Hawk Talk Daily: Random Thoughts

Nov. 9, 2010

• Random Thoughts archive

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Random thoughts on another morning of Indian Summer here in the Heartland…

Yep. It’s supposed to climb well into the 60s today on the University of Iowa campus. Heck of a deal.

Math isn’t exactly a strength of mine, but wasn’t that 212 points scored by the good guys Sunday afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena? Sure, both of Iowa’s basketball teams were playing opponents that weren’t exactly Big Ten Conference caliber, but putting up 100-plus is hard to do against anyone. It’s even more impressive if you scan the box score and note pretty small numbers in the turnover column on the UI side.

“Basket by Marble!” exclaimed Mark Kamps, public address announcer for Iowa’s men’s games early in the exhibition Sunday. Two thoughts: First, that name conjured up lots of good memories – and victories. Second, I was reminded just how long I’ve been knocking around the hallways of CHA.

Lisa Bluder had a pretty funny comment in her post-game visit with Shelley Till of the Hawkeye Radio Network. Asked how good she felt about getting all of her team significant court time, Iowa’s veteran head coach smiled and said, “When you only have nine, it’s pretty easy to get them all playing time.” Bluder and her staff, unfortunately, have grown accustomed to working with a short bench. The good news is that they’ve also figured out ways to win and win often with a short bench.

Iowa football against Northwestern this Saturday at Ryan Field in Evanston….hmmm. Isn’t it to the Hawkeyes’ benefit that they play Indiana and Northwestern – two teams in love with the short passing attack – on back-to-back weekends? One would think so.

How about the performance turned in by Marcus Coker? The true freshman had 100 yards at intermission and 129 in his first collegiate start. Not bad stuff. The Hawkeye Radio Network’s Ed Podolak – a pretty good ball carrier in his day – was most impressed with Coker’s vision on the playing field and his “lean.” Regarding the latter, Coker reminded me of another guy who celebrated his coming out party at Indiana: Nick Bell. Nick had a pretty good “lean,” too, and, like Coker, more than a little bulk to go with it.

Sure was a crazy good weekend in college football…and me thinks there are more to come.

All that being said, I’m going to take the easy road and line up behind Kirk, who was delighted with Coker’s performance but was equally excited to share the fact that he’ll have Adam Robinson back on the practice field this week.

Bluder’s Bunch shot better than 50 percent from behind the three-point line Sunday, led by Kelly Krei’s 6-of-8 shooting. Bluder said that that kind of depth in perimeter shooting will prove challenging for Iowa’s opponents. “It’s hard to keep track of that fourth shooter on the perimeter,” Bluder told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

For those of you – like me – who are contemplating Iowa’s path to the Rose Bowl and/or its second straight BCS appearance, remember the following about the BCS and the Rose Bowl and the selection process, compliments of Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel: After the No. 1 and 2 teams are slotted and replaced, the BCS at-large selection order this year is 1) Sugar, 2) Orange and 3) Fiesta. Also, this year only, the Rose Bowl is obligated to take the highest-ranked non-AQ team (currently TCU) if it loses one of its champions (currently projected to be Oregon).

Also, apparently Iowa State did join the Big Ten, at least according Mandel. From his most current bowl projections: Dec. 26 Little Caesars: Temple (MAC No. 1) vs. Iowa State (Big Ten No. 8*). Obviously, the asterisk means the Big Ten didn’t have a team eligible to fill this slot.

Lastly, how about the play of Bryce Cartwright in his debut as a Hawkeye? Wow.

Go Hawks!

Random Thoughts is written by Rick Klatt, the UI Athletics Department’s associate athletics director for external affairs, and first appears in the digital world as an exclusive feature of Hawk Talk Daily, the daily e-newsletter of the UI Athletics Department.