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Nov. 3, 2010

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – It gets even a little more real for Fran McCaffery today at 2 p.m. Iowa time when the University of Iowa’s first-year head men’s basketball coach meets the media to talk about Sunday’s exhibition game and the progress of his 2010-11 Hawkeyes.

McCaffery’s visit – which, again, is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Iowa time — will be available live and exclusively from start to finish to subscribers of Hawkeye All-Access, the multi-media portal inside hawkeyesports.com, the official world wide web site of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

I’ve always had tremendous respect for this league. But when you look now at three of the top five teams, arguably, and five of maybe the top 18 and projecting seven teams maybe to go to the tournament, very few leagues that you look at, not only this year, but over the years that have that kind of depth and with that many teams with a legitimate chance to go to the Final Four,” McCaffery told the media that assembled last week in Chicago for Big Ten Basketball Media day.

“So as you sit in my chair, you know, it’s a formidable challenge to take a young team and play those teams, not only at home but on the road. So I think the critical thing for us is to know and understand how we have to compete. And when we find ourselves in close games with those teams, doing the right things that will help us win those close games,” he continued.

“Because that’s what’s really going to help develop our team as we move forward, develop our confidence. We can’t be satisfied this year with moral victories, hey, we played Michigan State tough. At some point we’ve got to beat some of these teams and we’re going to have to do it with young players. And that’s what we’re looking at. And that’s what we’re going to get ready for.”

Iowa’s first and only exhibition game of 2010-11 tips off Sunday shortly after 3:30 p.m. Iowa time in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes open the 2010-11 season for real the following Sunday, Nov. 14, when they entertain South Dakota State at 2 p.m. Iowa time.

In addition to live coverage of each of McCaffery’s weekly press conferences, subscribers to Hawkeye All-Access also have exclusive access to the weekly visits with the media of UI football coach Kirk Ferentz and UI women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder, live and exclusive coverage of Ferentz’s, McCaffery’s and Bluder’s post-game media conference after home events, live and exclusive coverage of the weekly “Hawk Talk” radio shows of Iowa’s head football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball coaches, and, of course, the live play-by-play of every Iowa men’s basketball game featuring the Hawkeye Radio Network’s Gary Dolphin and Bobby Hansen, and all football women’s basketball and wrestling events.

To become a subscriber to Hawkeye All-Access, click HERE.

To explore the offerings available inside Hawkeye All-Access, click HERE.