Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Seahawks are Super Bowl Champs, Is the NFL Changing? Big 4 Hoops talk with Kevin Lehman & Bill Seals talks Cyclones

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Seahawks are Super Bowl Champs, Is the NFL Changing? Big 4 Hoops talk with Kevin Lehman & Bill Seals talks Cyclones · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:13
Hey, welcome in Miller and Condon on the air with you here
0:16
on a Monday as we put football to bed.
0:19
Glad to have you aboard with us here today as we talk the world
0:22
of sports. Take it up until 2:00, Ken.
0:25
Gone today, gone this week, gone next week, but we got you
0:30
covered here for the next couple of hours and well, the next 20
0:33
hours of programming here on the program.
0:36
As we're going to be bringing in a number of different hosts here
0:39
throughout the next couple of weeks, talking to a number of
0:41
different people, all kinds of different areas, different
0:43
ideas, different thoughts. And we'll talk about that a
0:46
little bit later on. As Ken, a much deserved
0:49
vacation. He is in the trenches in the
0:51
recliner for football season. As you know, I'm going to take
0:54
some time off heading down to South Carolina and get in you a
0:58
little bit of vacation time here right after the Super Bowl as
1:01
it's sad for us. It's very sad, certainly for Ken
1:04
Miller. Coming up today on the program,
1:06
we got you covered. We'll talk about Super Bowl 60,
1:09
put it on the books and take a look back at what we saw in that
1:12
one and we're going to be joined.
1:13
We got a wide range of guests coming up today.
1:16
We'll be kicking things off here about 12:25 as we will turn the
1:20
page into basketball season full time as we'll be joined by Kevin
1:23
Layman. A look at BIG4 Hoops A Friday
1:26
night. The NVC played a number of games
1:29
and then again here tonight, they're going to be going as
1:31
they try to kind of put everything together, really
1:33
condense that schedule in so they can get the full slate of
1:36
conference games. And then have to do it with Arch
1:39
Madness a week earlier than what we see with the major conference
1:42
tournaments with the Big 10, the Big 12, ACC, on and on and on.
1:45
So that's the way that they do that.
1:46
And that's why we had this somewhat odd Friday, Monday set
1:50
of games. We'll talk about that.
1:51
We'll talk about the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones as well with
1:54
Kevin Layman. Speaking of the Cyclones, Bill
1:56
Seals who covers Iowa State for on three cyclonereport.com.
2:00
He'll be our guest here at about 12:40 as we'll go a deep dive
2:03
into the Cyclone. So I want to talk some football
2:05
as well with Bill with this new roster on the signing day last
2:09
week that just was a blip on the radar just how different signing
2:13
day is today that it used to be what a big deal that was.
2:16
But we're going to talk about some of the new faces and dive
2:19
into some football along with basketball coming up here at
2:21
12:40 with Bill Seals. Our number 2 begins with Scott
2:25
Dr. man from the Athletic. We'll talk a little Iowa
2:28
basketball with Scott and get his perspective on what we're
2:31
seeing in Iowa City. The losing streak for the Iowa
2:34
women as they now have this break until Wednesday after
2:37
their loss last week against Minnesota and the losing streak
2:39
now sitting at 3 +. A look at the men.
2:41
But his main beat is college football on a national level.
2:45
Want to talk to him about the calendar we mentioned last week
2:47
about the new College Football Playoff calendar that is out
2:51
there and what that's going to look like.
2:53
We'll get his perspective on that and and both of us going to
2:55
come up with some ideas. How do we fix the calendar of
2:58
college football and make it the best thing?
3:01
Not just for us because they have us.
3:04
If you're listening to sports talk radio, if you're hosting a
3:06
radio show, certainly in this market, you understand exactly
3:09
what it is. We'll talk about that and deep
3:11
dive into college football with Scott Dockerman to begin our
3:15
number 2. Wrap up the guest list.
3:17
Then about 1:25 with Tommy Birch.
3:19
As we speak about turning the page from basketball season, we
3:23
will do the same with baseball. That is now going to start to
3:27
come into the forefront. The wind totals are out,
3:29
division winners, World Series winners.
3:31
That's been out there for the betting market for a while.
3:33
But we'll take a look at the Cubs.
3:34
We'll talk some Twins. We'll talk Major League Baseball
3:37
as a whole coming up here with Tommy Birch.
3:39
He also covers Iowa State women and we'll get his perspective on
3:42
them as they make a long road trip out to Utah to take on BYU
3:47
tomorrow night. And unfortunately for Cyclone
3:48
fans, both the men and the women both play at 8:00 tomorrow
3:52
night. Plus a big night of Big 12 hoops
3:54
this evening mentioned the MVC in action big Monday with Kansas
3:59
and Arizona. What a huge match up that is
4:01
going to be coupled with what we have.
4:04
The incredible number, a Bill Self home games at the fog, an
4:11
unthinkable number. He's never lost.
4:13
He has never lost a big Monday game.
4:15
And it's not like they're taking on Colorado now.
4:18
The Big Monday games are the best of the best and he has
4:21
never lost at home on Big Monday.
4:23
We'll talk about that match up, but more with my picks of the
4:26
day coming up here to end the program at about 1:50.
4:29
Well, a football season comes to a close with Super Bowl 61 that
4:36
I don't think is going to be long remembered.
4:38
It's going to be one that's probably going to fall by the
4:41
wayside. Not very memorable.
4:43
Took until the fourth quarter until we got a touchdown.
4:46
In fact, that touchdown really put things away at 19 zero as
4:51
well. I hope you had this for your
4:53
first touchdown score in your parlay or just played it alone.
4:56
AJ Barner scores for the Seahawks.
5:00
George Elani's the running back, Big to him, Donald to the 8th
5:04
zone. Barner's got a touchdown.
5:17
There's not much you can do about it, right?
5:19
You've got to play the one game here because they're in such an
5:23
advantageous position. You see the heat?
5:26
Coming on the play, but eventually the dam had to break.
5:31
Tarico and Collinsworth on the call from NBC last night 19.
5:35
Nothing there and the onslaught was on, though.
5:38
The Patriots finally came back and showed a little bit of
5:40
offense after that. It was a bad football game.
5:44
So a couple of thoughts here on this and a couple of thoughts
5:46
that I have about this match up and about this game #1 we see
5:51
the Seattle defense, which is absolutely incredible.
5:54
I mean, we saw some of the most high level defense that we've
5:57
seen. And the NFL maybe is evolving
5:59
and changing and and evolving from what we're used to and what
6:02
we've seen really these last 10-15 years, this evolution into
6:06
the passing game and the change that started a year ago.
6:10
But we saw a lot more got to run the football.
6:13
We're not going to let you throw the ball in the same fashion.
6:16
The addition of a lot more nickelbacks, high level guys
6:19
that can play the inside slot more, 4 even, excuse me, 5
6:23
defensive backs on the field, a whole lot more.
6:25
That has become the norm in the NFL.
6:27
And if we're evolving back from these high-powered offenses,
6:30
these great quarterbacks, and now that is coming back the
6:32
other way, it's swinging the other way.
6:33
And we see this in the NFL so often, right?
6:36
And just in sport in general goes One Direction, coaches
6:40
start to figure it out and then it comes back the other way.
6:43
And now if we need to look at defense in a different fashion,
6:45
because though it didn't look like it at times by the Patriots
6:48
defense of what Kenneth Walker was able to do with 135 yards
6:52
and could have been even more than that with that touchdown
6:54
that was wiped off the board. You look at this squad in the
6:57
way that they're built. If this is something that we
6:59
have to look at going forward and it's not just about having
7:02
the best quarterback. And we go back to last year's
7:04
Super Bowl and all week long, all two weeks long, it was I
7:08
just, I just, I can't go against Mahomes.
7:09
He's the best guy in the game. And we saw a team with an elite
7:12
level defense in Philadelphia and now what we have in Seattle.
7:15
Sam Darnold, he's not in the same vein as Trent Dilfer.
7:19
This is not Nick Foles coming together with an incredible
7:22
performance. That's not what this is, but
7:25
it's on that next year. Sam Darnold wasn't very good.
7:29
It didn't matter because the defense was that good.
7:32
Now, can you put it all together and be like John Schneider and
7:35
build a defense now for the second time like he has as the
7:38
general manager of the Seahawks? That's easier said than done.
7:41
But the domination there on the other side, New England, they
7:44
got through a bad AFC. They got through a bad AFC.
7:47
AFC championship game. The snow was a huge factor in
7:51
that one. Now Bo Knicks is a step forward
7:54
from what they had with Jarrett Stidham, but I don't think a
7:57
significant one. When we talk about some of the
7:59
top level quarterbacks and what they mean as it pertains to the
8:02
point spread 678 points difference between an elite
8:06
level starter and a backup quarterback in the league.
8:09
That is not the case with Bo Nicks and Jared Stidham.
8:11
Regardless though, the path that they took, the easiest schedule
8:14
in the NFL getting to this level and the down AFC with the
8:18
injuries from Holmes at just what we see.
8:20
Not complete football teams all across the board and even the
8:24
Seahawks team, the Super Bowl winner.
8:25
I would not call them a complete football team during the
8:29
playoffs. The Seahawks didn't turn it
8:30
over. Sam Darnold didn't turn into a
8:32
pumpkin. Still 19 to 38202 yards.
8:37
I can't be vindicated because the dude won a Super Bowl.
8:40
Still think I was right. Not the guy that is going to win
8:42
you a Super Bowl. He just didn't lose them a Super
8:45
Bowl last night. Let's get out to the phone
8:47
lines. You can join us here. 515284 KX
8:50
and O 515284 KX and O, the phone number 5966.
8:54
Those are the final four. Yeah, that says KX and O.
8:56
That's how it works. 515-284-5966 Kick things off for
9:00
the first call of the day. Running solo today.
9:03
Who do we got on the line with us today?
9:06
Hey, Trent, it's John Cannon. Hey, what's up, John?
9:08
Hey, I, I think you're underselling Sam Donald.
9:11
I I think he handled that pressure in a way.
9:15
Just a little step here, a little move there.
9:19
He didn't give up a sack and and college was talking about how
9:23
the Patriots had him dead to rights a number of times and he
9:26
got out every time until the like the fourth quarter.
9:29
They finally got him. But all of those times kept
9:32
drives going. That was what Drake May was
9:35
unable to do. He couldn't do.
9:37
He was getting sacked. He was it was killing drives.
9:40
So the Seahawks are piling up field goals and the Patriots are
9:44
getting zeros. And I I thought that, you know,
9:47
I, I told you before this, I thought that May was being
9:50
dramatically overrated. I didn't think, I think Bo
9:53
Nicks, yeah, he's not the greatest.
9:55
But if they if Denver has Bo Nicks, Patriots are not in the
9:57
Super Bowl. That's just that's just all
9:59
there is. They barely beat the team with
10:01
Stidham. So a couple things I want to get
10:04
to you before I know you got a bunch of people, I'm sure that
10:07
want a PC here. Special teams for Seattle was
10:10
enormous and the punter was incredible and not just his
10:15
punting. I only watched live the
10:18
second-half. I went back and watched the
10:20
first half later, but I saw him save 2 snaps on field goals that
10:25
were on the ground. Good call.
10:28
You know, I mean, that's in addition to the Patriots had to
10:32
start drives at the 2, the four and the six yard line because of
10:35
his punts. He's just unbelievable.
10:38
So I think that's incredible. And the other thing I was not
10:41
ready for yesterday was I was watching figure skating and
10:44
they've got telemetry and figure skating now they've got that
10:47
toss was 20 1/2 feet, the longest toss of any of the pair
10:52
of skaters so far. She got 2 1/2 feet up on that
10:56
double. I couldn't believe it.
10:58
But of course, right. I mean, why couldn't I believe
11:02
it? It's it's everywhere else.
11:03
Why shouldn't it be there? We got a great day man.
11:05
Thanks a lot for the call, John. Yeah, we got analytics now in
11:07
figure skating. We got it everywhere.
11:10
That's not a bad thing either. Absolutely trying to understand
11:12
it now. The Olympics are here and with
11:14
the Olympics being here, this is difficult for me.
11:18
As you know, if you're an everyday listener, you know that
11:20
I am not a hockey guy. I get into it in April when the
11:23
playoffs come around. I'm not watching regular season
11:25
hockey. Ken's got that covered and he
11:27
knows also this market, it's not big.
11:30
That's number one. I mean, that's the top of the
11:31
fold. That is the headline is what's
11:34
happening in Olympic hockey doesn't pull me in.
11:37
I'm not going to sit and watch them face off against Italy.
11:42
I'm not going to get excited again.
11:43
It's a match up against even a good team like the Czech
11:46
Republic. By the time we get to the metal
11:48
knockout round, maybe I'll stop to dive in.
11:52
Watching a little bit Yesterday in the morning, what they had to
11:56
luge on was luge or the bobsled, whatever it was, watch that for
11:59
a bit. I don't know what's going on
12:01
then. So oh, oh, got off kilter there.
12:04
OK, these are sports that are difficult, but it is about the
12:09
stories and This is why my wife, no big football fan in general,
12:14
not a huge sports fan. She gets into it and seeing
12:17
Lindsey Vonn and what happened to her.
12:19
We watched it again last night after the Super Bowl and just
12:22
the devastation, her trying to make it a go with the ACL tear,
12:26
then her getting lifted off on that bound and just devastated
12:29
and they cut to the crowd. It was so sad, so sad to know
12:33
that last chance, 41 years old, somebody that the story becomes
12:39
it and that's what NBC does a great job of building.
12:43
I'll be watching, Will I be wagering?
12:45
And maybe a little bit. I know there's a lot of people
12:48
that also love curling. I love playing dumb bar games.
12:53
I love playing the little puck shuffle thing that they have up
12:56
there. What's that called?
12:57
I love playing those kind of games.
12:59
Darts, pool, do it all, but for the curling, I can't sit there
13:06
and watch for an hour. That doesn't do it for me.
13:09
That is not something that excites me.
13:12
Apparently there was a big rock throw last night and I, I, I
13:15
can't, I'll try, but I think I need the stories.
13:19
They can't just be about the sport because I don't know these
13:21
sports. I need a stick and a ball.
13:24
I need a ball. That's what does it for me.
13:27
Back to the phone lines again, 515-284-5966 Line number one
13:31
lined up with us. You're out.
13:33
Miller and Conan, what's your name?
13:36
Dave. Hey, what's up, Dave?
13:37
What do you got for us? Hey, I would.
13:40
I've got. I don't know if I should feel
13:42
happy for Sam Darnold or not. Just hear me out here, OK?
13:45
Yes, he won the Super Bowl. And then in the long term, it's
13:49
a good thing. Obviously I'd be crazy to say it
13:51
wasn't, but this has a very Brad Johnson.
13:54
Super Bowl field. That's a good.
13:56
Name, like you had said, you know, they won in spite of him,
13:59
not because of him. And in the long term, it's not.
14:03
When people say Brad John's name, do I automatically think,
14:05
oh, well, what this great Super Bowl winner?
14:07
I think, man, he was lucky he was on the team with such a good
14:10
defense, and I wonder if we're going to feel about Sam Darnold
14:13
the same way. And it almost.
14:15
It doesn't hurt him to be in this position because, again, he
14:18
won the Super Bowl, but it's not near the position most
14:21
quarterbacks are in when they win.
14:23
So let's see what your thoughts were on that.
14:24
No. And I just googled Brad Johnson
14:26
because I think that's a great comp because that's not where my
14:29
mind certainly goes when I hear the name Brad Johnson.
14:31
It's even Florida State, I think before his NFL career, 18 of
14:35
34215, two touchdowns and interception in the game.
14:39
That's what he was. But it was the domination
14:42
against the Raiders of what the Buccaneers did in that game.
14:44
That's where I go. And Sam Darnold, he has a lot to
14:46
still overcome because before he becomes even a quarterback, we
14:51
talk about like in the the top 8, right top quarter of the
14:54
league. He's 28 years old.
14:55
There's still an opportunity for Darnold to get there, but it's
14:58
going to take a lot more winning and a lot more of that scar
15:00
tissue that needs to bleed off. I think for a lot of US fans,
15:03
that's where I am. I'm still going to remember last
15:05
season with the Vikings. I'm going to remember the
15:07
beginning of the careers and the struggles that he had bouncing
15:10
around organizations after opening up his career at The
15:13
Jets. There's still a lot there.
15:14
Brad Johnson, that might be the best comp.
15:16
I think he nailed it. I just, you know, I hope, I hope
15:21
he's remembered as a winning quarterback.
15:22
But in the Super Bowl, I just think they're going to remember
15:25
the defense that think they did it in spite of him.
15:28
No doubt. Hey, appreciate the call.
15:30
All right. Miller, Connor on the air with
15:33
you here till 2O clock today. Well, it wasn't just the Super
15:36
Bowl. There was more going on.
15:37
Quick hit here on both Iowa and Iowa State on the hardwood.
15:40
Let's kick things off on Saturday.
15:42
And work turned out to be an incredibly difficult game.
15:45
Cyclones get the win against Baylor.
15:48
Bigger tussle, though, at Hilton, I think, than anybody
15:50
anticipated. Touch tight on the catch, not
15:52
allowing him to have a free clean look.
15:55
Lipsey just lost. Car went flying in the.
15:58
Air David Lipsey with the bucket there, he had a great
16:01
performance, but a lot of comebacks there.
16:04
What was a 12 point game with a minute left turn into a tussle
16:09
in the end. That's a Baylor team.
16:11
You can see the talent certainly on them.
16:13
And I know Cyclone fans, you definitely in the past have
16:15
dealt with a lot of those games against Baylor that have not
16:18
gone their way. You get the V7269 scoreless in
16:22
that 9. Nothing run to end things for
16:24
Bayless, but a win for Baylor. But a win is a win in in this
16:27
one. Talk about taming.
16:28
Let's see, though. And that performance that he put
16:30
together, so strong with the ball, the play that we just
16:34
played there in the paint from ESPN, He is physical, rugged,
16:39
rugged. And now are we at the point with
16:42
Manchilovich, who goes 2 of 6 from behind the arc?
16:44
And it's what's wrong. What went off that is the level
16:48
that they're playing at. So they get through this stretch
16:50
of games where we looked at and said this is a chance to make
16:53
your hay. You have an opportunity to go on
16:55
the run after the road trip to Kansas and Cincinnati went O and
16:58
two and they're back at it off to their best start in program
17:01
history. Now a somewhat odd world trip
17:04
out to TCU. Talk about an inconsistent team
17:08
that has been TCU. They've been up and down and at
17:11
times that look brutal, but they got blown out at Colorado last
17:14
weekend. Colorado, who as we know is not
17:17
very good yet they have some decent wins on their resume,
17:20
played really well, let a lot of leads also slip away.
17:24
The TCU team, old friend Brock Harding down there running the
17:27
point for the Horn Frogs just has that feeling of an odd spot,
17:31
if you will, for Iowa State after the TCU match up back
17:35
home. Then Saturday with Kansas, What
17:36
environment that's going to be with KU coming to town.
17:39
Houston after that next big Monday, a week from today and
17:42
then the road trip out to Utah with BYU and Utah on tap.
17:46
That is the schedule in front of the Cyclones.
17:48
We're going to talk more Cyclones coming up here in just
17:51
a little bit as we'll be joined by Bill Seals.
17:54
Yesterday, before the Super Bowl began, Iowa, Speaking of
17:57
tussles, turned out to be, I think, much more difficult than
18:00
anybody would have anticipated against Northwestern.
18:04
Cooper's dad was part of the 99 Iowa team.
18:07
What did a sweet? 16 starts, easy to inside give
18:11
him 19 and the first double digit lead of the day for Iowa.
18:15
Up 11 at that point, Iowa comes out hot in the second-half.
18:20
All right, they're going to put this one away.
18:21
They're going to cruise to a victory.
18:23
Not the case. And you talk about a guy that is
18:25
going to be annoying for the next four years, that's Jake W,
18:30
their freshman point guard for Northwestern.
18:31
He is going to be certainly a concern.
18:34
Two big sticking points here I think we have to talk about.
18:37
You heard the broadcast there. They were talking about Cooper
18:39
Koch and his dad Jr. on that last Sweet 16 team back in the
18:43
9899 season is the defense that we saw from Cooper Koch going up
18:48
against the Big 10s leading scorer in Martinelli.
18:51
He was tremendous and some numbers that popped out against
18:54
non rim twos was he 211? I think was the number that if I
18:58
remember correctly that he had on that one had the run out and
19:01
the dunk that sealed it for Iowa 7670.
19:05
Cooper Koch, we know that he can shoot it, but boy, playing on
19:08
the defensive end at that level, that was big.
19:10
And then we're running out of superlatives to talk about
19:12
Bennett Sturtz. Bennett Sturtz preseason pub,
19:16
All American, lot of people had him as a first round draft pick
19:19
and we'll see how it translates. And there were times that you
19:22
could tell he was good during November and December, laid a
19:26
couple of goose eggs, didn't play great against Iowa State,
19:30
had some performances that just were not up to snuff of what we
19:34
thought we were going to get out of him.
19:36
Well, that has changed and what he has put together here
19:39
recently, these numbers are amazing. 6 game-winning streak
19:43
now for the Hawkeyes. He's averaging 26.2 points,
19:47
shooting 61% from inside the arc, 49% from 389% from the free
19:53
throw line. You just look at the last three
19:55
games now it's up to 30 points per game, including 12 of 20
19:59
from the three-point stripe. Bet it starts.
20:02
It is happening. He is playing like an All
20:04
American. More Hawkeye talk coming up to
20:06
kick off the 1:00 hour. Scott Dr. Min will join us from
20:09
the Athletic. Up next, we're going to talk
20:11
BIG4 basketball as a whole. Kevin Layman.
20:14
It's been a while since we talked to Kevin.
20:16
Break things down. Take a look at.
20:17
At the MVC, Iowa and Iowa State BIG4 hoops up next as we move on
20:22
from football season here on a Monday.
20:25
Thanks for being with us, Miller and Cotton with you on the Iowa
20:28
Sports Radio Network. Back with you on a Monday,
20:46
Miller and Condon on the Iowa Sports Radio Network at our
20:49
flagship .06 point 3K X&O. Trent Condon with you here this
20:53
weekend next minus Ken Miller as he is on vacation down in South
20:57
Carolina, making the drive down to Saint Louis.
20:59
And boy, well, depending on how early he got in the road, he
21:02
might be going through Hannibal, his least favorite drive, he
21:05
hates Hannibal. Kevin Layman's made that drive a
21:08
time or two, making his way down through Hannibal, covering the
21:11
Missouri Valley. And of course, Arch Madness
21:12
coming up here in just a few weeks.
21:14
Kevin joins us here today. Kevin, how you been doing?
21:18
Hey, I'm doing good. And Hannibal, you got to stop
21:21
with the Casey's and Hannibal. Get that big piece of Casey's
21:24
pizza. There you go.
21:25
See, you are somebody that travels the road across the
21:28
Midwest. You absolutely know the spots to
21:30
stop. And yeah, you got to slow down
21:32
to go through Hannibal anyway, So that's where you make your
21:34
pit stop. It doesn't have to be that big
21:35
of a deal, but I think we know Ken.
21:37
Ken, he likes things his way. And if they're not, he's going
21:40
to complain about it. But that aside, Kevin, the
21:43
Missouri Valley this year certainly been interesting.
21:45
I want to start here on the local front first once again,
21:48
Drake going through a new coaching staff, doing it once
21:51
again with Eric Henderson coming in.
21:53
It wasn't maybe an easy, probably not the right term, but
21:57
what what Cohen did a year ago, bringing a huge swath of his
21:59
players with them from Northwest Missouri State up there to Drake
22:03
a little bit more, a different kind of rebuild, I guess, if you
22:05
will, for Hendo. How would you grade things at
22:08
this point, as we sit here on February 9th, you're number one
22:10
for Eric Henderson and Drake. Well, I think you're seeing him
22:14
catch a little steam right now. Larson's got healthy for him,
22:18
which has really helped. Of course, they got a great
22:20
score. Jalen Quinn and going down the
22:22
stretch, I was looking at their schedule when we textually
22:25
they've only got a couple Rd. games left.
22:27
I think they're they've got to go to you and I and then they've
22:30
got a game at Valvewood. They've got a nice home stretch
22:34
which will allow them to get some momentum because you know
22:36
what you're playing for right now, Trent is you want to be in
22:40
that top five so you're not playing on Thursday night
22:43
tonight in Arch Madness. That is a huge goal and Northern
22:46
Iowa and Drake are in that battle right now along with UIC
22:50
for that fifth spot to get the first round by.
22:53
And I believe what only one time has a team even made the
22:55
championship game that had to play the extra day that's got
22:58
there. So it's been an absolute rarity
23:00
to be able to do that. The incredibly difficult path.
23:03
And and for everybody, it's about winning Arch Madness,
23:05
punching your ticket into the big dance and certainly the case
23:08
well, in order to get there. As we know, Arch Madness starts
23:11
a week earlier than everybody else, though it's not like they
23:14
can start their season a week before the Big 12 or the Big 10
23:17
can. They have to get all these
23:18
conference games in some way. So it started on Friday night.
23:21
It continues here tonight as they condense this schedule
23:24
down. This kind of almost feels like
23:26
those dog days of the season where you're playing a lot of
23:29
games in a short period of time, the travels starting to catch up
23:32
as well. How difficult is this stretch
23:33
for everybody in the NBC? You've got to be healthy.
23:37
There's another one thing, Trey, if you're banged up and your
23:39
bench is a little bit short, it causes you some problems.
23:43
And if three-game stretch, you want to hope you have two of
23:45
those at home. They did this.
23:47
If you look back in the schedule, January 1st, everyone
23:50
played, they had three games in eight or nine days stretch there
23:54
and you could see some teams kind of wore out mid January
23:57
because of that, because that travel and you know you're
24:01
talking about cannot liken to travel.
24:03
Travel takes it out of everyone, the coaches, the support staff
24:08
and the players. Anytime not sleep in your own
24:10
bed, that eventually will catch up with you.
24:13
But depth is huge and you want to be shooting it well this time
24:16
of year. You get the quick turn around,
24:19
you're coming back here on a Monday.
24:20
Let's go over to the team I think you see the most
24:22
throughout the course of the year and that's the you and I
24:24
Panthers. It has been an inconsistent one.
24:27
There was a while back in December where they were rated
24:30
by many people as if not the top one of the top mid major
24:33
programs out there. It is gone the other way.
24:35
Had a 5 game losing streak in there but have won three out of
24:39
their last four. A big part of that return to
24:41
Tristan Smith. He got out there at least for a
24:43
little bit in the game against Bradley.
24:45
What do you see in the Panthers as they start to maybe and turn
24:48
things around here a little bit? Well, Trey, you said I, I
24:52
covered a lot of games even in November and those games in
24:55
December, they had scoring drops, the Panthers did, But
24:59
their defense was so elite, you know #1 the nation points aloud
25:03
for most of the season that it carried him through those, their
25:06
scoring droughts. When they lost Tristan Smith,
25:10
they lost some offensive punch. Whether it's going to get some
25:12
offensive boards by just some toughness inside and therefore
25:16
their defense couldn't carry through the scoring drop.
25:19
They're getting back. They're getting a mojo back a
25:21
little bit right now. You said Tristan Smith is back.
25:23
He helps them at both ends of the floor because a Northern
25:27
Iowa team doesn't have a lot of physicality in the frontline.
25:29
So they need him at both ends of the court as a rim defender.
25:34
And also a guy will get you some extra points off the offensive
25:38
glasses. I know the IO team.
25:39
We know they're really traditionally they beat you by
25:42
not turning the ball over and getting back on.
25:45
Divas take away all transition hoops.
25:46
Not big on the office of Glass and not big on pretty points off
25:51
the other teams turnovers. At the top of the league is
25:54
Belmont. We know year after year what
25:56
they do offensively, an elite level offensive team.
25:59
Casey Alexander so good on that end of the floor.
26:02
Just how good is this Belmont team?
26:03
And regardless of where they're seated, if they do win, Arch
26:06
Madness, get into the NCAA tournament, is this a team that
26:09
maybe not even can pull off a upset?
26:11
Could they even pull off 2 and get to a Sweet 16?
26:15
Oh, I really think they have. I just had them against you.
26:17
I see on Friday night. I've got the big game next
26:20
Sunday where they go to Murray. So talented offensively.
26:23
But here's where they're better #4 year for Casey Alexander and
26:27
Belmont in the Valley. They've gotten more physical
26:29
upfront and they've improved their defense drastically but
26:33
and their offense has always been elite.
26:37
They scored back-to-back 103 point games in their point per
26:41
possession. Trent were 1.45 in those games.
26:45
That is a ridiculous number of efficiency.
26:48
They're on the tops of nation offensive efficiency with that
26:51
added physicality and defense. I think it's a team that can
26:54
only win one game and they could possibly win 2.
26:59
Belmont 22 and 3 now on the season and they have ripped off
27:03
a big winning streak. Now nine in a row as they travel
27:07
to Bradley tonight. Should be a good one over there
27:09
in Peoria. Let's jump over to the Iowa
27:11
Hawkeyes. They get the win yesterday
27:13
against Northwestern as we're talking big, BIG4 hoops with
27:17
Kevin Layman. The Hawkeyes winners of six in a
27:20
row. They have not played the most
27:22
daunting schedule but had the road trip out to the Pacific
27:25
Northwest. Got 2 victories, including the
27:27
big comeback against Washington. And it starts though, boy, we
27:30
wondered, could he be an All American now going through the
27:33
rugged Big 10? He's looking like an All
27:35
American here these last few weeks.
27:38
He's been just been spectacular. And then when he dropped 36 the
27:42
other night, finally he beat his dad, his dad's for high of 34.
27:47
But every game he kind of amazes you.
27:49
I looked at the NBA mock drafts just last week and he's
27:52
projected somewhere around 1819 or 20.
27:55
Amazing success story for a young man.
27:59
Was not highly recruited. You know, the whole family are
28:02
Kansas State grads. They didn't recruit him.
28:04
Then they go to Drake and lead that team to the N state
28:08
tournament now. And I was even taking this game
28:10
to a new level. I think it's been just amazing
28:13
to watch him perform. And this Iowa team, you know, I
28:17
thought there were going to be a bubble team, maybe 10 and 10 in
28:19
the league. They're going to outperform my
28:21
expectations. I think many other people.
28:23
So this team is going to win 11 or 12 games in the Big 10 and
28:28
you know, eight seed right now they got a chance to be a seven
28:30
seed because you want to get off that 8-9 seed line as as we
28:35
know, you win that game. You don't play the number one
28:37
seed. Unless we get something crazy
28:40
that happens, but we know how rare it is that the number one
28:43
goes down. Finally, a thought on Iowa
28:46
State. They have certainly tightened
28:48
things up. Manchilovich talk about playing
28:50
at an incredibly high level, what he's doing.
28:52
Joshua Jefferson, we almost take for granted just how good that
28:55
guy is, what he's doing for the Cyclones.
28:57
How good is this Iowa State team?
28:58
You know, a year ago we're talking about, can they make a
29:01
run to the Final Four? And injuries started to pile up.
29:03
They just certainly weren't the same team that they were in
29:06
January by the time we got late in the season.
29:08
What do you see from the Cyclone team and how high is their
29:11
ceiling? Well, is this thing, you know,
29:13
they got dumped there at Cincinnati, lost at Kansas.
29:16
They couldn't turn those two teams over, but they certainly
29:18
flipped the switch after that. And you know, I was looking at
29:22
Final four team, I think definitely lead 18.
29:25
And you've seen teams where the pieces just kind of fit
29:28
together. That's how he described this
29:30
Iowa State team. They got a little bit of
29:32
everything. And Joshua Jefferson, the point
29:34
for he's going to be on all American list Lipsy in the
29:38
backcourt, the freshman Philian Tory has really outperformed
29:42
expectations. And now the bench is coming on a
29:44
little bit with Nate Heisey again, making his late February
29:48
where he started to make some shots.
29:49
I really like this this Iowa State seaman.
29:52
They got a tough their schedule. If you look at that print, they
29:55
got back loaded probably for TV because they've got, you know,
29:59
this Kansas, Houston thing coming up after TCU, then
30:03
they're at BYU, at Utah, and then they've got I think is
30:07
Arizona back at home. So it is a really difficult
30:10
schedule down the stretch here for the cycles.
30:13
But if they win those games, they're going to be worthy of a
30:16
number one seed. Yeah, a big opportunity in front
30:19
of them. You mentioned Nate Heisey had a
30:21
great game, knocked down a couple of three pointers.
30:23
Not as good though, as a sister who scored a goal in the
30:25
Olympics, pretty good for her and what she's able to do.
30:28
That's absolutely amazing. I used to give him a hard time.
30:31
We used to play United Train. I would give him a hard time
30:32
about his sister. She just laughed at me.
30:35
I guess. She is really, really talented
30:37
and that's going to be something really special.
30:39
Scored gold in the Olympics. No doubt.
30:41
Hey Kevin, out of time for today.
30:43
Safe travels and enjoy that pizza your next time through
30:45
Hannibal. OK buddy, it's always a
30:49
pleasure. I can talk to you soon.
30:50
Absolutely, We'll make it happen.
30:51
Kevin Layman joining us as we talk BIG4 basketball here on
30:55
Miller and Condon. Quick time out, let's dive
30:58
deeper into the Cyclones. Bill Seals is going to join us
31:00
next from on three. He'll talk a little bit about
31:03
the Cyclones. We'll talk some basketball.
31:04
We're going to talk some football as well.
31:06
Bill Seals up next as we continue.
31:08
Before that though, an opportunity for you to win $1000
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31:24
Talking Cyclones next with Bill Seals.
31:26
It's Miller and Continent on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
31:37
Trent, kind of back with you here, it's Miller and Condon on
31:39
the Iowa Sports Radio Network. Time to talk Cyclones.
31:43
Bill Seals joins us, cyclonereport.com and our weekly
31:46
conversation with Bill. Bill, it is a busy time.
31:49
And boy, Cyclone fans got to be disappointed tomorrow night.
31:53
Both the Iowa State men and women playing at the same time.
31:55
Got to have that dual TV set up I guess tomorrow evening.
31:58
I know right? Or watching 1 on TV and one on
32:01
your laptop computer or something.
32:03
But yeah, it seems like a couple times this years, we this year
32:07
we've had a a little bit of an overlap.
32:10
At least on Saturday, there was some time to kind of reset after
32:14
the men's game for the women's game.
32:15
But both of those two teams have been.
32:19
Can't miss TV here over the last few weeks though for sure.
32:23
No doubt about it. And the Iowa statement, I guess
32:26
survive. It was a 12 point game with a
32:28
minute left, right? It's game over, but it was a
32:30
game over. Baylor didn't quit.
32:32
And there's been just so many odd times and this Baylor team,
32:35
certainly not what we're used to with Scott Drew and what he's
32:38
been able to do throughout the years, but they kind of been a
32:40
thorn in the side of times for Iowa State.
32:42
Just getting out of there. Doesn't matter the way, getting
32:44
that victory felt good on Saturday.
32:47
Yeah, and that that's kind of one of the things that TJ said
32:50
in his post game afterwards is that he he can't recall many,
32:54
many times where they've beaten Baylor twice during the regular
32:58
season and they've been able to do that.
33:01
Who knows will be what what'll be ahead in Kansas City, but
33:04
Iowa State's won a couple over Baylor and in KC as well.
33:08
So, yeah, I mean, always when you can knock off a a Scott Drew
33:12
team like that, especially twice in a regular season, that's a
33:16
big accomplishment. And I think for this team and,
33:19
you know, granted, Baylor's down a little bit this season from
33:22
what we're used to. But I think what you saw in the
33:25
in that Baylor team is one that was going to fight till the the
33:28
very end. And then you you saw it coming
33:31
with a couple minutes left to go and just how intense Baylor
33:34
still was trying to chip away at that double digit lead.
33:38
And then, you know, they almost got it.
33:39
Well, they did get it back to A1 score game.
33:41
But still, I don't think 1 Iowa State, it was really ever in
33:44
doubt for Iowa State. You know, maybe if there was
33:47
another 30 seconds or a minute on the clock maybe, but I didn't
33:52
think so. Why do go to the bench?
33:54
And we talked a ton about, you know, seeing a possibility of
33:57
seeing guys like Dom Cle to come on board and do some different
34:01
things. Nate Heisey, who's been around
34:03
for a long time, he's been in certainly are watching viewing
34:06
through the last six years now dating back to his freshman year
34:09
way back in 20/20/21 with you and I, Heisey, It comes down to
34:14
a lot of times his shooting ability.
34:16
He started to get hot in the back half of last year for Iowa
34:18
State. Did the same thing his final
34:20
year at you and I Couple of three pointers, multiple 3
34:23
pointers these last couple of games after going four straight
34:27
without a three-point miss. The three-point shot just seems
34:29
important to him because we know off the bounce he's good.
34:32
He's athletic. He can get to his spots there.
34:34
But if he's knocking down that shot from the outside, it just
34:37
dictates what have people have to do against him defensively.
34:40
Does it feel like here we go again, Heise, He's figured it
34:42
out from behind the arc. Yeah, I mean, it seemed like
34:45
when we were talking last season that Heisey was in the midst of
34:50
this torrid stretch of shooting from outside.
34:53
I think he had enjoyed one last season, and then he's five of
34:58
nine from three now at Kansas State back home against Baylor.
35:03
So, yeah, he's certainly catching a stride.
35:06
You know, it kind of been an up and down year for him.
35:08
And you know, Iowa State, when they're beaten teams by 30
35:11
points, I think Nate would probably be the first to admit
35:14
that if he's not, if the team's doing well, the starters are
35:18
clicking, he's not needed. He's happy to play a kind of a
35:22
complimentary role, but I think they've needed him as they've
35:26
gotten into this heart of the Big 12 schedule.
35:28
And then he's also enjoyed three of his better games in the
35:32
conference, too. He did have 10 in that blowout
35:36
loss at Kansas, but he's the last three games that now he's
35:40
had eight points each and two of those and 11 at Kansas State.
35:44
So they keep starting to come on and you want to talk about guys
35:49
on this team that impact winning.
35:50
I think Nate Heisey is no doubt one of those.
35:53
And we've seen just how good Iowa State is.
35:56
Also, you mentioned Plato, some of the other bench guys.
35:59
Iowa States got to get some some help on the off the bench.
36:03
They've gotten that. They're going to play 8, it's
36:06
looking like. So those three guys that come in
36:09
off the bench, if they could give Iowa State, you know, 20
36:12
points combined or so 20 to 25 points combined off the bench,
36:16
Iowa State's going to be in great shape with that core three
36:20
that they've got. The, the, you know, the guy is
36:22
scoring most of the points. But if they can get that
36:25
production from the bench and and from Heise, they're they're
36:29
sitting pretty I think. On the women's side, 5 losses in
36:32
a row, fouled up now by 5 consecutive victories.
36:35
And really outside of the road trip to TCU, this one tomorrow
36:38
night against BYU might be their most difficult matchup.
36:42
They still have remaining. They get Oklahoma State, but
36:44
they'll get what that one in Hilton.
36:46
This one outside of that TCU game might be the most
36:48
difficult. What have you seen though, out
36:50
of the Cyclone woman's team? Shooting the ball much better
36:52
from the outside, too. Yeah, no doubt about it.
36:55
I think it's amazing what what a turn around it's been since
37:00
Ariana Jackson return. You want to talk about glue
37:04
players and you know, so much attention the start of the
37:07
season, rightfully so on Audie Crooks, Addie Brown, the the
37:11
transfer, Jada Williams, but they're all along has been
37:15
Ariana Jackson. I think she's been a
37:16
foundational person on this team.
37:20
She had another nice game at Utah, 12 points in that one.
37:25
I think what you also see this is a better defensive team for
37:29
Iowa State and and it's gotten better.
37:31
Well, it's gotten better since she she came back and no doubt
37:34
about it. And then what an impressive win
37:36
though at at Utah, a team that I think was a game ahead of Iowa
37:41
State. I believe in that.
37:42
I want to stay in the standings of the Big 12.
37:45
So nice win at in Salt Lake City.
37:49
So you had a team starting to come together finding a finding
37:53
some. I think that Bill Findley has
37:56
gotten some, some rotations that he's happy with and, and just
38:00
some patterns. And I think it's really starting
38:02
to click. And it makes you really wonder
38:05
what this team could look like if Addie Brown comes back before
38:08
the the Big 12 tournament and what that could do to to really
38:12
boost this team because they're, you know, they're they're
38:15
playing pretty well here of late since Ariana came back for sure.
38:19
Couple minutes on Cyclone Football as well with Bill
38:21
Seals, who joins us from cyclonereport.com.
38:24
You know, maybe something that has been understated is one of
38:28
the guys that they did keep, Jeffrey Roberts.
38:29
Now I know he grew up in Ames. He's got a lot of connections
38:32
obviously to the program, played his final year here in Des
38:35
Moines at West Des Moines Dowling.
38:36
But Jeffrey Roberts, this is a guy that had a lot of options, a
38:39
lot of opportunities keeping him in fold was that one is all the
38:43
excitement, all these new names where these guys coming from
38:46
maybe kind of got lust in the shuffle, keeping Roberts home.
38:49
Yeah, no doubt about it. I think he was one of the guys
38:52
that they they sought to to keep and to make a priority.
38:57
There were six of those guys that remain from the original
38:59
signing class under under Campbell Roberts.
39:03
One of those and and I think you know, his coach Tom Wilson
39:09
involved to Trent. And I know how much respect we
39:13
both, I'm sure, have for Coach Wilson.
39:16
And he was, I think involved once, once the new coaching
39:20
staff took hold there at Iowa State, you know, getting Jeffrey
39:23
in front of Jimmy Rogers, Tyler Roll, some of the other coaches
39:28
that had come on board and Coach Wilson involved there with those
39:33
guys. So, yeah, I mean, that was a
39:35
huge keep for them. And they also got Malcolm
39:38
Watkins to another wide receiver with with high accolades.
39:42
So I think, you know, between those two guys, they made out
39:46
pretty well, I think at the wide receiver position.
39:49
In the wide receiver position while the high school guys
39:51
coming in. So last week was signing day,
39:53
though it's not the same I know for you and for I think any of
39:55
us in the media space. Is there a neighbor two, though,
39:58
out of those 12 guys that they signed on the official signing
40:02
day as we know it in February, they're in that first Wednesday,
40:05
a neighbor 2 that we should know going forward to maybe a guy
40:07
that could help out right away. Well, I I'm not sure he I guess
40:12
he could be a guy that helps out right away.
40:14
But Benjamin from mispronouncing that last name, he was actually
40:21
a guy that nobody really found out about until the like the
40:25
overnight hours leading up to signing day.
40:27
A four-star. He is a member of the rivals 300
40:31
pretty pretty firmly in that He's actually 244 national an
40:37
offensive tackle. So I I think, you know, as with
40:40
many offensive lineman, maybe you don't expect a lot early
40:44
with him, but he turned into the gem of the class and he's you
40:49
know, he's a good one. I think that they added on the
40:51
offensive and defensive lines to those continue to be focuses for
40:56
this Rogers coach team. You know, they want to out
40:58
physical the other team and I think you're you're seeing that
41:01
bear out and what they've added in the trenches.
41:04
Bill Seals joining us, cyclonereport.com.
41:07
Bill, thanks for the time. We'll talk to you next week.
41:09
Sounds good, Trent. Appreciate it.
41:11
Bill Seals here on Miller and Condon.
41:13
Our two kicks off Hawkeye talk