly upset when a assistant coach leaves, you normally know that you get a good one. Now, it's not always going to happen that way, but seeing the message board, seeing social media, Twitter, blue sky, the Texas Tech fans were not pleased that Luke Barnwell was leaving. And in fact, we're going to talk to Coach McCollum a little bit about that. Getting a guy that
Starting point is 00:06:43 has been doing it the last couple of years at the power conference level. Now, Texas tech's got money. And as we found out today, JT Toppett, apparently getting $4 million to stay at Texas tech to complete his eligibility next season. That was an eye opener. They got different kinds of money than certainly is going on at Iowa right now. But still to be able to win the recruiting battles. And you look at this Texas tech roster, you look at some of the guys that they brought in and Barton well was a big part of that. This is a coup. This is a big deal for Iowa to be able to bring him in and coach McCollum to bring a guy with these kinds of accolades in. Certainly a lot of excitement there about that and excitement about what this is going
Starting point is 00:07:22 to do, generating, building those relationships and getting it going. So just a couple of notes, one final note also before we talk with Coach McCollum is Carter Kingsbury. He has entered the transfer portal. Remember, he was initially a walk-on coming in from Nebraska and decided they had an open scholarship, so awarded that to him this past season. Now with a guy like that, remember we're talking about full roster spots, it's hard to create a lot of angst. Yeah, he's got the name, he's got the bloodlines, right? We saw Carter out there, he was a try hard kid.
Starting point is 00:07:55 I mean, he was doing everything possible that he could physically in order to make it work, but we know just behind the eight ball, right? That was not at the same level of some of the other guys. And Coach McCollum, again, you're looking to make change, real change in this program. These kinds of things are going to happen. This is not a knock on the Kingsbury family. You just have to let the coach do his thing.
Starting point is 00:08:17 And if it's right now, if he believes that even a guy that is well down the bench and is walk on, but it's better for him to move on at the program, you have to accept that. And that's where I am right now, giving Coach McCollum the benefit of the doubt. Let's talk to the coach. We continue here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Ben McCollum, the new basketball coach joins us. Stay right there as we continue in a moment. the game. Today's episode of locked on Hawkeyes is brought to you by game time there's
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Starting point is 00:09:54 maybe not with the Twins, but you can do the same on the Game Time app. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with Game Time, download the Game Time app, create an account and make sure you use the code LOCKDOWNCOLLED for $20 off. Your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that's code LOCKEDONCOLLGE. L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N-C-O-L-L-E-G-E for $20 off. Download Game Time today. Last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed. Price Guaranteed. Let's get to the new head basketball coach, men's basketball coach at the University of Iowa. He's Ben McCollum.
Starting point is 00:10:41 Ben, Trent Conda. My name is Ken Miller. Good to talk to you, coach. How are you? I'm great. I'm great. How about yourself? Good. You're finding that 24 hours in it Is enough as you get started over there pretty busy. I don't even remember what day it is. Yeah. No, we're We're rolling right along We're making some progress and you know, just kind of fighting for this thing and, uh, but it's, it's been a fun transition so far.
Starting point is 00:11:09 Absolutely. Well, he said transition. So let me go there before, um, w was there a time, uh, you know, early in your Drake, uh, the Drake era, um, you were Northwest Missouri state. How important, I guess, was the South Carolina weekend when it, when it, you proved to everybody, I think you got the country's attention that look what Drake's doing over there and the style of basketball that they're playing. Was there a part that kind of gave you a little bit of confidence
Starting point is 00:11:35 that what you're doing over there can work at this level when you went you beat a Miami likewise a Vanderbilt and then got to December and you go to Manhattan, Kansas and beat K-State. How much confidence did that give you that your system's going to work at that level? Yeah, I think early in the season, we actually scrimmaged Texas Tech. And so we knew at that point that, man, we might be pretty good. I always had a good deal of confidence. I think the biggest thing was how much of a difference is the level between division
Starting point is 00:12:10 two and the mid-major level. And at that point playing high majors, you know, how much of a difference is there there? And we realized that, you know, winning at that level still, you have to be tough, you have to be connected, you have to serve each other, all those things still mattered. And I think that just validated that for us. I don't necessarily think it gave us any more confidence, maybe my players a little bit, but for me, we knew that we had the right recipe.
Starting point is 00:12:39 It's just a matter of making sure that we did it consistently. And so it didn't give me any more confidence surprises validated what we were doing a little bit. So just today it was officially announced your fourth assistant coach of your crew coming with you. Uh, Luke Barnwell, you mentioned Texas tech and we know you were connection to coach McCaslin there. So you're able to take one away from him, huh?
Starting point is 00:13:00 Taking your buddy away and tell us a little bit about Luke Barnwell and what one more spot available in that assistant coaching ranks. Yeah, no. So Luke worked for me for, no, he didn't work for me. I'm sorry. He played for me for a year when I was at Emporia state as an assistant. And then he took over at a sunrise who had, you know, Grady Dick and, you know, he just had a ton of, a ton of players, you know, NBA players and did a great job of building sunrise up. And, and then obviously went to Texas tech and, you know, partly because me and grant are good friends is part of the reason he went down there. So, you know, then we're fortunate enough to get him back. And,
Starting point is 00:13:42 you know, I think he's, he's one that has a unique skill set in that he's recruited at this level. He's recruited pros and you know, hopefully we can continue to do that here, but he's, he's a great addition for us and love being around him. So it'll be great. Speaking of getting back and I don't have to remind you, cause I'm guessing as a kid you would crack the Iowa city press citizen when it showed up in the mornings and you look at the box score and you'd see at the very bottom 15,500 night after night after night at Carver.
Starting point is 00:14:13 Getting the men's basketball fans back in the building. Obviously you've got to build your staff, you've got to build your roster. Those two things come with starting a new job, but you've got another level to this coach and that's trying to bring back those basketball fans that you know, starting a new job, but you've got another level to this coach and, and that's trying to, you know, bring back those basketball fans that you know are out there because you grew up with them and watch the building filled. Uh, what, uh, well, I guess, uh, how do you go about doing that shaking hands, getting out there?
Starting point is 00:14:38 Is that going to be a big part of your, I guess, quote off season? Yeah. I mean, I think getting out, obviously, yeah, that's a big deal. Making sure that we get out and connect with the fans and hopefully they can connect with the type of players that we're recruiting. I think the other part of that is winning basketball games. You've got to be able to win games consistently. That's a big deal. But we also have to understand that we want to build this together with the fans. And so, you know, part of it is, is, Hey, I think, you know, Hawkeyes and the fan base, we want to be one of the best in the country.
Starting point is 00:15:18 Um, you have to be one of the best in the country at all times. And we want their help to be able to build this and flip it to a direction where we're winning games consistently and having big crowds and making it an awesome atmosphere to play in and making all of Iowa proud. So you know I think you know we'd like to do it hand-in-hand with people and hopefully we'll do that quickly and hopefully we'll have kids that they love watching and you know and then we can do that quickly and hopefully we'll have kids that they love watching and you know and then we can win some games in that process. So going back to your opening press
Starting point is 00:15:50 conference you mentioned three guys trying to get them back and you're able to get one of them and Cooper Koch coming back with the program. Two guys decided though to move on to other athletic departments and universities. Financials it's a different era that we're talking about. As you've taken this job in a couple weeks in and knowing the environment of now recruiting at the power five level financially, do you believe that Iowa basketball is in a good enough space? It can always be better. I get that. But where you guys are right now as it pertains to the financials are going out
Starting point is 00:16:18 and getting a roster set. Yeah, it's, it's much better than, than what it was. You know, I think again, the, the numbers this year are astronomical. I mean, it's much better than what it was. I think, again, the numbers this year are astronomical. I mean, it's a little ridiculous, to be quite honest. I'm not sure anybody has enough money to go out and get a good roster. So it's interesting. But yeah, they've drastically improved that portion of it. I think we still got a know ways to go just like anybody And you know, we're gonna keep trying to improve it
Starting point is 00:16:49 Keep keep you know building that NIL space and hopefully keep players around but you know The way we want to build it is with a little more retention than it is Going out and then buyer buying an entire roster. I think this year, just because the roster is gone, you do have to buy essentially a roster a little bit more. And so we're doing that right now and in the process of it. A lot of times if you get one or two really good players in basketball, it can really put you over the top. So hopefully we can get something done here shortly and get a few of those guys on our roster. When it, when it comes to kind of, um, your thoughts schedule wise, when you're putting
Starting point is 00:17:31 together the schedule for the next year, I'm not going to ask you about Drake and you and I, if those fit great, if not, uh, they don't, but what kind of, how will you approach that? Do you want to test your team early in the seat early in the year? You know, you're going to have to play Iowa State second weekend in December there'll probably be a tournament opportunity at some point in November so you'll have that you'll play you know a high major but what's your kind of your scheduling philosophy as to you know when you want to maybe not jump into the deep end of the pool but uh kind of dip your tone just to see what you've got here to test your guys. I Think scheduling is is obviously two parts to it one you need to schedule
Starting point is 00:18:09 Well enough so that your net ranking is appropriate so that you can make the NCAA tournament And then I think the second part of that is not necessarily in that order is Making sure that you schedule based off what your team needs and so specific to this next year's team Obviously you do need to build a level of confidence schedule based off what your team needs. And so specific to this next year's team, obviously you do need to build a level of confidence. And, and then on top of it, make sure you help your net ranking. But you know, sometimes it's really good to challenge and, and even fail if you need to. So we want to balance that next season. You know, I think in the future I do like to schedule pretty tough games.
Starting point is 00:18:46 That's what I've done at Division II quite often. And you marry that with the ability to make it into a tournament and build that net ranking. So it all depends on the year. I think your net ranking is important. And then obviously what your team needs from a competitive standpoint is important as well those are the two things will factor in we all have ideas thoughts as it pertains to basketball one thing that I am a hard and fast rule about is two-file participation in the first half the previous coach and I didn't get along on that one so I got to hear it right from the horse's mouth
Starting point is 00:19:19 right before we see this for your number one at Iowa is an automatic benching if a player gets two fouls in the first half, it is not an automatic benching. Um, it is, it is with certain players that can't stop fouling. But with some players, I mean, I've played guys with four fouls with eight minutes to go. I mean, I, as long as they know to not foul, we'll be okay. But some guys can't help themselves. So those guys are the ones that will be sitting next to
Starting point is 00:19:51 me. Who mentored you, coach? Who did you look up to as you were kind of making your way through the coaching ranks? Was there one coach out there famous or not so famous that when you look back at some point and you really got to thank so and so for helping you along the way. Who's that? A guy named Steve Tatmeier. He coached me in college. He was the best coach that I've ever been around. Just from a toughness standpoint, from a culture standpoint, from a caring about kids, he's as good as there is that I've been around
Starting point is 00:20:27 and obviously mentored me and continues to mentor me. I'd call him for advice constantly and he's been meant the world. So Steve Tatmire, he's one of the best coaches in division two history, in my opinion. Gotcha. I wanted to go another step and talk about tempo. I know it's been brought up a ton Drake last season playing the slowest tempo in the in the country, the longest possession length. So I know you've said before that is not the way that you always are going to play it just dictating the way that it is. But in general, what do you look at things like tempo, offensive system, what are we going to be looking for? What are outside of we're going to play tough? We're going to do those kinds of things. The buzzwords out there, what are we going to be looking for? What are outside of we're going to play tough?
Starting point is 00:21:05 We're going to do those kinds of things. The buzzwords out there. What should we look at both ends of the floor, both offensively and defensively for people that maybe don't have the deepest of basketball acumen? Give us an overall philosophy. Yeah, so we're going to be efficient on both ends of the floor.
Starting point is 00:21:22 So offensively, we're going to be very efficient meeting points per possession. We want to see the ball go in the basket more than we want to see it miss. So, and that will naturally set your defense, which allows you to be able to defend at a high level, which allows you to take away easy, easy buckets. I will say this. Our Drake team is considerably different than the teams I had for the previous eight to 10 years. If you look back, you know, everybody's a defensive coach and we were really good defensively at, at Northwest Missouri state as well. But most people would say, boy, we really need to study their offense because our efficiency numbers were off the
Starting point is 00:22:06 charts. We were top five for, I think, seven or eight seasons at all levels in offense. And so it just depends on your personnel though. I think the funny part about, from a fan's perspective is ultimately they still want to see you win. And so I remember a few years ago, we were at Northwest Missouri state and the NCA, if you want a certain category, like let's say fewest turnovers, if you won that category, they'd send you these really cool plaques. Well, one year I got a plaque from the NCA and the plaque said most wins. And I'm like, boy, that's a hell of a plaque.
Starting point is 00:22:46 So we, we, uh, uh, that's ultimately our goal to win as many games as we can. And so whatever our personnel says to do, that's what we will do from an offensive and a defensive perspective. Um, you know, and so some years you're going to have more shooting you can get up and down you get shots a little bit quicker. Some years you'll have less shooting so you have to adapt to that. But we're not going to play a style that doesn't fit our personnel just because we say that's the style that we play. We're going to be unique each year and it's going
Starting point is 00:23:20 to be fun to watch. I read in Chad Leistico's piece is sit down with you. You'd like to add 4, 5, but more transfers to complete your roster. Perfect world. When is your roster completed coach? Today. Perfect world. Boy, that would help me sleep a lot.
Starting point is 00:23:38 You know, the portal dictates when you're done, You don't really dictate a lot of that. So it's, I don't know. It could be as early as, you know, it can always be as early as this weekend, you know? And it can be as early as two weeks and it can be two months. There's just a lot of ebbs and flows to the portal and to how these kids decide and the agents involved and et cetera.
Starting point is 00:24:09 So it's just, it's tricky. It's one of those fields like you'll get done with an entire day and you'll feel like you did nothing because you're just on the phone. And then all of a sudden you get two commitments. You're like, oh boy, we really moved the needle. And so, um, you know, I think we've tried to get four to five more transfers, uh, and, you know, hopefully build this roster out and see, see what we can do next year. One who will throw a name as well,
Starting point is 00:24:35 our number out there for you as we let you go, Ben. And that is October 26, 2019. You took your defending national champion team to Cameron indoor stadium and lost it by six against the Dukes in an Exhibition game you remember Chris streets final game came at Cameron I'm not sure what kind of relationship you have with John Shire, but we got some anniversaries coming up Is that one you got in the back pocket? And maybe you can make a phone call again to get I would Duke back as they used to play quite a bit back in the 90s
Starting point is 00:25:04 Man, I know John well. Yeah, I, maybe he'll come here. Yes. Home and home. Maybe convince him to come here. Yeah. I don't think that's going to happen, but I will certainly make a call just for you guys. Well, and I get good tickets if that happens, right? Yeah. That's right. That's right. Yeah. There you go. As long as it's not some type of recruiting violation, we get to go. Yeah. It had to gut you watching Shire's Duke team the other night, as well as you let us know that you know him. Just that collapse, just unthinkable that Duke would fall the way they did. Yeah. Those are tricky. They just weren't in
Starting point is 00:25:41 a lot of those situations. And when it starts to snowball on you like that, it's, um, you know, cause he's, I mean, to be where he's at after only two seasons is so impressive. He, the problem is, is when you've only coached head coach for two seasons is, you know, you haven't had as many experiences in those situations that others have. So it's just, it's no one's fault. It's just one of those deals that happens. Good stuff Ben McCollum, best of luck to you,
Starting point is 00:26:09 putting the roster together and look at moves the needle here in the winter for us. So we are on board and wish you guys the best. Well done at Drake. It was fun to watch your team all winter long and provided Trent and I with some terrific content and we certainly appreciated that. Thanks coach, best luck to you. Thank you, sir. Have a good one, guys. You're the same. Ben McCollum, head coach of the Iowa men's basketball team as he gets underway. Great
Starting point is 00:26:34 stuff out of Coach McCollum. Really appreciate his time as we went a lot of different levels there and maybe a home and home series coming up with Duke? Probably not, but worth the shot at the very least. We continue here, Locked On Hawkeyes. Is that just basketball talk? We're going to talk some football. One glaring question for spring football as we continue on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Trent Conner back with you one final time on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. the the rest of the week we got plenty to talk about we're going to be going position by position strengths weaknesses concerns elation whatever it is- we know that the schedule
Starting point is 00:27:29 this year is going to be. Excuse me incredibly difficult for the Hawkeye squad much more difficult on paper certainly that was a year ago and it's crazy. That I what you look at the schedule you say on the year where you miss Ohio State Michigan all that's got to be easy. Not in today's Big Ten anymore when you got Penn State and Oregon and by the way, team that made the playoff a year ago in Indiana and an Iowa state team that played for a Big 12 championship. This
Starting point is 00:27:55 thing's gonna be difficult next season. We will get into that and talk a whole lot more. But I mentioned there is still one glaring question. I think it is the biggest question for Iowa football during spring football is about the left tackle position. What we're going to see in the battle and is there a real possibility that Trevor Lauk is going to be the game that's going to be able to jump forward and take that starting rate. Now he was listed as the backup at the left tackle position, but when you continue to hear about him, when you hear what kind of player he has a chance to be, I don't think there's any doubt that
Starting point is 00:28:32 for I would feel maybe they're most comfortable. They need their big time recruits to hit. And that was the case with Trevor Lowe. We'll see how big the gap is between him and Jack Dotsler. And maybe it is just as simple as Dotzler is the guy for this season and the next couple of years this year, Lauch will be that swing guy, potentially a right tackle then next year if Dotzler can hold on. But you go through as deep a wide receiver room as I was had in a long time, a running back position that is perfectly adequate at minimum. A lot of people believe that Kamari Moulton is gonna have a breakout season. A tight end group that is good and solid
Starting point is 00:29:09 and has veterans returning. And then offensive line that outside a left tackle is in good shape, plus a quarterback room that looks so much different than what we're used to here over the last five, six years with Iowa football. Offensively, there are a lot of pieces in place. Yes, Mark Gronowski has to bounce back and be able to throw the football. Yes, you need to see all of those wide receivers take a step forward this year and see if Kamari Moulton can do
Starting point is 00:29:34 it consistently. Time in and time out each and every game. Yes, there's still questions, but for me, the biggest one, and it's not particularly close, is left tackle. And if we find out by the end of the spring that neither of those guys are ready to be a left tackle on a good offensive team, then I always got to go shopping. I know Brad Heinrichs, the head of the Swarm Collective, he's out there looking for money for the men's basketball program.
Starting point is 00:29:58 Might be looking for more football also. And we find out they are not ready to go at left tackle. Your team every day, that's what we do here on the Lockdown Network. And thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen today. For your second listen, check out the Lockdown NFL Draft with Damian Parson and Keith Sanchez. As your favorite collegiate players get ready for the next level, get the latest draft rankings, rumors, and news every day. Find Lockdown NFL Draft on YouTube
Starting point is 00:30:26 or wherever you get podcasts. We'll be back with you a lot more football talk tomorrow. Thanks again to Ben McCollum for joining us here on today's program. Your team every day, we are Locked On Hawkeyes. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Until then, go Hawks.

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