You've Got Mail...from Steve

Oct. 23, 2006

Fans of Coach Steve Alford and the Iowa Hawkeyes again this year have the opportunity to receive a sneak peek into the men’s basketball program at the UI as a recipient of “Nothin’ But Net,” a weekly e-mail from the desk of Iowa’s head basketball coach.

Friends and fans of the defending Big Ten Tournament champions can receive “Nothin’ But Net” by sending an e-mail to gohawks@hawkeyesports.com and typing “Nothing But Net” in the subject line.

Your e-mail address will be added to a database that already includes more than 2,500 other friends and fans of the Hawkeyes. Here’s a sample of last week’s correspondence:

“We are 11 practice sessions into the season and I have to say that things have been progressing nicely with this young group of players. This is a tough time of the year for the players, mostly because it’s two and half hours of practice each day, with not much to look forward to in the short term. “The good news is that with the Black and Gold Blowout this weekend and the exhibition game on Nov. 10 just around the corner, we have a relative short pre-season camp. At this time of year, basketball is just about like another fulltime class. Along with on the court practice, we have weight lifting, yoga, video sessions and meetings that all consume a lot of time.

“We are doing a lot of teaching and instructing with so many new faces, but all that is progressing in a positive fashion. We’re getting great effort, we’ve stayed healthy, and we seem to be gaining a little more consistency with each practice. Having said that, I know the guys, and the coaching staff, are anxious for the Blowout and the opportunity to play in front of the fans.

Fans of the Hawkeyes who add their name to the list of recipients of Steve Alford’s weekly e-mail will also receive additional e-mails from the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Iowa men’s basketball program. The process to be removed from the database for “Nothin’ But Net” is included in each.