Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - RELAX: Iowa Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tourney Case REMAINS STRONG Despite Penn State Shocker

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome back. It's a Hawkeye hangover. Honestly, that loss to Penn State, it sucked. A two point defeat to a 2 and 15 Big Ten team, it hurts bad. But let's be clear, Iowa's still not a bubble team, and there's still work to do in March. You are Locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon, and this is the Lockedown.

Starting point is 00:00:36 Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Lockdown Hawkeyes, your first listen every day, your daily Iowa Hawkeye podcast. I've been covering the Hawkeyes for over 20 years on the radio here in the state of Iowa, including currently you can hear me on the Iowa Sports Radio Network, stations all across the state, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, the Quad City, Sioux City, and our flagship 106.0 in Des Moines. You can hear me each weekday from noon to two. Today we're going to talk a little bit of wrestling later on as the Iowa wrestlers have found their seeds for the Big Ten tournament. The preseeds are out. It does not paint a very rosy picture for Iowa going into Big Ten's.

Starting point is 00:01:15 And boy, how the mighty have fallen there. We'll talk with David Eichold from Hawkeye Insider.com. David's going to join us a deep dive into the women's basketball team as they prepare for the Big Ten tournament. We'll get his perspective on that and talk about the Iowa men with a week in front of them. This week against Michigan in the finale at Carver Hawkeye Arena and then the road trip to Nebraska before their Big Ten tournament begins. I want to talk a little bit more about the Hawkeyes and where they currently sit in the pecking order to be an NCAA tournament team.

Starting point is 00:01:44 And as we've talked about here on Lockdown Hawkeyes throughout the last month or so, talking about the seating projections where Iowa falls and the metrics that paint Iowa still in a very good picture. And I know after the loss to Penn State on Saturday, there was a lot of frustration. And I had frustration, and I'm sure you as a fan had the exact same thing. And a big part of that was just the hope that Iowa somehow some way could move off the 8-9 line in the NCAA tournament. If they win that game, not have to face a number one seed in the round of 32 to get to a sweet 16. And that was a big part of it, I know for everybody. But then when it goes that next step and people, this team's terrible.

Starting point is 00:02:23 They shouldn't even be in the tournament. Look outside of our own borders and look what else is happening around college basketball. And when you do that, you find out that Iowa is still in great shape, even with that loss. And now you stack up another poor loss on the resume along with the loss that they have in Maryland. And you start to because we're so insular. Like we just, we know about Iowa. That's the team that we live and die by. And because of that, we forget what else is happening around the country.

Starting point is 00:02:52 There's no way to paint this other than it was a bad loss. And certainly with what's in front of them this week, we know the difficult nature of this schedule. what's in front of them. Also getting the double buy in the Big Ten tournament. That is going to be incredibly difficult now, as Iowa looking likely the number nine seed in the Big Ten tournament, meaning they're going to have to play an extra game and going to have to take on.

Starting point is 00:03:14 We'll talk about that a little bit later on. The resume as we've talked about in terms of strength of record, wins above bubble, 35, 36, and both of those metrics. The predictive metrics, very good, 24 and 25. A 3 and 7 record against Quad 1, 7 and 1 against Quad 1, 7 and 1 against quad 2. The three victories, the win against Nebraska, that is by far their best, that whole win that they got a couple weeks ago against the Huskard,

Starting point is 00:03:37 coupled with the road victories against Indiana and against Washington. Those are their three quad one victories. The other part, though, is even that Penn State game, it was bad, it was ugly. It's still just a quad two loss. And in fact, it's Iowa's only quad two loss on the resume. Now, they also have another wart and a bigger wart with that road loss against Maryland. that is a quad three loss. And so I get it.

Starting point is 00:04:00 You're saying this team might be in trouble come bracket time because the likelihood is they're going to go 0-2 this week. You had two more losses to that resume. Still, when you go to Bracket Matrix, and that is the website that takes all the bracketologists out there from the Joe Linnardi's of the world to everybody else that you see or the ones that you don't see. You don't know.

Starting point is 00:04:19 They compile them all together over 100 different brackets and it spits out what the average seat is. Iowa is still a number eight. meaning there are 13 teams in or below Iowa currently that are in the NCAA tournament, meaning Iowa would have to fall 13 teams below where they currently are to fall out of the bracket of the NCAA tournament. Now there's going to be some bid these out there. There's going to be things that happen in these conference tournaments.

Starting point is 00:04:46 And we're going to see maybe a team come out of nowhere like at NC State did a couple years ago and then they went all the way on to the final four that season. But those kind of programs, they're going to be out there. they're going to steal some bids. Maybe Miami of Ohio doesn't win the Mac, yet they still get into the bracket. That's another bid thief. We want to stay away from that for the most part. Absolutely, that is something you don't want to see happen. But think of the teams that are still in the bracket and look at their resumes in comparison to what Iowa is. New Mexico, Santa Clara, Indiana, TCU. Those are the final four teams in. And there's still a big gap in teams in between those last teams in and where I. Iowa's resume still stacks up.

Starting point is 00:05:28 The Hawkeyes are fine. Even 0-2 this week, they're going to be fine. They will be an NCAA tournament team, we think. Now, if all these bubble teams, which never happens, that everybody gets hot here, and we see everybody from the four mentioned teams that we just talked about, an SMU and Texas A&M and Texas and UCLA and Missouri, all these teams continue to pile up victories, Yes, then we can start happy. But the likelihood of that is so small.

Starting point is 00:05:59 We're talking about incredibly flawed basketball teams. There's going to be a couple of them that have good weeks here, that put it together, that play good basketball, and are going to bolster their chances to move up. But not enough of them that I was going to fall out of the bracket. One thing I do want to talk about, though, one thing that still sticks in my mind. Now we're going back away, hop in the time machine with me, and go all the way back 12 years ago to the 2014 Iowa basketball. team. You remember that season? Off to a rousing start ranked throughout a big portion of that season. They went on the road beat at the time, third ranked Ohio State. They got a road victory against

Starting point is 00:06:35 Illinois. They had a couple other road victories that season. Things were going great. Iowa was up to number 16 in the country. And then the wheels fell off. They lose five out of six down the stretch. They lose in the first round of the Big Ten tournament to a bad Northwestern team. And they were shipped to Dayton for the first round, the opening round of the N.C. AA tournament. Lost that game in overtime to Tennessee. That stunk. Still, you look at their resume, that team should not have been shipped to Dayton. Now, the committee will tell us that it is the totality of your resume. Down the stretch, final 10 games, final 12 games, those were metrics that were used in the past by the committee. They say they're not anymore, but they are human. And I do have a

Starting point is 00:07:18 sneaking suspicion if things continue to go the way that they are. And if you couple that with Iowa, going out there and losing their first game of the Big Ten tournament, if Iowa loses that, it loses as the number nine seat against somebody bad. Right now it is projected to be the winner of the Oregon-Maryland game. Oregon's got Biddleback. And with that big man in the middle, they're a different team. Maryland, we know. They already beat Iowa this season.

Starting point is 00:07:45 You lose that one, you might be sweating that you're going to get shipped to Dayton. But that is the only scenario. I don't think they're going to fall out of the bracket. I don't think enough is going to happen around the country that is going to make you sweat come selection Sunday. But 2014 sticks in my mind because their resume did not paint a team that should have been shipped to Dayton. It was just what happened at the end of the season that made that play out. We're going to talk about some good basketball. Let's talk about the women after they rack up the number two seed in the Big Ten tournament.

Starting point is 00:08:15 What awaits them? What David Eichold is seen? We'll talk about the squad. Some of the highlights of this squad, Taylor Stremblo, the way that she has stepped forward. She has been absolutely tremendous. Ava Hayden, obviously, what she's been able to do. We'll talk some women's basketball with David Eichold from 24-7 sports and a big quarterback prospect coming up in the class of 2027.

Starting point is 00:08:35 Might be on his way to be an Iowa Hawkeye. We'll talk about that next with David Eichold. Stay right there as we continue, locked on Hawkeyes. What if sports were traded like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robin Hood prediction markets. It's not you against the. house. It's you participating in a live market. You can buy and sell your positions live all game long. Use your sports knowledge in moments that matter. Robin Hood prediction markets changes

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Starting point is 00:09:58 Thanks for coming on. How are you? We're hanging in there, man. I can't wait for daytime basketball for conference tournament season. It's one of my favorite times of the year. But, you know, life's good. We're good, man. This is, like I said, this is one of my favorite times of the year. And, you know, it looks like both teams are going to be a part of it.

Starting point is 00:10:17 But obviously, two aren't very different trajectories at the moment. Yeah, that's for sure. Well, let's start. Ladies, let's go, ladies first. Friend and I were commenting early in the program. You know they'd had a nice year. But then the rankings came out, the top 16, 1 through 16. And there's its Iowa at number six.

Starting point is 00:10:35 That snuck up on me, David. I cold when you think back to that kind of losing street, the kind of losing streak that they had, those tough times, but they've had some really good wins as of late. But Iowa right there at number six, and that snuck up on me. I mean, I think it did need to. I thought they'd be a three seed, you know, maybe more in that 9 to 12 sort of area.

Starting point is 00:10:57 but, you know, you really can't argue with it. I think Iowa, for the most part, outside that three-game losing skid, they've, they've exceed any expectation. I thought their ceiling was a little bit higher than maybe last year's team, but look, Ava Hayden has a legitimate case to be an All-American with what she's on both ends of the floor. You look at even the win yesterday, obviously no Hannah-Solke, Wisconsin, it can't beat Iowa in anything.

Starting point is 00:11:22 Let me throw this stat at you guys. the freshmen on Iowa women's basketball team have not been alive to witness Wisconsin women beat Iowa in basketball. Come on. That's nuts. That's crazy. Iowa has beaten them 32 times in a row. The last time the loss was in 2006. But you just look at 24 regular season wins.

Starting point is 00:11:46 Second seed in the Big Ten tournament. It looks like they're almost locked to be a two seed. And by the way, everybody. on that team besides a few people are young. I mean, the future is so bright for Iowa and what Jan's done. Quite frankly, she's not going to get Big Ten coach of the year. She's not going to get national coach of the year. She probably deserves to getting a little bit more love nationally for what she's accomplished.

Starting point is 00:12:10 And doing it, losing a senior starter and McCabe going down, what they've dealt with throughout the course of this year. Emily Rodriguez was supposed to be a big part of this team. She shut it down after that trip down to Florida. And yet here they are with a potential number two seat in the NCAA. tournament, two seed in the big 10. One player I want to talk with you a little bit, David, is Taylor Sremlo. And we've seen she's always had the flare, right?

Starting point is 00:12:32 She likes to make that, that fun pass behind the back. She's always had that going back to last year as a freshman, but it also a lot of times led to turnovers. And you go back to early in the season, you know, she had a stretch, four turnovers in the opener, had five turnovers in a game against Western Illinois, three turnovers against Miami. That has cut down along with her assist. Is it just her getting more comfortable, understanding her role? or maybe not trying to do the crazy play every single time?

Starting point is 00:12:57 I mean, maybe not trying to do the crazy play every single time, but you have to marvel at the leap that she's made. And let me put in perspective for you. Over the last two games, she has 20 assists to two turnovers, and she's played about 63 minutes of basketball. You sign up for every coach in the country signs up for that. I think what Jam's done with the guards is really interesting because it seems like they're playing chit-chat right more off the ball.

Starting point is 00:13:23 than they were earlier the year. And, you know, I think Taylor Stremlow is capable of playing that one. I think she's capable of playing the off guard. But I also just think it's a total confidence booster with Sremlo. Do you remember last year, like the last 10 games of the year, Shremlo would be completely left wide open. And she would kind of sit there with a deer in the headlights. And state, can I shoot it?

Starting point is 00:13:44 Am I going to get pulled? And that's not an indictment on Jan. But she just looks scared and indecisive. Guys, she's pulling up from the top of the. key with a hand in her face and she's making it. She's driving to the rim. She's shooting 84% around the rim this season. She's not missing those shots. She's pulling up from the mid-range game.

Starting point is 00:14:03 She just looks like a complete basketball player. And once she gets going, doesn't it seem like the entire team is just sort of raring to go. But I also would say this, the confidence her teammates and the coaching staff have had her as long since Ben, since she got in certain the starting lineup. She's a team captain. She's voted team captain over the course of the summer. She's started. She's come off the bench.

Starting point is 00:14:27 And now she's settled into this role. And now you're looking at her saying, you know what? That's a guard and a player that can go win you a games when it matters most coming down the stretch. I want to ask you about Addy deal because we've certainly seen it have a really couple of good games there in that stretch late January. I believe it was she had 20 points in one game. I think she had two 20 point games or some right around there. So what's going on her? Is this a confidence thing for her?

Starting point is 00:14:52 I'm guessing she really didn't struggle. It hasn't really struggled at any level in her life, quite frankly, until she got here. And we've seen that she's been able to fill it up, but it's been a long time since she's been able to do that. What's going on with that he deal? Is this a confidence thing, David? I think it could be a little bit of a confidence thing. But I also believe this. She plays better when she lets the game come to her.

Starting point is 00:15:14 There's been a few times this year where I think she speeds it up. She kind of forces a bad shot. And I do think it kind of translates over. But I do think over the last couple of games, she strung together a couple of good plays. I thought she passed the ball very well yesterday. I ended with three assists. She hit that big three-pointer when Iowa went on that massive run in the third quarter to ultimately put that game out of reach. I just think that obviously the 20-point game, the 18-point game, they weren't flukes.

Starting point is 00:15:41 Addie deal is going to be that good. I expect her to take a big leap next season, not anywhere near what Ava did. But Addie is going to average double figures if she, you know, if she returns to Iowa, which I believe she will. But that's we have to kind of precurs to that, given the circumstances of college basketball. I think it's a little bit of that. I also think it's just understanding the physicality of the women's game. I do think a lot more people are face guarding her. They're kind of hand-checking her a little bit.

Starting point is 00:16:07 And I do think it's kind of working through those frustration, working through the ebbs and flows. And I think once she gets more sets from her and she kind of gets that swagger back, maybe over the course of the stuff, I think she's going to be fine. But I'm with you. I do think it's partially a confidence thing. One more youngster I want to get your thoughts on, and that's the future of Journey Houston, who has started two different times when Stalky's been out.

Starting point is 00:16:29 What do you see her going forward? She's so good around the rim, an elite level rebounder for being under size. She has guard skills. She's 5 foot 11. She's knocked down a couple of three pointers this year. When he kind of looked into your crystal ball and he looked to the future, say,

Starting point is 00:16:43 upper classman, Journey, Houston. What do you see? What type of player is she? You know, I do think it was very smart of Jan and her to buy into that backup for role this season because Jan did say she kind of had to convince her because, like you said, she's a little bit of undersized. I really like her at the three. I think she's shown that she is capable of hitting those outside shots. She's a gritty rebounder. Her physicality inside is very impressive.

Starting point is 00:17:08 I think she's a good defender. But the most important compliment I could give her guys, she's just a smart player. she understands her role. She plays like a junior or senior. She doesn't seem to get rattled. She really pulls up and executes those mid-range elbow jumpers. I just think they have a complete basketball player. Yes, she could do the high-low action,

Starting point is 00:17:29 maybe a little bit more of the high than the actual low. But Journey, I think you could start anywhere at the two-to-four spots. And I do think the big question next season is, well, when you get McKenna Volitchko, you're going to have a hard time convincing me that she can't run at the starting four or the three next season. I think Journey and her are going to go back and forth, but I love Journey being the sixth woman off the bench.

Starting point is 00:17:50 I think she's that good. I think by the end of her career, she could be an all-big-10 caliber player. She's just too smart and too meticulous about the way she goes about things. That's been probably the second biggest surprise this season. I still think Chit-Chat-Rite is probably a little bit more of a head. But you have to give credit to Journey for really buying in and executing what chance expected out of her. Let's move to the men's game. They fall to Penn State by a bucket.

Starting point is 00:18:15 on the road. They went into the game as an overwhelming favorite in that game. My take away, David, because we've been, you know, we've been waiting for Cooper Koch, right, to put it together offensively to have one of those games. And you knew he could do it because you've seen him do it leading up to this point. Not only is he making his threes, but that underhanded, left-handed layup off the glass was just a thing of beauty. I thought we were going to reconvene here on Monday be talking about the Cooper Koch game. sadly that wasn't the case as they fall to Penn State. He was really good, but the story was Penn State beating Iowa.

Starting point is 00:18:51 I mean, Iowa is who they are at this point, right? I think we all kind of made up our mind. I think they play up or down to the level of competition at times, and I think this group's really struggled against, you know, putting their foot on the throat of inferior teams. I mean, they lost at Minnesota. They shouldn't have lost that game. They lost to a horrible Maryland team.

Starting point is 00:19:10 Then they go on the road and lose the worst team of the Big Ten. there's just some woes. And Ben McCollum, again, I've complimented his transparency with the media and with the fan base. He said, we are who we are. We struggle against games that they shouldn't be struggling against. Obviously, being Cooper Cotch going was big, I thought Bennett was okay in that game. But ultimately, Iowa is being plagued by his same kind of offense. Guard with an explosive first step in Iowa not having the quickness athletically to keep them on the perimeter.

Starting point is 00:19:40 but Iowa doesn't have a true rim protector inside. They got into the paint time and time and time again. And with Penn State, a couple of those three guys, weren't you just sitting there being like, oh, Iowa's not winning this game? This was going to be one of those games. And again, I think you have to get credit to Penn State's quickness athletically.

Starting point is 00:20:01 And ultimately, they made the shots, and Iowa made things a lot tougher than they were supposed to on themselves. Really did. Alvary Fuerreux, had a great game against. Ohio State. And then he had what, back-to-back misses, a couple of turnovers in the game, missed a front end of a one-and-one, a terrible defensive decision. How do you get consistency out of a guy like that?

Starting point is 00:20:22 It's not a skill thing. There's something going on upstairs. How can you coach into Alville, Garris, how to smooth out those rough edges? I mean, I'm going to go back to when I asked Ben about him after his 20-point outing. He said he's just learning. He's finally learning how to win. He's being a winning player. He's eliminating those losing plays.

Starting point is 00:20:42 He's doing the small things that he's really never had to do. He's thinking team first. He's executing. He's practicing harder. All these sort of things. And, you know, I hate to be the Debbie Downer of this year. That's going to pay dividends the next season. I don't know if you're going to be able to get consistency out of him for the remainder

Starting point is 00:20:58 of this season. But I'll go back to another guy who I thought was very good under Fram McCaffrey in that one year to year one leap to year two. How about Philip or Bracha? He ended up being a 13-wall big 10 guy. It's undersized post. It did a lot of good things. I think Alvaro can take a similar leap next season if he comes back to Iowa with Ben McCollum.

Starting point is 00:21:18 Because as you said, it's not a skill issue. It's not a talent issue. It's about learning how to win. And I still think right now he's learning how to win. And one other takeaway, I want to mention really quick, not about Alvaro, but about the game. I thought it was one of the few, few times that will happen where Ben McCollum got out coached. I just don't think he put together a great second-half game plan, substitution-wise, or anything else like that.

Starting point is 00:21:44 Again, I might not say this for the rest of the year. I might not say it all next season. I thought it was the first time Ben McCollum did not look like Ben McCollum. I think that's absolutely fair. I do. We talked about that earlier, just Hausson, the fact that he hadn't played, and then movie's getting 15 minutes. Howard's not getting, I don't think enough minutes,

Starting point is 00:22:02 Tate Sage, likewise, but it was what it was. So when you think back on this, what is Iowa do? How do they, I guess, flush it and look forward to maybe one of the best, maybe the best team in the country in Michigan? What are you looking for this week out of this Iowa group as they try and regroup before Michigan comes to town? I mean, you have to flush it because if not, you're going to get absolutely trounced. Again, I know Michigan lost to Duke.

Starting point is 00:22:32 Michigan's been my number one team all year long. I think they're beyond complete, obviously losing their backup point guard probably the best backup point guard in the country is a big loss for them. But this is not a good matchup for Iowa. And if you're Iowa and you can't get up this week for two top 10 teams, Ben McCollum be the first one to tell you, you probably shouldn't be playing high level basketball. You have to flush it.

Starting point is 00:22:54 You have to learn from it. And Iowa needs a gritty defensive effort to stop the size and skill combination of Michigan. Because regardless of the disappointing losses, guys, and I know people want to overreact, Iowa is going to the NCAA tournament. there's still a lot to play for. The bubble is garbage this season. They're arguing for a 15 and 14 Auburn team to be in. I was going to make the tournament.

Starting point is 00:23:17 You just settle down, take a step off the ledge, and I still think, given everything, Ben McCollum and his team, I still think it's been a successful year one, despite the lows being, I would say, pretty low. And we're still talking about, you know, get away from that eight, nine game. Well, maybe they've done it. Yeah, now they'll go to a 10 seat.

Starting point is 00:23:36 And maybe that'll give them a best. chance of a pole net out sitting around to 32 or you never know we've seen 15s knock off Can they fall to an 11 and play in the playing game? Is that asking too much? Well, you don't have to play the playing again either. That's true. There's two spots. Can they fall that far?

Starting point is 00:23:52 I mean, if they get embarrassed by Michigan, get embarrassed by Nebraska, early out in the big 10th. Lose to Maryland or Oregon, who would they play coming out, they're the nine seed. They play one of those two teams. Maybe. I don't know. Much rather play a six than taking them a chances against a three. Right. But you just don't want to fall to Dayton.

Starting point is 00:24:10 The only way I think it's possible is, remember, if they play, if Iowa plays Oregon, Oregon still might be a quad three game at that time, and I think they're getting Nate Biddle back. Yeah, Biddle's been back. I don't think you want to play Oregon with the middle. He's a hell of a player. He's a hell of a player. One more from me, David, and over to the football side of things. I know you guys always have recruiting news over at Hawkeye Insider.com. get your thoughts on is it narut the quarterback from over in Illinois? I know

Starting point is 00:24:41 the other guys have him highly regarded you guys a little bit lower as a whole at 24-7 but what can you tell us about the recruitment of the QB who many consider one of the better ones in the class coming up? Let me put this way. He's going to rise on the next rankings of Dave 24-7.

Starting point is 00:24:57 The guy who's named the Alpha Dog, the recent 7-on-7 camp. Yeah, 6'4, 205 pounds, 41 touchdowns in 7A Illinois High school football to two interceptions. Pretty good. Versatile playmaker with some Iowa ties. I think a lot more offers are going to come his way. This is a guy that will not take his recruitment into the summer from everything.

Starting point is 00:25:19 I have been told he's going to look to make a decision by the end of April or May. He's already visited Iowa twice and he's going to come back for a visit, I believe, the second week of April of some sort, but his goal, he told 24-7 sports this yesterday, he only wants to take one official visit, and that's the school that he commits to. Isn't that something? Yeah, the other guys have, who did they have him ticketed to

Starting point is 00:25:44 and then have done an about face? And now, I think I was the favorite now. Do you know which way he was leaning or the speculation was he was leaning? I would say this. If I'm Iowa, I do not trade spots with anyone right now. How about that? How about that?

Starting point is 00:26:00 That'd be a big one. I'm not saying it's a done deal. No, no, no. It was in a phenomenal spot. Well, for a QB of that size, no stats, 41 and 2. And the scouts like him. Yeah, good. David Eichol, we like having him on.

Starting point is 00:26:13 And we do, not weekly, certainly every other week. David, thanks for popping on. We appreciate it. 24-7 sports, hawkeye insider.com. David Eichol joining us, David, thank you, man. Have a great rest of your week. We'll talk to you down the road. See you, pal.

Starting point is 00:26:27 Always appreciate you guys. Thanks. Thank you. David Eichold. As always, thanks to David, for his time. A lot of good information. Some good possible news on the horizon at the quarterback spot for Iowa football. Definitely love the sound of that.

Starting point is 00:26:41 We continue here, Lockdown, Hawkeyes. Time to jump into some wrestling. The precedes are out for the Big Ten. We'll get into those. It does not paint a very good picture for Iowa wrestling and it will be a difficult path to certainly get all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. That's coming up here as we continue on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Workplace chaos. Deadline stacking up.

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Starting point is 00:29:21 Fanduel, play your game. Back with you one final time on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for being with us, as always, of making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day. So here we are on the precipice of the Big Ten wrestling tournament. And as we talked about with the women's basketball tournament, next week the men will be in action for the Big Ten tournament. It's a fun time of year. We got a lot going on. And certainly it is with the busyness.

Starting point is 00:29:52 You get some good stuff. But one thing that has been frustrating this year has been what we've seen on the wrestling mat out of this team. We talked about this last week. And you can always go back on your daily Hawkeye podcast here, locked on Hawkeyes, and find all the different conversations we had. We talked a lot on Friday about the potential of making a move and moving on from Tom Brands and bringing new life into the program.

Starting point is 00:30:16 And when you get the precedes that came out today, it again just reinvigorates those conversations. So you go through. Dean Peterson, the 8C comes in from Wreckers, successful guy, lost in the blood round. Has he improved? Not really. Drake I.L. gets a number five seed, and maybe that was a big surprise. One of the bigger surprises to be just because of all the Ls. Now, also, to Drake Iela's credit, it's not like he's losing to a bunch of steps.

Starting point is 00:30:46 He's lost only two good wrestlers throughout the course of the season. He's the number five seed. And 41 to Sir Bailey, the number four seed. Bailey in and out of the lineup, one of the transfers and one of their big money acquisitions that they got out of the portal from Arkansas Little Rock. 49. There's rider block. He's an eight. eye opener 57 not Williams it's Victor Voinovich

Starting point is 00:31:10 who is the number 10 seed no surprise 65 he got Mikey Calliando he sits as the number two seed number three seed for Patrick Kennedy the number eight seed this was a surprise was Angela Ferrari now we haven't seen Ferrari on the mat in quite a while and that is a reason behind it still plenty work to be done and you think of

Starting point is 00:31:28 what a quarter final round matchups going to look like likely for him he's going to get the number one seed 97 game Ardle and he is the number 13 seed. And then Ben Keeter. One of the most accomplished wrestlers and certainly one of the more accomplished big wrestlers

Starting point is 00:31:45 when you're going back to the youth circuit, what he did on the world scene as a teenager. And now you see a season that has been a disappointment. And you see him as the number 10 seed in the Big 10 tournament.

Starting point is 00:32:01 If you would have told me that just a couple of short years ago, I would have thought you were Absolutely crazy yet, here we are. A lot of work. Penn State, the overwhelming favorite again. Iowa, what's a success this weekend? I mean, the success, the most way you're hoping for is all 10 guys make it to nationals. Would you consider a top four finish success in this Big Ten tournament?

Starting point is 00:32:28 I think you'd have to, which is absolutely crazy to say that that's where a realistic expectation is with this group, a top four finish. And I think that's going to be a stretch. I saw Flo had the projections and taking out bonus points, just advancement points. If it plays out according to C, and I would finish seventh. Seventh to the Big Ten.

Starting point is 00:32:51 That's where we are. Very difficult to swallow, certainly, for Hawkeye Wrestling fans. That'll do it for today. Back with you tomorrow on a Wednesday edition. We will get you set for Iowa, Michigan on the hardwood. Take a peek forward. and we got a lot of other news and notes coming your way here as we do each and every day on Locked on Hawkeyes. Hey, if you listen to us every day, we got a little bit more for you as well.

Starting point is 00:33:12 You can join our Everydayer Club. This is an opportunity to get the same podcast you get every day, but get it ad free. That is the Everydayer Club. Plus, we have members-only Discord access that goes to you, a lot more that comes your way as well with our Everydayer Club. It's an opportunity for you to support what we do for you each and every day here on Lockdown Hawkeyes. and for you to get it ad-free. Just go to locked-on hawkeyes. Dot supercast.com,

Starting point is 00:33:38 see if there's a plan that makes sense for you. That's locked-on hawkeyes. dot-com. Have a great day. We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Until then, go hawks.

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