The struggle is real for the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams, particularly on the road. Both teams are on losing streaks with one team not able to get any stops and the other struggling to score points. 

Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the podcast talking about the Iowa women's basketball team that has dropped five in a row in conference play. The latest loss was at Oregon in a game where Iowa built a double digit lead in the first half before dropping the game. 

What has gone wrong with the Iowa women's team in recent weeks? Is it worth noting that they could have potentially won three of those games? What has gone wrong with the Hawkeyes lack of offense and in particular the struggle from the field by Lucy Olsen shooting the basketball? Are they officially in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament this year? What could their lineup look like next year?

Then we move over to the Iowa men's basketball team who continues to struggle stopping opposing teams when they are on the road. Iowa is giving up 98.5 points per game on the road in conference games this year and allowed 99 and 94 at USC and UCLA on last weeks road trip. 

We dive into what the issues are on defense and just how crazy the numbers are in the analytics community. How important are the games this week at home against Minnesota and Penn State? We also discuss that Payton Sandfort hasn't practiced since they returned from LA and the impact on that front, plus a potential new 2025 recruit could be on the horizon. 

A lot of ground to cover on a Sunday night Hawkeye Report Podcast. Iowa athletics was busy and so were Tom Kakert, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever covering their beats in Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and on the wrestling mat in Cedar Falls and Madison.

We open the podcast with Tanner talking about his busy weekend and we start with what happened on Sunday in Madison as Iowa men's wrestling dominated Wisconsin on the mat. What were his thoughts on the lineup that Tom Brands put on the mat and could there be some key pieces returning soon? What's the state of the team right now heading into the heart of Big Ten season?

After that we move on to Iowa women's wrestling. Last year the Hawkeyes barely won the national dual in their first time at the event. This year they dominated the event, winning it with relative ease on Friday and Saturday. What did Tanner think of the Iowa women's team and their performance and just how dominant were their hammers at the upper weights?

Then we move on to a struggling Iowa women's basketball team. We get Kyle's thoughts on the Hawkeyes losing their third straight game for the first time since 2018. What's gone wrong with this team so far this season and are there any quick fixes for head coach Jan Jensen. We ask Kyle if he would make any changes to the current starting lineup and are Big Ten foes settling a few scores with Iowa women's hoops after the last few years?

After we finish that discussion we move on to Iowa men's basketball where after giving up 116 in a loss to Wisconsin, Iowa has won two straight, inlcuding a dominating performance on Saturday night beating Indiana by 25 points. What do we make of this Iowa team and are they starting to find their footing? We have thoughts on how good Josh Dix is and the impressive second half performance in the last two games by Payton Sandfort. Also, does Fran McCaffery play eight and trust six right now?

Finally we wrap up touching on the news that new transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski needing shoulder surgery that will sideline him for approximately six months. How does it impact the Hakweyes moving forward? Does this make retaining Brendan Sullivan for the 2025 season more likely? 

(Note: This podcast was recorded a few hours before the Mark Gronowski surgery news was released)

Another edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast with a portal flavor to it. We are joined by the CEO of the Iowa Swarm, Brad Heinrichs to discuss a pretty successful transfer portal period for the Iowa Hawkeyes and the role that the Iowa Swarm played in it. We go over Iowa landing quarterback Mark Gronowski in the portal and what he will bring to the table for the Hawkeyes. How big of a role did Tim Lester play in his recruitment? Is there a current college quarterback that he compares to? 

We go over the other signees, including Hank Brown at quarterback, Jonah Pace, who might be the starter at defensive tackle, the addition of the wide receiver Sam Phillips, and fellow defensive end Bryce Hawthore. We go over the impact each player will have on the program. 

Then we talk about the portal process and the frustrations for coaches and collective leader when it comes to tampering in college football around the portal. Brad shares stories regarding this huge issue in college football today as schools try to get players to enter the transfer portal. 

We wrap up talking about the potential two deeps for the Iowa football team next fall and what they might look like. Are there any surprise players to watch?

It was a busy day for news on the Iowa football and basketball front. We open the podcast with Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discussing the huge win by the Iowa men's basketball team. After falling behind by 15 points in the scond half, the Hawkeyes rallied for a for an overtime win over the Cornhuskers. 

We dive into the massive performance by both Josh Dix, who scored 31 points, and Payton Sandfort, who scored 30 points after halftime. We look at both of their performances in this game and key plays that were involved in Iowa's rally.

Then we discuss the big news on the football side of the equation and that is the signing of Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State. What's the impact of his decision on the quarterback room this year and how will Gronowski fit into the Hawkeye offense. How big of impact can a quarterback have on the Iowa offense? Should we be concerned that Brendan Sullivan might leave? What will the initial depth chart look like at quarterback this spring?

Finally, we talk about the Iowa Swarm and how while many Iowa fans are very supportive, a vocal minority have been hyper critical and took issue with their fundraising and what they call lack of transparency. Why are those critics wrong in their statements?

With the Music City Bowl in the books it was time to visit with the great Chuck Long about the result of the game and the future of the quarterbacks at the University of Iowa. 

We open talking about the loss to Missouri and what happened with the Hawkeyes offense in the first half vs. the second half. Why did Brendan Sullivan play so well in the first half and why did he struggle in the second half? 

What did he think of the stuggles in the second half why has Iowa had issues with giving up double digit leads this year. Iowa lost this game giving up a score right after going up 24-14 and the defense allowed a touchdown. 

Then we dive into the quarterback room. How would he manage the room this spring in terms of reps? Is Sullivan the starter? Should the reps be divided up? We also discuss the process of developing quarterbacks and how to do that from a coaching perspective. 

Long also give us his analysis of Hank Brown, who is from Chuck's hometown of Wheaton. What did he thinks of his throws at Auburn and his potential. Then we discuss the College Football Playoff thus far and what we have thought about how it plays out. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! It's a marathon podcast to wrap up the year of Iowa athletics. Tom Kakert, Matt Randazzo, Kyle Huesmann, and Tanner Lafever come together to talk all things Hawkeyes for one of the longest pods that we have done. 

First, we open talking transfer portal and the latest news regarding Iowa football. They picked up a defensive lineman commit and we discuss that news and how he fits into the roster. We also talk about the Hawkeyes missing on a quarterback in the portal and look at what could potentially be next at the position. Plus we discuss other prospects that Iowa is after in the portal. 

Second, we disucss the Hawkeye basketball team coming from behind and winning on a neutral site over Utah. What were our thoughts on the victory and how Payton Sandfort, Josh Dix, and Brock Harding were key down the stretch of the game. Why was this win so important to the post season hopes of the Hawkeyes as they get ready to head back into conference play to start the new year?

Then we go into a long and interesting look back at Iowa athletics in 2024. We start with the biggest story of the year, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa women's basketball and the impact they had not only in Iowa, but around the country. We look back at the Lisa Bluder retirement, Jan Jensen hiring and Lucy Olsen picking the Hawkeyes. 

Then we move to wrestling where Tanner discusses the Iowa women's team winnning a national title and Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades picked up silver medals in the Paris Olympics and perhaps more coming in LA in 2028. 

We talk Iowa soccer and baseball before diving into the top stories for the Hawkeye men's basketball team, which include the son's of the head coach heading to play basketball at Butler. Finally we wrap up the nearly two hour long podcast with a long discussion about Iowa football and we pick some bowl game winners for you. 

Football transfer portal season continues to heat up in Iowa City. Just when you thought that the Hawkeyes might be done in the portal at the quarterback position they get involved with Penn State signal caller Beau Pribula, who entered the portal and will not play in the Nittany Lions College Football Playoff game this weekend. 

We dive into which schools are after Pribula in the portal and his speed dating visit schedule that included trips to Missouri and Iowa and will wrap up with trips to UCF and Indiana before he ends up making a decision. What are Iowa's chances of landing him? 

After that we look at other potential targets in the transfer portal for the Hawkeyes. Are there some names at wide receiver and defensive tackle to watch? We run all them down along with a few other names that they are still involved with as he head towards the holiday dead period beginning after this weekend. 

Finally we wrap up discussing the Iowa men's and women's basketball teams and where things stand with the vast majority of their non-conference seasons wrapped up. We look ahead to their next games starting Friday with the Iowa women hosting UNI and the men's team facing Utah in South Dakota. 

It's a special Saturday morning recording of the podcast after the news that Iowa landed a quarterback in the transfer portal. That's right, Iowa landed Auburn transfer Hank Brown in the portal. What does that mean for the Hawkeye quarterback position moving forward? Is Iowa done in the portal at that position? Maybe? 

Who are the other portal targets for the Hawkeyes that remain out there? Who is visiting this weekend? Is one of them a highly sought offensive lineman? 

What about the eventually House payments to players? Will the Iowa football team end up with in terms of percentage of those payments? What could that means for walk-on players?

Then we look back at the Iowa loss to Iowa State in men's hoops. What were the keys to the loss from the Hawkeye perspective? What did we think of the change in the Hawkeye starting lineup? Was factor was fatigue for the Hawkeyes in the final six minutes of the game and did it impact the outcome? 

It's a very busy week for the Hawkeyes and we have you covered on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann team up on the pod to preview the Iowa vs. Iowa State men's and women's basketball games. 

But, before we get to that, it's college football portal season and there is plenty of news. Iowa might have found their portal quarterback in Hank Brown, who is visiting this week. We have plenty of news on that front and also two other visitors heading to Iowa City this week at a position of need. We also disucss the return of Logan Jones and what that means for the Iowa football team next year. 

Then we break down the Hawkeyes and the Cyclones in women's hoops. Really interesting game between two nationally ranked teams. We look at the key match-ups in the game and if Iowa State can live up to their preseason billing and can the Hawkeyes bounce back after their first loss of the season that included 30 turnovers. 

Finally we break down the Iowa vs. Iowa State men's game, which has been filled with blowouts either way in this series. What are the keys to this game and why would it be a huge win for the Hawkeyes if they can get the victory and why it would stand out in March. 

It's been a busy last week with plenty going on in Iowa athletics. We have a lot of ground to cover on the podcast. First, Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo open the show discussing Iowa heading to Nashville for the bowl game to face Missouri. This game was supposed to happen four years ago, but was canceled by Covid. What do we know about the Tigers and what was this process like? How close did Iowa get to going back to Tampa instead of Nashville? 

After that we dive into the changing and evolving football roster. The transfer portal opens up on Monday and there are already Iowa players diving into the portal, particularly at quarterback. We also know that Iowa is actively looking for a quarterback in the portal. Are there any players that are on the Hawkeyes radar in the portal? What is the biggest issue in portal shopping this year? Does Iowa have any visits set up?

Finally we switch over to basketball and dive deep into the Hawkeyes loss at Michigan. What were the main issues in the game? What can Iowa do about their poor free throw shooting and how big of  a concern is it? What about rebounding and the deficit there? What can Iowa do to improve it and how impressed should we be the way the Hawkeyes fought back from being more than ten points down in both halves and nearly won the game.