Hawkeye Report Podcast

It's a rare solo Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert flying solo to discuss the latest news in the world of Iowa athletics.  First we once again pub the Chuck Long Charity Auction that wraps up on Saturday night. You can register and bid at this link: ctcqc.home.qtego.us/ We also give some early pub to the Rally For Reid football camp coming up on June 21st in Davenport. More on that event, hopefully next week.  Now the news of the week. We do a little housekeeping getting everyone caught up on what turned out to be a very busy and eventful week in Hawkeye sports. We first discuss the start for Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. She's being guarded closely and tighter than any player in the league. What should be take away from the start she has had and is there glimpses of progress?  Then we stick with Iowa women's hoops and talk about hte Jan Jensen hire. What did she have to say about recruiting? What about hiring an assistant coach to replace herself on the staff? They will be on the road this weekend, how was tha

EMERGENCY PODCAST!!! Massive news for the Iowa women's basketball program. Lisa Bluder has announced her retirement. That's huge news, but Iowa also announced that associate head coach Jan Jensen will be taking over as the new head coach.  Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann dive into all of this. We start with Lisa Bluder announcing her retirement and try to put her career in perspective. From her humble roots coaching at St. Ambrose to 24 seasons leading the Iowa program, Bluder did it by building a great culture at every stop. We discuss her legacy and how she was able to take the program to a level no one thought was possible going to back to back national title games. We also talk about how it is fitting that Bluder and Caitlin Clark end their Iowa careers together.  Next we look at the immediate hiring of Jan Jensen. It should have been a surprise, but we talk about the quick decison and the impact that decision will have on the Iowa program moving forward. What could be some of the assistant coach options for

A special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. On this show we are joined by J.R. Koch and his son Cooper, who will be headed to Iowa City to play for the Hawkeyes this fall. We catch up with both of them for a joint podcast to discuss Cooper and his development as a player. How does he compare to his father in terms of a game? We discuss Cooper starting to come to Iowa camps when he was in fourth grade and how he eventually earned the full attention of Fran McCaffery, who offered him a scholarship before his ninth grade year. We also talk to J.R. about his relationship with McCaffery and how he actually recruited him when he as at Notre Dame.  We also discuss how J.R. Koch looks back at when he arrived on the Iowa campus. We also discuss with Cooper about how excited he is to get to campus and be with his new teammates in the month of June to start working out as a Hawkeye. 

It's a new Hawkeye Report Podcast and we launch the bidding for the Chuck Long Charity Auction which benefits the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities. Listeners of the podcast can enter a special drawing for gift cards and special gifts by registering and placing at least one bid on an item. Just place an HR (for Hawkeye Report) a space after your name when you register. You can bid at this link.  https://qtego.us/qlink/ctcqc On the podcast, we are joined by our great friend Dan Burich, who was the first emcee of hte auction and he also covered the Hawkeyes for many years in the 80's and 90's. He has plenty of stories about Hayden Fry, Lisa Bluder at St. Ambrose and much more. Plus we tell some other fun media stories as Dan was responsible for Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo meeting each other. After we visit with "The Wildman" we move on to discuss the latest edition to the Iowa football team, quarterback Brendan Sullivan. What are our thoughts on the Hawkeyes adding a quarterback? Do we think the Haw

Even though it's technically the off-season, there's always plenty going on in the world of Iowa football and basketball. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo jump on the podcast this week to discuss all the latest Hawkeye news.  We start with a look at the quarterback situation in Iowa City. Deacon Hill hit the portal last week. Tommy Poholsky joined him on Monday. That leaves the Hawkeyes with just three quarterbacks on the roster heading into the summer. Should Iowa fans panic? Nope. We discuss why Iowa has already been looking to the transfer portal this spring. We also look at why it's not as crowded in the transfer portal so far this spring and why the Hawkeyes will eventually find someone. Also, Iowa is hunting for a wide receiver in the portal. We discuss their main target and look at other potential wide receivers in the portal if they were to miss on their #1 choice. Finally, we look at the scholarship situation for the Hawkeye football team and as of Monday, they are still over the limit. Then we move on t

We take a little bit of a break from Hawkeye news to turn our attention to a very special cause that we love to support each and every year. It's the Chuck Long Charity Auction to help support the Children's Therapy of the Quad Cities. We are joined by our good friend Chuck Long and the President and CEO of the Children's Therapy Center of the Quad Cities, Angie Peterson, to discuss the upcoming event and how by just registering to bid will put you in a drawing for free gifts, even if you don't post a winning bid.  We talk about history of the program, which is celebrating 75 years this year, and we discuss how Long got involved in the event. Then we discuss the bidding beginning on May 10th and wrapping up on May 18th and how you can get involved.  How about some great Hawkeye items that will be up for bid, including a signed helmet from Cooper DeJean, a signed basketball by Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, a 10 year bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, life size cutout of Caitlin Clark, Taylor Swift

It's a jam packed Hawkeye Report podcast to start the week as we wrap up spring football and talk a whole lot about the transfer portal for the Iowa women's basketball team, men's squad, and some football portal talk is picking up.  First we start with the biggest news this past week the additon of Lucy Olsen to the Iowa women's basketball team. Iowa needed a point guard and scoring and they got that in Olsen. Kyle Huesmann and Tom Kakert dive into what it means for the Hawkeyes, why she picked Iowa, and the impact it has on the team next season. Does this making Iowa a Top 25 team next season even without Caitlin Clark? Then we dive into Iowa men's basketball and their addition of Drew Thelwell. They needed a veteran point guard and found it. How did the success of Caitlin Clark help with Iowa recruiting Thelwell? What will he bring to the table next season and will he split time with Brock Harding? Fran McCaffery isn't done in the portal. We look at potential big men targets in the portal.  We move on to fo

It's our 600th episode of the podcast and that means we have to get a big time guest. We are joined by the CEO of the Iowa Swarm, Brad Heinrichs and we have a wide ranging conversation on the transfer portal for the Iowa Hawkeyes in football and both men's and women's basketball.  First we open with the portal being open in all three sports right now and how crazy it is for him during this time of year. We open our specific conversations by talking football and the surprise news of a player leaving the program on Tuesday and the scholarship situation for the Hawkeyes. What positions might they target in the portal this month? How could the Iowa Swarm help solve the football scholarship situation?  Then we talk men's and women's basketball and the portal. What are the positions that both programs are targeting? What do we think of the numbers that are getting tossed around for players like Tony Perkins and how far off are they from the reality? Where do things stand for Lisa Bluder's club and when might they b

It's a jam packed edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast covering a whole lot of topics. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discuss Iowa spring football. We have met with several of the players on offense and got a look at the Hawkeyes practice on Thursday. What did we learn? Why are so many players on the offensive side of the ball energized by the offense? We discuss some of the players who have impressed this spring and are any of them surprises?. We also look at some of the mechanics of the Tim Lester offense and why it is receiver and tight end friendly and if they are using some RPO this spring.  Then we go portalling and discuss how it might impact the Iowa football program. The Hawkeyes are five over the limit. How do they get down to 85? What about Iowa potentially adding a quarterback to the fold this spring? Could it happen and why it won't be the rumored player from Ohio State.  Next up it's Iowa men's and women's basketball hunting for help in the transfer portal. Fran McCaffery has a couple of visits s

On this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast we wrap up a second straight historic season for the Iowa women's basketball team. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann discuss the Hawkeyes second straight trip to the Final Four and the national title game against South Carolina.  We look back at the game, beginning with the tremendous start for the Hawkeyes, led by a blazing first quarter from Caitlin Clark. We discuss the Gamecocks depth and how that was so impactful in the game as they outscored Iowa 37-0 in the game. We also talk about how the Hawkeyes continued to battle in the third quarterback before South Carolina slowly pulled away for the win.  We look back at this historic run the last two years by the Iowa women's basketball team and discuss the impact that they have had not only on the people in the state of Iowa, but around the country. Then we dive into the future of the program. What does the Iowa women's basketball team look like next year with the returning players and new players? Also, the hottest qu

The Iowa women's basketball team is off to the National Title game for the second straight year. That means there's plenty for Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann to discuss when it comes to Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes.  We open the podcast discuss the massive rating that the Iowa vs. UConn game pulled off on Friday night. What do with think of the viewership numbers and what could the title game against South Carolina bring on Sunday afternoon? Then we look back at the win over UConn. What were the keys to the Iowa win and how did they change the game in the second half. We also go in-depth about the "controversial" call late in the game where UConn was called for an offensive foul. It was the right call, but some object to the fact that it was made in the final seconds.  Next we move on to previewing the game against South Carolina. It's a revenge game for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks will that provide them with motivation. What will the keys be in this game for the Iowa women if they are going to pull off the

For the second straight year, the Iowa women's basketball team will be playing in a Final Four game with a chance to advance to the NCAA Title game on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann take a detailed look at the match-up for the Hawkeyes against a talented, but not deep team from UCONN.  The headline battle will be between stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers from UCONN, but the real interesting battle might be in the post because the Huskies are not deep. We take a look at some of the key stats to watch this game and why Iowa might come out and continue to try and play with a high level of pace like they did against LSU on Monday night.  Then we give our predictions for the game and the path to victory for the Hawkeyes. Will rebounding be a key in this game? Will three point shooting determine the outcome? We dive into it all. 

It's a Final Four edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. The Iowa women's basketball team is headed to their second consecutive Final Four after beating the team that defeated them in the National Title game last year, LSU.  Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann break down the win over the Tigers and the incredible 41 point and 12 assist performance from Caitlin Clark. What were the keys for Iowa in the win? How did the Hawkeyes flip the script this time around? What have we seen from Clark in the last two games that is different from the earlier games in the NCAA Tournament?  We look at the key numbers from the game and how incredible it was that Iowa was outrebounded by 18 and was still able to beat LSU by a relatively comfortable margin. We also discuss the contributions from Kate Martin, Syd Affolter, and Addie O'Grady.  Then we take a peek ahead to what's next for Iowa at the Final Four. They head to Cleveland and face Geno Auriemma and UCONN in the national semifinal. We look at the Huskies this season and the "

After beating Colorado on Saturday there's a re-match the college basketball world has been waiting all year for taking place on Monday night in Albany. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann preview the huge match-up between Iowa and LSU. This time a national title will not be on the line, but a chance to potentially win one will.  First, we look back at Iowa's very convincing win on Saturday over Colorado. Caitlin Clark dominated the game, scoring 29 points and dishing out 15 assists while only turning it over twice. She was in total control and we discuss her performance and perhaps a concern that she has not shot it well from three point range.  We also talk about the play of her teammates and how they really stepped up in the second half on the glass to pull away for the win. We also discuss the continued great play from Syd Affolter and the sharp shooting of Gabbie Marshall.  Then we preview the massive game against LSU. What are the keys for Iowa if they are going to beat the Tigers this time around? What did Ki

The transfer portal is getting active in Iowa City, so we had to hop on and do a podcast to discuss the latest news, which was Patrick McCaffery entering the NCAA Portal on Wednesday. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discuss the why it wasn't a surprise that McCaffery was entering the portal and how should his father address it if the topic is brought up by recruits.  We dive into the roster for next season for the Iowa basketball team and what are their portal needs for this year. What would the starting lineup look like as of today? What are the positions that need to be filled in the portal?  Then we discuss women's basketball and being at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this past weekend. Does the crowd support that the Iowa women have received shoot down the arguement that Carver-Hawkeye Arena is the problem with Iowa basketball attendance? We also talk about the bond of Iowa fans with this women's team and their path in Albany this weekend. 

It's a jam packed Sweet 16 edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the pod with an extended conversation about the Iowa women's basketball team advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament after holding off West Virginia on Monday night.  We look back at the game and the key plays down the stretch. In particular we discuss the block by Gabbie Marshall and the drive, score, and foul from Syd Affolter. We also talk about the performance of Caitlin Clark in the win and how Iowa fans didn't want to leave Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the players soaked in one final victory at home this season.  Iowa will be headed to Albany for the Sweet 16. We discuss the match-up with Colorado for the second straight year in this round of the NCAA Tournament. We look back at last year's game and what they have on their roster this season. We also look at the other side of the bracket with LSU and UCLA looming.  Then we move on to men's basketball. We go back to Sunday and discuss the loss to Utah

Plenty of news this week in the world of the Hawkeyes and we have Iowa football in the news. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo open the podcast discussing the biggest news of the week, the sudden departure of Kadyn Proctor from the Hawkeye program after two months following a transfer from Alabama?  What happened with Proctor? Why is he leaving? Why you can't point fingers at the Iowa Swarm and how he didn't get any money from the Iowa Swarm general fund given by fans/supports. We then dive into the impact of this decision on the Iowa offensive line. What will the starting lineup look like now that Proctor is no longer penciled in at left tackle? Is there a player or two to watch on the offensive line? We also dive into spring football talk as practice got underway this week in Iowa City. What are the big storylines that fans need to watch this spring? What are we hearing about Tim Lester as Iowa's OC? What should happen at quarterback? Will we see veterans on defense sitting out this spring?  Then we talk Iowa ho

It was a busy day on Sunday for both the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann discuss the top news item of the day which as the Hawkeye women's basketball team earning a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Of course it's a challenging path for the Hawkeyes if they want to return to the Final Four, but the first two games would be in Iowa City. We look at their potential foes and the overall path.  We also discuss the overall tournament and fantasy book half the Final Four and some dream match-up's if the Hawkeyes make it all the way to Cleveland this year.  Then we move over to the men's team, who did not make the field for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years. After what appears to have been some late shifting in the field due to schools opting out of the National Invitational Tournament, Iowa will host Kansas State on Tuesday night. We take an early look at the Wildcats and their team this season along with the Hawkeyes potential post season path.  Finally we wra

With spring football starting up this week in Iowa City it's a great time to catch up with Chuck Long and discuss the offensive side of the ball. We open the show talking to Long about his work as the offensive coordinator for the Arlington Renegades and head coach Bob Stoops in the UFL and starting play in that league later this month.  Then we dive into the Hawkeyes and setting up a new offensive under Tim Lester. Long discusses Lester and the advantage of him being an experienced quarterback, along with a guy from the Chicago suburbs. We discuss the process of installing a new offense for the Hawkeyes and what that process is like both in the meeting room and then on the field.  We also look at the challenge of putting a new offense in place while expected starting quarterback Cade McNamara is likely sidelined this spring following ACL surgery last fall. How would a coordinator get him up to speed. What should Iowa do with their race to find a backup quarterback this season? Do you give more reps this spri

It's a Big Ten Tournament title edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Kyle Huesmann and Tom Kakert look back the Iowa women's basketball team winning their third straight Big Ten Tournament title, this one is dramatic fashion with seniors Caitlin Clark, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall making huge plays down the stretch in the come from behind win over Nebraska.  We talk about those key plays in the final minutes and how Iowa willed themselves to a victory and how much of a battle it really was. Then we dive into NCAA Tournament talk. The Hawkeyes have likely locked up a #1 seed. What does that means for them and who might be headed to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.  Then we move on to talking about the Iowa men's basketball team and their loss to Illinois. The Hawkeyes started very slow and could never quite get over the hump against the Illini. What does the loss do to Iowa's NCAA Tournament chances? Could they still get in with a win over Ohio State on Thurs