by Brandon Hurley
For those of you that weren't able to witness the basketball game that took place at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday evening, you missed out on one of the more gritty performances of the season. The Hawkeyes pulled out an overtime victory against the Michigan Wolverines, 70-60. The clear cut player of the game was sophomore Jake Kelly, who had a breakout type performance with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists and only two turnovers in 45 minutes of play, gaining Big Ten player of the Week honors.
He nearly had a triple-double and completely took over the extra period, accounting for nine of the 15 points. Kelly has really seized the opportunity to play point guard while fellow sophomore Jeff Peterson sits out with a sore hamstring. Over the last two games he is averaging a cool 21 points during that span. This team has made a lot of noticeable improvements the last four or five games. Without a true point guard leading the team, Iowa was able to beat a Wolverine squad that has beaten Duke and UCLA. The team played solid defense throughout, with Kelly shutting down super sophomore Manny Harris, refusing to let himself to get crossed over.
This was a bit of a turning point game for the program, especially for Kelly. Even though they blew an early 12 point lead, the Hawks were able to stay within striking distance the entire game, and even came back from a four point deficit with a minute left. I was impressed with how the team dealt with blowing a lead and the Wolverines hitting a few clutch three pointers. When Michigan hit a three with a little over a minute left to go up by four, I personally had doubts that the Hawks could pull this one out. But to the surprise to most of the fans at CHA, they tied it up with four clutch Matt Gatens free throws and pushed the game to OT. Once it got to that point, the Hawkeyes never looked back.
The state of the program after this victory looks bright, even though many fans refuse to believe so. This team has been plagued by suspensions and the injury bug all year. They lost freshen sharpshooter Anthony Tucker to academic suspension and senior big man Cyrus Tate has been hobbled by an ankle sprain just as he was hitting his stride. And Peterson was really developing his jump shot before he tweaked his hamstring at Wisconsin. Heck, Jarryd Cole has just now reached 100 percent health after sustaining an ACL injury last season. He is good for eight points and six rebounds every game from here on out.
If you are able to take a glance at the roster for next season, you will notice that we only lose one key component to the team in Tate. Other then that we have everyone returning and we gain high school commits Eric May and Brennan Cougill to fill that void. By this time next year I think you will be hearing people throwing around Kelly's name as one of the best players in the Big Ten. With another year under their belts, the group of Gatens, Tucker, Peterson, Cole, Aaron Fuller, Devan Bawinkel and Jermain Davis, will be pleasantly surprising everyone. We will have three top notch shooters in Gatens, Tucker and Bawinkel and Kelly and Peterson will be forces taking the ball to the rack along with Cole and Cougill picking up the scraps from missed shots. Give this team a break, and watch the Hawks finish strong and be looking forward to next season. Head coach Todd Lickliter is doing all he can with the little pieces he has and I think everyone needs to cut this team some slack. Things may look dark now, but by this time next year, you will have forgotten we were dueling in the bottom cellar of the Big Ten.
The Current State of Iowa Basketball
NBA Trade Deadline Grades
by Josh Roth
Chicago Bulls –Sacramento Kings-Portland Trailblazers
Bulls : Brad Miller and John Salmons
Grade: A-
Comments: There are a lot of good aspects about this trade for the Bulls. First they are able to dump some salary for the big free agent year of 2010, the big salary big that of Andres Nocioni. They were also able to get a better post player for the system that the Bulls run. Is Brad Miller great? No, but he is a better defender than Drew Gooden, a better post offense (again not great, but solid), and a smarter player. As for John Salmons they are able to get a longer guard, a solid scorer, and solid defender. It also helps them out for next year, when Ben Gordon becomes a free agent, which if the Bulls front office has any intelligence will not re-sign him. John Salmons is not only a good back up plan for Ben Gordon, but he can play both the guard and small forward position.
Kings: Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Ike Diogu, Cedric Simmons
Grade: C+
Comments: I am confused at what the Kings are trying to achieve in this deal. I like Andres’s intensity and defense, but he has a long and somewhat expensive contract and for a team that won’t be winning anytime soon. I don’t see how this helps their future, plus they bring in Drew Gooden who is not very good defensively and doesn’t have a true post game, but who knows maybe he can turn things around in Sacramento, but I doubt it. The one good thing however, is that Drew Gooden becomes a free agent next year, so even if he doesn’t produce they get an expiring contract.
Trailblazers: Michael Ruffin
Grade: C
Toronto Raptors-Miami Heat
Raptors: Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks, and Cash
Grade: B+
Comments: I like the deal here, they bring in a much needed defensive small forward with length. It also allows for Andrea Bargnani to get more minutes and play alongside Chris Bosh. Jermaine O’Neal just didn’t seem to fit into the Raptors system and now if they can play more of an up-tempo game, I think they can make a legitimate run to the playoffs. It may be tough to get there, but I think this trade will help them and who knows maybe they can bring back Marion at a reasonable price next year and get back to playoff form.
Heat: Jermaine O’Neal, Jamario Moon, Conditional Draft Pick
Grade: B-
Comments: I don’t know if I am on board with the majority on this trade. Jermaine O’Neal wasn’t a bad player to bring in, he gives them a solid post player, who will play better defense and grab more rebounds than Beasley at this point, but I hate the idea of moving Beasley to the small forward position. I just see other small forwards around the league having a field day with him and offensively he may struggle as well seeing as his best offensive game is taken bigs of the dribble or shooting jumpers. Now he won’t be able to have that versatility. Second I love what Marion brings to the table and is a huge asset to any team with his defense. I thought they should have tried to work out a deal for a Tyson Chandler type, a true center that can get boards, block shots, and give the Heat much needed size. This could work out if Beasley dedicates himself to playing defense and O’Neal can come close to returning to his old self.
Orlando Magic-Houston Rockets-Memphis Grizzlies
Magic: Rafer Alston
Grade: A-
Comments: I love this deal for the Magic. They needed to fill the void for Jameer Nelson and I believe Rafer Alston can fill it. Now I don’t believe that he completely fills the void, but for what was out there this was the best option.
Rockets: Kyle Lowry and Brian Cook
Grade: B
Comments: An interesting deal for the Rockets. I think they wanted to give Aaron Brooks an opportunity to show what he can do and possibly see if Lowry can have better luck with them than Memphis. Also with McGrady out, they may have felt like they weren’t winning a championship, so they wanted to experiment a little bit with the point guard position. Overall I think it was probably the right move for the Rockets and should give them idea of whether Brooks and Lowry can handle the point or if they need to make a move for a point.
Grizzlies: Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks, and Magic 1st Round Pick
Grade: B+
Comments: I like this deal for the Grizzlies, because all they do essentially is trade their backup point guard for a late first round pick. However, Mike Conley will have to step up and take over, he is now the guy. Plus they don’t take a big hit to the salary cap and Foyle becomes a free agent next year.
New York Knicks-Chicago Bulls
Knicks: Larry Hughes
Grade: B-
Comments: This is not a bad move by the Knicks; they are able to get a shooting guard that could really bring more length and fit well into D’Antoni’s system. As long as he doesn’t whine about his playing time this should turn out to be a solid deal for the Knicks.
Bulls: Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson
Grade: C
Comments: All the Bulls were trying to do here was to get rid of a nuisance. Tim Thomas may give them value, as long as he puts the past behind him (a feud with Skiles in 2006). They also essentially just traded expiring contracts for expiring contracts, so this deal really doesn’t have too much impact for the Bulls, besides getting rid of a guy who didn’t want to be there.
New York Knicks- Oklahoma City Thunder
Knicks: Chris Wilcox
Grade: B-
Comments: This deal gave them a post player that could fit well into D’Antoni’s system. It also could help them make a push to the playoffs and they didn’t have to give up anyone significant.
Thunder: Malik Rose
Grade: D
Comment: The reason I am so down on this trade, is that Wilcox could have netted them Chandler, who in my opinion could have made them significantly better.
Chicago Bulls-Oklahoma City Thunder
Bulls: Conditional 1st Round Pick
Grade: A-
Comments: After the deal that brought in Salmons, it just didn’t seem like Thabo Sefolosha was going to see any playing time. It seems that the Bulls didn’t want to stunt the growth of Thabo, so they shipped him to someone who would give him time. In return they are able to get what will be a late first round pick, which is great value for a little used guard.
Thunder: Thabo Sefolosha
Grade: B+
Comments: I also like the deal for the Thunder. They have a hand full of first round pick and they desperately needed a shooting guard. Currently they had Kyle Weaver starting at the shooting guard position and he was hardly producing anything. I think Thabo can be productive for them and at the very least will give them a solid defender and some athleticism.
Minnesota Timberwolves-Sacramento Kings
Timberwolves: Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown
Grade: B-
Kings: Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth
Grade: C
Comments (For Both Teams): Pretty insignificant for both teams. Kings get a solid wing player that will bring them a little offense of the bench and Minnesota gets some depth for the loss of Al Jefferson. All contracts are expiring soon so not a whole lot of money being gained on either side, just depth.
Top 3 Winners, Bottom 3 Losers
Winners:
1. Chicago Bulls
Comments: Get slightly better with the additions of Miller and Salmons and are able to clear some cap space for 2010.
2. Orlando Magic
Comments: Get a much needed point guard with the season ending injury to Jameer Nelson. Alston could be a key piece to this team potentially getting to the finals.
3. New York Knicks
Comments: I really liked what the Knicks did here, they really take on any salary for the big 2010 off-season and were able to get players that can contribute and help make a push for the playoffs.
Honorable Mention: Toronto Raptors
Comments: Marion could be a key addition and a nice fit with Bosh and Bargnani, it could make for a pretty good up-tempo team.
Losers:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
Comments: They had a chance to make big improvements to their team and make them better for the future in adding Chandler. He would have given them a great defender and height to a pretty small team, at least in the post.
2. Sacramento Kings
Comments: Taking on Andres Nocioni’s contract was a big no no for a team that will probably have no chance for the playoffs in the years to come.
3. Portland Trailblazers
Comments: Thought they needed to get something for Raef’s contract and failed to do so. Now I am sure it was hard for them to make such a move so I will cut them slack. It just would have been nice for them to add a small forward or point to help them make a deep run in the playoffs.
Honorable Mention: Cleveland Cavaliers
Comments: Thought they may have been able to add an additional piece to the puzzle, but failed to do that, with a good bargaining chip in Wally Szczerbiak.
Evaluation of Other Deals that Occurred Earlier in the Year
Detroit Pistons-Denver Nuggets
Pistons: Allen Iverson
Grade:C
Comments: Good news he becomes a free agent next year. Bad news, they lose a big part of their team in Billups which could lead to them missing the playoffs or getting ousted in the first round.
Nuggets: Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess (Released & Back with Detroit), and Cheikh Samb
Grade:A+
Comments: Turned out to be a fantastic deal for the Nuggets who could wind up getting a home court advantage in the first two rounds. Billups has really changed the complexion of the team and has them playing some defense.
Phoenix Suns-Charlotte Bobcats
Suns: Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley, 2010 Conditional 2nd Round Pick
Grade: B-
Comments: Lost some good defenders, but maybe Richardson can give them more athleticism and a nice running mate for Nash.
Bobcats: Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Sean Singletary
Grade:B
Comments: Able to get rid of Richardson and add some solid defenders and a little bit more quality depth.
New York Knicks-Los Angeles Clippers
Knicks: Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley (Retired)
Grade: A-
Comments: Able to shed salary for the big free agent year in 2010 and get rid of head case.
Clippers: Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins
Grade: C+
Comments: Gained a head case, but could bring them better post offense.
New York Knicks-Golden State Warriors
Knicks: Al Harrington
Grade: B
Comments: Adds a nice versatile player into their run and gun scheme.
Warriors: Jamal Crawford
Grade: B-
Comments: Lose depth, but gain a guy that can shoot and handle the ball.
Beanpot
By Amanda Kusek
If you had the pleasure of listening to my show, Out-of-Bounds, with Evelyn Lau on February 7th, you most likely heard an extensive conversation about this year’s Beanpot hockey tournament. I’m not going to take a lot of time explaining this to you because 1. You should have been listening and 2. There is always Wikipedia (I checked, it’s in there). What I will tell you is that it is a tradition between Harvard, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Boston College. It’s such a big deal that these guys get to play in the Bruin’s very own TD Banknorth Garden. I’m sorry— the GAHDEN.
Hey bro, I know what you are thinking right now. Sound a little like—“Why do I care about a hockey tournament on the Northeast Coast? There’s $2 U-Call Its at ETC. and I’m really only a fan of the Hawkeyes. (LET’S GO HAWKS!)”
But check it out, you can be one of few out here who appreciates hockey and with this knowledge you can one up the guy who claims he “likes all sports.” So sit back, scroll down and pick up some interesting facts about the Beanpot and well, hockey itself.
Matched up for the 57th Beanpot tournament were the Boston University Terriers and the Northeastern Huskies. The Terriers entered their first game against the Harvard Crimson with amazing odds. The powerhouse Colin Wilson was leading the Hockey East conference in scoring and their coach Jack Parker was basking in the glow of an 800th win. Though the Crimson managed to pick off the Terriers early on last year, it wasn’t the case for 2009. BU won 4-3.
The Huskies absolutely plowed through Boston College in their matchup winning 6-1. The Huskies, though coming in during an amazing season, were historically the underdogs only winning 4 of the 57 tournaments played to date. (BC managed to redeem themselves in their match-up with Harvard winning 4-3.)
Northeastern entered the game ranked as No. 3 with a record of 17-6-2 and Goalie Brad Thiessen who, at the time of the game, was ranked 8th in the NCAA with a .934 save percentage. Thiessen went on to win the Eberly Award as the top goalie of the Beanpot.
The Huskies managed to leave the first period with a tied game. BU was down a player because Luke Popko was sent into the box for boarding. (For all you hockey illiterate, the “box” refers to the penalty box and boarding is called when a player pushes another into the boards of the hockey rink while the player is facing the boards. See? Hockey does have rules.) McLaughlin scored on a rebound with 26 seconds left in the period.
The second period came to be the last in which Northeastern managed to score—surely leaving Northeastern fans sitting sore for the remainder of the game. McNeely made this goal on an empty net much to the chagrin of BU goalie Kiernan Millan.
It was all downhill from there for Northeastern. BU managed to score twice in the second period and twice more in the third leaving the final score 5-2 BU. This was Terrier’s 29th Beanpot win putting them at the top followed by Boston College with 14 wins, Harvard with 10, and of course Northeastern, at 4.
As a rabid or avid (whichever) fan of Northeastern Hockey, I was sorely disappointed by the loss. This now gives my co-host, Evelyn Lau, bragging rights for quite sometime seeing as she is sooo into BU. Next year, Huskie fans, next year. Besides, wouldn’t you rather be a Huskie rather than a Terrier? A little bit cooler, a little bit bigger.
Of course, nothing beats a Hawkeye. Though many of my alliances lay with the Northeast (my homeland) I am a Hawkeye. Now football fans, maybe you can start to appreciate Hockey? At the very least, it’s another excuse to get drunk and start a fight.
We're Back!
Welcome back to another excellent semester of KRUI Sports Programming! We have added 3 new shows this semester in addition to the shows we had last semester, bringing us to a total of 8 - and giving us a show on all 7 days of the week for the first time in quite a while.
We have also added new members to our on-air staff and are also introducing our off-air staff of about 25 sports analysts who will be covering various Iowa sports throughout the semester.
We now run one show on every day of the week, be sure to listen in:
Weekend Programming
Friday: 2:00-3:00 PM - College Basketball Breakdown
Saturday: Noon-1:00 PM - Sports Issues/Out-of-Bounds Girls Sports
*Saturday shows are rotated every-other-week.
Sunday: Noon-1:00 PM - HawkSmack National Sports Talk
Weekday Programming
Monday: 9:00-10:00 AM - Wakeup Call w/Kiff and Jordan
Tuesday: 5:00-6:00 PM - From the Cheap Seats
Wednesday: 9:00-10:00 AM - Hot Track Sports
Thursday: 9:00-10:00 AM - Sports Talk w/Jeff Pawola
Big Ten (Bowl) Season - We Are Who They Thought We Were
By Jordan Loperena, 1/6/2009
When did this all begin? Was it the thrashing Ohio State faced against Florida in the 2007 National Championship Game? Was it Appalachian State kicking off the 2007-08 season by blocking a last second field goal attempt to knock off perennial national powerhouse Michigan at The Big House? Was it another SEC beatdown of Ohio State in the 2008 Nat...you get the point.
This year's Big Ten football season got off to a great start - no one lost to an FCS team opening weekend. Did it really get any better from there? Michigan still lost their home opener but to a potentially undefeated Sugar Bowl champion Utah team. They then went from juggernaut status to a team that loses at home to a poor MAC team (Toledo) that actually replaced their head coach at the end of the season. At least Appalachian State was a defending national champion in their own right. Ohio State got blown out again by another conference's top team in the "Collision at the Coliseum". It was a collision alright - a collision course for Ohio State's dreams of South Beach. Our poor excuse for a 2008 Rose Bowl representative failed to even qualify for a the Motor City Bowl (or any bowl for that matter) - after losing primarily one key player on both sides of the ball (Ra. Mendenhall and J. Leman). Their athleticism and recruiting is still there, no doubt - but their coaching and discipline is about that of a middle of the road Pop Warner team. Knowing one of your players broke his teammate's jaw, not suspending him, then calling his number on a touchdown pass the following Saturday? All do respect, Mr. Zook - what were you thinking? One of our top ranked preseason teams in Wisconsin squeaked by what ended up being a mediocre Fresno State squad then went on to finish 7-5. They did make a nice run to end their season and qualify for a bowl game, but they didn't meet anyone's preseason expectations. Heck, our conference's biggest win all year (Iowa over Penn State) made the rest of the nation happy for eliminating a Big Ten team from National Championship contention.
As if I even needed to get started on the Big Ten Bowl Season, that IS what this piece is about in the first place and I'll kick things off with Mr. Bielema's Badgers.
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL - 12/27/2008
Florida State 42 - Wisconsin 13
In a game that may have started off with the most impressive, consecutive string of three punts (all downed inside the 5 yard line) that I have ever seen by Florida punter (and Lou Groza winning placekicker) Graham Gano, Florida State just took it to Wisconsin. Wisconsin was outplayed by a much more athletic Florida State football team and having bobby Bowden as their coach didn't hurt. A coach many had thought might have lost control of his team, Coach Bowden did nothing but prove that he still knows what he's doing out there and has now outlasted two sons for the moment in the college football head coaching realm. Did we think Wisconsin would win this game? It was hard to tell - Florida was just one of multiple Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde teams out of America's Children's Conference (the ACC) this season. The "Mr. Hyde" in them showed up in Orlando and playing at full tilt, they had no problems with the Badgers.
VALERO ALAMO BOWL - 12/29/2008
#21Missouri 30 - #23Northwestern 23 (OT)
It's safe to say that Northwestern thought they deserved to be playing in a New Year's Day bowl game. It's also safe to make an argument that they belonged in the Outback Bowl at 9-3 over Iowa (8-4) especially since they had beaten Iowa in Kinnick Stadium. Statistically, maybe it made sense but when traveling fans come into play for considering teams for a bowl game, few in the nation compare to Iowa. That being said, no one knew how to pound that chip onto Northwestern's shoulder more than their fearless leader, Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald. One of the Big Ten's bright spots on the year, Northwestern improved from mediocrity in 2007 to respectable bowl game status in 2008. In a game that they were given underdog status, they came out firing on all cylinders, forcing a more athletic (yes, another more athletic opponent) Mizzou squad to have to come from behind to win this overtime thriller, despite great efforts from seniors C.J. Bacher, Eric Peterman, and Tyrell Sutton (who actually played this game with a cast on his arm) just to name a few. Unfortunately, the Big Ten lost out on a great chance for an impressive bowl victory but those Cats from Evanston showed some fight from our conference that most of the nation was not aware of.
INSIGHT BOWL - 12/31/2008
Kansas 42 - Minnesota 21
The Gophers were without a doubt the most improved team in the Big Ten and the nation in 2008 (1-11 in 2007, 7-6 in 2008). However, the way they ended their season hardly makes that claim relevant after losing their last five games of the season. At 7-1, the Gophs were turning some heads, even if it was the kind of turn you try to attempt after waking up with a kink in your neck and you nearly fail to turn your head at all, it was still a turn. Then came one of the more surprising finishes to a game this season as a near-walkoff interception was returned for a touchdown by Northwestern's Brendan Smith. That was the beginning of the end as they would eventually finish their regular season getting blown out 55-0 to Iowa in the Gophers' Metrodome Finale. The Insight Bowl proved to slightly resemble the pattern of Minnesota's season. They were up early on the Jayhawks 14-7. Kansas then managed to tie it up by the end of the quarter, take a 14 point lead by half, and score their 28th unanswered point to take a 35-14 lead at the end of the 3rd. Final score - Kansas 42, Minnesota 21. This game was an interesting matchup as both teams headed in at 7-5 but Kansas found holes in a Minnesota team that had forgotten how to win, allowing Todd Reesing (27/35, 313 yds, 4 TD) and Dezmon Briscoe (14 rec, 201 yds, 3 TD) to have tremendous games. Both will be back in Lawrence next year to give the Big XII North's secondary a workout. That being said, it was disappointing for me and several other members of the Hawkeye Faithful to watch the Big Ten close out 2008 in this fashion while dining at Lee Roy Selmon's Restaurant in Tampa. (Outstanding BBQ by the way - I highly recommend for anyone who visits the Tampa area)
OUTBACK BOWL - 1/1/2009
Iowa 31 - South Carolina 10
Iowa came into this game hotter than almost anyone in the Big 10 and as hot as almost anyone in the nation. The Hawkeyes finished their regular season by winning five out of their last six games to finish 8-4, highlighted by a last-second victory over then #3 Penn State and a 55-0 blowout win to capture Floyd of Rosedale up in Minnesota.The Big Ten's second highest scoring offense and one of their most stout defense's were able to start licking their chops when they found out they were paired up against The Old Ball Coach's Gamecocks. In what was possibly the Big Ten's luckiest matchup of the bowl season, it was the only one in which they were favored in. Down in Tampa, it was apparent that Iowa Head Coach Kirk Ferentz was still running very physical practices and South Carolina Head Coach Steve Spurrier was running practices with a more laid back attitude. This proved to be true to their team's performances on the field as the Hawkeyes began their blowout of the Gamecocks with an opening drive that took up close to half of the first quarter, converting on three 3rd-and-long situations. It didn't take long for the flood gates to open as South Carolina QB and Tampa native Stephen Garcia threw three first-half interceptions (two to Iowa Freshman Safety Tyler Sash)and added a fumble just for fun, helping give Iowa a 21-0 lead at the half. South Carolina QB Chris Smelley replaced Garcia after halftime, completing the first pass of the second half only to have it fumbled away to the arms of the Iowa Hawkeyes' defense, who recorded an Iowa Bowl Game Record 5 turnovers in the game. Iowa led 31-0 after three and went on to win 31-10. This was a great statement win for the Big Ten. Mitch King and Matt Kroul wrapped up outstanding Iowa careers, as did all of the Iowa seniors who played in the game, and Doak Walker Award winner Shonn Green was named Outback Bowl MVP right after declaring for the NFL Draft on the field following the game. Despite South Carolina being the SEC's bowl team version of that crazy relative no one wants to invite to Christmas dinner - the Cousin Eddy of the Griswold Family if you will, the Big Ten needed to beat an SEC team and Iowa did so in fashion.
CAPITAL ONE BOWL - 1/1/2009
#15 Georgia 24 - #18 Michigan State - 12
Michigan State surprised many in this game by leading Mark Richt's Georgia Bulldogs 6-3 at halftime. However, in yet another game in which the Big Ten was outmatched in athleticism, Georgia took control of the game early in the second half and never looked back. Georgia RB and Doak Walker finalist Knowshon Moreno exhibited his outstanding receiving qualities out of the backfield and Matthew Stafford had a solid game as well in what may have been his final game at Georgia. Not quite what Georgia had expected at the start of the season, but a solid bowl win over a quality Big Ten team nonethheless, helping cancel out the SEC's loss to the Big Ten earlier that day in the Outback Bowl.
ROSE BOWL - 1/1/2009
#5 USC 38 - #8 Penn State 24
Well, at least the Big Ten didn't get blown out ... on the scoreboard. Despite only losing this game by two touchdowns, USC took this game over in the 2nd quarter with 24 unanswered points, giving them a 31-7 halftime lead. Penn State's loss of star running back Evan Royster did nothing to help their cause as they struggled to get back into the game. Coming within two touchdowns, Penn State was deep into USC territory in the final minute in hopes of bringing the score within one touchdown but a Darryl Clark thrown interception ended hopes of any kind of miracle comeback. This is probably one of the only times I was disappointed with Penn State all season. Having a chance to score quickly to activate the looming thoughts of a miracle comeback, they failed to do so and killed any hopes of a comeback by completing a short passing play, staying in bounds and failing to stop the clock. Several seconds ran off the clock and this all but ended the game. A poorly thrown ball into the back of the endzone ended hopes of what could have been a very respectable 38-31 final score. Losing 2 of their last 4 games in no way resembled the season that Big Ten Coach of the Year Joe Paterno and the Penn State Nittany Lions put together. Hardly predicted in the top 2 spots of the conference pre-season, Penn State took the Big Ten by storm in 2008, winning the conference and earning a Rose Bowl berth. Not quite the finish they were hoping for, but a much more respectable representation of the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl than the previous year.
FIESTA BOWL - 1/5/2009
#3 Texas Longhorns 24 = #10 Ohio State Buckeyes 21
The last shot the Big Ten had at winning a second bowl game this bowl season fell short in the final minute of the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes gave another valiant effort for an underdog Big Ten team, but came up just short. Creative playcalling and the double threat use of quarterbacks Todd Boeckman (Senior) and Terrelle Pryor (True Freshman) helped Ohio State come back and take a 21-17 lead with just over 2 minutes remaining in the game. While rejoicing for the Big Ten, we all had the though "too much time left on the clock" in the back of our minds. That proved to be correct as Texas used the final 2 minutes of the game to mount an impressive last drive on the arm of Colt McCoy and the hands and speed of WR Quan Cosby. Another disappointing loss for the Big Ten. Although it was a great effort by a Big Ten team to knock off an offensive powerhouse from the deadly offensive Big XII South Division, in the end there were no cigars, no locker room t-shirts, no hoisting of a BCS game trophy for the Big Ten.
We Let Them Off The Hook
It's like beating a dead horse, but there's no other way to lay it out on the table. Once again, the Big Ten underachieved in their bowl season. Yeah, we can all be proud in our hearts for the efforts of Northwestern and Ohio State in games where no one gave them a chance on paper. The rest of the nation, however, does not have the place in their heart for the Big Ten. At least not at the moment. Do they have reason to? I don't see one. Alright one - Iowa. The lone win for the Big Ten this bowl season came out of Kirk Ferentz's bunch from Iowa City. If at the beginning of the regular season, any professional would have predicted Iowa as the only Big Ten team to win a bowl game in the upcoming year - they would have jeopardized their job security and been laughed at. That's just how this year turned out in the Big Ten. One Big Ten bowl victory, an astonishing six bowl losses. The Big East and ACC get their fair share of criticism in their bowl success and sure, they get the "Do they belong as an automatic BCS conference?" talk. No one expects anything too fantastic out of them though. The Big Ten has proven over time that they are annually capable of producing winning teams, competitors, national champions. The ugly fact is that the Big Ten is quickly entering that "Do They Belong?" discussion. Of course they belong. The difference between the Big Ten and the other conferences falling into the "Do They Belong?" discussion is that people have grown to expect so much out of the Big Ten that at the first sign of failure, the conference's credibility is questioned. Right now, the Big Ten still has something to prove. This Big Ten Bowl Season itself, especially in the close and devastating losses suffered by Northwestern and Ohio State (that could have knotted us up at 3-3 and shut up a fair amount of people) proved that the Big Ten is becoming College Football's competitive and feisty little brother. We play our hearts out in the backyard but just can't quite hack playing with the big kids yet. Heading into this bowl season, Iowa was the only Big Ten team favored going into their bowl game and they were the only Big Ten team to win their bowl game. Are we THAT predictable? It seems as if we are. We are who they thought we were, and in our chances to shock the nation and flourish, we let them off the hook.
-Jordan Loperena, Sports Director, KRUI Radio 89.7
College Football Preview 11/30/07
On Today's Show: Jordan Loperena, Ryan Wallace, Ross Wallace, Michael Parent Jr., and Scott Cooley.
The Lickliter Era Begins...
March 23, 2007 is a date that will live in infamy for Hawkeye fans. On that day, Iowa Men’s Basketball coach Steve Alford walked into (or most likely, sprinted into) the head coach opening at New Mexico’s program. Why all of the cardio for Alford? Well, for starters, Hawk fans weren’t big Alford supporters. Alford definitely reciprocated those feelings, calling the University of Iowa “a football school” before leaving. Another huge reason for leaving has to be that this Lobos team he’s coming to is loaded, with four returning starters, while in contrast, he’s leaving his former program with peanuts at nearly every position. It must also be easier recruit to that New Mexico weather, because Alford has what looks to be a Top 10 recruiting class for ’08, with five solid verbals already.
Even with a disliked former coach going to what seems to be bigger and better things, there seems to be a resounding view of optimism for the future of the Hawkeyes’ basketball program. The man that is restoring that faith is the reigning National Coach of the Year, Todd Lickliter. While he wasn’t the AD’s first choice (Bruce Pearl) or the fans’ (Dana Altman, Rick Majerus, Kevin Stallings), he is certainly looking like the best fit at Iowa.
Lickliter’s resume at Butler University was simply outstanding. In his six years at the head coaching position, he led the Bulldogs to a 131-61 record. Most importantly, though, was his postseason success (an area where Alford failed miserably). He reached postseason play in four of his seasons, and took his team to the Sweet 16 twice.
All of the faith in the world, sadly, does not necessarily translate into wins on the basketball court. This upcoming season (starting this Friday at home against Idaho State) is one that will require a lot of patience from the Hawkeye fans. We lost our two best players from last year; Adam Haluska who is playing with the New Orleans Hornets, and Tyler Smith, a talented sophomore who transferred to Tennessee. To add to the obstacles Lick will have to hurdle, his best returning playmaker, Tony Freeman, is going to be out the first 4-6 weeks of the season with a broken foot.
Is it reasonable to think that Lickliter will be able to turn this program into a national or even Big 10 contender this year? No. At this point (until Freeman comes back), our offense can’t compete with most of the teams we’ll play this year. My prediction is that the Hawkeyes will finish 12-18 (7-5 Non-conference, 5-13 in the Big 10). If somehow Coach Lickliter can implement his system filled with hard-nosed defense and team-first offense, I think they could surprise people and finish with as many as 16 wins this year.
If for some reason the wheels fall off of this team, and they end up with less than 10 wins this season, I stress again that that Hawkeye fan-base shows patience. Remember, it hasn’t been that long ago since Kirk Ferentz started his tenure with a 1-10 season, followed by a 3-9 season the next year. Since then, Kirk has been 56-29, with two Big 10 Titles and many postseason accolades. Expect the same from Lickliter’s basketball program, a couple of rough years followed by many good ones. The Hawks are lucky to have a coach of his caliber, and it will be interesting to see where he will take them in the years to come.
- Neal Wiebers, 11/9/07