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  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Black Heart Gold Pants -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Swelling with Iowa Hawkeye pride since 2007</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47511/bhgp-fave.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2024-05-01T11:07:05-05:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2024-05-01T11:07:05-05:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2024-05-01T11:07:05-05:00</updated>
  12.    <title>The Thunder</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 02 Big Ten Championship Game - Michigan vs Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/e6_XCdBCSMhzzEXiY_uiUfgY2HQ=/0x0:4845x3230/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73320328/1820504817.0.jpg" /&gt;
  17.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  18.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  19.  
  20.  &lt;p&gt;You should be hyped, Chicago. Trust us.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="8750KN"&gt;It’s been pretty funny and altogether entertaining seeing the reaction to Tory Taylor being drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 4th round of last weeks NFL Draft. I can’t get enough of the sheer comedy of it all. I can’t get enough of the “Chicago’s Favorite Suburb” Hawkeye fans telling all of the haters that they have no idea what the worst punting team in the NFL is getting in Double-T. I can’t get enough of the Chicago media trying to figure out if they should call him the “Punter from Down Under” or “Crocodile Puntee” in between calling Ryan Poles “arrogant” for making the pick altogether. I can’t get enough of people wondering if Tory Taylor has “too many miles” on his leg like he’s a 38-year old pitcher in the MLB. I can’t get enough of the confusion and stupidity of it all. &lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="XEFxFm"&gt;People are BIG time mad.&lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="f8kRsq"&gt;And some people are BIG time happy.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="8OKplH"&gt;And some people are thinking about buying their daughters Tory Taylor Bears jerseys.&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;p id="yOf6Yr"&gt;God bless football. I miss you so much.&lt;/p&gt;
  25. &lt;p id="oqjmFU"&gt;BUT, the best part about all of this hoopla is how, ONCE AGAIN, Iowa fans came out in droves for one of their own. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen many, many Hawkeye fans that (unfortunately) support the Lions and Packers and Vikings (oh my!) out there in the Twitter-verse defending the pick. &lt;/p&gt;
  26. &lt;p id="3DEQ8p"&gt;This is what Kirk Ferentz has done to us all. We are punting FANATICS. &lt;/p&gt;
  27. &lt;p id="A89kYr"&gt;I know we joke about it, but during the Brian Ferentz Era, punting was winning. &lt;/p&gt;
  28. &lt;p id="zHGGbx"&gt;Scoff. Scoff. Scoff. Scoff. Scoff.&lt;/p&gt;
  29. &lt;p id="bFw3y5"&gt;I know we may all be off our rockers, but this is what happens when you create such an impactful and strong connection with a kid that punted 295 effing times during his four years on campus for a total of 13,657 yards. &lt;/p&gt;
  30. &lt;p id="HOGAmA"&gt;Read that again. Go ahead. Read it again. &lt;/p&gt;
  31. &lt;p id="vI3y6n"&gt;13,657 total punting yards during his four seasons at Iowa.&lt;/p&gt;
  32. &lt;p id="8MsQX0"&gt;In fact, Tory Taylor’s 4,479 punting yards last year is 641 MORE yards than the single greatest passing season for the Chicago Bears held by Erik Kramer and his 3,838 yards back in...wait for it...1995! His collegiate career punting yards of 13,657 would put him 8th on the Bears all time list in punting yards and if punting was passing, he’d be good enough for 3rd on the Bears all time passing list.&lt;/p&gt;
  33. &lt;p id="W3QBu8"&gt;I know it’s not. But at Iowa, it kinda is... so deal with it.&lt;/p&gt;
  34. &lt;p id="g5cRXo"&gt;Look, I know I’m a lunatic and I live on the island of misfit football toys, but when you have watched so much incompetent offensive football on Saturday and Sunday, having an elite punter is like having an endless supply of ZOA Energy drinks in your fridge. &lt;/p&gt;
  35. &lt;p id="QuJ9h5"&gt;And I get it, it’s not for everyone. Iowa Hawkeye fans are a sadistic bunch. But let me tell you all, when you have more hope in scoring via safety than with your entire offense, there truly is no bigger volt of electricity that can flow through your veins than when your punter pins the opposition inside of the 10-yard line over and over and over and over and over (x93). &lt;/p&gt;
  36. &lt;p id="gf8woY"&gt;With all of that said, my fellow Bears fans, here’s some hype to ease your brains about the Tory Taylor pick. This is what we, as a collective, have been over here celebrating for the better part of two years. When we said Tory Taylor for Heisman, bet your sweet sausage that we meant it.&lt;/p&gt;
  37. &lt;p id="uhlG4K"&gt;And while I hope we don’t see Tory Taylor 295 times in the first six years of his Bears career, I want you all to be thankful that when Caleb Williams and this new vaunted Chicago offense can’t move the chains, you have the Melbourne Maniac kicking the rock away:&lt;/p&gt;
  38. &lt;div id="Fq2q5O"&gt;
  39. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  40. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Tory Taylor is the greatest punting prospect ever. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Broke 5 NCAA Records&lt;br&gt;• 48.2 yrds/avg. in one season&lt;br&gt;• 52.3 yrds/avg. in one game (7 att.)&lt;br&gt;• Personal best punt of 67 yds&lt;br&gt;• Broke 3 other NCAA punting records including 85-yr old yardage record.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/zKSTyouCu6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/zKSTyouCu6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Max Markham (@MaxMarkhamNFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MaxMarkhamNFL/status/1784584406625403265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 28, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  41. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  42. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  43.  
  44. &lt;/div&gt;
  45. &lt;p id="v4yAj9"&gt;You want more? I got more!&lt;/p&gt;
  46. &lt;div id="dzWBiO"&gt;
  47. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  48. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Type of Punter you give the Game Ball   Tory Taylor is bringing the boot to the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@ChicagoBears&lt;/a&gt;  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AutoOwnersIns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@AutoOwnersIns&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/abQP7ru6fB"&gt;pic.twitter.com/abQP7ru6fB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/B1Gfootball/status/1784336026258772470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  49. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  50. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  51.  
  52. &lt;/div&gt;
  53. &lt;p id="JoEv5g"&gt;SEVENTH PUNT IN A GAME? THIS DUDE’S LEG AINT FALLING OFF! HE’S JUST OVER HERE COLLECTING MORE GUS JOHNSON GAME BALLS AND BREAKING MORE BIG TEN HEARTS!&lt;/p&gt;
  54. &lt;div id="gmy4Q6"&gt;
  55. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  56. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Please enjoy this highlight video of Tory Taylor’s punting at Iowa.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;We sure did.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/lhfTz0uGAc"&gt;pic.twitter.com/lhfTz0uGAc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CHGO_Bears/status/1784276281795715400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 27, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  57. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  58. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  59.  
  60. &lt;/div&gt;
  61. &lt;p id="Y6gPpO"&gt;You feel that?&lt;/p&gt;
  62. &lt;p id="uxsTLx"&gt;You hear that ROAR?&lt;/p&gt;
  63. &lt;p id="8ZMLiG"&gt;That’s the TRUE Thunder from Down Under baby. &lt;/p&gt;
  64. &lt;p id="QeRJX0"&gt;Chicago - if this kid isn’t one of your favorite players by the end of the 2024-25 season, you’re doing football wrong.&lt;/p&gt;
  65. &lt;p id="XjGno4"&gt;SCOFF!&lt;/p&gt;
  66.  
  67. </content>
  68.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/5/1/24146279/tory-taylor-the-punt-god-iowa-hawkeyes-football-chicago-bears-punt-god-kirk-ferentz-big-ten-football"/>
  69.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/5/1/24146279/tory-taylor-the-punt-god-iowa-hawkeyes-football-chicago-bears-punt-god-kirk-ferentz-big-ten-football</id>
  70.    <author>
  71.      <name>Jerry Scherwin</name>
  72.    </author>
  73.  </entry>
  74.  <entry>
  75.    <published>2024-04-25T15:52:06-05:00</published>
  76.    <updated>2024-04-25T15:52:06-05:00</updated>
  77.    <title>Iowa Football: Where Will Cooper DeJean Land on NFL Draft Day?</title>
  78.    <content type="html">  
  79.  
  80.    &lt;figure&gt;
  81.      &lt;img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 11 Rutgers at Iowa" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3yhTVhvlBiJOzQ0LnTFbFkQZJto=/0x18:2074x1401/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73305775/1781143855.0.jpg" /&gt;
  82.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  83.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  84.  
  85.  &lt;p&gt;The All-American is poised to make the next leap in his career.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="pEQay3"&gt;Draft Day is upon us and for yet another year, the &lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com"&gt;Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; have a first round prospect set to hear their name called.  &lt;/p&gt;
  86. &lt;p id="UxA8lV"&gt;Iowa fans have known for some time they had a star on their hands.  When the Odebolt native committed to Iowa, he came not as a Swiss Army Knife, but as a freak athlete who could do literally anything.  His reputation on the football field was unblemished.  As a do-it-all athlete for OABCG, DeJean passed for 3,447 yards with 35 touchdowns and rushed for 1,235 yards and 24 more TDs as a senior.  That came after accounting for 66 total touchdowns as a junior.&lt;/p&gt;
  87. &lt;div id="uJ1U6C"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9sj3gRbDq9w?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  88. &lt;p id="52pq1E"&gt;Despite the offensive accomplishments, he came to Iowa City to play in Phil Parker’s defense and be next in the long line of defensive backs to make the NFL.  Today, that dream is set to come true.  And DeJean shouldn’t have to wait long to hear his name called.&lt;/p&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="2fxaGL"&gt;The measurables are solid for CDJ, who came in above 6’ tall and north of 200 pounds.  His arm length is adequate for corner.  &lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;p id="aukq7m"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ht: 6’0.5”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wt: 203 lbs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Arms: 31 1/8”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hands: 9 5/8”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  91. &lt;p id="fgNOku"&gt;But more notable than the physical measurables are the scores DeJean put up at his pro day related to athleticism.  While he recovered from the broken leg that kept him out of Iowa’s final three regular season games as well as the disappointing bowl loss to Tennessee, CDJ missed the draft combine.  &lt;/p&gt;
  92. &lt;p id="UK7bDs"&gt;Nonetheless, CDJ put up some very good numbers on his pro day running a 4.42 40 with a 38.5” vertical leap and a 10’4” broad jump.  His athleticism score, though unofficial given it was from his pro day and not the combine, ranks tops among all corners in this year’s draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p id="49t31v"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Prospect Grade: 6.36 &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Production Score: 87 (2nd among CBs)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Relative Athleticism Score: 9.89 (top among CBs)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  94. &lt;p id="8bDOfN"&gt;It’s that athleticism and his remarkable production as a Hawkeye (both as a corner and as a punt returner) that have DeJean poised to be drafted in the first round.  &lt;/p&gt;
  95. &lt;p id="EkqTFn"&gt;At the next level, CDJ has a range of potential outcomes depending on landing spot.  As noted, he has the speed and athleticism to be a corner in the league. While his production came in the Big Ten West which was notably devoid of offense, he was a lockdown for the Hawkeyes.  After securing 5 INTs, including 3 pick-6s, and 8 Pass Breakups his junior season, DeJean didn’t allow a single touchdown in 388 coverage snaps his junior season while securing two more INTs with 4 Pass Breakups.  &lt;/p&gt;
  96. &lt;div id="1E35H6"&gt;
  97. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  98. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Cooper DeJean was shutdown for the Hawkeyes  &lt;a href="https://t.co/C5SH0Bi5OE"&gt;pic.twitter.com/C5SH0Bi5OE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— PFF College (@PFF_College) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1783218603124285843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 24, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  99. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  100. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  101.  
  102. &lt;/div&gt;
  103. &lt;p id="ctI0RW"&gt;While he has the speed and athleticism to be a man corner, his experience in Parker’s zone system makes him a great fit for the direction the NFL is heading with an uptick in zone recently.  He also is a willing and able tackler in open space with 120 career tackles.  He has good instincts and as every Hawkeye fan will tell you, a multi-year starter on Iowa’s defense is going to be ready to go from a scheme and play identification standpoint out of the gate.&lt;/p&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="9M74D5"&gt;Where past Iowa corners have been dinged is on their raw athleticism.  While DeJean doesn’t have those knocks coming into the night, one potential weakness is his relatively stiff hips.  He isn’t as fluid as some of the more elite corners in the class and that could push some teams to view him as more of a nickel corner or safety prospect.&lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;p id="uR51w8"&gt;That may push his value down a bit from the top-15, but his starting experience in Iowa’s “cash” role as a hybrid corner/safety should prove valuable.  There is no questioning whether he could transition from corner to nickel or safety as he has starting experience in that role and performed very well.  Notably, Iowa’s has a strong track record of putting those “cash” players into the league as safeties with Dane Belton, Geno Stone and Amani Hooker each finding roles in the NFL after starting in that same role for Parker in recent years.&lt;/p&gt;
  106. &lt;p id="vFiq2A"&gt;Here’s what NFL.com’s &lt;a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cooper-dejean/32004445-4a22-6521-966b-4b5a2f95ff19"&gt;Daniel Jeremiah had to say about DeJean&lt;/a&gt; as a prospect for the NFL:&lt;/p&gt;
  107. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="zREN5m"&gt;Highly competitive defensive back with plus ball skills and noteworthy special teams value. DeJean is big and bundled for a cornerback, with muscular arms and tight hips. He has fantastic interception production, but his movements are more linear than fluid, and he doesn’t have the easy change of direction needed in man coverage on the next level. His best football is played with his eyes forward, using his instincts to challenge quarterbacks and his big downhill burst to smack whatever needs smacking. He would seem to be a no-brainer as a punt returner and gunner in Year 1. DeJean should be a big athletic tester, which will help get the hype train going, but finding the proper schematic fit will be important in unlocking his best football as a zone corner or interchangeable safety.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="LFzMdj"&gt;As for when to expect CDJ to come off the board, he’s been relatively consistent in the rumored landing spots.  He’s a consensus first round pick and has been anywhere from as high as #15 overall to #24 in mock drafts leading up to this week.  &lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="81e6cI"&gt;Per the &lt;a href="https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/players/2024/cooper-dejean"&gt;NFL Mock Draft Database&lt;/a&gt;, DeJean is the #20 overall prospect and is expected to go 22nd overall to Philadelphia according to the consensus.&lt;/p&gt;
  110.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  111.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3Ra514BZuQY31tawgCZ7KJXP3ek=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25418439/CDJ_Mock_Drafts.PNG"&gt;
  112.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  113. &lt;p id="zjdwTp"&gt;While that may be the consensus, the most common places to see him mocked have largely been in the NFC North.  Green Bay is among the favorite landings spots at 25 while Detroit has seemingly fallen in love with Hawkeyes in recent drafts and would likely jump all over him if he fell to 29.  Meanwhile, the Vikings have a pair of first round picks and if they don’t package them to move up and grab a select QB in the top-10, they’re expected to take a corner at pick 23.  DeJean may just be a fit.&lt;/p&gt;
  114. &lt;p id="61VkcW"&gt;Wherever he lands, look for DeJean to be an instant starter and immediate contributor on special teams.  As remarkable as he was as a corner for the Hawkeyes, his senior season seemed to take on a life of its own given his penchant for the unthinkable in the return game.  &lt;/p&gt;
  115. &lt;p id="jWOJJg"&gt;Someone is getting an elite human being and a potential star when they select Cooper DeJean on draft night.&lt;/p&gt;
  116. &lt;div id="DkQNjc"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ChEadTSaUs?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="7dbBIZ"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="Jvcnkj"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="VMDueE"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;p id="RxJP3g"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  121.  
  122. </content>
  123.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/25/24140469/iowa-hawkeye-football-mock-project-cooper-dejean-nfl-draft-green-bay-detroit-minnesota-bhgp"/>
  124.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/25/24140469/iowa-hawkeye-football-mock-project-cooper-dejean-nfl-draft-green-bay-detroit-minnesota-bhgp</id>
  125.    <author>
  126.      <name>JPinIC</name>
  127.    </author>
  128.  </entry>
  129.  <entry>
  130.    <published>2024-04-25T13:24:05-05:00</published>
  131.    <updated>2024-04-25T13:24:05-05:00</updated>
  132.    <title>Iowa Hawkeye Baseball: The Home Stretch</title>
  133.    <content type="html">  
  134.  
  135.    &lt;figure&gt;
  136.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_aH28YIe3XTRfguN69-uPl_JSqc=/0x0:1200x800/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73305297/brecht.0.jpg" /&gt;
  137.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Brody Brecht throwing well for the Hawks | Nick Rohlman&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  138.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  139.  
  140.  &lt;p&gt;Hawks have a five-game winning streak&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="XPjNT0"&gt;The idea in competitive sports is to improve as the season moves along. The &lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; baseball team has yet to live up to its expectations this year, but the Hawks do have a five-game win streak going. The Hawkeyes are 23-15 (9-6 B1G) with a 16-3 record at home. Iowa swept &lt;a href="https://www.onthebanks.com"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rutgers&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; this past weekend, outscoring the Scarlet Knights 28-7, and took care of &lt;strong&gt;UW-Milwaukee&lt;/strong&gt; 12-6 on 4/23/24. The Hawkeyes travel to &lt;strong&gt;Nebraska&lt;/strong&gt; for a three-game series this weekend. The Hawks are in 5th place in the Big Ten behind &lt;strong&gt;Illinois&lt;/strong&gt; (10-2), &lt;strong&gt;Nebraska&lt;/strong&gt; (8-4), &lt;strong&gt;Purdue&lt;/strong&gt; (8-4), and &lt;strong&gt;Michigan&lt;/strong&gt; (10-5). With three series remaining on the conference slate, Iowa can make up ground as they will also face first-place Illinois later this season. &lt;/p&gt;
  141.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  142.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vFroJG1M2gSMt7KcFiAtlK4jtog=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25416212/hawkbaseballbatters.png"&gt;
  143.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  144. &lt;p id="OmGo6c"&gt;It will be important to get &lt;strong&gt;Blake Guerin&lt;/strong&gt; back into the swing of things. Guerin has a big bat. His productivity will be needed over the last month of the season. &lt;/p&gt;
  145. &lt;div id="wb5E0d"&gt;
  146. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  147. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;BIG BOPPER INTO THE NIGHT  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GuerinBlake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GuerinBlake&lt;/a&gt; x &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hawkeyes?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/6ryEziWrlg"&gt;pic.twitter.com/6ryEziWrlg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UIBaseball/status/1782953927744372964?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 24, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  148. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  149. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  150.  
  151. &lt;/div&gt;
  152.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  153.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZTEbDYa8PsAHzxSxyb3n7sBPhPY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25418008/Screenshot_2024_04_25_122125.png"&gt;
  154.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Hawkeye Pitchers&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  155.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  156. &lt;p id="q6SbLQ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Coach Rick Heller&lt;/strong&gt; is still trying to find consistency with his pitching staff. &lt;strong&gt;Brody Brecht&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Cade Obermueller&lt;/strong&gt; have been solid (or better) this year.&lt;/p&gt;
  157. &lt;div id="jnx4w4"&gt;
  158. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  159. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Brody Brecht did not allow an earned run through 7.2 IP yesterday. He showcased two different breaking balls, both with a Stuff+ over 200, including a sweeper that averaged 88 MPH with -14 HB. Brecht's 31 induced whiffs were the most by any pitcher recorded on Trackman this year &lt;a href="https://t.co/iqrBgKgszx"&gt;pic.twitter.com/iqrBgKgszx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Iowa Baseball Managers (@UIBASEManagers) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UIBASEManagers/status/1782496221044588593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 22, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  160. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  161. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  162.  
  163. &lt;/div&gt;
  164. &lt;p id="HVEIUd"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Marcus Morgan&lt;/strong&gt; has struggled. The same can be said for Iowa’s bullpen. Consistency is the name of the game; thus, the Hawks have not had the success that many expected. There is still time to do some damage in the Big Ten, and Iowa certainly has the potential to win the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/big-ten-basketball-tournament"&gt;Big Ten Tournament&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  165. &lt;div id="lOhOzy"&gt;
  166. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  167. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;B1G Game Brody. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/brody_brecht?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@brody_brecht&lt;/a&gt; x &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hawkeyes?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/8w45iDZ0Ag"&gt;pic.twitter.com/8w45iDZ0Ag&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UIBaseball/status/1782140170134802691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 21, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  168. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  169. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  170.  
  171. &lt;/div&gt;
  172. &lt;div id="OHk9oG"&gt;
  173. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  174. &lt;p lang="lt" dir="ltr"&gt;B1G Game ➡️ B1G Honors&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/brody_brecht?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@brody_brecht&lt;/a&gt; x &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hawkeyes?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/qFAnXxEU1p"&gt;pic.twitter.com/qFAnXxEU1p&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/UIBaseball/status/1782507175287382237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 22, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  175. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  176. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  177.  
  178. &lt;/div&gt;
  179. &lt;p id="3ryRN0"&gt;It has been fun the past two years looking at the projected field for teams to make the NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes are on the outside looking in at this point. Iowa is ranked 104 in RPI and 68 in the Diamond Sports Rankings (DSR). The Hawkeyes can make the Big Dance (on grass) by winning the Big Ten Tournament. That’s the goal. Ted Lasso believes, and so do I. &lt;/p&gt;
  180. &lt;p id="P13PXU"&gt;Also, Brody Brecht will be pitching from a Major League Baseball mound in a handful of years, so if you get a chance to take in a game at Duane Banks Field, I’d recommend it. As always, it’s great to be a Hawkeye! Go Hawks!&lt;/p&gt;
  181.  
  182. </content>
  183.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/25/24139319/iowa-hawkeye-baseball-the-home-stretch-big-ten-ncaa-tournament-bhgp"/>
  184.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/25/24139319/iowa-hawkeye-baseball-the-home-stretch-big-ten-ncaa-tournament-bhgp</id>
  185.    <author>
  186.      <name>Bartt Pierce</name>
  187.    </author>
  188.  </entry>
  189.  <entry>
  190.    <published>2024-04-19T11:45:10-05:00</published>
  191.    <updated>2024-04-19T11:45:10-05:00</updated>
  192.    <title>Hawkeye Football: What to Watch at Iowa’s Spring Open Practice</title>
  193.    <content type="html">  
  194.  
  195.    &lt;figure&gt;
  196.      &lt;img alt="Cheez-It Citrus Bowl - Iowa v Tennessee" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ELy6X35vH9ruv-fMmIOensnBQ1k=/0x0:3132x2088/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73290718/1900538523.0.jpg" /&gt;
  197.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  198.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  199.  
  200.  &lt;p&gt;Hawkeye fans are poised to get their first look at Iowa’s new offense on Saturday.  Will it impress?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="cxP0Y1"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com"&gt;Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; have had a tremendous week.  But that was on the hardwood with the men’s team landing a commitment from former Morehead State point guard Drew Thelwell and the women landing a massive commitment from former &lt;a href="https://www.vuhoops.com"&gt;Villanova&lt;/a&gt; PG Lucy Olsen.  And of course, all-world former Hawkeye Caitlin Clark heard her name called #1 overall in the &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt; draft to kick the week off.&lt;/p&gt;
  201. &lt;p id="NZtQ1f"&gt;Now, Hawkeye Nation turns its attention to the gridiron where the Iowa football team is set to wrap up their spring ball with an open practice on Saturday morning.  It’s a key moment for the fanbase.  Despite Iowa not operating a traditional spring game like several other schools, the Hawkeyes have major question marks, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, that fans will get their first chance at insight on this weekend.&lt;/p&gt;
  202. &lt;p id="PMIbTN"&gt;With the open practice now less than 24 hours away, what &lt;em&gt;exactly&lt;/em&gt; should fans be looking for inside Kinnick Stadium on Saturday?&lt;/p&gt;
  203. &lt;h3 id="cYLAah"&gt;The Offense&lt;/h3&gt;
  204. &lt;p id="rZ5Z8Y"&gt;It’s no surprise that the vast majority of questions this spring revolve around the offense.  Phil Parker’s defense will be Phil Parker’s defense and with the return of several key pieces (looking at you, Jay Higgins, Nick Jackson and co.) there isn’t much left to the imagination for the Iowa D in 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
  205. &lt;p id="Cyptb9"&gt;But the offense is breaking in a new OC (and by all accounts, a &lt;em&gt;real&lt;/em&gt; OC).  We’ve already seen an offensive player hit the portal this spring (wishing you the best, Jacob Bostick, unless you end up at &lt;a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com"&gt;Iowa State&lt;/a&gt;).  And when you boast the worst offense in power 5 football, it’s pretty fair to want to know if things are getting better.&lt;/p&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="CXYw6W"&gt;On Thursday, new offensive coordinator Tim Lester met with the media for the first time since his introductory press conference.  During his introductory remarks (which, for some reason, were not captured on the audio by the UI), Lester indicated roughly 80-85% of his offense has been installed and now the focus turns to perfecting the core plays and sprinkling in that last 15-20% of the playbook.&lt;/p&gt;
  207. &lt;div id="IzqLIl"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eFNiRXwkpBY?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="lXEHYd"&gt;For fans then, we should be looking for what exactly that 80-85% of the playbook includes.  During his tenure at Western Michigan, Lester was noted for significant use of RPOs (run-pass options).  Notably, this has nothing to do with the QB running the ball, but instead uses the defensive alignment once the QB steps to the line of scrimmage to determine whether the offense will run the ball or pass it.  This is a totally new concept for the Hawkeyes and we should expect to see some hiccups this early in the process, but just how much of it we see at all on Saturday could be an indication of how much this new offense will look like Lester’s stuff from WMU and how much it will look like Kirk Ferentz has put his hand on the scales.&lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="0o8DlZ"&gt;Practically, fans in the stands should keep an eye on plays that may look similar to a read-option where there is a potential handoff to the RB that is ridden by the QB as he makes a read.  That’s not to say RPOs exclusively need such a read, but it’s an easy watch point from the stands.  &lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;p id="NAwU10"&gt;You can also do your best to count box defenders pre-snap.  A fundamental staple of the RPO is taking what the defense gives you.  Meaning, you should expect the offense to run the ball if pre-snap you see the same or fewer defenders in the box as there are offensive players to block them.  If the O, then, comes to the line with five linemen and a tight end (11 personnel), they should only run the ball if there are six defenders in the box.  The reverse is also true.  If there are more defenders in the box than can be blocked man for man, you would expect the offense to run the pass option of the play called. &lt;/p&gt;
  211. &lt;p id="jEAHyJ"&gt;Beyond the RPO aspect, the post-snap blocking from the line is a key thing to keep an eye on.  Iowa has traditionally been known as a zone team with head coach Kirk Ferentz having long been a proponent of outside zone.  Recently, however, we’ve seen more use of gap schemes.  Lester, however, has been more of an inside zone play caller.  &lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;p id="tCaUIj"&gt;Iowa has changed their offensive line recruiting a bit recently to move more towards the big maulers you traditionally would see at gap scheme teams such as Wisconsin from those smaller, quicker outside zone types Ferentz had previously targeted.  So how Lester adapts his run game to what is in the cupboard and what KF wants to do will be interesting to watch.  &lt;/p&gt;
  213. &lt;p id="GJ56zU"&gt;In the most basic sense, it’s easiest to simply see if the offense is running more between the guards than toward the edge.  The schemes are more nuanced than that but that’s an easy checkpoint.  You can also try to get a feel for just how the linemen are working defenders.  Are they using heavy combos to push the defensive tackles back into linebackers or are they working quicker to seal linebackers and simply cover everyone quicker?&lt;/p&gt;
  214. &lt;p id="Lu2K4D"&gt;It will also be interesting to just get a sense of some of the finer points we can expect next fall.  We’ve heard all spring the new offense is utilizing a lot more motion and creating more conflict in the defense.  But seeing that in action and in different situations will be something to note.&lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;p id="VTlZea"&gt;So, what does new OC Tim Lester want to see from his group on Saturday?  Here’s what he had to say in his press availability this week.&lt;/p&gt;
  216. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="dHeHTZ"&gt;“I just want to be efficient. Stay onsides with all the pre-snap stuff, all the motions and cadence, and come off the ball. I’m sure he’s going to put us in some situations, two minute and third along, which will be tough for us this early but we’re going to take swing. I want to say we had one last Saturday where we had 12 plays and moved the ball down the field and had a drive today we scored on, so there have been good days but some rough days too. Good thing is they always respond. On offense, if one guy screws up the play is done. On defense, you might have the left corner fall down, but if the QB throws right it might be a pick six. We just want to continue to stack reps and want to see the guys respond to having people there. It’s different when you get in the stadium, so the ability to stay focused and still execute the things they’ve learned. It will be fun to see who steps up. I just want to see us be better and more efficient. No penalties and take care of the ball.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  217. &lt;h3 id="h1uDbX"&gt;Personnel&lt;/h3&gt;
  218. &lt;p id="iq8XWY"&gt;Beyond the new-look offense, perhaps the most interesting thing to see in the spring is new personnel.  Lester indicated this week that Cade McNamara is progressing well but remains highly limited in practice.  So just how much will we see him throwing?  How is he moving around?&lt;/p&gt;
  219. &lt;p id="mOIq0J"&gt;We also know that Deacon Hill will be taking the first team reps, because in Lester’s words he is the furthest along in terms of making reads and going through a progression (and thus giving the most usable live reps in team drills for the other first team players).  Does he look better than a year ago?  Is he serviceable?  And while Marco Lainez “drinks from the firehose” taking both the second and third team reps, does he appear to be progressing?  &lt;/p&gt;
  220. &lt;p id="i036JE"&gt;Iowa clearly needs answers behind McNamara given his injury history, and we could see them hit the portal this cycle to find them.  But knowing what is already here and how those guys are moving forward will be interesting for fans on Saturday.&lt;/p&gt;
  221. &lt;p id="U4tAJp"&gt;Perhaps just as interesting will be how the wide receiver group looks.  As mentioned, the Hawkeyes saw Jacob Bostick hit the portal earlier this week when things officially opened.  We’ve also heard Seth Anderson and Kaleb Brown have been dinged up a bit this spring.  Who is stepping up and will Iowa be in desperate need of an X receiver from the portal this spring as well?  Or will some of the early hype around RS freshman Jarriett Buie prove true and give the Hawkeyes some roster wiggle room (Iowa is currently four scholarships over the limit for 2024, meaning they would need five players to come off scholarship to add even one player from the portal).&lt;/p&gt;
  222. &lt;div id="397bUz"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12969528/636324c6ab9d170ae0f1506a" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  223. &lt;p id="G5QrX0"&gt;On the other side of the ball, we expect Phil Parker’s group to again be lethal, but there are legitimate questions along the defensive line.  Logan Lee is off to the NFL and Noah Shannon is out of eligibility.  The Hawkeyes also lost Anterio Thompson to the portal this cycle, which leaves question marks about the depth in the middle of the defensive line.  &lt;/p&gt;
  224. &lt;p id="nfKP0Q"&gt;At this stage in the offseason, the defense should look better than the offense, particularly when the offense is completely revamped.  If the interior defensive line is getting worked by Iowa’s o-line, that could be a real problem come fall.  But even if not, it will be worth monitoring the rotation to see who is stepping into the void and what the depth looks like.&lt;/p&gt;
  225. &lt;p id="G4Pdvh"&gt;Another place with a hole to fill, is at corner.  Parker has earned his reputation not only for the defense overall, but also for the defensive back group he coaches.  But replacing a superstar like Cooper DeJean will be a tall task.  &lt;/p&gt;
  226. &lt;p id="Q8TXI1"&gt;Iowa returns Jermari Harris and Deshaun Lee, both of whom have meaningful playing time under their belts.  But rumblings out of spring practice thus far have been that John Nestor and Deavin Hilson have looked good.  And TJ Hall is still waiting in the wings.  Who will step up in CDJ’s spot at corner?  And who will be fielding punts?&lt;/p&gt;
  227. &lt;p id="eCQaZ5"&gt;Speaking of punts, the Hawkeyes said good bye to the glorious leg of Tory Taylor.  Now LeVar Woods has himself another Aussie punter with Rhys Dakin set to step foot on the turf in Kinnick in front of a live audience for the first time.  It’s unlikely he can be as lethal as Taylor, but early reports seem to indicate Dakin’s leg may &lt;em&gt;somehow&lt;/em&gt; be even bigger than Taylor’s.  Get your popcorn ready - punting is winning!&lt;/p&gt;
  228.  
  229. </content>
  230.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/19/24131963/hawkeye-football-what-to-watch-iowa-spring-open-practice-game-kirk-ferentz-tim-lester-bhgp"/>
  231.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/19/24131963/hawkeye-football-what-to-watch-iowa-spring-open-practice-game-kirk-ferentz-tim-lester-bhgp</id>
  232.    <author>
  233.      <name>JPinIC</name>
  234.    </author>
  235.  </entry>
  236.  <entry>
  237.    <published>2024-04-17T15:42:15-05:00</published>
  238.    <updated>2024-04-17T15:42:15-05:00</updated>
  239.    <title>Iowa Basketball: Hawkeyes Land Morehead State PG Transfer Drew Thelwell</title>
  240.    <content type="html">  
  241.  
  242.    &lt;figure&gt;
  243.      &lt;img alt="Morehead State v Illinois" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k7XRPhGsoSuI9kNCAgUW61Dkj5c=/0x0:4442x2961/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73286022/2102627620.0.jpg" /&gt;
  244.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  245.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  246.  
  247.  &lt;p&gt;The Hawkeyes go to the Ohio Valley to add guard depth.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="lD2uu0"&gt;Portal season is here and while Iowa will never be a program built on a roster full of transfers, the Hawkeyes are again active in the portal this cycle.&lt;/p&gt;
  248. &lt;p id="wIVZSH"&gt;That started with the news that seniors Patrick McCaffery (Butler) and Tony Perkins (Mizzou) would be exiting for the portal, alongside sophomore Dasonte Bowen (undecided).  The departures left Iowa with three open scholarships to fill this spring.&lt;/p&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="x2zG4t"&gt;Fran McCaffery and company got to work rather quickly and have been linked to a number of prospects.  Most notably, while Iowa is looking for forward help, they’ve been very active searching for answers to help fill the void left by Perkins and Bowen.  That started with several contacts with guards in the portal and culminated with a pair of visits set for this week.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="ACSeEA"&gt;Former Morehead State guard Drew Thelwell was slated to be the first of two visitors with a trip to Iowa City on Tuesday before former Central Arkansas guard Camren Hunter set to be on campus later this week.  That second visitor is now unlikely to make the trip as Thelwell not only hit it off with the team and staff, but also thoroughly enjoyed his time.  So much so that he announced his commitment to Iowa just a day later.&lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;div id="SApmfC"&gt;
  252. &lt;blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C53dfq_roE5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"&gt;&lt;div style="padding:16px;"&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C53dfq_roE5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"&gt; &lt;div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  253. &lt;/div&gt;
  254. &lt;/div&gt;
  255. &lt;div style="padding: 19% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"&gt;&lt;svg width="50px" height="50px" viewbox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"&gt;&lt;g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"&gt;&lt;g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"&gt;&lt;g&gt;&lt;path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"&gt;&lt;/path&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/g&gt;&lt;/svg&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  256. &lt;div style="padding-top: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"&gt;View this post on Instagram&lt;/div&gt;
  257. &lt;/div&gt;
  258. &lt;div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"&gt;
  259. &lt;div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  260. &lt;/div&gt;
  261. &lt;div style="margin-left: 8px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  262. &lt;/div&gt;
  263. &lt;div style="margin-left: auto;"&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  264. &lt;/div&gt;
  265. &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  266. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C53dfq_roE5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"&gt;A post shared by Drew Thelwell (@drewthelwell)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  267. &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  268. &lt;script async="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  269. &lt;/div&gt;
  270. &lt;p id="7TP5ra"&gt;Thelwell appears to be just what the doctor ordered for this Hawkeye roster.  At 6’3”, the Orlando native adds length to partner alongside returning PG Brock Harding and replace what was lost with Bowen and Perkins.&lt;/p&gt;
  271. &lt;p id="OwhTUX"&gt;Beyond the sheer size, Thelwell comes with a great ability to penetrate into the lane and finish through contact or distribute.  Averaging 10 points and 6.2 assists per game last season, Thelwell shot 34% from beyond the arc as a senior.  As a junior, he averaged a career-best 11.1 points and 2.8 assists per game on, shooting 46.3% shooting overall and 38.1% shooting from deep.&lt;/p&gt;
  272. &lt;p id="K4jmuz"&gt;While none of those numbers light the world on fire, they’re all very solid.  Most notably, his 2.7 assist/turnover ratio ranked among the top 40 for all players nationally.  For the Eagles, Thelwell was asked to be more of a facilitator, leading the team in assists, while ranking fourth on the team in scoring.&lt;/p&gt;
  273. &lt;p id="Iz3TjI"&gt;Perhaps most importantly when considering how his game will translate to the high-major level, Thelwell’s production did not take too meaningful a dip in games against power six opponents.  Morehead State played four games against Big Ten opponents en route to their Ohio Valley Tournament Championship and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth.  In those four games, Thelwell averaged 8 points, 3.25 assists and 2 turnovers per game.&lt;/p&gt;
  274. &lt;div id="kn6Hqt"&gt;&lt;div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"&gt;&lt;iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jn66mo-VBvo?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  275. &lt;p id="JHIPhP"&gt;The commitment to Iowa came after only visiting UCF previously.  Thelwell’s scheduled visits to SMU and Miami later this week have been cancelled and he has officially signed with Iowa, &lt;a href="https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/04/17/drew-thelwell-signs-with-iowa-mbb/"&gt;per the team&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  276. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="uocoLD"&gt;“We are excited to welcome Drew to the Hawkeye family,” said McCaffery. “Drew has a complete skill set with exceptional passing abilities and most importantly, he’s a winner. He will be a tremendous fit for our program.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  277. &lt;p id="cIYFWJ"&gt;As for why Iowa, here’s what Thelwell told Hawkeye Sports:&lt;/p&gt;
  278. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="eKYsYZ"&gt;“I WAS LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT FIT AND WITH THE IOWA COACHES AND OVERALL PROGRAM, I FOUND IT. I WANTED TO FIND A FAMILY AND A HOME AWAY FROM HOME AND I BELIEVE THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA IS THE PERFECT FIT. I AM A PLAYER THAT LIKES TO PUSH THE BALL; IOWA’S SYSTEM DOES THAT AND ALLOWS YOU TO PLAY FREE. THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME. THESE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES YOU THINK ABOUT AS A KID.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  279. &lt;p id="xXr4zK"&gt;Having already played in four seasons, Thelwell will have one year to play one in Iowa City.  His addition leaves Iowa with two open scholarships yet this spring.  Look for Iowa to add a post player via the portal and use the last scholarship for the best available player either via the portal or the prep ranks.&lt;/p&gt;
  280.  
  281. </content>
  282.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/17/24132974/iowa-basketball-hawkeyes-land-morehead-state-pg-transfer-drew-thelwell-poral-recruiting-bhgp"/>
  283.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/17/24132974/iowa-basketball-hawkeyes-land-morehead-state-pg-transfer-drew-thelwell-poral-recruiting-bhgp</id>
  284.    <author>
  285.      <name>JPinIC</name>
  286.    </author>
  287.  </entry>
  288.  <entry>
  289.    <published>2024-04-17T13:00:36-05:00</published>
  290.    <updated>2024-04-17T13:00:36-05:00</updated>
  291.    <title>Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Iowa Women’s Basketball</title>
  292.    <content type="html">  
  293.  
  294.    &lt;figure&gt;
  295.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - National Championship" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Xd9bAE4etOyBTu8vRljGMzvK2S4=/0x0:4853x3235/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73285611/2147503027.0.jpg" /&gt;
  296.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Caitlin Clark changed the women’s game of basketball | Photo by Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  297.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  298.  
  299.  &lt;p&gt;The Hawkeyes move into a post-Caitlin Clark world&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Vy8jwd"&gt;Do you remember that time when the &lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com"&gt;Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; women’s basketball team played in back-to-back national championship games? Yeah, that was awesome! &lt;/p&gt;
  300.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  301.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IdSg-uOmK-HfHVLw3jc30ehiixA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25395726/farleyawesome.png"&gt;
  302.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Chris Farley approves of Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  303.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  304. &lt;p id="SI2m6w"&gt;Much has been said and written about Coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeye basketball team. As someone who has watched and written about 90+% of the Iowa women’s games in the last four years, I still shake my head at just how good this team was. After last year, I did not expect us to have as much success in 2023-24. I tempered my expectations after losing &lt;strong&gt;Monika Czinano &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;McKenna Warnock &lt;/strong&gt;(two 3-year starters) and not bringing someone in via the transfer portal. I also thought that Clark and Iowa would have a target on their backs for the entire season - this turned out to be true. With the media circus, celebrities attending home and away games, the chase for scoring immortality, and sold-out road arenas where the Hawks would take the best shots from their opponents and fans, this team kept playing with its nose to the hardwood. The 2022-23 and 2023-24 Iowa Hawkeyes’ squads solidified themselves as all-timers in the hearts and minds of Hawkeye fans (and non-Hawks) worldwide. &lt;/p&gt;
  305. &lt;p id="o0rbOV"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2020/12/8/22160233/caitlin-clark-and-iowa-hawkeye-womens-basketball-lisa-blunder-bhgp"&gt;I thought it would be fun to look back at the first BHGP article I ever wrote regarding Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes. &lt;/a&gt; After just three games, Clark averaged 26.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. I also wrote this about her, “She’s smooth with the ball, she has an excellent crossover, she has great vision, and she has the Kobe confidence that all the great ones have.” Dang. We didn’t know she would go on to become a G.O.A.T. for the game of basketball, but she gave off that “get out of my way vibe.”&lt;/p&gt;
  306. &lt;p id="7ORbtG"&gt;For the people who say Clark will struggle in the &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt;, I say this: We Hawkeye fans had front-row seats for the past four years. We saw her competitive drive, her physical toughness, her shooting ability from way beyond “Downtown Fred Brown” distance, her vision and passing prowess, and her work ethic, to name just a few. If anything, most of the country doesn’t yet know how good &lt;strong&gt;Caitlin Clark&lt;/strong&gt; is. We will miss watching 22 out there, but she changed the game of basketball, and that toothpaste is never going back in the tube. Thank you, Caitlin.&lt;/p&gt;
  307.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  308.        &lt;img alt="NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament - National Championship" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dWyzcC3jpyVltcN9GwVfqFAfq1M=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25405090/2148750811.jpg"&gt;
  309.      &lt;cite&gt;Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images&lt;/cite&gt;
  310.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Thanks, GOAT!&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  311.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  312. &lt;p id="yE7CMZ"&gt;Iowa’s national championship game also brought the careers of &lt;strong&gt;Sharon Goodman&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Molly Davis&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Gabbie Marshall&lt;/strong&gt;, and&lt;strong&gt; Kate Martin &lt;/strong&gt;to an end. Goodman is the epitome of a student-athlete. She will be successful in anything she sets out to do. Molly Davis transferred in from Central Michigan two seasons ago . Molly and her headband endeared themselves to Iowa fans. I will never forget the video that surfaced where &lt;a href="https://x.com/ChelsieTBrown/status/1775944260602241308"&gt;Coach Lisa Bluder pulled Molly aside&lt;/a&gt; and more than likely told her that her health wouldn’t allow her to play significant minutes in the national championship game. That’s a coach that I want my daughter to play for [Hey, Kim Mulkey]. I may or may not have shed a tear when Molly checked into the last few seconds of Iowa’s final game. &lt;/p&gt;
  313. &lt;p id="SbWj19"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gabbie Marshall &lt;/strong&gt;played big in big games. She knocked down many big shots the past few years, often heating up in March. She also played hard-nosed defense night in and night out. Who will ever forget Gabbie blocking a late three in the B1G championship game or getting knocked down fighting through a moving screen against &lt;a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com"&gt;UConn&lt;/a&gt;?&lt;/p&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="Itn0Gv"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kate Martin&lt;/strong&gt; has been my favorite player for the past four years. I wear a CC22 jersey for the games, but Kate is, well, Kate. She is a leader, tough, composed, plays like a coach, and you can go on and on. Without Kate Martin, the Hawks don’t go on runs the last two years. &lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;h3 id="hhcX3W"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Looking Ahead to 2024-25:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  316. &lt;p id="hoNa6N"&gt;While the Hawkeyes lose a ton of minutes, production, and leadership, the cupboard is far from bare. We saw &lt;strong&gt;Sydney Affolter &lt;/strong&gt;become a force on the court [Kate passed the torch to Syd as The Glue/My Favorite Player]. &lt;strong&gt;Kylie Feurerbach&lt;/strong&gt; made strides this past season coming off an injury. Kylie is an athletic, quick, very-willing defender. &lt;strong&gt;Taylor McCabe&lt;/strong&gt; is a lights-out shooter. When Taylor’s game becomes more well-rounded, she will be a main focus of opposing defenses. &lt;strong&gt;Addison O’Grady &lt;/strong&gt;continues to make strides in the low post, and there’s not a coach in the country who coaches post play better than&lt;strong&gt; Jan Jensen&lt;/strong&gt;. O’Grady played some big minutes in Iowa’s repeat run to the national championship. Finally, &lt;strong&gt;Hannah Stuelke&lt;/strong&gt; is on a path to becoming a first-team All-B1G player next season. The development of Stuelke from freshman to sophomore was paramount to Iowa’s success this season. Replacing Monika Czinano was no small task. Stuelke can run like a deer. The Hawks won’t have Caitlin Clark pushing the ball ahead in transition, but with Stuelke running from paint to paint, Bluder’s Hawks are going to get out and run. As a freshman, Hannah averaged 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and shot 46% from the free throw line.  As a sophomore, Stuelke averaged 14.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and shot 62.9% from the FT line. Iowa develops players, folks. I’m excited to see Feuerbach, McCabe, and O’Grady continue to grow as basketball players. After a summer of work, Jada Gyamfi and Kennise Johnson will be anxious to show what they can do with an expanded role. &lt;/p&gt;
  317. &lt;h3 id="P6gpp3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Future:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  318. &lt;p id="zryzK0"&gt;Caitlin Clark has carried women’s basketball on her back for the past few years. Her on-court exploits are legendary. Another area in which Clark will benefit this Hawkeye program is the number of eyeballs that tuned in to watch the Hawks. Iowa became a household name. Recruits took notice. Coach Bluder’s program will reap the benefits of Iowa’s success for years to come on the recruiting trail. The Hawkeyes have five incoming recruits, and they are highly-rated. &lt;/p&gt;
  319. &lt;p id="O4DREg"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Callie Levin&lt;/strong&gt; - 3 Star - Miss Iowa Basketball - 22.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 4.5 apg, 4.8 spg&lt;/p&gt;
  320. &lt;p id="MmhDbm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ava Heiden&lt;/strong&gt; - #36 overall - 6’4” inside/outside post player&lt;/p&gt;
  321. &lt;p id="j6UPWt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Aaliayah Guyton&lt;/strong&gt; - #57 - As a Jr. was consensus all-state. 21.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.1 spg&lt;/p&gt;
  322. &lt;p id="qQ31Do"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Teagan Mallegni&lt;/strong&gt; - #64 - 2,000+ point scorer&lt;/p&gt;
  323. &lt;p id="ejna2S"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Taylor Stremlow&lt;/strong&gt; - #88 - 18.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 9.2 apg, 5.8 spg&lt;/p&gt;
  324. &lt;div id="26yVhb"&gt;
  325. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  326. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Taking        Stage  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ava_heiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@ava_heiden&lt;/a&gt; is officially a Hawkeye! &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hawkeyes?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/2U19lfG5me"&gt;pic.twitter.com/2U19lfG5me&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/IowaWBB/status/1722304785229947054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;November 8, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  327. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  328. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  329.  
  330. &lt;/div&gt;
  331. &lt;h3 id="ZsB7DG"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More Talent On the Way:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
  332. &lt;p id="aDM8V8"&gt;The Hawkeyes have two verbals for the 2025 class in &lt;strong&gt;Addison Deal&lt;/strong&gt; (Mater Dei HS, CA) and &lt;strong&gt;Journey Houston&lt;/strong&gt; (Davenport North HS, IA). 2026 may shape up to be big, and &lt;strong&gt;Maddyn Greenway &lt;/strong&gt;certainly will give the Hawks a solid look (yes, that name is a familiar one to Hawkeye fans). &lt;/p&gt;
  333. &lt;p id="KIVmaZ"&gt;As always, it’s great to be a Hawkeye! Go Hawks!&lt;/p&gt;
  334. &lt;p id="InTgXY"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  335. &lt;p id="XhMmu5"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  336. &lt;p id="LvWUKY"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  337.  
  338. </content>
  339.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/17/24131175/looking-back-ahead-iowa-hawkeye-womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-lisa-bluder-recruiting-bhgp"/>
  340.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/17/24131175/looking-back-ahead-iowa-hawkeye-womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-lisa-bluder-recruiting-bhgp</id>
  341.    <author>
  342.      <name>Bartt Pierce</name>
  343.    </author>
  344.  </entry>
  345.  <entry>
  346.    <published>2024-04-15T21:32:42-05:00</published>
  347.    <updated>2024-04-15T21:32:42-05:00</updated>
  348.    <title>Clark &amp; Martin drafted on historic night for Iowa sports</title>
  349.    <content type="html">  
  350.  
  351.    &lt;figure&gt;
  352.      &lt;img alt="WNBA: Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/11AFp1o8dCAIHiVkf4yfHIvIYwA=/0x0:3273x2182/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73281418/usa_today_23033872.0.jpg" /&gt;
  353.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  354.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  355.  
  356.  &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Caitlin Clark was taken 1st by Indiana while Kate Martin went 18th to Las Vegas&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="DXoV1u"&gt;After a sensational season where she led the &lt;a href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com"&gt;Iowa Hawkeyes&lt;/a&gt; to a second straight national championship game, Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. It was a no drama night for Indiana as the announcement was made while a huge crowd watched from the Fever’s arena.&lt;/p&gt;
  357. &lt;div id="YbZvRf"&gt;
  358. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  359. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Caitlin Clark is an Indiana Fever. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBADraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#WNBADraft&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/LBWhnalnZA"&gt;pic.twitter.com/LBWhnalnZA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Zion Brown (@z10nbr0wn) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/z10nbr0wn/status/1780018817835348436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  360. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  361. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  362.  
  363. &lt;/div&gt;
  364. &lt;p id="HXoQlP"&gt;She is the highest drafted Hawkeye since Keegan Murray at 4 in 2022’s &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft"&gt;NBA Draft&lt;/a&gt; and the second #1 pick in school history. Randy Duncan was selected first overall by the &lt;a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/"&gt;Green Bay Packers&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1959/draft.htm"&gt;in 1959&lt;/a&gt;, though he did not suit up for them.&lt;/p&gt;
  365. &lt;p id="29R4ti"&gt;It was accompanied by a pretty weird announcement tweets. Which I think was a play on this &lt;a href="https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/002/300/050/d2e.jpg"&gt;photo&lt;/a&gt; which was a play on a LeBron James/Dwyane Wade alley-oop.&lt;/p&gt;
  366. &lt;div id="EGRraK"&gt;
  367. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  368. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Speed. Buckets. Dimes.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Caitlin Clark is the whole package. &lt;a href="https://t.co/17Q4wLJ56e"&gt;pic.twitter.com/17Q4wLJ56e&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/IndianaFever/status/1780018772524310859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  369. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  370. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  371.  
  372. &lt;/div&gt;
  373. &lt;p id="cEdbjc"&gt;As for the actual decision, not only is it a no brainer for the Fever in terms of skill &amp;amp; ability (Clark led the nation in per game scoring three out of four seasons &amp;amp; assists/game all four seasons) but fit, as well. In the offseason, Indiana added the Katie Lou Samuelson to a roster with two 40% 3-point shooters (Kelsey Mitchell 18 PPG, Erica Wheeler 10 PPG) &amp;amp; 2022 draftees Aliyah Boston &amp;amp; Grace Berger. A pick &amp;amp; roll with Clark and Boston immediately becomes one of the most exciting plays in the game. They also return 16 PPG scorer NaLyssa Smith.&lt;/p&gt;
  374. &lt;p id="jDaIBd"&gt;Here’s the full announcement:&lt;/p&gt;
  375. &lt;div id="0ntmNW"&gt;
  376. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  377. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;with the first pick…&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Caitlin Clark, guard, University of Iowa. &lt;a href="https://t.co/8gUOkK15tF"&gt;pic.twitter.com/8gUOkK15tF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/IndianaFever/status/1780020521037361378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 15, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  378. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  379. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  380.  
  381. &lt;/div&gt;
  382. &lt;p id="hfG73A"&gt;The fit, in case you were wondering, was Prada and the first time they have styled anyone for the NBA or &lt;a href="https://www.swishappeal.com"&gt;WNBA&lt;/a&gt; draft &lt;a href="https://x.com/FOS/status/1779980474347065425"&gt;according to Front Office Sports&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  383. &lt;p id="RfYUyI"&gt;The Fever also added Celeste Taylor of &lt;a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com"&gt;Ohio State&lt;/a&gt; &amp;amp; Leilani Correa of Florida in the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  384. &lt;p id="fYcZ8g"&gt;In other Hawkeye news, Kate Martin went 18th to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces. Martin &amp;amp; Clark are the first pair of Hawkeyes selected in the WNBA draft. She learned of her fate in the cheap seats among teammates Gabby Marshall &amp;amp; Jada Gyamfi, Jan Jensen, and Connor McCaffery (and in front of TikTok sensation coach Jackie):&lt;/p&gt;
  385. &lt;div id="N7npiW"&gt;
  386. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true" align="center"&gt;
  387. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;KATE MARTIN TO THE ACES!!!! &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WNBADraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#WNBADraft&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/1C55qt0mVY"&gt;pic.twitter.com/1C55qt0mVY&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Aliyah Funschelle (@AliyahFun) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AliyahFun/status/1780041996696269009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;April 16, 2024&lt;/a&gt;
  388. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  389. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  390.  
  391. &lt;/div&gt;
  392. &lt;p id="BAInYt"&gt;It’ll be tough sledding for Martin to make the Aces’ roster but all she asked for is a chance. She’ll get one.&lt;/p&gt;
  393. &lt;p id="1hKVrT"&gt;Congrats to both Caitlin &amp;amp; Kate on sensational senior seasons culminating in getting drafted. They can’t celebrate too much as the season gets here quick:  on May 14th the Fever take on the Connecticut Sun the Aces face Phoenix Mercury.&lt;/p&gt;
  394.  
  395. </content>
  396.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/15/24131633/caitlin-clark-kate-martin-drafted-on-historic-night-for-iowa-womens-basketball-indiana-fever-bhgp"/>
  397.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/15/24131633/caitlin-clark-kate-martin-drafted-on-historic-night-for-iowa-womens-basketball-indiana-fever-bhgp</id>
  398.    <author>
  399.      <name>BoilerHawk</name>
  400.    </author>
  401.  </entry>
  402.  <entry>
  403.    <published>2024-04-08T14:13:14-05:00</published>
  404.    <updated>2024-04-08T14:13:14-05:00</updated>
  405.    <title>They don’t tell you enough...</title>
  406.    <content type="html">  
  407.  
  408.    &lt;figure&gt;
  409.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: The Des Moines Register" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5M43NxvLCTEI_x0fo0SPqovaAhw=/0x0:5760x3840/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73264439/usa_today_22969603.0.jpg" /&gt;
  410.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  411.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  412.  
  413.  &lt;p id="Tpjz3H"&gt;The older and older I get, the more and more I tend to think about my high school basketball team. Sometimes, if I think hard enough, I can still smell the gym and hear the creaks and moans of the tan floorboards under my Nike Shox. I can hear the “THUD” of the four green doors that led to the hallways of my school. I can still feel the butterflies in the pit of my stomach that I would have every time I got into the lay-up line when we had to face off against our town rival (Plainfield South).&lt;/p&gt;
  414. &lt;p id="4FByDj"&gt;It feels like I was rushing out of that unfortunately infamous back tunnel (long story for another day) with my green and white warmups with “33” on the chest both yesterday and a million years ago all the same. &lt;/p&gt;
  415. &lt;p id="SMeWaO"&gt;I can’t tell you how much I miss it. How much I miss being a part of a team like that. How much I miss the bullshitting. How much I miss the passion. How much I miss being pushed in little ways to get the most out of my game. How much I missed pushing my teammates. How much I miss the sinking feeling in my stomach when I would wake on Saturday mornings after a hard loss the night before and knowing full well I was about to get my ass kicked.&lt;/p&gt;
  416. &lt;p id="tHDAWG"&gt;They don’t tell you enough how little of THAT you get when you’re an adult. Sure you’re on “teams” at work but it’s not the same. &lt;/p&gt;
  417. &lt;p id="Edgvdb"&gt;You don’t really have one consistent group of individuals all striving for something bigger. Striving to not only keep up with, but elevate the ceiling that was left behind by the juniors and seniors before you and those that came before them. &lt;/p&gt;
  418. &lt;p id="J4JG8e"&gt;There was a standard. But standards are always able to be raised. And that was the goal. &lt;/p&gt;
  419. &lt;p id="EJuGdJ"&gt;It may have been a grind at times and I know I resented my coaches for how hard they were. But now? Oh what I wouldn’t give to have someone be in my ear trying to motivate me like that again. &lt;/p&gt;
  420. &lt;p id="4XUTxa"&gt;Special times. &lt;/p&gt;
  421. &lt;p id="M1bAL7"&gt;As I mentioned above, the collective “they” (aka the wiser and more, say, veteran presences in our lives) don’t tell you enough to soak all of that in while you’re actually in it.  They don’t tell you enough about how fast it really does go. They don’t tell you enough how eventually your body will ultimately start to deceive you and despite all of that joy you get from diving after every loose ball now, pretty soon you’ll have a hard time getting up after changing your daughters diaper.&lt;/p&gt;
  422. &lt;p id="QCXpKp"&gt;I suppose even if they did tell us, we still would’ve scoffed it off. &lt;/p&gt;
  423. &lt;p id="saK6DE"&gt;Oh the luxuries of being young(er). &lt;/p&gt;
  424. &lt;p id="O3urdQ"&gt;Anyone that has participated on a team (sports, academic, work) that was able to successfully put together even a mildly successful run of wins knows how special and unique and complex and rare those times, those people, those situations truly are. &lt;/p&gt;
  425. &lt;p id="6cMLPq"&gt;You never fully realize it or grasp it in the moment. &lt;/p&gt;
  426. &lt;p id="pKl9im"&gt;I suppose only time allows you the opportunity to have that 20/20 vision. &lt;/p&gt;
  427. &lt;p id="nMOWe2"&gt;I say all of this because I kind of already feel that way about the last two years with Iowa women’s basketball. I feel like I was part of this in the smallest of ways. I feel like I’m going to look back on it with such respect and gratitude just like I do when I think about my own playing days and athletic accomplishments. &lt;/p&gt;
  428. &lt;p id="MYbQCv"&gt;I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling. &lt;/p&gt;
  429. &lt;p id="JiAb0T"&gt;I also say all of this because I truly hope this incredible group of women have taken the time to understand and appreciate what they did together. I’m sure Lisa Bluder and her coaching staff have constantly expressed this message throughout this year and especially so during this run back to the National Championship, but I truly wish each and every one of those players were able to slow it all down and listen. I hope they were able to soak it all in. I hope they had the foresight and understanding to realize just how hard and how special this all really is. &lt;/p&gt;
  430. &lt;p id="AWUhp4"&gt;So much has to go right. So many different people from different backgrounds, colors and creeds all have to come together as a unit and take one giant leap of faith after giant leap of faith after giant leap of faith in order for something like this to work...TWICE. &lt;/p&gt;
  431. &lt;p id="A9shOl"&gt;And when that’s not enough, perhaps even the cosmos need to align a little too:&lt;/p&gt;
  432. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;p id="ZJiAK5"&gt;“I think just reflecting back and soaking in everything that I was able to do because basically anybody other than me and Coach Bluder never thought this was possible.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  433. &lt;p id="bVWNLM"&gt;I used to not believe in fate as a kid...but boy do I believe in it now. &lt;/p&gt;
  434. &lt;p id="KLOaS9"&gt;So much had to go right for all of this to happen at Iowa. If one thing would’ve gone differently, Caitlin Clark is probably at &lt;a href="https://www.theuconnblog.com"&gt;UConn&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  435. &lt;p id="lIidxg"&gt;Just one conversation could’ve changed all of our lives completely. &lt;/p&gt;
  436. &lt;p id="BN0CW0"&gt;Isn’t that kind of crazy to think about? If Geno Auriemma makes a phone call or takes a plane ride to Des Moines, I would probably be sitting here bitching about the Iowa quarterback situation and yelling into the void like I normally do.&lt;/p&gt;
  437. &lt;p id="AtpdSl"&gt;I should really send him flowers.&lt;/p&gt;
  438. &lt;p id="HkJKi5"&gt;Had he taken a peak at 22, I probably wouldn’t have a million pictures of my kid dressed in a black “22” jersey. I wouldn’t have written what I believe are some of the best pieces I’ve ever put out to you all. I wouldn’t understand how BIG of a moment this really was for women’s athletics. &lt;/p&gt;
  439. &lt;p id="djbsWb"&gt;My eyes would still be shut. &lt;/p&gt;
  440. &lt;p id="sFSdFL"&gt;But because everything aligned, I instead got to watch Caitlin Clark and Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin and Hannah Stuelke and Sydney Affolter and Molly Davis and Kylie Feuerbach and Addison O’Grady and Monika Czinano or McKenna Warnock shine together. &lt;/p&gt;
  441. &lt;p id="mog4XS"&gt;And yes, they shined together. &lt;/p&gt;
  442. &lt;p id="lLXDfl"&gt;Everyone knows that Caitlin Clark is special. I don’t really need to go through all of the accolades anymore. It’s not debatable despite everyone trying to do exactly that. You can take your arguments and have them look into the eclipse. Nobody has meant more or will mean more to women's college basketball than she will. She is the single greatest women’s college basketball player of all time...even if she’s missing a ring. &lt;/p&gt;
  443. &lt;p id="rObCYr"&gt;I’m already making plans to go to New York with another Girl Dad and his daughters to see her play the Liberty (and I don’t know if I’d travel to New York for $5,000 cash and a free meal). &lt;/p&gt;
  444. &lt;p id="qnaJMV"&gt;But that’s the pull of CC. &lt;/p&gt;
  445. &lt;p id="WAdxyQ"&gt;Hell, SNL did an entire opening sketch about her and the gravity she has in the national zeitgeist (and yes I realize I may be one of the last people on this earth that think that’s both one of the coolest pieces of this entire stretch and a true barometer on how CRAZY this whole thing has become). &lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;p id="Gfc0DG"&gt;But what’s even cooler to me right now is how much those little moments with everyone else mattered, too. Caitlin was the spotlight and deservedly so, but that doesn’t mean for one second that what those other women did all year long beside her will ever be forgotten. &lt;/p&gt;
  447. &lt;p id="utRvYm"&gt;No sir.&lt;/p&gt;
  448. &lt;p id="XhdY1w"&gt;No ma’am.&lt;/p&gt;
  449. &lt;p id="l6j97f"&gt;Those women made her better. Those women raised their level of play to match hers night in and night out. &lt;/p&gt;
  450. &lt;p id="dKj5Zs"&gt;I’m sorry for beating the same drum again...but man is that special. &lt;/p&gt;
  451. &lt;p id="3UqvwI"&gt;CC said as much above and has for her entire career at Iowa - there is no CC without Lisa Bluder or her teammates. &lt;/p&gt;
  452. &lt;p id="rBdnKP"&gt;And there is surely no back-to-back national championship appearances without those teammates that made plays when she couldn’t. That did the dirty work to get the ball back in her hands. That defended like their life was on the line. That did all the little things that go so unnoticed to the average viewer. &lt;/p&gt;
  453. &lt;p id="7iDUSM"&gt;I suppose I didn’t realize it then, but I realize it now... We truly got to see their own individual GOAT performances night in and night out, too. Each and every one of them achieved a level I bet they never even thought possible. &lt;/p&gt;
  454. &lt;p id="7fkUOk"&gt;I guess that’s why they say a rising tide lifts all boats. &lt;/p&gt;
  455. &lt;p id="X56oCT"&gt;And it’s those moments, those times, those memories that they (and us) will all come back to. Sure, they (and we) will talk and think about the insanity that was Caitlin Clark and all of those buckets that send chills down your spine. &lt;/p&gt;
  456. &lt;p id="FXhNjo"&gt;BUT the goosebumps will also come when thinking about Gabbie Marshall’s blocked shot against West Virginia or Hannah Stuelke’s graceful performance against UConn or all of those Dirk like one-legged fade aways Kate Martin hit in CRUCIAL moments or every single time Sydney Affolter just made a f****** play after stepping into the starting lineup after Molly Davis unfortunately went down with an injury. &lt;/p&gt;
  457. &lt;p id="9PBqQi"&gt;I could keep going. I’m sure you all will in the comments below. &lt;/p&gt;
  458. &lt;p id="8sCoGN"&gt;And I suppose that’s the point here. Drink it all in. Savor what we just witnessed.&lt;/p&gt;
  459. &lt;p id="hEk9Ke"&gt;Everyone.&lt;/p&gt;
  460. &lt;p id="UMaqmp"&gt;This season I’ve talked a lot about being lucky and how truly blessed we are as Hawkeye fans. How fortunate it has been getting to see this all take place on our campus and in our city. But now that the journey is over and a new chapter of Iowa basketball is about to begin, I think we’re just as fortunate to be able to have shared these memories with the women that made them. &lt;/p&gt;
  461. &lt;p id="nUQSYQ"&gt;They pushed and pulled and earned everything they accomplished this season and we all got to indulge in their rewards. &lt;/p&gt;
  462. &lt;p id="xTPKVA"&gt;They don’t tell you enough how beautiful it all really is…&lt;/p&gt;
  463. &lt;p id="2HKjdR"&gt;The don’t tell you enough how important it is to all of our lives…&lt;/p&gt;
  464. &lt;p id="92Z6Li"&gt;They don’t tell you enough how much it all meant… &lt;/p&gt;
  465. &lt;p id="rXIw1A"&gt;They don’t tell you enough…until it’s all over&lt;/p&gt;
  466. &lt;p id="N5kYuy"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  467. &lt;p id="pTAmCb"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  468. &lt;p id="t6j8fw"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  469.  
  470. </content>
  471.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/8/24124269/they-never-tell-you-enough-iowa-womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-lisa-bluder-national-championship"/>
  472.    <id>https://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2024/4/8/24124269/they-never-tell-you-enough-iowa-womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-lisa-bluder-national-championship</id>
  473.    <author>
  474.      <name>Jerry Scherwin</name>
  475.    </author>
  476.  </entry>
  477. </feed>
  478.  

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