Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Hawkeye talk with Tom Kakert, Cyclones with Eugene Rapay & Ken's Derby Picks presented by Circa Sports

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Hawkeye talk with Tom Kakert, Cyclones with Eugene Rapay & Ken's Derby Picks presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

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Hour number two, Miller and Condon welcome back Iowa Sports
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Radio Network. Bottom of the hour, Eugene Repay
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covers Iowa State for the Des Moines Register.
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He will join Trent and I. I will make our Derby picks
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before we get out of here just before 2.
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I'm sure Trent will have a player 2 that he'll add to that.
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Circus sports sponsors all of this on a daily basis.
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Let's talk to Tom Keikart, hawkeyereport.com, part of on
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three media. Tom joins us every Friday, this
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being no different. Hello, Tom Keikart, how are you?
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I'm doing great. How are you?
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Guys doing well, but before we get into the Hawks, I'm guessing
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that you kind of had AI don't know a full circle moment with
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rivals and on three kind of merging together.
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Great. I think I think we win we as
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subscribers, we as you know college sports fans.
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I I think it's a pretty this on the surface seems like a, a
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really good merger for the fans, Tom.
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Yeah, and I wasn't to to be totally honest and candid, I
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wasn't surprised to had done talked about when I made the
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move three years. Ago.
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Oh, really? OK.
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Probably happened. So you know, it wasn't a shock
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to me. It was, it was surprising in the
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moment because I don't think anybody at Rivals got a heads up
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and I got about the everybody on that on three in my position got
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about a 15 minute heads up. This is coming.
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So we didn't know that it was happening then, but it, it's
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just been something that that I, I figured was well, was
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discussed among people before, you know, when we thought when
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we made the move three years ago.
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Well, importantly for you and Hawkeye Report and all your
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staff over there for what we know, nothing changing kind of
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all systems go for you guys at Hawkeye Report.
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Yeah, there's nothing that will be changing.
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I, you know, I, if there's like I, they posted on the message
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boards, it's just business as usual for us.
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I mean, it's the, we're not the one getting bought.
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So it's not like we're going to move.
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You know, we're the, we're, we're kind of in a, in our
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spots. And so we'll see what, what
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happens with everything else. I don't know.
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I'm probably going to have discussions with some people
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next week. We'll find out what happens.
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Terry Shannon correct. He's the guy that that started
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rivals then I believe after it is Terry Shannon correct.
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Let me before I. Shannon, Terry.
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Shannon Terry, Shannon Terry. OK.
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And then and then Scout and then on three.
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So this guy's really built some communities in his career,
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right? And he's been very well
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compensated for doing so. Yeah, he, you know, Shannon's
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one of my mentors and, and the guy that that, you know, brought
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me over to on three, to be honest and, and hired me a
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rival. So you see the guy that I trust
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and, and and admire and, and really, you know, he's a friend,
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but he's also just somebody that I look up to professionally.
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So he's yeah, he, he founded 24/7 sold that, you know,
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founded on three. And he's, he's founded, he's had
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a hand in all the players in in my business.
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And so, you know, he's just, he's a serial entrepreneur, but
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he swears this is his last act. And I kind of believe him.
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So you know, this'll this'll be it and we'll see what happens.
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Well, as we kind of make our way through the spring, things feel
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like they're really slowing down.
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Spring football obviously over we also not wrapped up, but feel
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like we're getting towards the end of portal season on the
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basketball front before we get into the men's side and and what
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they did this week, the women's side.
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So they got chitchat couple weeks ago from Georgia Tech.
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Obviously the connection with her, a former assistant coach
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down there as Jan Jensen still look around and what, what kind
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of buzz is there on the women's front?
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What are they still looking for in the portal, if anything?
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Yeah, there there was somebody that we did a story on this
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week, the Rodriguez girl, I think it's her last name from
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Florida International. She was I think Florida
4:11
International, but they're just kind of poking around.
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I think they want to from what I understand talking to a few
4:17
people, they want to find kind of the wing three wing two kind
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of player somebody can shoot a little bit and and scoring
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option. So I think that might be what
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they're looking for. But the big thing was trying to
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get a point card after, you know, Lucy leaves and then Ellie
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Gaitan decides to transfer to Illinois.
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You got an empty spot there and I don't think you wanted to
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throw that all on Addie deal coming in so she can kind of get
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her feet wet a little bit. No, I I fully suspect daddy's
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going to end up starting at least at some point, maybe from
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the get go. But it's just you don't want to
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throw all of that right at her right out of the gate and try to
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fill those shoes that I think that would be a tough, tough
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ask. What's this this winter going to
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bring as far as the demand for tickets to see the Iowa women's
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play? This year is next to impossible.
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Obviously the Caitlin's final year it was as well.
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Do you think that that it's plateaued?
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I mean, there's still going to be interest.
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Don't get me wrong. It's not going to go back.
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I don't think to ever what it once was, but what do what?
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What do you think Tom? Will they?
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There's got to be some availability for single game
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tickets this year as opposed to been a long time since that's
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been the case. Yeah, I would imagine they'll be
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maybe a little bit, but not a lot.
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Just keep the sense that people just really enjoy supporting the
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women's basketball program at the University of Iowa and.
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And to me, that's really cool that they're doing that.
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So I but I do wonder if maybe there'll be a little more
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excitement with the men's program this year with Ben
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McCollum. And thus far, just from the
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public relations side, I think Ben McCombs, he's just winning
6:08
every day with public relations. He's just, I mean, the legend
6:13
just continues to grow with him, with the thing at the Caroline
6:17
Club putting chairs up. I mean, it was just, but that's,
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you know, that's him. That's Kirk Ference would do the
6:23
same thing. You know, it's just that's how
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they are. So it's, it's interesting, but I
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I think he's going to get some more supporters in his corner
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coming right out of the gate. Yeah, no question Sunday.
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What's that going to be like? 4:00 ESPN right?
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A lot of fun. I think it will be.
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Too 22 back in the building it'll probably outdraw NBA
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playoff games if there are any out that are on it that.
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You know, that's a really good. I wonder what that number is
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going to be. It it, you know, it's going to
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have a ton of viewers. I mean just.
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Although I'm not sure about the the, the the advanced a build up
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on it. Has it been because I've watched
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a lot of, you know, NHL and and NBA on ESPN?
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I'm not sure I've seen much publicity for the event.
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Have you guys? I have I haven't either, but
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what it just seems like everything she does does find it
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and they're going to tune in and and watch whatever she does.
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I mean, you know, it's just, it's pretty awesome and it'll
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be, it'll be fun to have her back in the building because
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there's just, there's a buzz when she walks in a building
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there. Just as it's different, it's
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totally different. Will you guys get here before
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the event or after or both? They have a media availability
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before and I think they'll probably do something after, but
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they're going to do something before the game to to kind of,
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you know, get some of those questions out of the way and
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which makes sense. And it's, it's so wild.
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I said to somebody the other day, I think there might be more
8:08
Indiana Fever fans in the state of Iowa than there are in the
8:10
state of Indiana. I said somebody here in the
8:13
building we should look into carrying Indiana Fever
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basketball. Games.
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Well, that's what I know locally here WQAD they brilliant Fever
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games on on their their station last year.
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I know it was A and it was a big deal.
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I mean, they love doing it. They were like, yeah, we'll
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preempt all these different things.
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The, you know, the whatever it is, we're going to put the fever
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on, especially during the summer.
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I mean, there's just reruns of stuff.
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Why not put something on there that you can sell?
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We don't carry, we don't carry baseball anymore.
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Find the fever. I mean, they're they'll be at
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demand for it. Oh.
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Absolutely. You've never seen anything like
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this phenom? Completely different.
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By the way, by the way, plus 4 + 400 to win the WNBA this year,
8:55
right? Aren't they?
8:57
He's been shopping on their circus sports app.
8:59
Tom Kaker. You know, boy, I see what you've
9:01
been up to, but. He has.
9:03
Well, you're going to get a pretty good price on the I will
9:06
men to make a run this year. I can't wait to see what those
9:09
numbers are. Lynn already had them in his
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bracket that came out this week, a new addition this week.
9:15
I don't think there's any belief that Tate Sage is going to be a
9:18
guy that's going to help out this year.
9:20
But as we look, still looking, still investing in this one.
9:23
Where you at with Ben McCollum a month into the program and what
9:26
he has done to build out this roster?
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I think they've done well. And I say that just because you
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know, I had kind of Wheeler, one of the assistants on podcast
9:38
yesterday and just talked to him about the importance of having
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some of those guys come with you because they can help build the
9:44
culture that you want at the University of Iowa and kind of
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teach everybody what it's what the expectations are on a daily
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basis within the program. And it's just so important to
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bring those those guys over from Drake that you think can they
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help you on the court, but be established what what you want
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to be as program. And I think that was just so
10:04
key. Now they've they're just I think
10:06
they're trying to fill things out, if that makes sense.
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It's just, you know, the cause a GIF a kid that the kid from high
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point the guard, you know, I wonder if his his asking price
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might be a little too high. We'll see.
10:23
But they've got Ashton Williamson, guard from Ford
10:27
International. Looks pretty decent.
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You know, played guard, he started about half their games
10:33
last year and interesting player, they had him on campus
10:37
yesterday. You know, Kate Tyson, they're
10:41
still working around with that one, but Minnesota's been there
10:44
with him and so it they're they're digging around a little
10:49
bit. The thing that I thought it was
10:51
interesting that he sat at the Polk County I club and I think
10:54
Chad likes to go with the one that reported it.
10:57
So I want to try and give credit where credit's due, but it was
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basically maybe not so concerned about going out and getting a
11:03
big man. And that might just be because
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they can't get one. They're so expensive.
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It's, it's insane how much, I mean, Jamie Shaw, one of our
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national guys had a thing last this past week that, you know,
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talking to coaches at the Power 4 level, you know, or you know,
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whatever, you know, big conference level.
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And they're talking about like guys that averaged 6 points and
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three rebounds a game getting over $1,000,000 a year.
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And then IO. It's insane.
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Everybody says it's not sustainable, but yeah, until it
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stops, it's sustainable. You know it's and I don't know
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that it's stopping. We'll see what what about
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football? Are they down to their roster?
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I guess How's Ferris handling? We heard from Matt Campbell and
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and I get the sense that Iowa State is they're ready to move
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if they have to, but they're kind of playing a waiting game.
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If they have to get down to 105, they're waiting on the the judge
12:05
who seemingly opened the door for that to be, you know,
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trickled in not not necessarily this year because we're so close
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to this year. How's Iowa handling roster
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limits? You know, they did most of their
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cutting back in December and that's where Kirk is kind of
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ticked off about it, You know what I mean?
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He's like, we did all this and now these other teams that kind
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of held out and just left their guys hang in.
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They may end up in an advantageous situation moving
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forward just because they, you know, they they held on to their
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guys and, and we might be down 20 guys.
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And it's not like, it's not like the NFL where you can go sign 10
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free agents either. You know, it's just, it's just
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not. And there might be some portal
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guys that are wandering around it didn't get find homes that
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you could bring in potentially. We'll see.
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But right now I was at, I'm just looking at our chart.
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They're at 107. So they've got to cut down a
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couple and scholarship wise, they're at 84 of 85 S, They're
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probably right where they want to be.
13:12
So. Ferris in December given these
13:14
kids kind of a head start in anticipation of getting down to
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105. Boy, that's brutal.
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If it backfires and you know, doing the right thing by the
13:23
kids and then to have this come back and maybe not be enacted in
13:27
place for for this year. Can't win 100 and 1500 and 2125.
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I mean any guess or is it just that it's just a guess what the
13:35
roster will look like? It's probably going to be 105, I
13:39
would guess. I don't.
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Yeah. I think that's what they're
13:44
planning on doing. But, you know, it's it's weird.
13:46
Like, I'll say this, you know, this couple of local kids in the
13:49
family that I know really well, the Van Wetsika family.
13:52
But Rusty, little Rusty was on the team, on the Iowa team as a
13:56
walk on in second year as a full back.
14:00
And they had to tell him the day after his brother Joey signed a
14:06
scholarship to University of Iowa that Rusty was getting
14:10
caught. Oh.
14:10
Boy. Basically that that he was done
14:13
and that's just how harsh this is.
14:16
And then so Rusty ends up going to Central Michigan and then
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Joey and rolls early and he's like, what?
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I kind of came here to be with my brother and he's not here, so
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I'm out. So they lost two players because
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of this thing that might not actually be in place.
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Just it's bizarre. I know that there's been a
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couple of Speaking of walk ONS, walk on families that couple of
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coaches have been re engaging, seeing how they're doing at
14:43
their new stops in case something changes here, that
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communication continue to. It's just that there's a lot
14:49
going on and that's the reality of this one.
14:52
Hey, coming out now wide receivers, I think that was eye
14:54
opening for all of us, right? But we saw not just Saturday,
14:57
but what we heard leading up to it.
14:59
Quarterback, you feel, is there a position group that you look
15:02
at and say, you know what, I'm still a little bit concerned if
15:05
you had how to choose one your most concerning position group
15:08
coming out of spring football? Boy, I would probably say
15:13
linebacker just because, and I'm super high on Carson Shire.
15:20
I think Jayden Harrell is going to be solid, but I just kind of
15:24
want to see it. But I probably felt the same way
15:27
a couple years ago when they were when Jack Campbell and Seth
15:30
Benson left. And I was like, well, I wonder
15:33
what's going to be like, see what this Higgins guy does and
15:37
you know, pretty good and they get Nick Jackson pretty good,
15:41
you know, So I, I think that might be me the position of
15:48
concern for me and maybe maybe D tackle.
15:53
You know, I should say this corner is probably my biggest
15:55
concern, to be honest. That's probably it, this corner,
16:00
because I just, you know, Hall and Shawn Lee have just been
16:08
kind of spotty. There's not much that's been
16:11
done behind them. It's not a deep position.
16:14
I think Jalen Watson's going to be pretty good.
16:16
I honestly think the Barrows kid that they just signed from South
16:19
Dakota might end up starting. So there's just not a lot of
16:25
depth there. And the guys at the top of
16:30
things have been spotty. Then you know, Paul's been
16:34
spotty, Lee's been spotty. So it maybe everybody elevates,
16:38
but until I kind of see it more maybe corner, I think spot.
16:44
And add a little bit of safety depth with Ty Hudkins coming in
16:47
from Purdue that. Three years, he's got 3.
16:50
Years, three years to play that dude's hair, though, I think
16:52
might be the story more than anything.
16:53
He's got a big old bushy top. Man, I wish I had a head of hair
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like that. I think we all do anymore,
17:00
right? It's just that it's a losing
17:02
battle battle. Hey, did Nick Jackson catch on
17:06
with anybody? He has.
17:09
I talked to somebody close to him the other night and he's got
17:15
a a camp invite with the Giants to do like a trout camp thing
17:22
and then one with the Ravens after that.
17:25
So he's got two of those. I'm really hoping the Ravens,
17:29
not just because J Higgins is going to end up being there, but
17:34
his free agency, but one of Nick's best friends is Kyle
17:38
Hamilton, the the stud safety for the Ravens.
17:42
They've been they've been friends since childhood.
17:45
So it's like best there's best friends.
17:47
So just from that perspective, I think that would be pretty cool
17:52
if he could end up end up with Baltimore so those guys can play
17:56
together again. Iowa baseball out in Seattle,
17:59
Another awful midweek loss, Tom. They continue to dig themselves
18:04
a hole. They might win the Big 10 by 4
18:06
or five games and it's not going to matter if they keep losing
18:09
these midweek ones. They got another one next week
18:11
against UIC. They lose that one.
18:13
They're in some trouble here, Tom.
18:15
Yeah, it's that's that's less than ideal to keep dropping
18:19
midweek games to Illinois State. Funny thing is it's been
18:23
Illinois State that's gotten them and it's the same picture
18:27
it's gotten them. So, you know, he just it's
18:31
whatever. For whatever reason, I was been
18:34
elevating their play in the weekends, but they just kind of
18:37
take a night off during the during these weekday games and
18:41
and it's got to be driving Rick nuts, But I still think they're
18:48
in pretty good shape, but they but they can't afford to stub
18:51
their toe down the stretch. They're going to have to win.
18:55
But these next three weeks are huge.
18:57
I mean, a couple of late night games coming up this week, guys,
19:00
99 PM I'm I'm I'm in bed by then.
19:03
You know, it's but that's, that's how it is when you play
19:07
in the big 10. It's a long way out to Seattle
19:10
and they're going to they can get a big series win.
19:14
Then they've got the the Oregon State thing and Oregon and
19:18
Principal Park and the Ducks nationally ranked team coming in
19:22
both those teams now. I think there were six and seven
19:24
in baseball and Kendall Rogers rankings this week.
19:29
I think there was #6 and #7 in the country.
19:32
So got that coming up as well. Good stuff.
19:35
Tom Cakehart, hawkeyereport.com, part of On Three Media, joins us
19:39
every Friday. The latest on the Hawkeyes with
19:42
tom-tom, thank you for doing this, brother.
19:43
We will speak with the next week.
19:45
OK. Alright, thanks guys.
19:47
See you Tom Cakehart, hawkeyereport.com Check it in on
19:50
the Hawks. We'll check on the Cyclones with
19:52
Eugene Repay on the other side of this break.
19:55
But before we go to break, time to give you an opportunity to
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Iowa. Repay next on the Clones Miller
20:26
and Condon on the Iowa Sports Radio Network just passed 1. 30
20:29
on a Friday. Miller in Condon, Iowa Sports
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Radio Network pick the Derby coming up here in about 20
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minutes. Circus sports sponsors that
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trail have a couple of plays of the day as well.
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Eugene repay, though, before we get to that, he covers Iowa
20:42
State for thedesmoinesregister.com,
20:45
desmoinesregister.com Eugene Trenton.
20:47
Ken, thanks for coming on. Good to talk to you.
20:49
How are you? I'm great, I'm great.
20:51
It's always a good time hopping on and talking with you guys.
20:53
Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.
20:55
I've enjoyed your look back at at both the offense and today
20:59
the defense of Iowa State. Kind of I guess your biggest
21:03
take away, and I know he put five of them in the register,
21:07
linebacker obviously being at the front and it's it, it's not
21:10
a bad thing. I don't think it's just playing
21:12
time, right? For all of the experience that
21:14
those young players gained last year, how's this thing going to
21:18
sort itself out? Is one of your questions that
21:21
you have in today's article at the Register.
21:25
Yeah. You know, one thing that was
21:26
just very interesting and talking to Matt Campbell was he
21:29
was very candid with the end of spring football.
21:32
He's like, we need to get a lot tougher.
21:34
There's still a lot of things that we need to work on.
21:37
And while he puts all that stuff out there, at the same time,
21:40
him, his players, his coaching staff, they all feel confident
21:43
that they can fix this puzzle and that they can get all the
21:46
pieces working and fitting in and however, will be used by the
21:49
time we kick off in August. So right now it's, it's a very
21:53
way too early look for sure. But when I look at that
21:55
linebacker position, so many different guys you can roll with
21:59
and there's two, there's that one way where is it too many
22:03
cooks or is it good to have all the steps?
22:06
Hopefully they won't have to deep reach deep into the barrel
22:09
like they did last year. But I think the the overall
22:13
feeling is that they'll be able to figure out exactly how the
22:15
puzzle pieces fit and they'll be good to go by August.
22:18
You know, one thing defensively that I think is going to be
22:21
incredibly important is getting to the quarterback.
22:23
Dom Orange, he's going to be able to control the middle and
22:25
he's going to occupy 2, sometimes 3 blockers because
22:29
that's what Dom Orange does in the middle.
22:31
But who's going to be that guy that you look at on this team
22:33
that's going to be able to get to the quarterback even, you
22:35
know, 678 times throughout the course of the year?
22:38
I know there's some talk, maybe, you know, a guy like Malone
22:40
coming in from Tulsa, He could be that kind of guy.
22:43
Who have you spotlighted as a guy that can get to the
22:45
quarterback? At least what I saw from Zamir
22:47
Hawk last year is one of the younger guys on the D line.
22:50
He flashed some good potential, but the coaching staff is really
22:53
high on a Canada Zagu and they think that this can be a very
22:56
big year for him. They felt like last year should
22:58
have been the time when he made that jump didn't really happen
23:01
or it didn't pan out the way they expected it to.
23:03
But his argue, just from talking to him and just from talking of
23:06
the staff, it sounds like this year he's primed for an even
23:09
bigger year. It looks like you're going to
23:10
put it together. But those transfers so far,
23:12
Vonshire, Malone, he looked really good.
23:14
I've heard good things about Tomato and McDonough.
23:16
He hasn't come on yet for the summer, but the staff is also
23:19
very, very excited to have him on.
23:22
Just a very experienced defensive end from Yale, crushed
23:25
it in the Ivy League, and they're excited to see what
23:27
he'll do now that he's here and at the FBS level.
23:30
I was surprised that orange true just Trent just brought up
23:33
didn't dip his toe into the NFL waters.
23:35
I was, I thought, I think he's, he's still got a future in the
23:38
NFL, is going to be there next year, if indeed that's on his
23:41
radar, as I assume it would be. Do you have any idea what what
23:45
led to that? Obviously, NIL is a, is a, is a
23:48
difference maker from what it once was.
23:51
The ability to keep kids in school if they if they enjoy the
23:54
college experience. You don't have to leave
23:56
necessarily to get that paycheck.
23:59
What was behind Dominic Orange coming back for one more year?
24:02
Any idea? Yeah, from talking with him and
24:05
and DI coach Eli Rasheed, it seems like the mission for him.
24:09
You know, obviously he cares about the team wide success, but
24:12
he feels that this is a year where he can really boost the
24:15
draft stock from just talking with Don Morris, he's very self
24:18
aware, he's very honest. He said that while he had some
24:21
good moments last year, especially towards the end of
24:23
the season, he was inconsistent. He felt like he left too many
24:26
tackles, too many plays off the board.
24:28
Even just with talking with the coach Rasheed, they feel like he
24:32
had his good moments. But this year for him, the main
24:34
mission will be consistency, working on his conditioning.
24:37
They want him out there for more than 60 plays a game.
24:40
So this is going to be a very big year for him.
24:42
He's going to have the opportunities.
24:43
They feel that if he could have a monster year, his will go way
24:47
up. He was definitely on the radar
24:48
last year, maybe as like a day three pick.
24:51
But the objective now is to to shoot even higher.
24:54
If we go into that day 2, that second, third round or or maybe
24:57
even go first round, you never know.
25:00
And it was a very fruitful second day this year for Iowa
25:03
State. Higgins, Porter, Knoll, all
25:05
going in the second and third rounds.
25:07
Those guys are just kind of the growth of this program.
25:09
Eugene, you, you big an outsider coming in here taking over the
25:12
Iowa State beat. I'm sure you didn't know a ton
25:14
about the Cyclone football program in comparison to some of
25:17
the other heavyweights out there.
25:19
Just what you've seen and the talent that Matt Cable has
25:22
continued to build into this program year after year.
25:26
Yeah, no, I've been. I've been very impressed.
25:27
And one thing too is just kind of you look at those guys who
25:30
were drafted in the NFL, you know?
25:33
Higgins, Noel, Darien Porter and Jalen Travis, not only were they
25:38
impressive on the field, but just their off the field
25:40
demeanor to me was like, these guys are actual pros.
25:44
Like I'm 30 years old, but these guys have like work that work
25:48
ethics and just mindsets that have exceeded anyone.
25:52
I feel. I feel like I've dealt with my
25:53
age or, or even some of the people who are older than me or
25:57
younger than me. These guys are like 18 to 20
25:59
years old, but they're already handling themselves like NFL
26:03
professionals, already doing all this extra work to get
26:05
themselves better. It's honestly pretty inspiring
26:07
to just be around these guys. And a guy like Jalen Noel, who's
26:11
just such a valued leader, You can see why the team rallies
26:14
around him. Or Jaden Hagan.
26:16
He might not talk a lot, but his play definitely speaks for
26:19
himself. So.
26:20
Just being around them, it's like, you know, it's their
26:23
talent but also their mindset, mentality.
26:26
You mentioned the leadership and it's clearly there.
26:28
Obviously on the defensive side of the ball, that role was both
26:30
frailers, right? That was he was the defensive
26:33
leader seemingly as he walks or since he got to the program,
26:37
didn't walk on but got to the program.
26:39
Do you know what he's doing right now?
26:41
I know he got hurt at the end of the year and I'm not sure there
26:43
was a an NFL career awaiting him whether that, you know, had he
26:48
not got injured. But do you have any idea what
26:50
he's doing now? I could see him getting into
26:53
coaching. That would seem like, you know,
26:55
where he could end up. Any idea Eugene?
26:58
He's kind of laid low since that unfortunate injury in the Pop
27:01
Tarts Bowl, but I was kind of feeling that way, too.
27:05
Like I could see him as like a member of a coaching staff or
27:07
just someone who, you know, advises players or maybe he goes
27:10
into like, sports agency. It's very unfortunate because
27:13
you you knew that he would at least have a training camp look
27:16
at this time of the year if it weren't for that injury and all
27:18
the other stuff he'd been dealing with, various elements
27:21
and and things like that. But I know that the future is
27:24
going to be bright for Bo Filler for for sure.
27:26
It's just a way that everyone seems to respect him, from the
27:29
managers to the coaching staff to the players around him,
27:33
Younger, older, it didn't matter.
27:34
So that that guy is going to have a bright future no matter
27:36
what. For Don Purchase, Singleton,
27:40
even Hufford maybe? Of the free agents that have
27:43
signed, who do you think's got the best chance of sticking?
27:47
I like what I saw from Jared Hunford just as versatility on
27:51
the offensive line, like I could play anywhere.
27:53
And I feel like if you're someone like that who's just,
27:56
you know, whatever you need for me, wherever you want me to
27:58
play, I'll do it. Like that kind of mindset, just
28:01
offering that positional versatility will be digging
28:03
enough fellow roster we for it on.
28:05
I feel like when he's healthy, you can clearly see that this
28:08
guy is a pro. He can stick on on Sundays, but
28:11
just his health and his durability will be the biggest
28:14
question. So I could see those two guys as
28:16
kind of like my best chances to to make it.
28:20
We, we touched on earlier, the receivers that got drafted.
28:22
Obviously there's two newbies that have come into their place.
28:26
And Campbell, kind of he spoke highly of both of them.
28:29
At least that was my take away. Obviously Townsend, I think it
28:33
was Townsend. One was hurt.
28:35
It was right. Soul is the one that was dealing
28:38
with an undisclosed injury. He's been in and out.
28:41
Yeah, Townsend is the one that they're very excited about.
28:44
Rocco Becks, childhood friend coming in from UCF and the
28:49
early, the very, very early comparisons are like they could
28:52
utilize them in a way that they utilize Jalen Knoll.
28:55
Let's get this guy in some jet sweeps.
28:56
Let's move this guy in the slot or bumping outside or can he
29:00
help out in the return game? So he's going to be able to do a
29:02
lot of different things. They're excited to have a weapon
29:05
like that. Now.
29:07
Whether or not he will have a career like Jalen Knoll, that
29:10
remains to be seen. But to just have that kind of
29:13
athleticism, to have that kind of quickness, speed, there's
29:16
going to be, you know, and and also just that long standing
29:19
connection with Rocco back. There's going to be a lot of
29:21
fireworks this fall between those two.
29:23
So we talked last two weeks ago and at the time when we were
29:26
talking on the basketball front, well, kind of feels like they're
29:29
done, right? They had to dip into the well a
29:31
little bit deeper to get Jefferson to stick around a
29:33
little bit longer. And then all of a sudden at the
29:35
beginning of the week, no, that had changed.
29:38
Tell us about Dominic Nelson, his whack player of the year
29:41
from a year ago at Utah Valley. Boy, they produce a lot of good
29:43
talent that's moved on to the power ranks and what you know
29:46
about him and maybe how Iowa State was able to kind of re
29:49
engage and get him back into the fold.
29:52
Yeah, Dominic Nelson, when I spoke to him and when I speak to
29:55
some of the other transfers, there seems to be like a big
29:57
theme here of guys who were overlooked, guys who were
30:01
somewhat underappreciated. They had to go to a lower
30:04
conference and, you know, make a name for themselves that way.
30:08
And now they're here at the bigger level and they're really
30:10
excited for that opportunity. But when you look at Dominic
30:12
Nelson, this guy in high school had zero offers.
30:14
He wants all the kids around him get offers.
30:17
He felt like he belonged to that conversation.
30:19
Had to go to JUCO, crushed it at Polk State in Florida for two
30:23
years, moved on to Utah Valley, crushed it there, too.
30:26
And now he's coming for everything here in the Big 12
30:28
and in Ames. Just a guy who is just the
30:31
dynamic player that can get downhill, get to the basket,
30:34
attack the rim, and also he just has that chip on his shoulder.
30:38
And I think that that's kind of guided him throughout his whole
30:40
basketball journey. He's he's played through the
30:43
highs, he's played through the lows.
30:44
He felt like he had to work harder than most people did just
30:48
to reach this point. So this is a guy that's
30:50
determine a dog out there on the court.
30:53
I feel like this is the kind of guy you want on your team.
30:56
And just from talking with him, he felt that his connection with
30:59
TJ, also Burger and the coaching staff, just their intensity.
31:03
That you know. Give all maximum effort, all out
31:07
effort, especially on defense and just how you approach the
31:10
everyday that those two things really stuck out to him the most
31:13
and he felt that also Berger and his staff were the most genuine.
31:17
He felt strong about the connection and he made that
31:20
commitment. This conference going to be a
31:22
bear again, isn't. I mean, Houston keeps loading
31:24
up. Texas Tech has impressed the
31:25
heck out of me for what they've done.
31:28
Likewise, Arizona, Kansas, you think that pride's going to get
31:33
them back and there's maybe the boosters dig a little bit deeper
31:36
for some NIL money. Bill Self's not going to like
31:39
the way last couple of years have gone.
31:41
This conference just going to be crazy again once we get to that
31:43
point, I believe. Eugene.
31:46
Yeah, with all criticisms that there is about NIL, but one
31:49
thing that I do enjoy about, you know, quote UN quote free agency
31:52
and the transfer portal is every year feels like an arms race.
31:55
See everyone loading up all the just the strategic X's and O's
31:59
that that come out there and acquiring players are finding
32:01
the pieces that fit your program.
32:03
So it is definitely tough. I definitely see the pros and
32:06
cons, but if there is one pro, it's that we just see a dynamic
32:10
talent year in and year out. Just so much curiosity going
32:13
into each year how the different teams will look.
32:15
And it just it still makes for a fun product, although I do love
32:19
it. I did love it when it was a
32:20
little less Wild West, but it is still a it is still a good
32:23
product overall. Phil's column inches too, does
32:26
it not? Yeah, yeah, something.
32:29
To be said for that Eugene repay Des Moines Register.
32:32
Thank you, Eugene. Appreciate you coming on.
32:34
As always, we will talk to you in a couple of weeks.
32:36
Thank you, Eugene. Thank you guys.
32:38
Good to talk to Eugene Repay as we check in on Iowa State column
32:42
inches and segments. Absolutely good stuff.
32:46
All right, time take time out. We'll come back.
32:48
Trends, plays of the day or next?
32:50
We'll give you a little. Derby plays of the game.
32:52
Well, I'm. Going to try and pick a Derby
32:53
winner but you've got some sports to get to.
32:58
We'll see down to 19 horses in the Derby.
33:01
What are the horses? I actually.
33:02
Like, yeah, and I was coming around to him too.
33:04
Grande, the 10 horse was scratched this morning.
33:08
So we will see. We'll put out a couple of
33:09
horses. Do with them what you may we
33:11
come back. Miller and Condon, circus porn
33:13
sponsors. I'm Mary Condon, welcome back.
33:16
Final few minutes of our program.
33:18
Top of the hour. Turn things over the drive.
33:20
Heather and Lucas coming up from 2:00 until 5:00.
33:25
Well, we're going to take a look at the Kentucky Derby in this
33:27
segment. Take a quick look at Trent's
33:29
plays of the day. Circus Sports sponsor both of
33:32
those when it comes to the Oh, you want me to give you an Oaks
33:36
horse today too? Yes.
33:38
Did you have? One, I'm going to bet a couple,
33:39
both of them big prices. I'm not going to bet a ton #3
33:43
Fondly was 20 to 1 and a 10 to 1 horse.
33:46
Ballerina de Oro is the six. There's a horse that stands out,
33:50
I think, never been beaten. Good Cheer is its name, so if
33:54
you like favorite short price favorites, that filly is for
33:58
you. So today is the equivalent of
34:00
the Kentucky Derby for the girls, it's the Kentucky Oaks,
34:04
the boys running the Derby. Although from time to time a
34:08
female horse can and have won it won the run for the Roses, but
34:13
doesn't happen a ton. So good, cheers.
34:15
The heavy favorite, but I'm going to try and take a stab
34:17
against her the. Three and the six.
34:19
Three and the six, yeah, I use the 10236 ten.
34:27
So when it comes to the Derby, I hate betting favorites.
34:29
I do. I won't bet the favorite.
34:31
Everybody loves the favorite this year #10 #8 rather
34:34
journalism. I will have a small ticket with
34:36
journalism on top just in case. He is as good as everybody says,
34:40
but not for me. I'm going to take these horses
34:44
#9 Burnham Square, who is 12 to 1 #18 Sovereignty, who's 5 to
34:52
one second choice. But this is the horse I really
34:54
want to see win, right? Because when you have a Kentucky
34:57
Derby horse, you probably paid upper 6 figures, maybe a half,
35:02
$1,000,000. There's a horse in here that was
35:04
bought for $1.25 million, But then there's this blue blood,
35:11
blue collar. Rather, this is this horse would
35:15
go to one of the City Schools, not a Valley grad or an Ankeny
35:19
or a Waukee. This horse, this, this horse
35:22
would go to north or East. His name is number 19, Chunk of
35:26
Gold. He was bought for $2500.
35:29
Wow, $2500. He's in the Derby.
35:32
I'm rooting for him. He's a big price.
35:34
Got a trainer nobody's ever heard of.
35:36
This will probably be his one and only opportunity in the in
35:40
in the biggest spotlight when it comes to horse racing.
35:43
But I'm going to take a flyer #19 chunk of gold along with the
35:46
9 Burnham square and the 18 sovereignty.
35:49
Those are going to be my 3 keys. So I told you the horse that I
35:52
like the most is the scratch. Grande Grande, Yeah, and I also
35:56
like the Japanese horse Luxor Cafe.
35:58
And that's another one that I've kind of started to dial in a
36:01
little bit more. My first one that I said to you
36:04
at the begin the week was Chunk of Gold and he said no shot
36:07
cross them off. But and the story, yes, the
36:10
story. The two that I still have
36:13
though, final, final gambit currently 15 to 1 like that one.
36:17
And then I had cold battle. He's got no shot, no shot.
36:20
That's another cross. On going to get in somebody's
36:22
way going. To get in somebody's way.
36:23
So my question though, with Grande being scratched because
36:29
his jockey was Valquez I think. Was John Velasquez Velasquez?
36:35
Does he? Will he get a ride?
36:36
Nope, Nope. Not unless somebody gets hurt
36:40
between now and then. But I mean, he's more
36:43
successful. Than God, yeah, he's won a
36:44
handful. Yes, he's won a handful of
36:46
derbies. So if it would be.
36:48
Allowed you could conceivably, but I'm not so.
36:51
Sure. This close though, is.
36:53
Yeah, even if the. I mean, you can at Prairie, you
36:56
know, but you'd have to pay the jockey take off and the and the
37:00
jock you put on. But I don't I don't see that
37:03
happening. I mean, that's got to be a
37:04
Stinger. For a jock, you sure?
37:06
Absolutely. This close to it, yes.
37:08
Feel like you probably got a good ride, yeah?
37:10
And then and a good chance to win.
37:12
And you know you're better than. Most of the field?
37:14
Then you're certainly better than.
37:16
I mean, he's getting old, Velasquez Biz Hall of.
37:18
Fame. And he doesn't have many of
37:20
these left either. Nope.
37:21
And just like that, sorry. Yeah, I don't feel bad for the
37:25
owners. This is the guy that Powerade
37:28
Vitamin Water. He's a billionaire.
37:31
The St. John's guy, yeah.
37:32
The St. John's guy, Michael Polly, Yeah.
37:34
He'll be all right. He'll be fine.
37:35
He'll just buy and he'll get back there.
37:37
Buy a Final Four. Absolutely, and he's going to
37:39
buy a stable full of horses. Mom, get to the Derby.
37:41
What are you betting sports wise this week?
37:43
Anything. I got 4 baseball games today,
37:46
taking the Rays, nearly 2 to one against the Yankees tonight,
37:49
Taking a big shot at that 1 + 192 playing your Blue Jays
37:52
tonight, Really they're. Starting to hit the ball.
37:54
They are playing the Red Sox against my Twins, Rangers and
37:58
well, you've complained about it enough.
38:01
You're goaltending. I'm going to 1 1/2 with the
38:03
Blues tonight, plus 225 at Circa Blues -1 1/2 because hello Buck.
38:11
Who of the goalies in the playoffs he's the worst.
38:14
This guy's up for the MVP, he's going to win the Vesina and he's
38:16
the worst goalie in the playoffs.
38:17
I don't understand. I hope we're talking about your
38:19
team when we get back next. Week.
38:20
I do too. You know what?
38:21
I hope I'm not watching hockey on Sunday.
38:23
That make me very happy. No Game 7 for my squad.
38:26
Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the Derby.
38:28
Whatever you're doing, be safe about it.
38:30
We'll talk to you on Monday. The drive is next.
38:32
Miller and Condon weekdays, noon to two on the Iowa Sports Radio
38:36
Network. This next segment, it's the Iowa
38:42
Sports Radio Network.