Men's Basketball December 19, 2005

Inside Iowa

Dec. 19, 2005

Inside Iowa is a multi-media feature of hawkeyesports.com produced each weekday during the academic year by the Hawkeye Radio Network. It offers an inside look at the world of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Iowa and is a piece of the audio and video content found exclusively inside Hawkeye All-Access, the multimedia are of hawekyesports.com, the official world wide web site of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

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Today
Coach Steve Alford’s squad has stolen a page out of the playbook of Iowa’s nationally ranked football program by touting a defense that is, at times, stifling.

Friday, December 16<?b?????>
Gary Dolphin visits with Steve Alford about his team’s struggles with the outside shot, the Hawkeyes’ success in getting to the free throw line and more.

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Wednesday, Dec. 14Out with the old. In with the new. So it is in intercollegiate athletics including Iowa’s men’s track and field team where UI Coach Larry Wieczorek finds himself seeking to fill significant holes in the field events.

Tuesday, Dec. 13
The Iowa women’s swimming and diving team traveled to Ames last Friday night and came away with a victory and two points for the UI in this year’s Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series.

Monday, Dec. 12
Lots of hardware was distributed Saturday night at the Iowa football team’s annual awards banquet. Gary Dolphin reviews the list of recipients.

Friday, Dec. 9
Iowa and Iowa State square off in another installment of the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series tonight in Ames. This time it’s men’s basketball and the Hawkeyes will be without their floor leader, Jeff Horner. Gary Dolphin talks about who will fill the void for the Coach Steve Alford.

Thursday, Dec. 8
Jim Zalesky discusses tonight’s dual against the Panthers of Northern Iowa, the nationally ranked Hawkeyes to date, and his plans and expectations for the team during the holiday break.

Wednesday, Dec. 7
Lisa Bluder makes it very clear: Games against intrastate rivals take priority and that’s why Thursday’s game in Ames against the Iowa State Cyclones is important this year and every year for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Tuesday, Dec. 6
So, you need a ticket to the 2006 Outback Bowl. David Sandstrum, the UI’s director of ticket operations, explains how to get yours.

Monday, Dec. 5
It’s the Outback Bowl for Kirk Ferentz and the nationally ranked Iowa football team and a pair of intrastate battles for Steve Alford and his nationally ranked Hawkeyes. All things being equal, all is well in the home of Hawkeyes.

Friday, Dec. 2
Gary Dolphin does double duty, touching bases on the possible bowl game destinations for Coach Kirk Ferentz’s nationally ranked Iowa football team before visiting with Steve Alford about his team’s quick turnaround and the field for this year’s Hawkeye Challenge.

Thursday, Dec. 1
Matt Fields is hoping to make a difference for the 2005-06 Iowa wrestling team now that he’s been cleared medically to take the mat. He might get his chance Friday when the Hawkeyes square off against the Cyclones in the next event in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series.

Wednesday, Nov. 30
Jeff Horner visits with Brent Balbinot in today’s installment of Inside Iowa. The topic of discussion? Horner’s technique and tonight’s opponent, the nationally ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack.

Tuesday, Nov. 29
Home cookin’. It’s what Coach Lisa Bluder’s Hawkeyes are looking for after traveling from Iowa to Louisiana to California and back to Iowa. Better decision-making was the difference between a win in Iowa’s final game of the trek. Bluder thinks her Bunch will carry a little more confidence into its home game Wednesday night.

Monday, Nov. 28
Coach Steve Alford prepares his nationally ranked team for Wednesday’s date against North Carolina State in the 2005 Big Ten-ACC Challenge knowing that he has depth and defense on his side.

Wednesday, Nov. 23
157-pounder Joe Johnston finished second at last year’s national championship. The target for 2006 is pretty straightforward: “National champion. Anything less will really be a disappointment,” said Johnston.

Tuesday, Nov. 22
Coach Lisa Bluder’s squad is on the road…playing at Louisiana Tech tonight before heading to San Fransisco for a holiday tournament. The schedule is daunting, but the upsides on and off the court are huge.

Monday, Nov. 21
The 2005 home football schedule is now complete. Attention now turns to the second phase of the $89 million renovation of historic Kinnick Stadium. Specificallly, work on the new press box will hit full stride.

Friday, Nov. 18
The Iowa basketball team will hit the road next week for a pair of games against nationally ranked peers in the “Final Four” of the 2005 Guardians Classic. Coach Steve Alford’s squad will square off against Kentucky Monday evening and will meet either Texas or West Virginia on Tuesday.

Thursday, Nov. 17
Brent Balbinot visits with Ed Hinkel, one of 24 senior members of the 2005 Iowa football team who will square off against Minnesota Saturday in their final appearance in historic Kinnick Stadium. The game carries special significance for the wide receiver who returned to the playing field last week after breaking his arm in Iowa’s victory at Purdue.

Wednesday, Nov. 16
The men’s and women’s cross country teams had a good day last Saturday in Iowa City as the host squads for the 2005 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Midwest Regional Championship. In particular, Coach Larry Wieczorek’s Hawkeyes finished second thanks to an aggressive race by his team. That strategy meant Iowa was an automatic qualifier for the national meet Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind.

Tuesday, Nov. 15
Lisa Bluder said it was a matter of getting a little more physical in the second half of her team’s final exhibition game Sunday afternoon. With the win in the books, Bluder’s Bunch now looks at the regular season and shoring up some less-than-stellar free throw shooting.

Monday, Nov. 14
It’s the Gophers versus Hawkeyes Saturday at Kinnick in Senior Day and Iowa Football Fan Appreciation Day. The pig is on the line…so, too, is another run on the post-season bowl ladder.

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The University of Iowa plays host to literally hundreds of cross country runners this weekend when it stages the 2005 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Midwest Regional Saturday at the Ashton Cross Country Course. Iowa’s men’s and women’s teams are in the mix, too.

Tuesday, Nov. 8
Lisa Bluder’s Iowa women’s basketball team ran away from Wisconsin AAU Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win exposed the Hawkeyes in a couple of areas and its those areas the coaching staff will drill the team on this week.

Monday, Nov. 7
Defense wins championships and that includes Big Ten basketball championships. Defense is a focus of Coach Steve Alford and his 2005-06 Iowa Hawkeyes.

Friday, Nov. 4
The cross-over month – that period of time when football season laps over onto the start of another college basketball season – officially got underway last night. Gary Dolphin visits with Jeff Horner and Greg Brunner about the coming hoops season.

Thursday, Nov. 3
Baseball is a year-round sport for college-aged student-athletes and that’s very much the case for the hard-charging University of Iowa baseball team under Coach Jack Dahm.

Wednesday, Nov. 2
Gayle Blevins achieved another milestone recently when she was inducted into another hall of fame. The recognition is nice, Blevins said, but it’s not the most important piece of being a coach.

Tuesday, Nov. 1
A fast start would have been beneficial last weekend for Coach Larry Wieczorek’s nationally ranked Iowa men’s cross country team. Iowa did finish fourth at the 2005 Big Ten meet and now turns its attention to the NCAA Regional Championship, an event that will be staged in Iowa City.

Monday, Oct. 31
A week of rest and, perhaps, a night in front of the television watching their next opponent probably did the Hawkeyes some good as Coach Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa football team begins a tough three-game stretch to finish the 2005 season and set in motion yet another trip to a post-season bowl game for the squad.

Friday, Oct. 28
Gary Dolphin visits with Bob Bowlsby about the Bowl Championship Series and how, today, every game in the Big Ten these final four weeks carry huge significance.

Thursday, Oct. 27
Iowa defeated Indiana last weekend in overtime and today finds itself ranked No. 10 nationally. The Hawkeyes’ success is due in great measure to the play of Caitlin McCurdy, a talented freshman who has caught the attention of her head coach and Iowa’s opponents.

Wednesday, Oct.26
Strong serves and striking quickly offensively will be important if Iowa hopes to derail nationally-ranked Minnesota on the volleyball court tonight inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Tuesday, Oct. 25
Senior guard Crystal Smith talks about a few changes in Iowa’s lineup and what the 2005-06 season might hold in store for Coach Lisa Bluder’s Iowa Hawkeyes.

Monday, Oct. 24
It’s a bye week for Coach Kirk Ferentz and his Iowa Hawkeyes, a squad that might have a pit in its stomach today, but will be right back at work Tuesday preparing for a three-game stretch in November that will determine their holiday plans.

Friday, Oct. 21
They’re big. They’re fast. They’re balanced. They’re healthy. And, “they” are Michigan…always a good if not great football team, says Kirk Ferentz in today’s installment of Inside Iowa.

Thursday, Oct. 20
Coach Lisa Bluder’s 2005-06 Iowa Hawkeyes open the year with a chip sitting squarely on their shoulder. They remember being snubbed by the NCAA Selection Committee last March. And Bluder will have a key senior leading the charge back to “The Dance”: Senior guard Crystal Smith.

Wednesday, Oct. 19
Larissa Libby talks about the coming women’s gymnastics season at the University of Iowa and the new faces that dot the roster on the coaching side of the ledger.

Tuesday, Oct. 18
Coach Larry Wieczorek’s Iowa men’s cross country team had a pretty good outing last Saturday and is now readying itself for the 2005 Big Ten Conference Championship.

Monday, Oct. 17
There’s a traffic jam at the top of the Big Ten Conference, reports Gary Dolphin, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are in the mix thanks to another win inside historic Kinnick Stadium. Dolphin visits with senior linebacker Abdul Hodge about that victory, a big win against the Indiana Hoosiers last Saturday in Iowa City.

Friday, Oct. 14
Gary Dolphin takes a global view first followed by a local view in taking a look at Saturday’s schedule in the Big Ten Conference. Talk about a fans’ delight!

Thursday, Oct. 13UI Men’s Golf Coach Terry Anderson is hoping the Hawkeyes can play up to their full potential as the fall season comes to a close. Anderson says his his squad needs to be confident and smart on the golf course.

Wednesday, Oct. 12
Brent Balbinot visits with Mandi Kowal, veteran head coach of Iowa’s rowing team, about the upcoming competition for her Hawkeyes, including this year’s Head of the Iowa event the last Sunday of October.

Tuesday, Oct. 11
Marc Long visits with Brent Balbinot about the start of the swimming and diving season at the University of Iowa and this week’s season opener at Wisconsin.

Monday, Oct. 10
Iowa seems to be putting it together on the gridiron. The Hawkeyes approach this week’s game against Indiana – the halfway point in the 2005 Big Ten season – with a two-game winning streak and a chunk of momentum.

Friday, Oct. 7
Iowa and Purdue square off on the gridiron inside Ross-Ade Stadium Saturday in West Lafayete, Ind. It’s an opportunity for the winner to begin to lay the groundwork for an upper division finish in a very tough Big Ten Conference.

Thursday, Oct. 6
There’s no wool being pulled over the eyes of the Iowa football team this week. As they prepare for Saturday’s game at Purdue, they aren’t paying any attention to anything but history and what they need to do to come out of West Lafayette with a victory.

Wednesday, Oct. 5
Iowa’s volleyball team travel to Minnesota tonight after learning how just fine the line is between a win and a loss last weekend inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Brent Balbinot visits with Cindy Fredrick about the Hawkeyes’ educational experience.

Tuesday, Oct. 4
Coach Layne Anderson’s Iowa women’s cross country isn’t ditching the theory of growing pains are a requirement with young teams. The bar has been raised for the Hawkeyes reports Brent Balbinot in today’s installment of Inside Iowa.

Monday, Oct. 3
Gary Dolphin and UI Director of Athletics Bob Bowlsby talks a little about the pink locker room inside Kinnick Stadium. Bowlsby says the lockerroom debate happening on the UI campus is one appropriate for a University setting.

Friday, Sept. 30
It’s Iowa versus Illinois on Homecoming Day and on new grass inside historic Kinnick Stadium. Gary Dolphin visits with Kirk Ferentz about the opponent: The Fighting Illini of Ron Zook, a group that has the respect of the Hawkeyes and their head coach.

Thursday, Sept. 29
Iowa’s field hockey team is nationally ranked and achieving at a high level despite a roster filled with a number of new names. Coach Tracey Griesbaum talks about her team’s success so far in 2005.

BLACK OUT SATURDAY

Fans of the Iowa Hawkeye are encouraged to wear black on Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Hawkeyes entertain Michigan in the first-ever ‘Black Out Saturday” event at the UI.

Wednesday, Sept. 28
LarryWieczorek believes his Iowa cross country team is on a roll. The nationally ranked Hawkeyes placed third last week in the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis. This week, it’s the state of Maine and the Murray Keatinge Invitational – an interesting meet and an interesting place to run, according to Wieczorek.

Tuesday, Sept. 27
Coach Carla Baker’s Iowa soccer team had a pretty good two days of competition last weekend, playing both nationally ranked Wisconsin and nationally ranked Northwestern to 2-2 ties at the Iowa Soccer Field.

Monday, Sept. 26
Gary Dolphin takes a look back at the Hawkeyes disappointing performance at Ohio State. He also visits with Andy Fenstermaker, who has established himself as Iowa’s No. 1 punter and who was arguably the lone shining star in Columbus last Saturday.

Friday, Sept. 22
No. 8 Ohio State and No. 21 Iowa boast many of the nation’s top linebackers. That’s one slice of the game on Saturday in Columbus that is intriguing to both host Gary Dolphin and the participants.

Wednesday, Sept. 21
Golf courses are also busy during the fall months across the country including in Iowa City where Coach Terry Anderson’s University of Iowa golf team hopes to use the current fall season set the stage for next spring. The Hawkeyes travel to Michigan this week for a good fall test.

Tuesday, Sept. 20
Larry Wieczorek’s 2005 Iowa men’s cross country team entered the new year with the momentum of a strong finish a year ago and a nationally ranking. Brent Balbinot visits with the Hawkeyes’ head coach in today’s installment of Inside Iowa.

Monday, Sept. 19
Gary Dolphin visits with Bob Bowlsby about the new installation of turf inside Kinnick Stadium. As fans of the Hawkeyes know, there’s a new playing surface being installed in the stadium this week. UI official expect the new surface to be more than ready when Iowa entertains Illinois on Oct. 1 in this year’s Homecoming game.

Thursday, Sept. 15
The baseball season in 2004 was a good one on the UI campus. Fall practice starts this week for Coach Jack Dahm’s squad and expectations are high for the Hawkeyes.

Wednesday, Sept. 14
Paul Federici has a bucket load of experience that, ultimately, pays great dividends for the student-athletes at the University of Iowa. He also has state-of-the-art facilities to assist in the rehabilitation of injured Hawkeyes.

Monday, Sept. 12
Gary Dolphin review the happenings on the gridiron in the Big Ten last weekend including a look back at Iowa’s loss at Iowa State in the annual battle for football braggin’ rights. Five turnovers cost the Hawkeyes dearly, but it was also a strong defensive effort by ISU that kept Iowa out of the endzone.

Friday, Sept. 9
It’s almost here…Iowa versus Iowa State. It promises to be another classic. Gary Dolphin takes a look at the Cyclones who, he says, are a much better team than that which played and won last week in Ames. Dolphin says each team has potent offenses that will be put to the test on Saturday.

Thursday, Sept. 8
The Barkema family needs to ride the fence one week each college football season. C.J. is a Hawkeye. His brother, Ben, is a Cyclone. It’s an interesting twist for what is always an interesting week in the state of Iowa. Brent Balbinot visits with the Hawkeye.

Wednesday, Sept. 7
Chris Doyle’s value to the University of Iowa football program. Fans of the Hawkeyes looking for more evidence of his contribution saw it on the football field Saturday. Several Hawkeyes who were injured a year ago were big-time players in Iowa first win of 2005. Brent Balbinot talks to Chris Doyle about strength training.

Tuesday, Sept. 6
Brent Balbinot talks with UI women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder who is looking to use some extra practice time now allowed by the NCAA to help the Hawkeyes overcome injuries to two key members of the 2005-06 squad.

Monday, Sept. 5
Gary Dolphin takes a look back at Game 1 of the nationally ranked 2005 Iowa football team and the renovated Kinnick Stadium. He says UI Coach Kirk Ferentz was pleased that penalties were kept to a minimum in the game. UI Director of Athletics also was pleased that there were no “flags thrown” associated with the construction project.

Friday, Sept. 2
Gary Dolphin says its that time of year again…the start of college football season and the time of that season that teams like the Iowa Hawkeyes need to square off against someone other than their teammates on the practice field.