Latest / The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon / Hawkeye talk with Eliot Clough, Matt Rudy on Golf & LIV, Steven M. Sipple talks Huskers & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports

Transcript

Hawkeye talk with Eliot Clough, Matt Rudy on Golf & LIV, Steven M. Sipple talks Huskers & Trent's Picks presented by Circa Sports · The Lunch Rush with Trent Condon

0:00
I'm Hillary Cotton, welcome back.
0:01
Hour number two. Momentarily, Elliot Cleff on the
0:05
Hawks, Matt Rudy on golf and where we stand now live coming
0:09
to the end potentially of that tour.
0:13
And then we'll join by Stephen M Sybil.
0:14
Talk about the streak that came to an end, a little football
0:17
with their schedule with our friends to the West, Stephen M
0:20
and Nebraska right now. Let's talk some Hawks.
0:22
Elliot Cleff, hawkeyeinsider.com.
0:24
He joins us. Elliot Trenton, Ken, good to
0:27
talk to you. How are you?
0:29
Good. How are you guys doing?
0:30
OK, really a different game last night we've seen in a while,
0:33
right, The slow start and the turnover fest that ensued after
0:36
that, You know, with both teams turning the ball over seemingly
0:39
to each other on every possession.
0:41
I will roars back and takes a brief lead and then opens up a
0:45
big lead in the second-half only to relinquish that.
0:47
Just just one of those games that keeps you on your as your
0:50
seat. Yeah, I, I was at one point in
0:54
the game, I said to myself, I don't even know what to tweet
0:58
right now or what to make of what's going on right now.
1:01
Just a weird game. I mean, Iowa didn't make a field
1:04
goal like a shot from the field until I think like 8 minutes in
1:08
or something like that, 6 minutes in.
1:11
Like. Even in a slow pace, you know,
1:14
emphasis on efficiency type of offense, like that is a long
1:18
time. And it was 12 to one at one
1:21
point. Obviously they come roaring
1:23
back, get that dunk right before half and then USB scores again
1:27
to to take the lead into the halftime.
1:30
But then I will rallies back with a 20 to 4 start to the
1:34
second-half. At one point it was like Iowa
1:35
without scoring them like 46 to 20 or something like that.
1:38
Something crazy. And then Cam Wood just goes nuts
1:43
in that final few minutes. 17 straight points for them.
1:46
I think he had 25 points total going into the game last night.
1:51
So just a a wild. Game USC absolutely had the
1:55
better athletes out there. I would just ended up being the
1:58
better basketball team and and that's kind of what they have to
2:01
be right now as largely constructed of Drake guys and
2:05
not breaking any news there obviously, but man, Tavion Banks
2:09
was was really, really good again.
2:11
Alvaro full Garrett with some big shots and then then it
2:14
starts stealing it. If you want anybody on that
2:17
basketball team at the line right now to to finish a game.
2:19
It's it's probably been a search though, maybe on Banks is in the
2:23
middle of AA30 free throw made streak.
2:26
I think something crazy like that.
2:28
So yeah, but I I it got loud in there last night too.
2:33
I mean the the crowd wasn't wasn't it wasn't full by any
2:36
means in in Carver. It'd be like 55 sixty, 65% full,
2:41
but it got super loud on on that Bennett dunk before half and the
2:46
three pointer he he hit the end that 20 to 4 run.
2:49
It got super loud in there. Alvaro Fool Garris, his best
2:52
game in quite a while, just not knocking down threes.
2:55
He looked engaged, he looked ready to go.
2:57
I thought he did a pretty good job defensively, including going
3:00
up against the seven five guy a couple of times inside and
3:02
giving up some height in there. What do you look at Fool Garris?
3:05
We know his importance in being an extra score, something that
3:08
they really need. Is this a sign of things to come
3:11
or a one off? Can we get consistency out of
3:14
fool garris? I guess is where I'm going.
3:16
I think that's the hope right now.
3:18
Ben went to the presser last night, said that this is the
3:22
Alvaro that, you know, they were hoping to get out of the portal,
3:24
that they need out of the portal.
3:28
And it is. I mean, to get 14 points from
3:30
him, especially those 5 clutch points in the the final, I think
3:34
it was a couple minutes are huge.
3:37
Plus his his length and ability to deter shot at the rim has
3:41
been massive. We saw some more of that
3:43
emotion. I think we're starting to see
3:45
more of that Spanish flair from him, which if that means he's
3:49
coming out scoring in double figures, man, bring out the
3:52
Spanish flair. That's all I'm saying.
3:54
But yeah, I mean, if he can shit pitch shots like like that with
3:58
with regularity, that's that's huge.
4:01
I mean, going 2 for five from three and then willing, the
4:03
willingness to attack the paint, get to the free throw line.
4:06
That's that's one of the best games we've seen from him
4:09
offensively in quite a while. Meanwhile, Cooper Koch
4:11
continues. I think to really have
4:14
confidence problem right now, passing up that three with about
4:17
a minute left in the basketball game when the last thing he
4:19
wanted to do was shoot a wide open shot, that's a shot he's
4:23
got to take. I have to believe it's 100%
4:26
between his ears right now. Would you agree with that?
4:29
And and how will McCollum, if you do try to, you know, get him
4:32
over this kind of hump right now?
4:35
Yeah, I've, I've noticed that too.
4:38
At this point in the theater. He did hit a three last night
4:40
that kind of took the lid off the bucket for the Hawkeyes.
4:43
I think it was the first field goal that that Iowa made.
4:48
But he has only made 2-3 pointers in the last three games
4:53
at this point. Two of nine from three over that
4:56
three-game stretch. So yeah, he doesn't really look
5:00
like himself after starting the season on a heater from three, I
5:03
think. I mean, we, we, we know what he
5:06
is. We know he he came to Iowa as a
5:08
shooter, as a guy that can stretch the floor, play some
5:11
defense for this team, do do some of the effort things.
5:15
But I, I, I'm a call him. That's really what it comes down
5:18
to. If you just talk to one of your
5:19
younger guys and say, Hey, we know who you are.
5:22
We want you to shoot it when you got an open shot like that.
5:24
I understand the way you're feeling right now, but but put
5:27
those shots up, keep putting the work in and you know, this type
5:30
of thing has happened to anybody and everybody who's played
5:32
basketball, right? Like, I mean, speaking from my
5:36
JV experience at OABCIG High School, I think we've all been
5:41
there, right? I mean, so I, I, I wouldn't put
5:44
too much stock into that. At the same time, completely
5:47
agree with you, Ken you that, that I think it was their second
5:49
to last possession where they had a one point lead.
5:52
Seemed like nobody wanted to put that shot up.
5:54
And that remains to me. The one of the main concerns
5:57
offensively for this team is overpassing, not putting up
6:01
shots, like not putting up good shots when there's less than 7
6:04
seconds left on the shot clock to try to find a great shot.
6:07
The likelihood of that happening just isn't all that high when
6:11
you've got 20 seconds on the shot clock and you've got a good
6:13
shot that you know, pass it up fine.
6:16
But when there's less than 567 seconds left on the shot clock,
6:20
you got to put one of those up. You just can't waste the
6:23
possession. And that's what they did with
6:25
less than a minute to go against USC and in a really, really
6:29
close game, you just can't have that happen.
6:31
Elliot kind of had a weird thought last night as I was
6:34
watching and watching recently. Kale Combs out there still got
6:37
another year of eligibility. He'll be back.
6:39
You anticipate next season when we get to April?
6:42
Bennett Sturtz moves on, he's off to the NBA.
6:45
What are they going to be looking at?
6:46
Is it going to be a point guard? We're going to go out there in
6:50
that direction and that's kind of what they're looking for.
6:52
Is it another combo guard to go along with Combs?
6:54
When you crystal ball what you anticipate things are going to
6:57
look like when we get to the portal and helping out that back
6:59
court, what are they going to do?
7:01
Because Combs, he's been a lot better than I thought he was
7:03
going to be coming into the year.
7:06
I agree absolutely. I just did a taking stock of
7:09
every single player on on the basketball roster over this
7:12
eight day break and he along with Tate stage where two of the
7:15
easier guys to say, oh, they're trying to upward.
7:18
He's been really, really good relative to what he was a Drake
7:21
just seems super confident out there on the floor.
7:25
He might have you know, he has a bit of an issue with live ball
7:27
turnover, but that's that's something that you got to work
7:30
on. But the the three-point
7:32
shooting, the floater game, the the confidence in being a
7:36
secondary ball handler has been really important to Iowa success
7:39
to me. I don't I, I think you leave him
7:42
in sort of that combo guard role and you go out and get a point
7:45
guard via the portal. One of those taller guards like,
7:47
because that's what Ben likes is the 6364 point guard that can
7:51
see the floor a little bit better score as that lead guard.
7:54
I I would imagine that they try and and go get they're not going
7:58
to get another Pennis 3rd right, But they try and go get somebody
8:01
be on that sort of mold of that ilk via the portal.
8:06
I don't know if they're going to try to add anybody else in the
8:09
class of 2026. Know they're happy with Ethan
8:12
Harris. They're thrilled with Ethan
8:13
Harris actually, but I don't think they're they're still
8:16
working on the class of 2026. Maybe if somebody pops late in
8:19
the season or or you know, that is just not on our radar right
8:23
now, but it's on their radar. Maybe they grab somebody like
8:25
that, but to me they take kale, they keep him back and then they
8:30
they go get somebody else in the portal and one thing that Ben.
8:33
Has said to me. Specifically at an AU basketball
8:37
tournament was he and I were talking about a particular guard
8:41
that's like a top ten guard in the country.
8:43
And he says, why wouldn't you want to play here as an Iowa?
8:46
And you have that. You have that in your back
8:48
pocket if you're bent. I mean, like, look what he's
8:50
done with guards throughout his career.
8:52
Back to Lockheed NW Walkie, Northwest Missouri, Northwest
8:55
Missouri State and, and then obviously what he's done with
8:59
Bennett, like look, look what we've done with this guy who is
9:02
D2 and now he's one of the best point guards in the country.
9:05
So to me that's that's a real selling point to, to go out and
9:09
get a guy that you think can be a lead guard, maybe a leading
9:12
scorer, one of your best players on your team via the portal,
9:15
because there's going to be guys like that portal.
9:17
Speaking of the portal, Iowa football wise, 16 newcomers to
9:21
to the roster. I want to ask you about of all
9:23
positions, the punter because they got that kid from from
9:26
Simpson local kid Waukee Northwest.
9:28
And then last weekend I I guess they had some success down in
9:32
Australia where they've had a lot of success, but an
9:35
Australian punter is now part of this as well and he's got four
9:38
years of eligibility. His tape looked like AI.
9:41
It can't be that good. I mean, I was blown away by it
9:45
and and hopefully for I was sake, it is legit.
9:47
I'm sure it is, but but why 2 punters?
9:50
That was kind of a strange. Did they not think that the
9:53
Aussie was going to commit to I? Was that why they went got Phil
9:57
Pot from from Simpson? Well, they've had two punters
10:00
the last few years too, between Reef Bacon and Ty Nissan, who is
10:04
an Iowa Western Community College transfer.
10:06
So for, you know, the way I look at it is it's just another
10:10
insurance policy. You know, Reef wasn't a great
10:13
holder the last two years and that's where Ty Nissan came in,
10:17
was on kick that as a holder and Tanner Philpot presumed.
10:21
I don't know I don't know this for sure, but I assume that he's
10:23
a guy that is going to step into that sort of roller has taken
10:27
snaps before been a holder. So that's that's one part of it.
10:31
The second part of it is I I don't know that Boston Everett,
10:35
the the freshman that's coming in over from Australia has been
10:38
punting that long. I'd have to look more into that,
10:40
but I don't I don't think he has and I mean he's only 19 has a
10:44
huge leg, right. There's a big there's 65 yard
10:48
punt is the film that I'm assuming you're talking about.
10:51
That's the one that shakes out to me.
10:52
But it's different being over in Australia and training with
10:58
inside 20 and Mackenzie Morgan, former college punter in the
11:02
state. It's different doing that versus
11:05
doing it when you've got £300 grown men charging down at you.
11:09
And Tanner Philpott has done that at least to a certain
11:12
degree yet at Simpson. So you bring in a guy who's been
11:16
there done that. He actually, I think he his, his
11:20
average per punt, yards per punt was longer than Reese's last
11:23
year. So, so that's, that's something
11:26
that you can lean on. And if you feel like Boston's
11:28
not ready, if, if he's just got to, you know, work on some more
11:31
things with Chris Felici, then there you go.
11:34
You got Phil Pot, a guy who's who's going to be, you know, he
11:37
doesn't have to be Tori Taylor. He doesn't have to be
11:39
rethinking. He's just been a good punter at
11:41
Simpson, and he can come and be a good punter at Iowa, too.
11:45
The schedule's out and Iowa no favors again for what, the 21st
11:50
out of 28 years? They'll be starting out the road
11:52
in Big 10, play at Michigan, Ohio State, then Washington
11:55
after that, Outside of the Ohio State game, which is out of the
11:59
group, the most unlikely, I think that they're going to win
12:01
just in terms of raw talent. Could you say probably their
12:04
three most difficult games, all on the road after Ohio State,
12:07
Michigan, Washington and Illinois?
12:11
Yes, that's an easy 1, Trent. It it just, you know, that that
12:17
that start of the schedule Big 10 conference play is brutal.
12:20
And to finish out the rest of the season, that's just straight
12:24
up a Big 10 W schedule. So at least, you know, there's
12:27
that part of it. But yeah, going to Ann Arbor,
12:31
you're going to get your first real look for, you know, at what
12:34
Kyle Whittingham's Michigan Wolverines are.
12:37
It doesn't matter who the head coach is at at Michigan.
12:40
That's going to be a tough game in the Big House.
12:42
Obviously, Ohio State, that one's going to be tough.
12:45
And then you have to go all the way to Washington, which I hope
12:48
that's not a night game if you're an Iowa fan, because
12:52
those are always tough. And they're tough for us to
12:54
cover in those games. Because I remember going to bed
12:56
at like one or two in the morning after Jackson Stratton
12:59
almost let him come back against UCLA two seasons ago.
13:03
So well, of course we we hope that doesn't happen for our own
13:07
sake. But yeah, you know, I think, you
13:12
know, I know my cohort David, I Colt and I have different
13:14
different opinions on this, but I think this is.
13:17
A. Season where that game against
13:20
Iowa State just has another level of importance and yes,
13:24
first year under Jimmy Rodgers, but you're getting you're not
13:27
playing you're playing you and I and you're playing Northern
13:29
Illinois and those are those two non con game.
13:31
Of course, Jeremy Hicklinski or Hank Brown, whoever is the
13:34
starting quarterback. That will be their first
13:36
competition. Well, not for Hank, but that'll
13:39
be their first competition at least at Iowa against the
13:42
powerful opponent. And getting some talent like
13:45
that matching up against the on the other side of the field
13:48
should help you prepare a little bit for going to Michigan,
13:51
playing at Michigan, playing Ohio State, playing Washington,
13:54
getting your feet under you a little bit, getting used to more
13:56
of that speed because heck hasn't played real, you know,
14:01
meaningful snap at the college football level in a game yet.
14:05
So getting used to some of that speed, getting used to the
14:08
talent of the power floor level before you go all the way to Ann
14:10
Arbor would be really beneficial for him if he's the starter for
14:13
the Hawks. This coming year.
14:15
Good stuff, Elliott Clef, hawkeyeinsider.com 24/7 Sports.
14:19
Thank you, pal. Appreciate you jumping on.
14:21
Absolutely. Thanks, guys.
14:22
Good to talk to you. Elliot Cleft, as we check in on
14:25
Iowa. Yeah, I think it's fair.
14:27
Those, those roadies, that's where the the rubber reached the
14:31
road and those, my God. Can you get two of those games?
14:37
Let's just put Ohio State as an L, right?
14:42
Illinois the most likely. The one?
14:44
Yeah, that would be the one. Billim has got a heck of a class
14:49
coming in. I don't know, you know.
14:51
I mean, they beat Alabama for a transfer.
14:53
No recruit, I know it. What a different.
14:55
World, it really is. It really is.
14:57
The times have changed with nil to say the very least.
15:01
Out of the remaining Big 10 W teams, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
15:06
Northwestern, Purdue, Nebraska, are there any that concern you
15:12
from an Iowa perspective? We think is going to be a pretty
15:14
good Iowa team. Is there anybody say, oh, that
15:16
might be dangerous? Did Who did Wisconsin get a
15:19
quarterback? The kid from Old Dominion,
15:22
right? Yeah, that's right.
15:23
Who played well against Indiana? He did.
15:25
Colton Joseph. Is that his name?
15:26
I think that's. What?
15:27
He could be right? Yeah, he could be right.
15:29
Not Purdue. They seem to have Nebraska's
15:32
number year after year. Yeah, come down to a field goal,
15:34
although it didn't last. Year.
15:35
No. Minnesota's up there It is.
15:42
Fleck needs the officials, though.
15:43
That's the only way he can be parents.
15:45
Coy Perch the the really good safety transfer to Oregon and.
15:50
He got a bag. Did he really like millions?
15:53
I bet it. Was a lot of money.
15:54
Had to have been, had to have been.
15:56
He didn't have a very good year this year.
15:57
I thought he was going to have a real good.
15:58
Year. It was a disappointment.
15:59
It was a step. Back.
16:00
I wonder if he'd already have been approached in the middle of
16:04
the season. He doesn't care about the
16:05
Gophers anyway, he said. When he was being recruited, he
16:08
was all He's a Viking fan. He wasn't college football.
16:10
Is that right? I don't know.
16:15
None of them really. Trent, there's no answer your
16:17
question. It's nothing that, oh, here's
16:20
the alarm bells. This is the concern, anything
16:22
like that. And I remember during the summer
16:24
last year, there was one day where we kind of sniffed out
16:26
Rutgers, which turned out to be an incredibly difficult.
16:28
Game it was. Those wide receivers for
16:30
Rutgers, they made Iowa's defense look terrible.
16:34
That's when Phil Parker at halftime.
16:36
What a difference, man, what a difference.
16:38
He brought pressure all over. That's how they stuck with
16:40
Indiana was the pressure that they brought a Mendoza.
16:43
Same thing at times against Oregon.
16:44
They just couldn't stop the run in that game.
16:46
More than anything, Phil Parker blissed as much as I certainly
16:49
can remember. I think he did more of that this
16:51
year overall. Oh yeah.
16:53
I mean, and it started with that Rutgers game because they didn't
16:55
have a clue and those wide receivers for Rutgers, I thought
16:58
Rutgers was going to win more games this year.
17:01
What did they finish up 7 and six did They weren't.
17:04
They even bull eligible. I guess I don't know.
17:06
That I don't think they were. Let's see.
17:09
Let's see. Yeah.
17:10
They played. Rutgers was Rutgers was not.
17:15
They were five and seven, five and seven on their year.
17:18
Not good, not good. All right, we're going to talk
17:21
to Stephen and Simple hope to talk to Matt.
17:22
Rudy. He must have got tied up and
17:25
unable to join us. So we'll get Matt Rudy, I want
17:29
to talk about Liv. Just what what this means.
17:31
The PGA one minute away. I just got Trent, just got a
17:35
text. He'll join us in one minute.
17:37
Just watching a couple of the Livs, including Kevin Nah and
17:43
Brooks Kepka in particular. They're playing the farmers.
17:45
Boy, look at that weather. Just get jealous right though
17:49
green grass and the Pacific Ocean and knowing that maybe one
17:52
day it'll be here before we know it.
17:54
Certainly fingers crossed for that.
17:56
And then we're head W to simple. Catch up with simple on some
17:59
Nebraska topics. But let's get to our buddy Matt
18:01
Ruder, longtime golf writer, Golf Digest.
18:04
And he joins us. I'm Matt Trenton.
18:05
Ken, thanks for giving us a few minutes.
18:08
Are we seeing the end of Liv? Certainly as we know it with all
18:11
the defections with Brooks Kepka and maybe Jon Romm only as the
18:15
two flag bearers left over because Dustin Johnson, I mean,
18:18
he's long in the tooth, nobody cares.
18:20
But but those two, Kepka and Romm, should they jump back to
18:25
the PGA? Would that mean that Liv is now
18:28
officially kaput in your mind? I was just, I was just going to
18:31
announce that I joined. Oh, you.
18:33
Did, but I'm not a big I'm just kidding, but I I.
18:37
Think the. You can tell that the tour
18:40
picked the right person to be the commissioner.
18:42
They brought someone from the NFL who doesn't play around.
18:45
As soon as they stopped playing defense and came up with this
18:48
strategy that, you know, gave players this short term window
18:51
to come back, it really put players in an interesting
18:55
position because they have a path to come back.
18:57
And if you've collected all the money, like, you know, I mean,
19:00
you look at Brooks Cuffing, he collected all the money.
19:02
He won some tournaments and I can come back and plan tour.
19:06
I think it's a real problem for Liv.
19:09
The only thing, and we've talked about this on this show, the the
19:12
folks that live don't have to play by any kind of standard
19:16
business plan that they have enough money to last forever if
19:19
they want to. So I mean, technically speaking,
19:21
could it be the end? Sure.
19:22
But if they decide to bankroll every, you know, hot young
19:27
player, you know, college, all American and turn off that
19:30
pipeline. It might not be this year, might
19:32
not be next year, but there'll be a time when that hurts the
19:34
tour because you do need to replenish those stars and the
19:38
tour. And the tour knows that this new
19:40
system they have where that, you know, there's fewer exam spots
19:43
and elevated events. You do have to have a pathway
19:45
for exciting young players to come up and replace guys as they
19:48
get a little bit older. So that's still an area of
19:51
weakness. But there's no doubt that the
19:53
tour is 1 the the the strategy In the last six months, the
19:57
strategy the tour is used has been the superior one.
20:00
Matt Ken asked me something earlier and I I think I
20:03
struggled to come up with a response that I was happy with.
20:06
But Brooks Kepka getting the cold shoulder, the negativity
20:09
that is out there, is that fair? Is it fair from both his now
20:12
tour mates out there and also the fans of the PGA Tour?
20:16
Do you think it's fair? I do think it's fair in the
20:20
sense that he's always been kind of a loner.
20:25
I don't want to say thoroughly, but I mean, I, I did a big cover
20:29
story with him a couple years ago and there's no doubt that
20:32
he's sensitive and and kind of hard to know and he doesn't let
20:36
a lot of people in. So so I don't think he
20:37
particularly cares that he's never been the most popular guy
20:41
in terms of, you know, rah, rah popularity.
20:43
But if you talk to players like Tiger Woods or you talk to, you
20:47
know, competitors, he has he probably has more respect than
20:51
almost anyone. I think everybody respects what
20:53
he does when he plays and he's not intimidated.
20:57
He's not. He's a Tiger.
20:59
Consider considers him to be a genuine threat, which I think in
21:03
golf over the last 25 years, that's probably the highest
21:05
compliment you could you could pay someone.
21:08
So what is the punishment for a guy like a Patrick Reed do do
21:13
they? I see Brick.
21:13
I mean, Kepka's playing right now, I believe Kevin not
21:15
likewise. What, what, what, what's, what
21:19
is the, I guess the, the ramifications for doing this?
21:23
Are you not allowed to play in some events?
21:25
What, what, what are the what awaits them once they rejoin the
21:28
PGA Tour? Or do they just go right back to
21:30
work? Well, for Kepka, you can't play
21:34
in elevated events this year unless he does something, you
21:38
know, non elevated event that would elevate him in the season.
21:43
I can't he can't play in the FedEx Cup, I don't believe.
21:46
And I think the big thing is he can't participate in some of
21:49
those owner shares, you know the profit sharing plan that they
21:52
just came up with until I believe 2030.
21:56
So mainly the penalties are financial and but if you go back
22:03
and look at what some of those players, you know, those, those
22:05
were $100 million checks that some of those players cashed.
22:09
So I don't know that a financial penalty is really going to mean
22:12
that he's got to go easy on the guacamole the next time he
22:15
orders a burrito at Chipotle. Very true.
22:19
He's fine. They definitely fine.
22:21
Well, we got Torrey Pines this week.
22:24
Great venue, at least in terms of the visuals.
22:26
Ken was just talking about how beautiful it definitely looks.
22:29
Sun shining, Beautiful. And then we get the spectacle
22:31
next week that is the Phoenix Open.
22:34
It is an event unlike anything that we have on the PGA Tour.
22:37
I love it, even as a golf fan. But I know there's plenty out
22:40
there, traditionalists that do not look like what the Feenus
22:43
Open is and what it's certainly morphed into.
22:45
Where do you stand on that one and the goofiness that'll be
22:48
next week? I definitely like that not every
22:52
tour event is the same, and this is definitely a different one
22:56
than all the other ones. So I like that there's variety,
22:59
even if there's times when the variety isn't what I would pick.
23:02
I think it's great that you can look at a schedule and say, hey,
23:05
there's this kind of event, there's a different kind of
23:07
event and they've built an event where you immediately know what
23:10
that's going to be about. Now, I think some of the drunken
23:14
excess, I mean, let's let's be adults.
23:16
We don't have to throw beer bottles at people and, you know,
23:19
do some of the crazy things that they're doing there.
23:21
But I do like the rowdiness and I do like a time when the
23:25
players get whooped at a little bit different, you know,
23:28
different than at a more church like tournament.
23:32
So I like the variety and I think that the the the words
23:37
that someone like Brooks Kep is going to hear at at some of the
23:41
amphitheaters. I hope, you know, I hope he has
23:44
his big boy pants on because I probably going to probably going
23:47
to catch a few, catch a few strays, I think.
23:49
No doubt. Last thing for me, your Michigan
23:52
State alum, Michigan State will host Michigan.
23:55
What did that rivalry mean in basketball?
23:57
And obviously is a lot on the line.
23:59
Michigan clinging to the the one line when it comes to the
24:02
bracket right now, Michigan State on the two line to really
24:05
good basketball. But it's Michigan and Michigan
24:08
State tomorrow night. 7:00 our time on Big Fox.
24:11
What does the rivalry mean and your thoughts on Sparty?
24:14
I can tell you that it means more certainly to a Spartan now
24:17
just because the football teams had so many troubles over the
24:20
last few years. So I think in Izzo, we trust, I
24:24
think this is going to be a really fun matchup because I
24:28
think both teams are fantastic. And you know, Michigan was
24:31
blowing people out at the beginning of the season and,
24:34
and, and, and they're just, I mean, I hate to say it, and my
24:37
dad is a Michigan fan. And I tell him Dusty May is a
24:40
great coach. I mean, and I think having a
24:43
coach of respect and, and, you know, I hate the Wolverines, but
24:46
they have a they've put together a really interesting flexible
24:50
roster and the Spartans are playing really well too.
24:53
So I think the Wolverines are 1 1/2 point favorite, but I don't
24:57
they haven't won it at Michigan State since I think 2018.
25:01
So one, one of those, one of those prognostications is going
25:05
to go wrong and I'm certainly going to be hoping that it's
25:07
it's Michigan State that that gets it done.
25:10
Good stuff, Matt. Rudy joining us as we talk a
25:12
little golf, a little Michigan State.
25:13
Matt, we'll talk to you in April, if not before.
25:16
Appreciate you coming on, buddy. Thank you.
25:18
Thanks. Good to talk to you, Matt Rudy,
25:19
as we check in on live, We'll check in on Nebraska next.
25:22
Miller and Condon on the Iowa Sports Radio Network.
25:25
I'm Hillary Condon. Welcome back 25 minutes before
25:28
2. Let's get right to our next
25:29
guest, Stephen M Simple Husker illustrated part of on three
25:33
media does morning radio in Lincoln as well.
25:36
Sip Good to talk to you Trent and Ken.
25:39
Let's start with basketball first, which is a normally an
25:41
area that we get to. But Nebraska basketball, it's.
25:44
Unbelievable, isn't it? Sip.
25:46
What a ride that Hoiberg and company are taking and this kid,
25:49
his kid is really having an hell of a year.
25:51
But what a ride these Hoiberg's team has taken the fan base on
25:55
came to an end. The winning streak did.
25:57
But SIP, as Trent and I both said when we came in here the
26:00
next day, I found out more about Nebraska in a loss because we,
26:04
yeah, we saw the 20 and Hope. We just weren't really sure for
26:08
whatever reason, except they got my full and undivided attention.
26:11
This team is good. Well, they're the best team in
26:14
the Big 10. I mean, that's I, I, I would, I
26:17
say that with assuredness. You know, they, they obviously
26:24
should have won that game or could have won that game
26:26
certainly. And they didn't have, they
26:28
didn't have rink math. It was their starting center and
26:31
they didn't have their 6th man and arguably their most, most
26:35
explosive player and Braden Frager.
26:39
So yeah, they're the best. I mean, I know it's not like I
26:42
haven't. That's not the only game I've
26:43
watched. They're the best team in the Big
26:46
10 in your for your gambling interest there.
26:49
Nebraska plays Illinois on Sunday, and I think though it'll
26:53
only be a probably a four point, they'll be a four point favorite
26:57
or so it's Hammer Nebraska. There's Illinois won't be in
27:01
that game as my guess. I, I Nebraska plays really well
27:05
at home. They're playing really well.
27:06
They'll get Mask Mask and Frager back.
27:11
I, I know I'm talking kind of weird.
27:13
It's odd to hear it, but they're legit.
27:16
Yeah. They are just very, very, you
27:18
know what? They're just very good.
27:21
That's what what it comes down to.
27:24
All right, is this kind of like Nebraska has SEC wide receivers
27:29
that this is the year it's going to end?
27:31
It feels much like our August football conversation sip
27:34
getting ahead of your skis. What would concern you?
27:36
Joking aside, what would concern you about?
27:39
This team? Whoa whoa whoa.
27:41
Did I get ahead of my skis? Just maybe a little bit.
27:45
So what would concern you though about this team?
27:50
Not there's not. There's not much, to be honest.
27:52
I mean, maybe a little lack of depth.
27:56
But like I said, they'll get they'll get ranked mass and
27:58
break her back. Probably didn't begin then.
28:01
I don't really worry about depth.
28:03
There's, I got to tell you, maybe OK, yeah, there's one.
28:09
There's one thing that kind of comes to mind is if they get, if
28:12
they get up against a really, really athletic team, it can
28:18
'cause I think it could cause them more problems than most.
28:22
Michigan was pretty big and athletic though, and that didn't
28:25
wasn't, it wasn't a big problem. There's not, there's just not
28:28
that much that concerns me. It's a good question.
28:33
And it's the other thing is, well, I don't know, this isn't a
28:40
really concern either because they've won games where they
28:42
don't shoot it very well. You always when a team plays
28:45
five out like they do, you know, they they're pretty reliant on
28:49
perimeter shooting, if that if they're cold on a night, it
28:54
could be a wrong night, But they've had some they've had
28:57
some games where they didn't shoot it very well and they were
28:59
fine. So there's not much.
29:02
The thing is, here's the guy, here's the thing.
29:04
This is why I'm sort of or Hammond and hauling.
29:09
They play really good defense and that you can always do that,
29:12
right? It's not the ball doesn't always
29:15
go in the basket, especially if you're a 5 outside team, but
29:20
they oh, hey, man, their defense is what is what you watch the
29:26
most closely. Just without rambling, I'll just
29:30
say one more vignette. I mean, the Indiana game was was
29:33
really striking to me in that regard.
29:35
They were down the team. But if you watch the last 8
29:41
minutes of that game, 10 minutes of that game, just watch
29:46
Indiana's offense. They can't, they couldn't get a
29:48
shot, they couldn't get a good shot.
29:50
If they got it, if they if they scored, they kind of would luck
29:53
into it. Like a, you know, a bounce off
29:56
the rim that was kind of weird fell in their hand.
29:59
They got it, you know, the prize got a layup or something like
30:01
that. But the breeze surprise, I said
30:04
the Verizon Iowa, that's trouble.
30:07
He, he, they, they really locked down defensively.
30:12
If they're a that's their calling card.
30:14
They they use defense and turn it into big runs on the other
30:19
end. So it's good formula.
30:22
How's price Sanford been we know he's the leading scorer. 2 guys
30:26
left Iowa to go to the state of Nebraska.
30:28
Creighton would like a refund on Owen Freeman.
30:31
They. Also got Dicks.
30:32
They got Dicks, too. That's great.
30:33
That's good. Yeah.
30:35
But Price Sanford certainly having himself a whale of a
30:38
year. Oh yeah, I mean, I've been
30:41
amazed by Sanford. I watched him at Iowa.
30:44
He's, you know, he's 8.8 a game and he was good.
30:46
I thought he had. He played well against Nebraska
30:49
and I liked him, but I did not envision what he's doing now and
30:55
he's had five straight games now of 20 plus and I don't 4 the
31:02
four games before the Michigan game, just shooting 53% from 3
31:09
point line during those games. I mean, he's been, and now
31:12
you're starting to see second round projections for him.
31:15
And I saw somebody put out a list of the top 50 players.
31:20
He was 26 in the country. I didn't necessarily see all
31:24
that coming. But no, he's been magnificent.
31:27
He's magnificent that he's he's their most consistent big score.
31:34
They have a lot of different weapons.
31:37
And how does this happen? I mean, Hoiberg and it's been, I
31:40
think, fair to say, a very disappointing career at
31:43
Nebraska. I think the expectations were a
31:45
lot higher and it just hasn't come through.
31:47
How does it all culminate like this?
31:49
Not just a Goodyear, not just a Goodyear where maybe you can win
31:52
finally a game in the NCAA tournament.
31:54
How does it become this? Well, it's a veteran team.
31:59
Some of it's just that, but it's not.
32:03
I think that's a lot of it. Sam, just take, he's been
32:08
unbelievable. Yes, Sam, his development has
32:13
been marvelous. He's just developed into a
32:15
fringe player. He developed.
32:18
He was a fringe player. Now he's developed into a
32:21
mainstay. He's so.
32:22
Smart. Yeah, look at his assistant
32:25
turnover ratio, see what it is. You can look it up.
32:28
The last I saw it was third. He doesn't turn the ball over.
32:31
I mean, it's really odd almost. He'll go.
32:34
There was a nine game stretch where he turned it over 4 times.
32:37
He just doesn't turn it over. Yeah, but he scores now, scores
32:41
inside and out. So he's, you know, he, he
32:45
developed through the system. DeMarcus Lawrence kind of
32:49
developed through the system. He then he left and then he, he
32:51
came back. He went to Rhode Island and came
32:53
back. He's kind of a developmental
32:55
story. And he's an older player like
32:57
Sam Rank Math, developed through the system, older player,
33:00
transferred from Bradley, but has been in this program now for
33:04
three years. They brought in Sandsford, they
33:08
brought in Burke. He's just Burke.
33:11
He's AI can't say his last name. He's from turkeys.
33:14
He's a he's a developed. He developed well.
33:18
Fred has done a great job of developing these guys, but just
33:22
putting I now you got to give him, I think you give him credit
33:25
for putting together a team with remarkable chemistry.
33:28
Usually it doesn't happen by accident, you know, you know
33:31
what I mean? Sometimes in Nebraska it looked
33:34
like the coach, whoever it was at the time and including Fred
33:39
early in his career here, you know, 6765 years ago, looked
33:45
like he recruited guys, threw him on the floor and hoped, you
33:48
know, that they. Did it work out?
33:50
You know, this team looked like it it has it had a they had
33:55
purpose behind it. And then the other guy that's
33:57
really impressive is Nate Lenser, their assistant coach
34:00
who's in charge of the defense, who I'm a who you'll start
34:03
hearing, I would think his name for head coaching jobs.
34:07
He's a magnificent defensive coach.
34:10
Yeah, it gets a lot of credit. Sip last thing, last thing.
34:13
Go ahead. Fred's done a great job.
34:15
No, he really has. I mean, the record speaks for
34:16
itself. Real quick on football, looking
34:18
at the schedule, my gosh, four games in in November, three of
34:23
which are on the road at Illinois, at Rutgers, and of
34:26
course at Iowa in the one home game.
34:27
Here come the Buckeyes. Boy, November.
34:29
Yikes. Oh, God, yeah.
34:32
November is a rough month, as you guys know, in football, in
34:36
the Big 10, particularly because it's cold and generally
34:39
miserable to a lot of places. And here you go, rules 2 and 10
34:43
in the month of November right now at Nebraska.
34:47
Yeah, 2 and 10. It's not good.
34:49
This is not. No, the second-half of the
34:51
schedule is is not good. There's not a lot of optimism
34:57
here, but virtually no optimism at this point.
35:00
That's a first. Yeah, it's not.
35:03
No, you're not. Trent.
35:05
Nipple's not going to overshoot anything.
35:07
You promise? You promise?
35:08
I promise, no, I absolutely promise they they did bring in a
35:12
quarterback who I think is exciting, Anthony Calandria from
35:17
UNLV. Yeah, he's a good.
35:18
Player yeah, Yep. And they did pretty well in the
35:21
portal, didn't really get enough in the defensive interior.
35:26
But no, there's hey, that schedule when you play Indiana,
35:34
Oregon, Ohio State, the road trips they got to take now it's
35:39
this is not it. There's a lot of pessimism, I'll
35:45
just say that. Good stuff.
35:46
No, we've got any hard stops, so we'll let you go sip.
35:48
Thanks for jumping on. Appreciate it.
35:50
Good to talk to you. All right, God.
35:52
Bless both of you. Yeah, good to talk to you,
35:53
Stephen M Simple. Yeah, that Calandria, the the
35:56
quarterback that they got, he's one of the few that entered the
35:59
portal but played in the bowl game for his team, yes, so.
36:02
Had a good job. He wasn't very good at Virginia
36:04
though, either. Don't remember him there.
36:06
Was terribly below average. Was he was that his freshman
36:10
campaign? First two, first two and then
36:13
obviously dropped down and to the Mountain West and had a
36:15
really nice year there. We'll see how it goes in the
36:17
big. 10 But how about that? No optimism for Nebraska
36:20
football. This is the year they go 11 and
36:22
1 then. No, it's not.
36:24
Are you drunk? No, it's not going to be the.
36:26
Did you have your puff at 8:30 AM as opposed to PM?
36:30
No 11:00 and 1:00. They're going to be lucky to
36:32
find a bowl game trend, yes. Is there buyer's remorse with
36:35
that contract extension to? Rule.
36:37
Oh, there has to be. There's no doubt.
36:38
And that's how Troy. Dammit.
36:40
Yeah. I mean, that's not a good look.
36:42
And that's going to be eventually something that's
36:44
going to put, I think, the pressure on him.
36:46
Without a doubt. They go five and seven this
36:49
year. And there's a chance that they
36:50
do. A really good chance they do.
36:53
That happens. The pressure in 2027 on that
36:56
Nebraska team is to not just get back to bowl eligibility.
36:59
It's have a breakthrough year. Do you see happening?
37:03
Well, I don't know the schedule, but I do see a five and seven on
37:06
the horizon. Here's they're not Ohio, Bowling
37:08
Green, North Dakota, then at Michigan State, home to
37:11
Maryland, Indiana at Oregon and back-to-back weeks home to
37:15
Washington and then November at Illinois, Rutgers, both on the
37:18
Road, home to Ohio State at Iowa.
37:22
It's four and eight, five and seven territory.
37:25
Not going well-being. Generous 6 and 6.
37:28
This was the year that they were supposed to breakthrough.
37:30
The schedule was there. You're aligning for that year.
37:33
This is historically when rule has been at his best.
37:35
It wasn't close. No, and I mean, nothing kind of
37:40
personifies that more than what I will win and did with him on
37:43
Black Friday. I mean, Trent, that was terrible
37:45
if you're a Nebraska fan. An absolute.
37:46
Clubbing an absolute embarrassing performance.
37:51
Oh my God. Hope is gone, and now they're a
37:53
basketball school. Trent I just it's crazy to say
37:56
it like that, but it is. And I if if you ever heard sip
37:58
not be a stop or or Nebraska fans not be they always win the
38:02
offseason. I.
38:03
Still to this day, hear people bring up that August radio
38:07
program we had right here. You know, where Siple's talking
38:10
about the wide receivers he's talking about.
38:13
This team is different. They are built, duh, duh.
38:16
And it was same hole Nebraska. It was.
38:19
It was the Dane Key. The Kentucky.
38:22
Yeah. Dane Key, right.
38:24
That was the guy who's going to be the difference maker.
38:25
Not so much. Miller and Condon.
38:27
Back to wrap things up. Trent's plays of the day next.
38:29
Circus sports sponsors. It's the Iowa Sports Radio
38:31
Network. Final minute of our program.
38:33
Circus sports sponsors. Trent's plays of the day.
38:36
What are you betting on TC? We got a little basketball, both
38:40
men's and women's, in college hoops tonight.
38:42
Let's kick it off, ladies first. They're going to take EU Miami
38:45
tonight. They're getting 13 1/2 at home
38:48
against Duke. Not a lot of firepower out of
38:50
this Duke team. Think it's going to be a little
38:51
closer than that one. And I'm get taking USC on the
38:54
money line tonight against the Hawks, ladies.
38:56
OK, Plus 114, the best available price out there.
39:00
Think it's going to be tough and maybe a little look ahead factor
39:04
with UCLA looming on Sunday out there in LA 2 on the men's side,
39:08
one of the Big 10. I'm going to jump on
39:10
Northwestern, lady, 8 1/2 at home and I got Troy tonight.
39:13
No, not our listener Troy that tweets at us.
39:15
No, not that Troy the university doubted Alabama.
39:18
Troy -8 1/2 tonight. 4 plays worth this.
39:21
Stuff Glad you're tipping your toe back in the women's game.
39:23
Audie Crooks by the. Way.
39:24
Yeah, boy, I was on the wrong side of that one last.
39:26
Night I would stay a huge win for them on the road knocking
39:29
off a top 25 team that's going to do it for us off the bench.
39:32
Coming up next, Miller in Condon with you Monday through Friday
39:35
from noon until 2. Hope you can join us tomorrow.
39:38
We'll be back at it right here on Des Moines Sports Station
39:41
106.3, KX&O and the Iowa Sports Radio Network.