Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Meet Your New Host; Trent Condon, Iowa Hawkeye Football & Hawkeye Basketball Overview

Episode Date: July 11, 2022

Trent Condon introduces himself as the new host of the Locked on Hawkeyes Podcast. A look at Trent's Hawkeye fandom, growing up a Hawkeye fan and where he is today as a host on 106.3 KXnO.Iowa football becomes the next big topic as Trent talks Hawkeye football with an outlook at the upcoming season and why he is having lowered expectations.Then it's time for an overview on Iowa Hawkeye basketball as the Hawkeyes look to have a set roster for the 2022-23 season.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at Linkedin.com/lockedoncollege Terms and conditions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new episode of the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast and a new host. It's me, Trent Condon. I'll give you my background and we'll talk Hawkeyes today. Welcome in a new edition of the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. I'm Trent Condon and happy to be here with you as we talk Hawkeyes and LaShawn Daniels. We'll be back with us here on the podcast feed. Hope to track down LaShawn this week and we'll talk a little bit about what's going on in his world and get ready for the 2022 football season.

I'd like to take a moment to thank LinkedIn Jobs for being the official college football recruiting sponsor across the Locked On College network. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to faster. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash lockedoncollege. Terms and conditions apply. As mentioned, I'm Trent Condon. I host a daily show in Des Moines called Miller and Condon. Myself and Ken Miller talk sports each and every weekday on 106.3 KXNO from 10 to noon.

We talk Hawkeyes. We talk Cyclones. We talk whatever's going on in the world of sports. It's a very sports-heavy show that we have. Not a whole lot of fluff. Not a whole lot of filler. We are talking sports each and every day. very sports-heavy show that we have. Not a whole lot of fluff, not a whole lot of filler. We are talking sports each and every day.

And now I'm going to be talking Hawkeyes each and every weekday with you here on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. And so excited to get started here, an opportunity to obviously talk about the Hawks every day, do it in our own different ways. I know a lot of the beat writers on the Hawkeye beat will be bringing them in. As mentioned, LaShawn Daniels is going to be back with us here a couple times a week. We'll be talking a lot with him, obviously, with the football season right around the corner and getting locked in there. But before we get to that, certainly just want to give you a little background, kind of where I am, where I got to, how I got to this point in talking Hawkeyes.

I grew up in Osage. In fact, a little town by Osage, way up in north central Iowa. New Haven's a little town of about 40 people, a church, a hardware store, and two bars. You know where that's going. My parents, in fact, owned one of the bars for a while during my youth, but grew up a huge Hawkeye fan. And during the 80s, that's all that there was. Though Ames was closer than Iowa City, Minneapolis was as close. If you're a sports fan in the 80s, I was born in 1980, 42 years old.

Didn't have cable until way into high school. So there was no ESPN. There was no game of the week. It was the Hawkeyes were basically it. And for me, though I loved Hawkeye football, what made me the Hawkeye fan that I am today is Iowa basketball. During that time. My earliest memory is the last year of George Raveling.

And then that first season of Dr. Tom, it was off and running. And watching those games, Thursday nights, Saturdays, it was such a big deal to have that kind of sports. To have that opportunity to watch the Hawkeyes. And then you come in after the weekend. you come in on Friday after the Thursday night game, talk to your friends, talk about the game. It was just an important piece of really winners in the state of Iowa. And for the younger listeners out there, and just seeing how fractured, obviously, sports and just television and viewing is today, it is a completely different environment than

what we lived in at that time, and that's where my fandom really grew. And I remember vividly after the Elite Eight loss to UNLV in the 86-87 season and sprinting down to my room down in the basement and just bawling my eyes out. My mom coming down and very gently saying, It's all right, Roy, BJ, Ed, they're just sophomores. They're going to make a Final Four. Well, here we are 35 years later.

My mom's a liar, and the Hawkeyes just haven't been able to get there. I love Iowa basketball. I love Iowa football. So we went to Iowa 1998, and the first year was the last year of Hayden Fry, and the wheels completely fell off. It was such a disappointing year. 1998. And the first year was the last year of Hayden Frye, and the wheels completely fell off. It was such a disappointing year. The win streak against Iowa State came to an end that season. And then I got to see the rebuild of Kirk Ferentz and seeing him in that 2002 team to the Orange Bowl and watching those games and going to so many of the games as a fan,

not as a media member, as a fan. I've been to every Big Ten stadium outside of the newbies, Rutgers and Maryland. We need to cross those off the list. I've been to every Big Ten stadium outside of the newbies, Rutgers and Maryland. We need to cross those off the list. I've been to bowl games. Again, not as a media member, as a fan. And though I guess I'm in the media with a daily sports show on the radio, I'm a fan like you. And that's where my passion comes from. That's where my frustrations come from. It's the fan. It's not looking for a talking point just to have a talking point. It's not trying to drive up controversy to be that person that gets it. That's not what I do.

What I do, certainly when it pertains to the Hawkeyes, is I bring that fandom to you. And that's what I'm going to work to do each and every day. The thing that you're frustrated about, I'm more likely going to be frustrated. I'm not a homer. I'm not a pie in the sky. Everything is going to be great. Everything is wonderful.

That's not who I am. Can it be negative at times? I guess. But I think that passion is going to show through, and you're going to see that. And even if I'm down in Iowa, for whatever aspect, I'm down on a player, I'm frustrated with the avenue of a coaching staff or a particular coach. Ultimately, I'm going to bring that fan perspective. So getting to this point, I've hosted podcasts in the past. I've hosted radio now for almost 20 years. I've been in this business. It's a wild one. After I was done at school, I went on to become a teacher and did radio part-time. And

now over the last eight years, I've moved into a full-time role. And a full-time role that not only has me out there talking on the radio every day, but I also do a full-time role, and a full-time role that not only has me out there talking on the radio every day, but I also do a different component. I call high school sports here in the state, a lot in central Iowa, do the state tournaments, do that both on the girls and the boys side of things. I call football, basketball, baseball, I've done volleyball, soccer, wrestling, I mean, pretty much you name it, I've probably done it at one level or another throughout the years. So I have that also as a background, but also I also work in the way that I make money. I'm not an employee of the radio station. I don't work for KXNO or iHeartMedia. I work independently. I'm an independent contractor. I go out,

I talk to clients, I work with advertisers, and I do different things in that fashion to make this what it is. So that's ultimately kind of the background of me, who I am. For people not in Central Iowa, people in Central Iowa that don't know who I am, that's a little bit of a background. I'm a Hawkeye fan through and through. Went to Iowa, loved the university, loved the state, and grew up that way throughout my whole life. Here we are. We're ready to go. We're going to have some fun here,

and we've got plenty more coming up on the podcast today. I'll give you my overview of what I expect to see as we get ready for the 2022 season. Where I am looking at the team. Football, basketball. We'll do that when we continue. It's a Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. As the sun comes out and small businesses are back in business, LinkedIn Jobs makes it easier to grow your team.

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Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash lockedoncollege. That's linkedin.com slash lockedoncollege to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Rolling through an introductory Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast, Trent Condon with you, and we get ready for the football season. We're just weeks away from Big Ten Media Days. In fact, Big 12 Media Days get started here this week as we will find out a little bit more about these teams, get to go a little bit deeper. Now, it's Kurt Ferentz, right? He's going into Big Ten Media Days, 23rd time that he's going to be there. He knows everything that surrounds it. He understands the

pomp and circumstance, and he knows what to say. He knows the questions that are going to be asked. He's been through this dog and pony show before. You're not going to be able to get exactly a whole lot of Kirk. That's what he is. At this point, if you read through the transcripts every week, if you listen to him in his weekly press conferences, you listen to him post game, whatever it may be, we all know ultimately what Kirk Ferentz is going to be saying. You have a great feel about what this is going to be, where he is going to go with the conversation. You're not going to get a ton, but there's always nuggets and that's something to keep an eye on. And that's what we'll work to do here is sifting through the material and some of the extra to get to the real things that are pertinent

as Kirk is out there talking with the squad. A team that comes back, load and experience. You have a defense that looks to have a chance to be, again, one of the top in the country. Phil Parker, the defensive coordinator, what he is. It's amazing to watch in a game-in, game-out basis the game plan that they come up for, fundamentally sound, the wrinkles that'll be in there,

but ultimately it's about playing assignment football. It's about being fundamentally sound. It's about being in your spot. Do your job. And Phil Parker is as good as anybody in the country in doing that and giving his team a chance to win. The quarterback position, though, continues to be the one huge question mark. What is this offense going to look like with Spencer Petras at the helm?

And that's where we are. Look, they went through the spring and they said everything that they had to say. They had to tell us that this is an open competition after the disaster we saw over the last part of the season from Spencer Petras. And really, for the most part, two years as a starter. They had to go in and say this is an open competition. Did they go to the transfer portal and look? Maybe they dabbled, but there was certainly nothing concrete that was there.

They thought they had their dude. We saw Alex Padilla a year ago. Padilla looked great in that start against Northwestern, and then they put it in the lockbox and held on for the victory in that game. Minnesota, drop balls all over the place. Wide receivers, tight ends, everybody was dropping passes there, and the final numbers certainly didn't dictate how good I thought he was in that matchup. The running game has a chance to take a step forward. Tyler Goodson behind that offensive line a year ago wasn't the right fit. Too much dancing, too many second and twelves when he loses two yards on first down for what you want.

Now you've got the Williamses back there. I think a chance for this running game to be better. Even losing Tyra Lindabom, you think that they're going to be in a better spot, certainly this season, on that offensive line. A lot more experience. Those freshmen that were thrust into roles that they frankly weren't ready for a season ago. That veteran presence, there's got to be some kind of step forward there. Wide receivers, you've got two you feel good about. Now it's going to be finding that third and fourth receiver, Laporta, and the offense and what he can do at the tight end spot. Offensively, it comes down

to one spot. I really think, yeah, the offensive line has to be better. The running game has to be better. You need more consistency out of wide receiver with Keegan Johnson and Arlen Bruce. You get all that. We understand it. Nico Rigetti can't be dropping footballs. Got it. But it comes down to one spot.

It's the most important position in sports is quarterback, and it's going to be dissected, and it's going to be talked about to the nth degree until we get to kick off against South Dakota State. Where am I with this team? I'm still concerned. I'm still concerned because of just that. I love the defense. I love the opportunity for the offense to be better,

but I just can't believe that Spencer Petras is a guy that's going to elevate his game enough. You saw him at the Manning passing camp. You see the throw that he unleashed. Just a 70-yard missile down the field. There wasn't a defender in his face. He wasn't wearing pads. There wasn't a chance that he was going to get hit.

He was just able to rev it up and throw it. He looks great doing that. But when the lights are on, when there's defenders at his feet, when there's people coming at him, we've seen Spencer Petras. Is that something that can all of a sudden change in your third year as a starter? I don't believe so. Plenty on that going forward. That's where my concern lies.

That's where I am currently on Iowa football. But we've got a couple months here to dig in and get ready for kickoff. In fact, less than two months now until kickoff against South Dakota State. From football over to basketball here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast, I'm Trent Condon. BetOnline.net is your number one source for all your betting needs and sports info. Find all the latest sports developments, league reviews and news, including this year's NHL playoffs and Major League Baseball.

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So we talked Iowa football. Let's talk Iowa basketball. Fresh off the Big Ten Tournament Championship. What a run that was. I was in Vegas for it, hanging out at Circus Sports, the biggest sports book in the world. It was an incredible experience. Semi-final game, I had Hoosier fans over my shoulder the whole time. They were chirping.

Jordan Bohannon hits the shot that sends Iowa to the championship game where they knock off Purdue. Just what a weekend it was. And then, as quickly as it started, it ends in an absolute thud against Richmond. There's been plenty of frustrating losses for Iowa basketball throughout the years, and old-timers can tell you about Jacksonville in the 1970 NCAA tournament when the Dolphins, yeah the Dolphins, led by Artis Gilmore and Pembroke Burroughs knocked off the Hawkeyes 104-103. I mentioned at the top, UNLV 1987. What a devastating loss that was. And now recent history

from Northwestern State with Alford at the helm to what we just saw last season in Richmond. The part that frustrates me most about that game is Richmond wasn't very good. Yeah, they had the all-time leader in steals. They had some pieces, a bunch of fifth-year guys. They weren't very good. They had some pieces. A bunch of fifth-year guys, they weren't very good. This was a team that felt different. It felt like they had a path. Look, they would have played Kansas in the Sweet 16.

They easily could have got their doors blown off. That absolutely could have happened. It wouldn't be a surprise. But to have that game in that fashion, to have everything there in front of you and not be able to pull it off. A Providence team that was overseeded as a four in any metric that you look at statistically will tell you just that. You had all that there, and you couldn't break through. You couldn't get to the second weekend, and still there is that caveat.

Anytime you talk about Fran McCaffrey, that is mentioned. Second weekend, Sweet 16, hasn't got there. And that'll continue to hang right there. The Iowa basketball program, in my mind, is exactly back to where Dr. Tom had it after the initial recruits left. After B.J. Armstrong and Roy Marble, that group left, this is what the program was. In fact, it's a little bit better. You look at the overall profile of Iowa basketball over the last decade compared to Dr. Tom's last decade. Short of that win against Arkansas to send them to the Sweet 16 in 1999, Fran's last decade is better than Dr. Tom's. Take a look at the numbers. But that one win, that round of 32 victory against Arkansas,

is for many people the great differentiator. And Iowa's got to get there. They have to find a way. Do they have a team to do that? The decision by Chris Murray to come back completely changes the perspective of Iowa basketball. Without Chris Murray, I don't think they're close to an NCAA tournament team. I don't even think they're an NI team without Chris Murray. But he made the decision to come back.

He's going to come back for another season. He's going to be the guy, and all of a sudden you put a team around him. A lot of the names that we know from a year ago. Patrick McCaffrey, huge step forward as the season went on a year ago. Became a better defender. Became a smarter basketball player. Understanding the game, I think, at a higher level and getting those minutes and getting that confidence to play at the Big Ten. Tony Perkins, he has a chance to be a star. What we saw from him a year ago, the development after he was thrust into the starting lineup, Bohannon went back to point, Perkins went to two-guard, but remember, Perkins played point a lot with Bohannon out there late in the season. He was running the team often, and I think that's nice to have as a backup plan in case Aaron Uless is not ready at point guard, in case you don't see the freshman,

DeSante Bowen, come in and be ready to go right away. I don't think it's anything where Tony Perkins is going to be playing 20, 25 minutes a game at point guard, but in a pinch for 10, 12, 14 minutes, and maybe some of the most important minutes? Can Perkins be that? I think he is that good. Phillip Rabracha, he is what he is. He's an undersized guy playing setter out there. He gives you effort. He's got some skill to his game, but he needs help. It's got to be one of the big guys.

You have to see Riley Bolte. You have to see big Josh Agundale. One of those guys needs to take a leap this year if Iowa's going to ascend and not just be a tournament team, but be a team that can make a run. The other part, it could be matchups. Look, Iowa could get into the tournament this year as an 11 seed, and things could open right up for them, right? You play a 6 seed, that's okay.

The 3 gets knocked off by a 14. Weird things could happen. You have to also remember that. It's not all in a vacuum. There are different circumstances that happen. Am I picking I would be a Sweet 16 team this year? I'm not. Am I picking there would be a tournament team this season?

I absolutely am. I believe Fran McCaffrey has put the program in this spot, and he deserves the respect that he has shown an ability to get teams that bigger question mark certainly than this team and get them to win. Anything can happen. A bracket can open up or you can lose to a crappy Richmond team. Know what your team is up against across the Big Ten with Locked On Big Ten. Every day, host Nate Dickinson and the local experts on Locked On

take you across the Big Ten in 30 minutes. Make Locked On Big Ten your second listen. Locked On take you across the Big Ten in 30 minutes. Make Locked On Big Ten your second listen. Locked On Big Ten. Back with you later in the week. Thanks to our great sponsors today, including LinkedIn, Built Bar, BetOnline, and Rock Auto. We're off and running here on the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. I'm Trent Codd.

Until next time, go Hawks.