Revenge of the Nerds

1:05 pm: Getting ready for the Iowa game. I have a can of Wild Cherry Pepsi to my right, a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos to my right. Inevitably, I will stain the keys of my roommate’s laptop. My guess is he will be angry.

1:07 pm: Northwestern's center Rowley hit the tip-off out of bounds. I’ve never seen that before in a real game. He’s so bad. See reference of previous blog post.

1:10 pm: I’ve come to the realization and it’s sort of revolutionary…Matt Gatens is talented at basketball. He also loves flying into the stands like Kazaam.

1:13 pm: My roommate Weston and I begin discussing how many of Northwestern’s starting lineup we could beat in a street fight without weapons. We came to the conclusion that we would each win against everyone except for Rowley. However, we would certainly outwit him.

1:16 pm: Based on current standings, which will change and is likely in accurate, the Hawks would play Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. Hopefully Corperryale gets benched again. Ejected would be fine too.

1:17 pm: “Contest, but don’t molest.”

1:19 pm: Mediacom choppy picture son of a gun…

1:21 pm: Potential street ball nicknames for Jake Kelly. White Chocolate Infinity. The White Mamba, Apollo 7, The American Dragon, or just Dragon, The Pocket Rocket, El Robar de Basquetbol, The Blue Hornet, The Secretary of Defense, El Sabio de Iowa, Bomber, Gooch, Ned, The Little Unit, or Possum. I’m going to try a variation of these.

1:25 pm: I wonder if it was possible to make an announcement over Northwestern’s PA system. If so, an announcement needs to be made that all the calculators in the world have been destroyed. NU would freak out and probably forfeit the game.

1:28 pm: The White Mamba strikes!

1:29 pm: The announcers just referenced a protractor. How appropriate.

1:30 pm: Kevin Coble runs like my aunt Deb.

1:32 pm: I just realized the gravity of Bill Carmody being at Northwestern for nine years. Nine!?!?! Seriously. Really? Do they not care at all about winning with any consistency? I know it’s hard to recruit with Northwestern’s academic standards and its rich history of crappyness. But if NU can win a Rose Bowl, they have to be able to have a fluke year once in awhile in basketball.

1:44 pm: I just missed the last 12 minutes (real time) because I forgot my laundry in the washer and was unprepared for the laundry transfer. If I was granted 3 wishes for today: First, I would want someone to start/finish the insane amount of laundry I have to do. 2ndly, I’d wish the Iowa City weather would stop teasing me like it was an attractive girl who was out of my league. Finally, I’d really like a Burge style Omelet.

1:48 pm: Anyone know the record for most shot clock violations in the first half? The Wildcats have to be approaching it.

1:49 pm: The American Dragon for 3!

1:50 pm: Tate and Cole are in at the same time, interesting strategy by Coach Lickliter. The Hawks are still getting killed on the boards though. Ned for 3 again!

1:53 pm: Halftime analysis from Tim Doyle and Gene Keady. I feel so much more informed. Doyle, a NU “star,” is a pretty arrogant tool. Nonetheless, I once heard him reference “old man strength,” which is a very serious, very real thing.

1:59 pm: I just received a text from my friend, Captain D, asking if I would have relations with Jake Kelly. I answered in a mildly serious, “Yes.” The scary thing is, I’m attracted to the opposite gender (females); Captain D’s sexual preference has not been confirmed. So…that question makes me a lot more uncomfortable than when I originally read it.

2:01 pm: Big Ten Network anchor Dave Revsine just said Iowa had lost 10 straight road games. I didn’t realize we had slumped that far.

2:04 pm: Northwestern’s student section is nicknamed “The Wild Side.” I wonder if they know it is Saturday. They should probably be in the library.

2:08 pm: The Blue Hornet leads all scorers with 12 at half. A healthier looking Jermain Davis leads all players with an astounding two assists.

2:09 pm: Apollo 7 can’t be stopped, another 3!

2:13 pm: Jarryd Cole makes a great hustle play diving/supermanning/steal…twice. There is a reason Lickliter made this kid a captain as only a sophomore. He never stops.

2:21 pm: Fuller cashes a three ball from the corner. He’s got a smooth jump shot and makes a good percentage of his shots. Although the coaches seem to be pretty hard on him, I think it’s because he has a ton of potential.

2:27 pm: Possum again from deep!

2:29 pm: Is it just me, and it certainly could be, but does Jake Kelly make the same exact face that Steven Adler does? Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form am I insinuating that Jake Kelly is a drug addict, because there’s no way he would have such a wet jump shot.

2:33 pm: More laundry. I hate laundry in the same way I hate Kevin Coble: with a deep passion.

2:42 pm: I’ve moved from a Wild Cherry Pepsi to a Mountain Dew. One could argue that both have their respective advantages. But for me, Dew > WCP every single day. Even on the days we skip because of leap year.

2:44 pm: Mediacom is crap. Tim Doyle is crap. NOT EVERYONE NAMED JAKE IS A SNAKE!!!!! It’s just not feasible.

2:46 pm: Gatens has had three deep bombs rim out. I still love him like a son though.

2:48 pm: It’s senior night for the Wildcats. Craig Moore is the only senior who contributes anything and he’s playing like garbage. Beautiful, majestic irony.

2:50 pm: God just handed me a bitch slap of karma as Moore drains a trey.

2:55 pm: Cyrus Tate just fouled out doing almost absolutely nothing.

2:57 pm: The Wild Side just started chanting “Let’s play football.” There are no words. The Hawks lose their 11th straight on the road 55-49 to Northwestern. Michael Wilbon and dorks everywhere rejoice.

Spring Pub

College football spring practice is right around the corner. The Hawks are nationally relevant again after disappearing for a couple years and the major media coverage shows it.

From Ivan Maisel's recent article "For the love of the game"...

4. Football in Iowa: After Kirk Ferentz had three consecutive mediocre seasons at Iowa, Hawkeye athletic director Gary Barta didn't panic. Instead, he stood behind Ferentz. Iowa rebounded last fall with a 9-4 season and a top-20 finish. From 2005-2008, Ferentz went 28-22. Tennessee's Phillip Fulmer went 29-21, one game better. Iowa just signed Ferentz, a perennial NFL candidate, to a contract extension through 2015. Tennessee kicked Fulmer to the curb. I'll take patience and a long-term vision over what-have-you-done-for-me-lately every day of the week.

(No mention of Iowa State. Victory link!)

On another note, the Hawkeyes were featured on this afternoon's College Football Live. ESPN's Big 10 blogger Adam Rittenberg talked a bit about the major losses of King and Kroul. Analyst Bob Davie mentioned that Kirk Ferentz doesn't 'care' about recruiting rankings. He compared the similar number of victories but differently ranked recruiting classes of Florida State and Tennessee .

Combine Coverage: Defensive Backs

photo courtesy of hawkeyesports.com

Bradley Fletcher: Measuring in at 6'0, 196 pounds, this corner probably had the best combine of all the Hawkeyes. He was a top performer in the vertical jump at 38.5", 5th best among corners. He also benched 225 pounds 20 times and ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, solid for one of the bigger corner in the drafts. Fletcher may be moved to safety in the NFL, a la Charles Godfrey with the Carolina Panthers.

Fletcher was a vastly underrated member of the vaunted 2008 defense. He formed the best corner combo in the Ferentz era with Amari Spievey. Fletch also kept a very talented Jordan Bernstine firmly on the bench. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten with 60 tackles, three interceptions and 10 passes broken up.

I'm guessing he goes somewhere in the 5th or 6th round.

Football's Future

Tillison and Morrow Transferring

Per Hawkeyereport.com


IOWA CITY, IA - Iowa sophomore defensive backs Lance Tillison and Diauntae Morrow have informed Iowa Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz they have decided to transfer to another school. The announcement was made today by Ferentz.

Tillison, a 6-2, 213 pound sophomore from Seffner, FL, had eight career tackles and one pass interception. He played in 13 games last season. Morrow, was a 6-0, 190-pounder from Cleveland, OH. He played as a true freshman in 2007 and was a backup safety in 2008. Morrow was credited with 12 tackles in 11 games last season.

Greene Footage

The NFL Network is clearly a communist organization.

My main points:

1. Approximately somewhere around the made-up statistic of 4% of Americans get to see the entirety of the Thursday night games they air. I know I don't. And that's all I care about. Call it selfish. I call it entitlement.
2. They poached Rich Eisen.
3. They only list "top performers" in their combine coverage. Clearly, none of our receivers at the combine (I wonder who the last one was. Not this guy.) are running 4.3's in a scamper of 120 feet.
4. The won't allow me to embed their videos of combine coverage. So I have to link it.
5. I want my own network. Suggestions for cool names for the network are welcome.

So that last one isn't valid at all. But here's the link to the video. Shonn comes on around 1:50. Enjoy.

Combine Coverage: Hogmollies pt. 2

King the Rhinoceros

Mitch King: King measured in at 6'1 1/2 and 280 pounds. He didn't have a particularly good combine. As an undersized DT, King already is under scrutiny for being a "tweener." He put up only 23 reps in the bench press (225 lbs.), least among defensive tackles. While bench press is a slightly arbitrary measure of strength, the fact that King did the least is not a good sign, even if it is a bit meaningless. Those of us who watched King throughout his career at Iowa wouldn't questions his overall strength as garnered numerous double teams and abused the guards and centers across from him.

However, King ran the fastest 40 time of all defensive tackles at 4.89, so a move to linebacker isn't completely out of the question. Especially since he was an all-state selection at that position in high school. How the team that eventually drafts him will use him is an interesting storyline to watch.

Regardless, Mitch King is exactly the type of player I would want in my locker room, no matter how much he actually contributes on the field.

Stats courtesy of Football's Future.

Big Ten Player of the Week

Jake Kelly, Iowa

6-6 – Sophomore Guard

Carmel, Ind. - Carmel HS

Jake Kelly earns his first weekly laurel after delivering a clutch performance in Iowa’s dramatic overtime victory over Michigan in the Hawkeye’s only game last week. The Hawkeye sophomore played all 45 minutes in Sunday’s contest and posted 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists – all career highs. Kelly was also a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. With the game knotted at 56-all after regulation, Kelly scored seven of Iowa’s first nine points in the extra period to give the Hawkeyes a commanding 65-58 lead with 2:17 left to play. With the win, Kelly helped the Hawkeyes improve to 2-0 in overtime this season.

Last Iowa Player of the Week: Cyrus Tate (Feb. 25, 2008)

Here's the release from the Big 10.

Combine Coverage: The 'Backs

Shonn Greene: Measured in at 5'11" and 227 pounds. Top performer in the vertical and broad jump. In the vertical jump, Greene elevated 37", good for 5th best among running backs. In the broad jump, he jumped 10'1", also good for 5th best among running backs. Greene best 40 time was 4.63 unofficially, which is about what everyone expected. Greene ran just a bit slower then Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and Ohio State's Beanie Wells, but not by much.

Shonn probably didn't hurt his draft stock too much, but he certainly didn't help it much either. Apparently, he's fantastically good at jumping, something I wouldn't have guessed going into the combine.

The big question is the same as it is every year: Which do scouts put more value into? Things like 40 times and broad jumps or production during the year?

Boise State's Ian Johnson ran one of the faster 40's among running backs, 2nd best in fact at 4.46. Johnson is best known for the Statue of Liberty touchdown run against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and then proposing to his cheerleader girlfriend. What most people don't know is that Johnson split time as a senior and that is statistics decline every year since his sophomore season.

So who gets drafted higher: The Doak Walker Award winner or Ian Johnson and his faster 40 time?

Michigan Matchup

"FIRST TIME WE BLOCK OUT WE GET CALLED FOR A DAMN...BLOCK OUT!"

"WHAT ELSE DO YA WANNA KNOW!?"

" *sigh*... I'm not gonna sleep."

(The last one is easily my favorite. I don't really know why. I picture him doing something really, really crazy after that press conference. Like going home to his family after the game, freaking out even more over the offensive rebounds, dabbling in insomnia, capturing one of those face/hand-eating chimpanzees and robbing a Denny's somewhere in Michigan. If I somehow missed this actually happening in the news, I apologize.)

And how about that entrance? Flying karate chop to the table. HIIIIIIIII-YA! That's the way I'm going to enter everywhere I go: work, class, bars, ping-pong tournaments, restaurants, everywhere.

That was almost completely unrelated, and definitely pointless, so here's the potential starting line-up match-ups for this afternoon's game.

PG: Jermain Davis v. Kelvin Grady

Jermain Davis is injured. No question about it. Watching him try and play point guard hurt gives me the exact same feeling I get when I walk by the vomit trees on Iowa's campus. Michigan sophomore Kelvin Grady is probably the least effective player in the starting line up, but he isn't asked to be. He doesn't turn the ball over and distributes it at a decent rate.

(Editors Note: Sounds like Jermain is out today too. The Hawks are going to be hard pressed not turning the ball over at an alarming rate today. I have no idea who will be bringing the ball up if Kelly has to go out.)

Advantage: Grady. Undoubtedly now.

SG: Devan Bawinkel v. Corperryale Harris

BARHAHAHAHAHA. Coach Lick isn't dumb enough to make Bawinkel guard Manny, Kelly probably will, but the notion that they match-up is hilarious. Harris is the 2nd leading scorer in the Big 10, averaging 17.2 points per game to go along with 7.1 rebounds per game. Bawinkel shoots 3's and picks up his dribble at the top of the key.

Advantage: I think you know.

SF: Jake Kelly v. Stu Douglass

I think Iowa actually has an advantage here. Kelly returned to form against a defensive-minded Purdue team last week. Kelly is averaging nearly 10 ppg, while Douglass averages 5.7. Jake will probably have to play point again, which means the Hawks will run constant pick and rolls at the top of the key, which is what Lick's offense with the young Hawks turns into most of the time anyway. Douglass doesn't do much for me nor the Wolverines.

Advantage: Kelly

SF2: Matt Gatens v. Zack Novak

Gatens leads the Hawks in both scoring and waking up the drowsy Carver "faithful." He's a shoe-in for the Big 10's All-Freshman team. It wouldn't surprise me if he wins Freshman POTY, that's how good this kid is. He's the cornerstone of the program. However, Michigan freshman Zack Novak is no slouch. He's the fourth leading scorer on the Wolverines and absolutely bombs in from deep, hitting at a 35% clip on 118 shots.

Advantage: Gatens

PF: Jarryd Cole v. DeShawn Sims

Jarryd Cole is recovering nicely after he tore his knee up. He's finally "there" on both the physical and mental levels. DeShawn Sims is who Cole should aspire to me. Leading the Wolverines in rebounding and second in scoring, Sims forms John Belein's 1-2 punch with Harris. Michigan has relied on them all year. Today will be no different. Cole's stats are actually lower than his level of play, so this should be an interesting head-to-head.

Advantage: Sims

Peterson and Tate are probably out. Tucker and Angle are definitely out. The Vegas line is at Iowa (-.5), apparently they know something we don't. Tipoff is at 4 in Carver.

God help us.

Combine Coverage: Hogmollies

Photo courtesy of NFL.com

Hawks in the Draft. Offensive Lineman (Bruggeman, Olsen) worked out today, Running Backs on Sunday (Green), Defensive Lineman on Monday (King), Defensive Backs on Tuesday (Fletcher).

Rob Bruggeman: Bruggs measured in at 6'4" and 293 pounds. He put up 30 reps on the bench press, tied for 10th best among offensive lineman. I think he'll get drafted somewhere in the 6th or 7th round and make a very nice addition to some teams offensive line.

Seth Olsen: Big Seth measured in at 6'5" and 306 pounds. He was top performer in the 3-cone drill, finishing 7.59 seconds, 9th best among offensive lineman. I'm not sure how they scouts use that measurement for offensive lineman, but if I had to guess, it would be to measure foot speed for pass coverage. He also put up 23 reps in the bench press and ran a 5.24 in the 40 (even though the 40 yard dash for offensive linemen is completely pointless). I think Olsen will be drafted a little higher than Bruggeman, but feel that Bruggeman has more of a mean streak and will be a better pro player.

Stayed tuned for continuing coverage.

Stats pulled from NFL.com

Cyrus Status

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Cyrus Tate done for the season? It's a possibility that Scott Dochterman writes about in the Gazette.

From the barely news file...

It was announced sometime last week that LB Khalif Staten is leaving the Iowa football program. From the press release, it appeared Staten was homesick and would be transferring some place closer to his Brooklyn, NY home.

Although he didn't record any statistics this season, Staten definitely passed the looked test and from all accounts, kept his nose clean during his time as a Hawkeye. So best of luck to him in the future.

Note: Oddly, today is Khalif's birthday. Weeeeeird.

Ferentz extension through 2015

Adam Rittenberg, ESPN blogger for Big 10 football, is reporting Kirk Ferentz recieved a new seven-year contract extension that runs through 2015.



Read the article here.

HOLYJERSEYAWESOMENESS

So it has been rumored over the intranet that Iowa is unveiling some new uniforms against Purdue this Saturday on Valentine's Day.

Ironically, I love them. Especially the black ones.

Apparently these new uniforms are the Nike fit ones that the likes of Ohio State and Syracuse wear. It'll be interesting to see Kelly and Bawinkel swim in these jerseys.

What does everyone think of the new unis?

Note: I totally stole the image from Black Heart Gold Pants.

Victory...

(courtesy of AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Northwestern LOLcats v. Iowa Hawkeyes

Finally. One went the way of the Hawkeyes. The players needed this one. The fans needed this one. I'm sure Coach Lickliter and the rest of the staff didn't mind the victory either.

Devan Bawinkel did the only thing he can do in his first career start: make 3-point shots, including an ice-in-his-veins type shot from the corner with only 55 seconds left and the Hawks trailing.

Freshman star Matt Gatens hit four clutch free throws down the stretch on his way to a 13 point night.

Point guard Jeff Peterson had the unenviable task of dissecting the long 1-3-1 zone of the LOLcats. He had 6 turnovers on the night, most in 4-5 minute period, but had a really good game other than the turnovers. He finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Not too shabby considering he's playing with a broken bone in his wrist.

The young Hawks hoisted up an astounding 30 3-pointers, hitting at a 40 percent clip. They made a whopping two field goals inside the arc.

But somehow, some way, the baby Hawks stole this game away from a Northwestern team that isn't completely awful this year.

One thing is for sure, Lickliter is rebuilding a broken program the right way.

First, he's finding the right players for his system. Gatens is a star that fell into his lap, but either way, is the type of player/leader you can build a program around. Tucker, when he's not contracting mono or passing out behind Union, can definitely shoot. If he sticks around and gets out of the massive doghouse he's surely in, he could be a special player.

Secondly, Lickliter has obviously stressed the importance of protecting home court. The Hawkeyes are 11-2 at home this season, with their only losses coming to ranked Minnesota and Michigan State squads.

Finally, he realizes the importance of getting the community and students involved in the program again. Some suit decided to lower all remaining tickets to $10. Drastic, but proved to be effective Saturday. Someone else also convinced the players to wear the student section "Hawkamanic" shirts as warm-ups for the Michigan State game and to toss shirts during the Northwestern introductions.

Random Game Notes:

• Jarryd Cole is baaaaack. Despite only scoring two points in the Northwestern game, he averaged 9 points the three games before that. He also blocked the Wildcats feeble last shot off the backboard for, just good measure. He's not a skilled big man, but he's a physical force. There's a reason why Coach Lickliter made this kid a captain before the season.
• The President David Palmer didn't even take off his warm-ups. Yikes.
• Cy Tate is also back. It's clear he's not 100% yet. Hopefully he gets there soon, this team needs its senior leader.
• Northwestern C Kyle Rowley is one of the worst Division I basketball players I've ever seen. He's humongous and really, really bad.
• Bill Carmody reminds me of my mildly creepy great uncle. I don't what it is about that guy. He made me uncomfortable from the stands.
• Prediction: Kevin Coble will be cast in a Revenge of the Nerds remake by 2012.
• "Hawkamaniac" is just an awful title for the student section. It's a travesty.
• Special Note: I won the musical lay up contest during the 4th media timeout. I ordered a large, stuffed crust pepperoni pizza from America's favorite pizza place, Pizza Hut. Deliciosity.
  

More Pub for Doak Walker Winner

Here's some excerpts from the Dallas Morning News.



Mr. 100



Iowa Runner Takes Long Way



**Interesting Note: In the Mr. 100 article is a list of past winners of the Doak Walker Award. They are pretty hit or miss as far as NFL careers, but the good ones on that list are really, really good.

Super Extensive, Extraordinarily Thorough Signing Day Coverage

So I was actually working on some signing day coverage, sifting through all the blue-chippers, class rankings, star ratings and statistics. I was looking at videos of Iowa high school stars Brandon Wegher, Keenan Davis, Jordan Cotton, etc. I had even started a draft of a post covering signing day.

And then I found this.

It's a university-run website (somehow it's not a piece of crap, it's actually really, really good!) featuring the greatest entity known to man: Hawkeye Football.

On a serious note though, this website (gohawks.com) has incredible recruiting coverage. There are highlight videos, biographies for all the recruits, and tons of other information.

So instead of boring you with my analysis of the latest Hawkeye recruiting class, I highly recommend you check out this website.

note: Check out Brandon Wegher and Stephane N'goumou's videos. Very impressive.

Fred's Interview: Hawkeye at Heart

This is Aaron. I felt this was worthy of a post cause this is a Hawkeye Blog and he was almost a Hawkeye himself. And he's got a picture with the fake Captain Kirk.

Aaron Friederich was a 4 sport star at Forest City High School (3A) in north central Iowa. He played basketball, football, baseball and ran track. He holds virtually every major passing record in Forest City High School, along with having held multiple basketball records. He also ran at state track multiple times. Aaron was invited to walk-on to the football team after his senior year of high school, but declined to focus on his academics. He’s moved on to have a wildly successful intramural career. Aaron’s greatest accomplishment, however, is being my roommate for 3 years.

Josh Heyer: What was your favorite sport in high school and why?

Aaron Friederich: Basketball was my favorite because we were a hugely successful team, and more importantly than that my hometown of Forest City was undoubtedly a basketball town. Home and away, games were all packed gyms and there was an excitement there that no other sport, or surrounding school for that matter, experienced.

JH: Did that place any additional pressure on you during your career that your school was known as a "basketball school?"

AF: It definitely added pressure. Every opponent that we faced brought their very best game with a chance to beat us. We couldn't afford to slip up against anyone because the whole town wanted to see us in the state tournament. In season it was all anyone in town talked to the starters about and while everyone was very supportive it made us want the win for more than just ourselves.

JH: Do you have any regret today that you didn't ever make it to Des Moines?

AF: I wouldn't use the word regret, because I don't feel like there is a lot more we could have done as a team. We lost to a good team, and they actually had an exceptionally good game that night. Unfortunately, we were one of the top rated teams in the state and couldn't get there. Initially when we lost, I assumed that years down the road I would look back and hate the fact that we never made it, but leaving high school you learn to put different things into perspective.

JH : Do you have any records intact at Forest City?

AF: I had career, single season, and single game steals record but I think Brett Putz (St. Cloud State) broke those. I held the most 3 pointers for a sophomore, but Putz broke that too. I currently hold point total for a sophomore.

JH: Having a brother on the varsity teams for much of the same time you were on there, did that change how you practiced, prepared, played?

AF: Having Ryan play varsity sports with me was the best part of high school sports for me. In practice you never want to hit any of your friends unnecessarily hard in football, but brothers are supposed to crush each other, because you can't be the one who gave up first. Pre-game it was awesome to eat supper together or talk about the upcoming game together. Playing together was the best experience. You can always count on him to be the first one to high five you or slap you on the back. To be completely honest , my proudest moments on the court or field were when I saw Ryan make a great play, or ones we made together.

JH: What were your parents like at the games or even after them? Were they supportive, pushy, hard on you, etc.?

AF: My parents were never hard on me. My dad loved to watch us play sports, as well as my mom does. My parents were not hard on me by any stretch of the imagination. I could have quit everything at any point and they still would have been supportive. My mom actually only got upset in the stands one time, and that was a night where she thought I was being too 'cocky' on the floor. Otherwise they were 'team parents'. If you would have been across the gym you wouldn't have known which kid was theirs, and I was always glad that was the case. After the games there would be nights where me, dad and Ryan would sit in the kitchen for hours going over what might have happened in the game. It was never a lecture type atmosphere or anything like that, but more just recollecting what happened through the game or meet that night. We all enjoyed it.

JH: Did you have any superstitions in the locker room?

AF: In basketball, I was always the last one to get ready. I don't know if that was so much a superstition as much as I just hated to just sit and wait for the game to begin. I definitely was superstitious though, every game day I would have a foot long Subway roast beef sandwich with nothing on it. They would actually have it made for me when I would come in after school. I also wore the same white and red cutoffs under my home and away uniforms for all 3 years of varsity basketball. I couldn't find my white shirt one night. I didn't even get to the gym until after the girls game started because I was tearing the house up for it. When I got to the gym I found out my brother had it on under his shirt in the stands...needless to say I made him come in the locker room and take it off so I could wear it.

JH: Favorite memory from any sport at any age?

AF: My junior year we played at Osage the first game (our biggest conference rival) and we lost on my own buzzer-beater. Later that season we played them at home and it was the area news station's "Game of the Week". The gym was standing room only fifteen minutes before the girls’ game, and obviously nobody was interested in that game at all. I know at least a couple opposing teams from the conference came to watch a great game. The game was anything but great; we came out of the gates and destroyed them. We were up 25 points at half, and at no point in the game did the crowd get any less excited. The greatest feeling I’ve had on the floor was to win so convincingly over a top rated 2A team that had beaten us previously.

Combine Approaching

Really!? No. Of course not.

This. I bet he got Gisele with this picture too.

The NFL Draft is coming up in a couple months. This means a few things. One, executives of their respective teams get to over-analyze 21-24 year old kids. Vince Young scored incredible low on the famed Wonderlic test. Officials over-analyzed this to death, which probably is the reason they failed to investigate if he was mentally stable. Two, the world gets to over-analyze Mel Kiper's hair for the next few month. Three, Keyshawn Johnson will talk about players in the Draft and what qualities of 'Key' they have in them. And finally four, a few Hawkeyes may get invited to the NFL Combine to be poked, tested, skewered and tested.

The Hawks turned their season around after a mediocre 3-3 start, finishing 9-4 with an Outback Bowl pounding of South Carolina for good measure. This also means a few things. Because of the drastic turnaround, the young Hawkeyes had good senior leadership in the locker room. Also, a 9-4 season is not too shabby, meaning the Hawks had some darn good players, some of whom may even be drafted.

Five Hawkeyes were invited to the week long festival of running and jumping. Seniors Mitch King, Rob Bruggeman, Bradley Fletcher and Seth Olsen. Junior RB Shonn Greene also got invited (duh) after declaring for the Draft immediately following the Outback Bowl.

Graduating seniors absent-minded-ly left off the save the date list were DT Matt Kroul and TE Brandon Myers. Myers is a bit of surprise here as was a 1st Team All Big Ten selection and possesses both good speed and above average hands.

Interesting topics to look at going into the NFL Combine:

• Shonn Greene's 40 time? I know he's so called "football fast." But how fast is he in a straight line for 40 yards. A good time at the combine and he could shoot way up the draft boards. Recent examples: Chris Johnson and Matt Forte. However, all teams are going with two feature running backs, as the position is so vital in the NFL. So even if he doesn't run a great time, he could definitely be some teams 'power' back.
• Mitch King. Is he big enough? Is he strong enough? I know that he's mean and crazy enough. He won't fit in well with a 3-4 scheme as defensive tackle. So he needs to be drafted in the right situation.
• Bradley Fletcher. He's a big corner, weighing in at 6'2 and 200 lbs. He was scary good this season for the Hawkeyes. He's easily the second best cover corner in the Ferentz era, right behind Charles Godfrey. One possible option is a switch to safety, like the Carolina Panthers did with Godfrey.
• Rob Bruggeman and Seth Olsen. Both these guys are better than you think. Olsen was a Rivals.com All-American. Bruggeman replaced Raf Eubanks and completely transformed a dismal line from the year before. I'm not sure if they get drafted, but Bruggeman is strong as an ox; hopefully that shows at the Combine. I'm betting Bruggeman gets drafted in a late round and will be a pleasant surprise.

Here's the link to all the invitees: http://www.nflcombine.net/players/official-invite-list