Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - Reese Van Der Zee's FULL Recovery Could UNLOCK Iowa's Passing Game | Is the Breakthrough Coming?
Episode Date: October 29, 2025Iowa Hawkeyes football coordinator press conferences reveal Jeremy Hecklinski's emergence as the clear backup quarterback and potential 2026 starter. Could his dynamic playmaking ability keep Iowa out... of the transfer portal next season?Tim Lester breaks down why Hecklinski's off-script capabilities give him the edge over Hank Brown, while also addressing Mark Gronowski's knee limitations affecting deep ball accuracy. Phil Parker discusses the "violent" young linebacker corps featuring Cam Buffington and the defensive evolution that's transformed players like Xavier Nwankpa and TJ Hall. Lavar Woods compares punt returner Kaden Wetjen to Tim Dwight and reveals Zach Lutmer as a future return specialist.Associated Press beat writer John Bohnenkamp weighs in on Iowa's final four-game stretch, including the crucial Oregon matchup where the Hawkeyes enter as 6.5-point underdogs. Basketball season previews for both men's and women's teams round out the discussion, with Bart Torvik projections placing the women at #23 nationally and men on the NCAA tournament bubble.Discover why Iowa's coordinators believe this team is positioned for a strong finish and potential playoff push.
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                                        We hear from the Iowa football coordinators and give you a look at why this Iowa team
                                         
                                        can run the table and make the college football playoff.
                                         
                                        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 Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
                                         
                                        We are your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast.
                                         
                                        I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio here in the state of Iowa.
                                         
                                        You can hear me currently on the Iowa Sports Radio Network each weekday from noon to two with stations in Des Moines, Iowa City,
                                         
    
                                        Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities, and Sioux City.
                                         
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                                        your first purchase.
                                         
                                        Today we're going to take a look at basketball.
                                         
                                        Yeah, the season begins next week.
                                         
                                        We'll take a dive into that for you and give you expectations for this basketball season.
                                         
                                        John Bowencamp will also join us from the Associated Press on the Iowa beat.
                                         
    
                                        His thoughts on Iowa football.
                                         
                                        We begin today, though, with the conversations from yesterday, as we heard from the coordinators for Iowa football.
                                         
                                        A look at the conversations and some pretty interesting nuggets from all of the three coordinators.
                                         
                                        Of course, Phil Parker with the defense, a longtime D.C., LeVar Woods,
                                         
                                        what he's doing with the special teams.
                                         
                                        And finally, a look at what we heard from Tim Lester.
                                         
                                        In fact, let's go in a reverse order from the way that we heard from the guys yesterday.
                                         
                                        And let's start with the offense.
                                         
    
                                        And it is the offense.
                                         
                                        A lot of quarterback talk in there.
                                         
                                        And a couple of things that we gleaned after the conversation with Tim Lester.
                                         
                                        Now, I think one of the first things that we saw late in the dominating win against Minnesota
                                         
                                        over the weekend is getting to see, though it was just for six snaps in the football game.
                                         
                                        our first extended look at Jeremy Hecklinsky.
                                         
                                        We saw him run the ball in for the touchdown.
                                         
                                        You know, it goes hand in hand with something that we've been saying for a while here
                                         
    
                                        on Lockdown Hawkeyes is after the change was made at the backup spot going into the game
                                         
                                        against Wisconsin with the by week.
                                         
                                        We saw the or next to the name of Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski.
                                         
                                        It led us to believe that there was something to it.
                                         
                                        And when the question came up, one of the things that Tim Lester mentioned most was
                                         
                                        that he's practicing well.
                                         
                                        He's doing the things.
                                         
                                        He's stacking it up.
                                         
    
                                        And one of the things that I really like that we heard is him off script.
                                         
                                        We've seen now in these two years of the new offensive coordinator with Tim Lester,
                                         
                                        that this offense looks much different.
                                         
                                        And it looks different because, A, play calling is better.
                                         
                                        Scheme looks much better.
                                         
                                        It's a system that makes sense.
                                         
                                        The run game has improved immensely.
                                         
                                        And that goes hand in hand with good running backs, a running quarterback,
                                         
    
                                        and, of course, an offensive line.
                                         
                                        But I go back to that middle point.
                                         
                                        the running quarterback
                                         
                                        and what we saw last year
                                         
                                        when Sullivan got in there
                                         
                                        and this is a guy
                                         
                                        who's extremely fast
                                         
                                        played loose
                                         
    
                                        sometimes a little reckless
                                         
                                        but a guy
                                         
                                        with elite athleticism
                                         
                                        at the quarterback position
                                         
                                        and then he go into this year
                                         
                                        and you see a guy
                                         
                                        and Mark Grinowski
                                         
                                        and in terms of Ross speed
                                         
    
                                        he's certainly not
                                         
                                        Brendan Sullivan
                                         
                                        but what he is
                                         
                                        is powerful dynamic
                                         
                                        and a different kind of runner
                                         
                                        of what he's doing
                                         
                                        in the running game
                                         
                                        and the numbers that he continues
                                         
    
                                        to stack up
                                         
                                        So to see now Iowa being able to do it with two different athletic quarterbacks,
                                         
                                        running quarterbacks, but different kind of runners, I think gives you excitement.
                                         
                                        Because Hank Brown is more of your prototypical pocket passer.
                                         
                                        Yes, he's more athletic than a Deacon Hill.
                                         
                                        Hopefully he can move around better than a limited physically Cade McNamara,
                                         
                                        but he's not going to be a guy that can wow you with his legs.
                                         
                                        Jerry Henskinsky, though he is listed at 5-11, and he's not that,
                                         
    
                                        he's a little guy he can do things with his feet and we've seen how a running quarterback has
                                         
                                        unlocked a lot more to this Iowa offense yes we want to see the passing game approved yes
                                         
                                        we want to see the throw the ball around and be able to at minimum check it around for 200 yards
                                         
                                        a game we're still not there we'll talk about that a little bit more but jeremy heckglinsky
                                         
                                        is that guy that gives you that opportunity jeremy hicklinski is that kind of quarterback
                                         
                                        when he looked to the future that has the dynamic with his leg
                                         
                                        that he can do things.
                                         
                                        Now, he also talked about processing.
                                         
    
                                        What thing that Tim Lester mentioned
                                         
                                        when he's talking about Hank Brown versus Hecklinsky
                                         
                                        kind of going forward is Hank is good when the picture is clear.
                                         
                                        When he goes off script, though, things are not as good.
                                         
                                        And Hicklinski is a guy that can move off script.
                                         
                                        I like that.
                                         
                                        I like that dynamic in a quarterback.
                                         
                                        And I think for the way that Iowa is built,
                                         
    
                                        having a guy like that certainly makes a whole lot more sense
                                         
                                        and what you're hoping for, I believe,
                                         
                                        going forward at the quarterback spot.
                                         
                                        going forward I just want to see somebody that can move somebody that can use their legs
                                         
                                        that is such a big part of what Iowa is and their identity and it's crazy that we had to go
                                         
                                        the better part of a decade and a half before we had a guy like that me go back after brad banks
                                         
                                        and they tried they brought him a cullen from south carolina and they used him a little bit
                                         
                                        of quarterback and they did some wildcat things and some different things they brought
                                         
    
                                        and Marvin McDutt. He ended up as a wide receiver. They've tried, but it just hasn't hit.
                                         
                                        And in today's environment of football, having that quarterback that can move is such a huge
                                         
                                        step forward from what we've seen in the past. A couple other things from Tim Lester talking about
                                         
                                        Mark Grinowski and just how smart he is, the ability to check into play, something that they
                                         
                                        hadn't done a whole lot of year ago, getting them into the right situations. He said when he does
                                         
                                        make a mistake. He rarely has to correct him because Grinowski already knew what went
                                         
                                        wrong. I thought maybe the most interesting dynamic, though, was him talking about some of the
                                         
                                        misses. In Grinowski, he talked a little bit about because of the bad knee that he's playing
                                         
    
                                        through at this time. He has to control his front leg a little bit more, and that has led to those
                                         
                                        overthrows that we've seen a couple of different times. Now with this biweek, now we go back
                                         
                                        to the last buy week, which is crazy three weeks ago. We didn't know if Grinowski was going to
                                         
                                        play against Wisconsin.
                                         
                                        We didn't know if he was lost maybe for the season.
                                         
                                        I mean, those were the kind of questions that were out there.
                                         
                                        And he took a big step forward, and here he is.
                                         
                                        And then he puts together performances that we see, including running for 130 yards
                                         
    
                                        against Penn State and then getting the win in easy fashion last week against Minnesota.
                                         
                                        Grodowski, a lot of good things to come there.
                                         
                                        And you wonder, with a little bit more health, maybe that accuracy can improve something
                                         
                                        that came out from Tim Lester.
                                         
                                        Let's jump next to the defense and Phil Parker.
                                         
                                        I thought it was interesting, again, with these two bye weeks this year.
                                         
                                        Phil was happy that they only have one, so he only has to talk to the media once on next season.
                                         
                                        I got a kick out of that one.
                                         
    
                                        But he said the last by week they used more as an evaluation period, evaluation of what they were doing, some of the things.
                                         
                                        And we've seen these improvements defensively the last three weeks.
                                         
                                        Just how much better this defense is.
                                         
                                        And we certainly talked about that.
                                         
                                        You every day, our listeners, know about that one.
                                         
                                        But this week, he said they're going to use now more a self-scout.
                                         
                                        I thought that was an interesting dynamic and looking at some of the things that they're doing,
                                         
                                        going under the hood themselves, and what a perfect opponent to do that,
                                         
    
                                        maybe come up with some new wrinkles against his very talented Oregon team
                                         
                                        that's averaging over 40 points per game.
                                         
                                        He was asked about Zach Lutmer.
                                         
                                        Lutmer's going to come up as well when we get to special teams.
                                         
                                        But when he was talking about him, you could tell there was a little twinkle in the eye of Phil Parker.
                                         
                                        Phil Parker brought up Lutmer before we had seen him on the field.
                                         
                                        This was a guy that kept coming up early in his career.
                                         
                                        And what he talked about was the ability to diagnose things early to play different positions,
                                         
    
                                        the ability to play five different positions,
                                         
                                        diagnose things, a guy that can swing back and forth between cornerback, safety,
                                         
                                        cash, he can do all those different things.
                                         
                                        The athleticism, we know, is at a high level,
                                         
                                        but the ability to diagnose.
                                         
                                        And what are the things Phil Parker mentioned on that?
                                         
                                        is he was a guy that was a multi-sport athlete.
                                         
                                        People don't specialize your kids.
                                         
    
                                        If they like a lot of sports, let them play different sports
                                         
                                        because as we see year and year out with Iowa football,
                                         
                                        that is a good thing.
                                         
                                        Another thing that I loved from Phil Parker,
                                         
                                        he was asked, we saw Cam Buffington with the interception,
                                         
                                        saw him play a lot in the game,
                                         
                                        Preston Reese, Derek Weiss got those three redshirt freshmen
                                         
                                        that we've talked about a ton.
                                         
    
                                        And he used the term and he said he hates to say it,
                                         
                                        but I think it's the right one.
                                         
                                        violent, a violent group of linebackers.
                                         
                                        These young linebackers are going to be turning heads,
                                         
                                        and there is a lot of excitement,
                                         
                                        certainly about them and what they're going to do.
                                         
                                        Some good stuff from Phil Parker on that front.
                                         
                                        I'm talking about some of the young names that were learning.
                                         
    
                                        I was asked about T.J. Hall and his ascension this year.
                                         
                                        We definitely have seen that throughout the course of the year.
                                         
                                        I mean, we go back to a year ago at this time,
                                         
                                        there weren't many guys much more maligned, excuse me, than T.J. Hall.
                                         
                                        and he's putting together a tremendous senior year
                                         
                                        and having that kind of leap forward.
                                         
                                        Another thing he joked about is he didn't want to give Dan Lanning
                                         
                                        what they were going to do for this game against Oregon.
                                         
    
                                        But final thing, we've talked about the blitz packages
                                         
                                        and I was done a whole lot more.
                                         
                                        And another part mentioned that it just feels like they're better
                                         
                                        this year in those blitzes.
                                         
                                        And Phil talked about something that Norm Parker taught him
                                         
                                        is you don't want to just send a guy to send a guy
                                         
                                        to paraphrase, but what you want to do is a guy that can get there.
                                         
                                        Not just generate pressure, but can actually get to where you're going.
                                         
    
                                        Run blitz, pass-back blitz, doesn't matter.
                                         
                                        Get to where you're going and doing it with those guys.
                                         
                                        And Xavier Wampa, he's good at that.
                                         
                                        We've seen these guys, Lutmer, is good at that.
                                         
                                        You want the guys that cannot just apply pressure, but actually get there.
                                         
                                        And they're getting that out of this group.
                                         
                                        Finally, the final coordinator to talk about today is, of course, LeVar Woods,
                                         
                                        the special teams coordinator for the Hawkeyes.
                                         
    
                                        A lot of talk about Caden Weegean, as there should be.
                                         
                                        Weigin putting together another All-American season, as he did a year ago,
                                         
                                        maybe even taking this step further.
                                         
                                        He talked about the fearlessness in, you know,
                                         
                                        complimenting some of the guys that they've had in the past and some of the players
                                         
                                        that he saw both at the NFL level that he's seen here with the Hawkeyes,
                                         
                                        that fearlessness that Caden Weecham plays with.
                                         
                                        Talked about also a smaller guy.
                                         
    
                                        And I know there's been a lot of comparisons, a lot of talk about Tim DeWite,
                                         
                                        as he is in that rarefied air of Tim Dwight.
                                         
                                        what are those two guys have in common?
                                         
                                        They're both yoked and they're both short.
                                         
                                        And he said that that is an advantage
                                         
                                        that's tough to get him down to the ground
                                         
                                        on those punt returns.
                                         
                                        Talked about the future of things.
                                         
    
                                        KJ. Parker's name was brought up.
                                         
                                        Of course, we saw what he did,
                                         
                                        just absolutely obliterating the guy
                                         
                                        on the punt return from Weegean and KJ Parker.
                                         
                                        It's probably going to be a guy in the mix,
                                         
                                        both defensively next year, a cornerback,
                                         
                                        but also a part of special teams.
                                         
                                        But also,
                                         
    
                                        Zach Lutmer came up.
                                         
                                        And speaking of a glean in the eye
                                         
                                        when Bill Parker was talking about
                                         
                                        Zach Lutmer.
                                         
                                        Same thing with Lovar Woods.
                                         
                                        I think that might be your punt returner
                                         
                                        for next season because he said
                                         
                                        kind of looked like a punt return on that return.
                                         
    
                                        Yes, yes, it did.
                                         
                                        Lutmer, maybe a guy that we're thinking about
                                         
                                        going back there and taking over next year
                                         
                                        when we see Caden Weegean depart.
                                         
                                        Finally, the specialist, Drew Stevens,
                                         
                                        breaking the field goal record, but maybe the biggest thing
                                         
                                        is Reese Dakin.
                                         
                                        You go back to a week ago, punt goes into the end zone.
                                         
    
                                        T.J. Hall should have covered that one.
                                         
                                        up. Still, this has not been a sterling year for Reese Dakin. And it's something that we talked
                                         
                                        a lot about in the offseason. Dakin wasn't great last season. Tori Taylor's first year was in
                                         
                                        2020. There was nobody in the stands. He did it in front of 110s and hundreds of thousands of
                                         
                                        people. Not the case for Tori Taylor. And here's year number two. Remember Tori had some struggles
                                         
                                        during that sophomore campaign before tremendous last two years at Iowa. Rees Dakin, it's not a problem
                                         
                                        with his leg. He's got plenty of leg. That consistency, understanding what it takes,
                                         
                                        game in a game out, day in and day out. That's the next step for Dakin. And he's going to get
                                         
    
                                        there. Frustrating, absolutely. Want to see more, want to see better out of Dakin this year.
                                         
                                        I think that's still coming. That consistency is now that next thing. But we saw Drew Stevens
                                         
                                        struggling in the second year. We saw Tori Taylor struggle in his second year. We're seeing the
                                         
                                        same thing for Dakin. Let's hope he can have a November to remember. That does it for the
                                         
                                        coordinator press conferences, by the way, the line is out at Fanduel for next week. Iowa,
                                         
                                        a six and a half point underdog.
                                         
                                        We'll talk more about that on tomorrow's show.
                                         
                                        But coming up next, we go to a guy that was there.
                                         
    
                                        John Bowen camp from the Associated Press, his thoughts on the Iowa press conferences from yesterday.
                                         
                                        Plus, we got some basketball talk coming your way as we continue.
                                         
                                        It is the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
                                         
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                                        Right now, John Bowencamp Associated Press as we recap,
                                         
                                        the coordinator's press conference was from yesterday in the first five games,
                                         
                                        maybe not all of them of the World Series.
                                         
                                        John Trent, Ken,
                                         
                                        thanks for coming on again this week.
                                         
                                        Good to speak with you.
                                         
    
                                        Let's start with maybe one of the questions that I took,
                                         
                                        listening to Tim Lester,
                                         
                                        and as I think back now,
                                         
                                        the question was posed about Heklinsky
                                         
                                        and some of the buzz that was kind of surrounding him.
                                         
                                        And at the time,
                                         
                                        we just all assumed there would be Hank Brown
                                         
                                        because that's who came in the first time
                                         
    
                                        that the backup quarterback was used.
                                         
                                        But obviously, the Hicklinski
                                         
                                        is opening some eyes and do you get the sense listening to Lester that he's solidified that
                                         
                                        or is it still a competition as far as Grunowski's backup?
                                         
                                        You know, it's probably still a competition, but I think he's got a pretty big step ahead.
                                         
                                        And I mean, you saw the other day, kind of, you know, it laid in the game when he got it, what he can do.
                                         
                                        And, you know, when you think about it where we were back in August, you know, everybody thought,
                                         
                                        okay, Hank Brown's the number two.
                                         
    
                                        Hank Brown has gotten some game time.
                                         
                                        Now the sudden, Jeremy Hicklinski's there, and he's getting in like that.
                                         
                                        So I think he's won the job.
                                         
                                        I mean, I think he came in and worked hard, and it's probably been better in practice.
                                         
                                        That's why he's number two right now, and that kind of makes him, you know, the front runner
                                         
                                        when you get to December and get through the end of this season.
                                         
                                        And so, I mean, he came in with a lot of positive publicity, and I think he's a really good quarterback.
                                         
                                        And I think he's been able to grab that number two job.
                                         
    
                                        And maybe your starter for next season, they don't have to dip into the portal again.
                                         
                                        And maybe you can augment that roster and some other areas as there'll be plenty of guys that are moving out.
                                         
                                        And elsewhere, you mean?
                                         
                                        Yes, absolutely.
                                         
                                        Well, there is still some football in front of us for important games for Iowa.
                                         
                                        We know, Mark Garnowski's going to be the guy.
                                         
                                        Health aside, he's going to be them.
                                         
                                        Lester yesterday talked about him saying, no, he corrects himself before I even have a chance to correct him.
                                         
    
                                        But the question was kind of posed, you know, is there is there more out of this passing game?
                                         
                                        I thought it was interesting.
                                         
                                        He said he's still kind of working on that recovery.
                                         
                                        And a part of that is that step through, that follow through it and finishing there.
                                         
                                        Do you think we're going to see more or is this how I was built there still going to struggle to throw the football?
                                         
                                        You know, let's put this way.
                                         
                                        The other day you saw him throw some deep balls.
                                         
                                        And I mean, I do think they want to do that.
                                         
    
                                        It's just a question of can he hit those?
                                         
                                        Can he, you know.
                                         
                                        But, I mean, what he's doing right now is what you want him to do.
                                         
                                        And he's managing the game.
                                         
                                        He's not turned the ball.
                                         
                                        And he's, you know, running the ball, which is, you know, hasn't happened for an Iowa quarterback in a long time.
                                         
                                        So I do think they're going to take some deep shots with him.
                                         
                                        And I do think those will come, but it's just a matter of you've got to keep doing it, you know.
                                         
    
                                        And so, but as long as you're doing what you're doing right now and you're winning, it doesn't become that much of a big deal if he's not hitting those balls.
                                         
                                        because you're doing other good things right now.
                                         
                                        Reese Fanderze, is he all the way back and his workload?
                                         
                                        Do you think it's going to ratchet up here in the final four games?
                                         
                                        Anything on that from Lester?
                                         
                                        No, but I think, well, I mean, I think you saw the other day.
                                         
                                        I mean, you saw the plays he could make.
                                         
                                        And so I do think he is back.
                                         
    
                                        I think he is at that point now, okay, now, you know, you used him the other day,
                                         
                                        you've got something out of him.
                                         
                                        Now what more can you get out of him?
                                         
                                        And so, again, I think this, that passing game and, you know, with Reese Bandercy,
                                         
                                        what do they do with Cade and Weech in here in the next couple weeks?
                                         
                                        Keep using them.
                                         
                                        You know, so, yeah, and exactly, I'm like to find ways to get in the ball.
                                         
                                        And so, again, I think now there's more options opening up right now for this offense as you get out of this off week,
                                         
    
                                        which I'm sure they'll probably work on some things, and then get ready for next week.
                                         
                                        And then you start maybe seeing some, some different things and different wrinkles out of this offense.
                                         
                                        And I think it was just a point of getting Grimowski comfortable, getting Banderzee back,
                                         
                                        now finding out what you can do with Caden Weege and do all those different things.
                                         
                                        And I think that this offense just kind of continues to evolve.
                                         
                                        Listening to Phil Parker yesterday, Phil's dry.
                                         
                                        You know, he's not a guy that's going to give you, oh, look at that quote, those kind of things.
                                         
                                        But you could feel the confidence that is building with him with this group.
                                         
    
                                        And you can see with the players certainly on the field.
                                         
                                        It's just, it's incredible going back to what we saw earlier in the year,
                                         
                                        that first half against Rutgers and what this team is,
                                         
                                        they're whooping people.
                                         
                                        Xavier Wampo looks like a different guy.
                                         
                                        They look like they have a star now in Zach Lutmer on that defensive backfield.
                                         
                                        Montgomery has looked like an improvement in the middle spot
                                         
                                        and the depth that they have a defensive line.
                                         
    
                                        You saw late in the game.
                                         
                                        Yosea Vanessa, he's making plays.
                                         
                                        I mean, he's barely playing at this point in the year.
                                         
                                        It feels like Phil Parker really likes this defense.
                                         
                                        Again, evolution, you know, just like I was talking about with the office.
                                         
                                        office, you're seeing this defense kind of evolve, and you talked about the secondary,
                                         
                                        and you talk about the plays that Xavier Wonk was making, which, again, I'm like, this is the best
                                         
                                        he's played since he's been there. You know, and you, you know, and you talked about Lutmer,
                                         
    
                                        and you talked about the limberies. Look at Cam Buffington the other day, the local guy for,
                                         
                                        for me down here, and South East Iowa made some play, you know, made a play late in the game,
                                         
                                        and he's made some places again. So, again, you're, he's starting, I think, you know,
                                         
                                        again, you're kind of knowing who you can play and who you can.
                                         
                                        trust and what you can do with these guys.
                                         
                                        And so, again, there's an evolution there with this defense.
                                         
                                        And I think, again, it's at its best right now.
                                         
                                        And, you know, you think back to, you know, three or four weeks ago, you know,
                                         
    
                                        they're not making big plays.
                                         
                                        Now they're making big plays.
                                         
                                        And so, again, he's, he, this defense has grown and now he knows what he could do
                                         
                                        with that.
                                         
                                        You mentioned the final four games that they've got left.
                                         
                                        Obviously, Michigan stayed at home and then Nebraska.
                                         
                                        Nebraska looks really bad.
                                         
                                        Oregon if Oregon were to play USC neutral field I think Oregon would win the football game
                                         
    
                                        but just the fact that I was got to go west does that make the Oregon game
                                         
                                        a more of a winnable football game because of that variable do you think I I think
                                         
                                        it makes that say in like the one that you really got to get I don't think you want to
                                         
                                        drop that and then have to go west you know what I'm saying it's like I think you want to
                                         
                                        I think you want to, you hope to get both, but at the very least, the split, well, whatever, you know, because of what you've got it yet.
                                         
                                        But I think that, I mean, again, we always know how Iowa teams travel when they go west and have to play a game, you know, not a bowl game necessarily, but just a regular season game.
                                         
                                        We know what kind of trouble they've come into.
                                         
                                        So I just, that's why I don't think you want to drop that Oregon game.
                                         
    
                                        I think you want to win that game and then go west.
                                         
                                        Now you've got a lot of momentum at that.
                                         
                                        So, again, this is a big stretch coming up to them.
                                         
                                        Hell, yeah.
                                         
                                        A lot of important games.
                                         
                                        What's more likely, John?
                                         
                                        Iowa finishes this thing.
                                         
                                        They go 4 and 0, or they spin their wheels in November, and they go 1 in 3.
                                         
    
                                        What's more likely in your mind?
                                         
                                        1 in 3.
                                         
                                        1 in 3.
                                         
                                        Man, he's calling one of them.
                                         
                                        So you're saying Nebraska, they're going to drop the brass.
                                         
                                        Yes.
                                         
                                        Is that what you're saying?
                                         
                                        I'm going to go with, I think they go 3 and 1.
                                         
    
                                        Well, that wasn't the question.
                                         
                                        You only get two choices.
                                         
                                        So I'm going to lean, I'm going to lean more towards the forenone.
                                         
                                        Yeah, I guess when you put it that way, turn, they almost have to.
                                         
                                        And I, and I hated to be a Hawkeye Homer because that was kind of my thought, too.
                                         
                                        I think that's more likely than one and three.
                                         
                                        Look, four and oh, is still unrealistic.
                                         
                                        Sure.
                                         
    
                                        But it is unrealistic, but if you can get those first two.
                                         
                                        Oh, yeah.
                                         
                                        And yeah.
                                         
                                        So, you know, so like I said, I'm going to lean three and one.
                                         
                                        So I'm going to lean close to the four and oh, is more likely.
                                         
                                        happens, one and three's. I don't see one and three happening. I think this is, this is a really good
                                         
                                        team right now. And I mean, again, health, health is always a situation there that kind of
                                         
                                        determines where this goes, because if you start getting guys hurt and then, you know,
                                         
    
                                        and then, you know, who knows what could happen. But as it's made, as this lineup is made up right
                                         
                                        now, I think three and one, four, and oh is more like. It's fascinating stuff. It really is.
                                         
                                        John Bowencamp joining us, Associated Press for John. John, enjoy the weekend off for you. We will
                                         
                                        We'll talk to you in a couple of weeks.
                                         
                                        Thank you, John Bowen-Camp.
                                         
                                        All right, have a good one.
                                         
                                        Yeah, good to talk to you.
                                         
                                        John Bowen-Camp, Associated Press.
                                         
    
                                        Thanks, as always, John Bowen-Camp for joining us,
                                         
                                        breaking things down as the beat writer for the Associated Press on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
                                         
                                        He is also on the beat for the basketball team.
                                         
                                        Expectations and a new ranking for the Iowa women.
                                         
                                        We'll talk about men's and women's hoops when we come back,
                                         
                                        Locked on Hawkeyes.
                                         
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                                        those surprise fees at checkout.
                                         
    
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                                        Welcome back to the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast.
                                         
                                        Thanks for being with us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes
                                         
    
                                        your first listen every day.
                                         
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                                        So basketball and mention an analytical site that I use often.
                                         
    
                                        Now I use Ken Pomeroy, I use Bart Torvik, Evan Amaya, another one.
                                         
                                        There's a ton of analytical websites that are out there.
                                         
                                        One thing a year ago that I was very happy to say.
                                         
                                        is one of those. Bart Torvik has also added the women to what they do with the analytical site.
                                         
                                        Because though there are so many of those places for men's college basketball hasn't been
                                         
                                        the same number for the women's side. Well, now it's available at Bart Torvik. That is also a free
                                         
                                        website against projections throughout the course of the season. So this is what he has projected
                                         
                                        for Jan Jensen squad in year number two, starting with the number 23 team in the country.
                                         
    
                                        That's right. The number 23 preseason team with his ranking system has Iowa at 20,
                                         
                                        Now here's the thing, though they're 23rd in the country, they're also 9th in the Big 10.
                                         
                                        UCLA at number 2, USC at number 8, 11 for Michigan, 17th for Maryland, 18th for Nebraska, 19th for Ohio State, 20th for Minnesota, and 22nd for Washington before you get to the Hawkeyes again, showing it's going to be a tough year in the Big 10.
                                         
                                        He has Iowa projected to go 19 and 10 overall 11 and 7 in conference play and of course safely into the NCAA.
                                         
                                        Dupley Tournament.
                                         
                                        Hannah Stalky projected to be the top player on this squad this year.
                                         
                                        Has her projected to knock down two three-pointers this year?
                                         
                                        Let's hope that's in double figures.
                                         
    
                                        You know, if she can show that ability to knock down the open three-pointer,
                                         
                                        how much more that's going to open up for her, her ability to drive.
                                         
                                        And then, of course, what you throw in there in the middle with what we saw from Avin
                                         
                                        Hayden, if we're going to get anything of the freshman campaign this year inside for
                                         
                                        Leila Hayes, there's a lot there, certainly that you can be excited about.
                                         
                                        But just something to pile away for a little bit early in the season.
                                         
                                        Iowa will start things up against Southern on Monday.
                                         
                                        He has them projected to win 825, Evansville, Drake, you and I,
                                         
    
                                        all big favorites before they depart down south for their matchup in Baylor
                                         
                                        in their exempt tournament coming up along with Miami.
                                         
                                        So those will be two games, though I was projected also in both of those games.
                                         
                                        Again, should be a fun season.
                                         
                                        On the men's side, Iowa is projected to be on the fringes.
                                         
                                        of the NCAA tournament from Bart Torvik.
                                         
                                        He has Iowa right now projected the 36 team in the country has them projected to go
                                         
                                        18 and 12, excuse me, in conference or overall and 10 in conference play.
                                         
    
                                        I did see that there is an over under further wind total in conference games.
                                         
                                        That is nine and a half that is available out there in the market.
                                         
                                        For Iowa, we know it's about Bennett Sturts, but I can't wait to see Tuesday and what this
                                         
                                        teams looked like we've talked about a little bit the exhibition. In fact, we're going to talk
                                         
                                        about that more tomorrow. Some Nourn Nuggets that I heard from the exhibition game that they
                                         
                                        played the scrimmage game against Texas Tech, a preseason top 10 team in Iowa. Though they didn't
                                         
                                        win it, Texas Tech won that game. Got some news and notes coming in from that one. Since it is
                                         
                                        a by week, we will have a lot more basketball coming up. In fact, we will have that for you later
                                         
    
                                        in the week on one of the shows as we're going to dive in, have some interviews that I've
                                         
                                        conducted when I was there last week for Iowa Basketball Media Day.
                                         
                                        We'll pass those along to you again later in the week.
                                         
                                        That'll do it for today.
                                         
                                        Thanks for being with us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes,
                                         
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                                        For your second listen to the day, make sure you check out Lockdown Big Ten.
                                         
                                        Craig Sheiman breaks down the most exciting conference in college sports,
                                         
                                        the Big Ten, from the rivalries to championships and everything in between.
                                         
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                                        lockdown podcast network your team every day thanks for being with us we'll talk to you
                                         
                                        get tomorrow until then go Hawks
                                         
