Tag: Iowa Basketball

Takeaways from Iowa basketball’s big win at Michigan State

Iowa basketball picked up a huge win at Michigan State on Tuesday night. Takeaways from the Hawkeyes’ 78-71 win over the Spartans.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (16-11, 8-8 Big Ten) went into East Lansing, Mich., and shocked the Spartan faithful to the tune of a 78-71 road win at Michigan State. In front of a packed out Breslin Center, Iowa picked up a win that dramatically enhances its potential at-large NCAA Tournament resume.

Behind strong performances from junior forward Payton Sandfort, graduate big Ben Krikke and redshirt senior forward Patrick McCaffery, Iowa was able to navigate the momentum swings at MSU.

“I think a great deal (of confidence), because of the respect we have for the two programs you just mentioned (Wisconsin and Michigan State). Not a lot of teams come in here and win. Not a lot of teams beat those teams either place.

“So, the fact that we were able to fight through an overtime victory against Wisconsin who was ranked. Then, another quad one win for us here on the road. Obviously, on the road it’s always going to be harder, and I think in many ways more indicative of your team’s ability to compete. But, now we got to do it again. We have to go on the road at Illinois. One of the best teams in the country,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said afterwards.

What were several of the key takeaways from the road victory?

Social media reacts as Iowa basketball shocks Spartans, collects key win at Michigan State

There we go! Social media reacted as Iowa basketball collected a key win at Michigan State from inside the Breslin Center, 78-71.

Don’t look now, but Iowa basketball is heating up. Heating right on up to the NCAA Tournament bubble perhaps.

Iowa got off to a strong start inside the Breslin Center and then used an 18-6 run to close the first half to build a 45-33 halftime lead. Redshirt senior forward Patrick McCaffery, graduate forward Ben Krikke and junior forward Payton Sandfort each helped set the tone with double-figure outputs in the game’s first 20 minutes.

Though Michigan State tightened things back to single digits on multiple occasions in the second half, Iowa always found another response. Sandfort led the way for Iowa with 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

Krikke added 18 points and McCaffery finished with 14. As a team, Iowa shot 50.9% from the field. In one of the other keys to the victory, the Hawkeyes did a fantastic job valuing the basketball. Iowa finished with just six turnovers in the game.

Despite some nervy second-half moments, when it was all said and done, Iowa had secured a 78-71 road victory. It’s a Quad 1 win for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa (16-11, 8-8 Big Ten) evened its league record and will have its chance to jump above .500 on Saturday at Illinois. Naturally, Hawkeye fans were thrilled across social media with the big win over Sparty.

Owen Freeman snags ninth Big Ten Freshman of the Week award

For the ninth time this season, Iowa forward Owen Freeman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

For the second week in a row and for the ninth time this season, Iowa forward Owen Freeman has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Freeman averaged 12.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.5 blocked shots and 3.0 assists per game as the Hawkeyes split a pair of games at Maryland and versus No. 21 Wisconsin.

In Iowa’s 78-66 loss at Maryland, Freeman scored five points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots. Then, the 6-foot-10, 230 pound freshman big was a key figure in the Hawkeyes’ 88-86 overtime win over Wisconsin.

Freeman was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor and 8-of-11 from the free throw line en route to 20 points. The Moline, Ill., native registered his fifth double-double of the season, pulling down 12 rebounds.

Freeman also dished out six assists, blocked four shots and came away with two steals.

Freeman is just the third major conference freshman since 2000 with 20 or more points, 10-plus rebounds, five-plus assists and four or more blocks. Per Iowa’s associate director of strategic communications James Allan, Freeman’s 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks versus the Badgers is the only performance of its kind nationally this season. It’s one of eight such games since the 2010-11 season.

“He’s a beast,” Iowa senior guard Tony Perkins said of Freeman. “I told him every time he’d get fouled, get a rebound or get a bucket, ‘You are a beast. Act like it’. That’s the type of player he is. He goes for the ball, he can score, hit free throws, dunk on somebody. He works hard. He’s also got me here that’s here to tell him how good of a player he is.”

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery has been saying all along that Freeman brings a unique skillset to the Hawkeyes.

“I’ve been saying from the beginning that the thing that makes him unique is that he has a bag. A lot of times you don’t expect that from your 6’10” center. I’ve been encouraging him all year to be that guy. Attack in the open floor, spin, shot-fake, rip and drive. I think the next phase in his game is that he’ll be shooting pull-up jumpers out of that.

“His ability to affect the game at both ends, that’s how we won. He was blocking shots, he’s rebounding the ball, starting our break, giving others an opportunity to make plays and he did it today staying out of foul trouble, so he’s learning,” McCaffery said.

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Caitlin Clark collects 27th Big Ten Player of the Week honor

Caitlin Clark keeps stacking her honors. Clark snagged her 27th Big Ten Player of the Week honor.

Who else could it have gone to?

After setting the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record in Iowa’s 106-89 win over Michigan, Hawkeye superstar Caitlin Clark was named the Big Ten Player of the Week. It’s the 27th time in her career that Clark has grabbed the Big Ten’s top weekly honor and the ninth time this season.

It extends Clark’s record number of honors from the Big Ten. Former Hawkeye Megan Gustafson has the next most with 23 during her Iowa career.

It was fitting the way in which Clark set the all-time scoring record. The 6-foot star from West Des Moines sank a logo 3-pointer in transition in vintage fashion.

“You all knew I was going to shoot a logo 3 for the record,” Clark said.

It took all of two minutes and change for Clark to score the eight remaining points required in order for her to pass Washington great Kelsey Plum for the top spot.

Then, Clark just kept on scoring. She set Iowa’s single-game scoring record with 49 points on 16-of-31 shooting, including 9-of-18 from 3-point distance versus the Wolverines.

“Honestly, warming up, my shot just felt good. So I knew it was going to be one of those nights, and I kind of played with a little bit more pep in my step. I knew that’s what this team needed coming off a loss,” Clark said.

Clark made sure to share the rock, too, dishing out 13 assists to register her 58th career double-double.

“I don’t know if you can really script it any better. Just to do it in this fashion, I’m very grateful. Very thankful to be surrounded by so many people that have been my foundation,” Clark said.

Iowa returns to play on Thursday with a big road date at No. 12 Indiana at 7 p.m.

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Iowa Hawkeyes at Michigan State: Stream, game notes for Tuesday

Iowa basketball hits the road East Lansing. Here’s how to watch, stream and listen to the Hawkeyes at Michigan State.

The Iowa Hawkeyes return to action tonight as they head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State.

Iowa (15-11, 7-8 Big Ten) enters after a thrilling 88-86 overtime victory over then-No. 21 Wisconsin in Iowa City. Senior guard Tony Perkins hit a layup with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Hawkeyes their first victory against a nationally-ranked opponent this season.

Freshman big Owen Freeman led the way with 20 points alongside 12 rebounds and four blocks. Junior forward Payton Sandfort and Perkins both added 18 points, while sophomore guard Josh Dix contributed 17 points.

Michigan State (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) enters on absolute fire, looking to make a push in the Big Ten. They have won three straight games after dispatching Michigan 73-63 on Saturday night. They have won eight of their last 10 contests, including an 88-80 victory over Illinois on Feb. 10.

As tipoff approaches, here’s where Hawkeye fans can watch, stream and listen. Plus, a look at probable starters and tonight’s game notes.

Sheryl Swoopes reveals she reached out to Caitlin Clark to apologize for prior remarks

Sheryl Swoopes revealed that she reached out to tell Caitlin Clark that she made a mistake with her previous comments.

One of women’s basketball’s legends reached out to Caitlin Clark to apologize for inaccurate prior remarks.

Sheryl Swoopes joined the Baylor-Texas Tech broadcast on Sunday and said LSU‘s Angel Reese helped her reach out to Clark and apologize for her comments about Clark and the all-time NCAA women’s basketball scoring record.

“A couple of weeks ago, I reached out to Angel and had a really good conversation with Angel over the phone and sent a message to Caitlin. She responded. She and I went back and forth. I won’t share what she said, I’ll leave that to her if she wants to share. But I will say, what I said to her was, ‘I made a mistake in saying it was your fifth year when it is your fourth.’

“I have nothing but respect for what she has done for the game. If she wants to share what her response was and how that conversation went, I’ll leave that to her. But it was a really good conversation,” Swoopes said.

Earlier this month, the four-time WNBA champion and three-time WNBA MVP set social media aflame when she downplayed Clark approaching the all-time women’s college basketball scoring record.

Swoopes said on former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Gil’s Arena, that Clark couldn’t truly lay claim to the record since she wouldn’t have accomplished the feat in the same time span that record holder Kelsey Plum did.

“If you’re going to break a record, to me, if it’s legitimate, you have to break that record in the same amount of time that that player set it. Right. So, if Kelsey Plum set that record in four years, well, Caitlin should have broken that record in four years,” Swoopes said. “But because there’s a COVID year, and then there’s another year, you know what I mean? She’s already had an extra year to break that record. So is it truly a broken record?”

With her apology to Clark, this brings to an end what was an embarrassing chapter initially for Swoopes, but one that seems to have the proper ending from the former national champion with Texas Tech.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

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Sheryl Swoopes reveals that she apologized to Caitlin Clark over her inaccurate scoring record comments

“I made a mistake.”

Caitlin Clark and Sheryl Swoopes may be on better terms after the WNBA legend recently revealed that she apologized to the Iowa star over previous comments she made regarding Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record.

It’s been a whirlwind month regarding the alleged beef between Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark. Fans have been in a frenzy since Swoopes said that she didn’t think Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark would make an immediate impact in the WNBA and implied that Clark’s previous pace to break Kelsey Plum’s NCAA scoring record was seemingly unimpressive. Those comments ignited hoops fans and even led to the team’s social media account getting involved. Then, things quickly escalated to “Don’t Be a Sheryl” and “Be a Sheryl” shirts flooding the internet. It was A LOT.

However, per Chantel Jennings of The Athletic, Swoopes recently revealed during a Baylor-Texas Tech broadcast that she had a conversation with Angel Reese via phone, and she also reached out to Clark to clear the air.

Here’s what she said:

“I won’t share what she said, I’ll leave that to her if she wants to share. But I will say, what I said to her was, ‘I made a mistake in saying it was your fifth year when it is your fourth.’ I have nothing but respect for what she has done for the game. If she wants to share what her response was and how that conversation went, I’ll leave that to her. But it was a really good conversation.”

Sports fans crush Jay Williams for his absurd Caitlin Clark isn’t ‘great’ take

Jay Williams had an absurd take on Caitlin Clark. Fortunately, sports fans let him know how outrageously wrong he was.

Former Duke guard Jay Williams delivered a take over the weekend that had sports fans scratching their heads.

With “College GameDay” on hand in Auburn, Alabama, counting the basketball world down to No. 12 Auburn versus No. 20 Kentucky, Williams had some words to say about Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark.

For most, Clark setting the women’s college basketball all-time scoring record in No. 4 Iowa’s 106-89 romp over Michigan was the perfect moment to celebrate her greatness.

In patented fashion, Clark set the all-time scoring record with a logo 3-pointer. Then, in a fitting display, Clark went ahead and dropped an Iowa single-game scoring record with 49 points.

The 6-foot senior guard knocked down 9-of-18 3-pointers and 16-of-31 from the floor overall. Clark also dished 13 assists.

It was the complete Clark masterclass.

But, apparently that wasn’t good enough for Jay Williams. In the perfect example of what’s wrong with sports commentary today, Williams said on Saturday that he isn’t willing to call Clark great because she hasn’t won a national championship.

“She is the Stephen Curry of women’s college basketball. I think she has changed the dynamics of the way the game is played. I think the way she plays, the pizzazz, is like she’s probably the most prolific scorer the game of basketball has ever seen.

“I am unwilling, and maybe it’s the Kobe mentorship around me, to say that she is great yet. I think she is the most prolific scorer the game has ever seen. I hold great, or the levels of immortality or the pantheon to when you win championships. I’m just being (honest), that’s just me. So, Diana Taurasi, when you win three consecutive championships, two-time national player of the year, it has to culminate with a chip.

“It has to. I mean, Breanna Stewart, if we’re talking about GOAT, legends of the game, she’s won four chips. Four chips, multiple national players of the year. So, I’m not saying that she’s not at a high, high, high level, but for it to go to the stakes of immortality in my opinion, it has to culminate with your team winning a championship,” Williams said.

There’s so many examples within sports why “ring logic” is not and can’t be the end-all, be-all for how we judge athletes greatness. Clark is undeniably great.

Williams said it himself. Clark has reimagined the way the women’s game is played. Is that not greatness in and of itself?

The sports world wasn’t having it with Williams take on Clark.

Takeaways from Iowa basketball’s OT win over Wisconsin

The Iowa Hawkeyes picked up a huge overtime win over Wisconsin. Here’s several key takeaways from the 88-86 victory over the Badgers.

The Iowa Hawkeyes faced a significant challenge on Saturday, hosting the No. 20 Wisconsin in a late-season contest. With only six games remaining in the regular season, every game turns into a must-win if the Hawkeyes want to make the NCAA Tournament.

With a 14-11 record, the inconsistent Hawkeyes stood at 10th in the Big Ten standings heading into this contest. However, it is a tight race in the middle of the conference pack, as it usually is in the Big Ten, so these last couple of games are crucial for final standing heading into the conference tournament.

While you wouldn’t expect Iowa to compete with Wisconsin on paper, the Badgers a ranked opponent, and the Hawkeyes, well, not, Fran McCaffery’s boys gave Wisconsin a heck of a fight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That’s despite a cold start where it looked as though Iowa was going to be played off the court by halftime, pretty much killing their season before March even arrived. Pulling it together at the end of the first half, Iowa rode a wave of momentum to bring them right back into the game.

The two teams went blow-for-blow with each other, unable to decide this one in two halves. It took overtime, but Iowa would come out victorious on Saturday, defeating Wisconsin 88-86. A huge victory, here are the takeaways.

Social media reacts to Iowa’s thrilling overtime win over Wisconsin

How about that? Social media celebrated as Iowa basketball topped Wisconsin in overtime, 88-86.

What. A. Game.

Seriously folks, someone please send me a Calendar because I could have sworn it was March already. That was some tournament-caliber college basketball if I’ve even seen it before, neither team willing to let the other escape with a victory.

For the Hawkeyes, they had a lot riding on this game. Sitting at 10th in the Big Ten conference, amongst a dog pack of contenders, every game has pretty much become a must-win for the Hawkeyes. Including Wisconsin, Iowa has three ranked opponents left on their schedule, as well as dances with conference contenders Michigan State and Northwestern. For a team needing statement victories to have a hope at making the NCAA Tournament, Iowa certainly has plenty of chances, starting with their Saturday clash at home against Wisconsin.

Things truly looked very bad to start in this one. Wisconsin couldn’t miss a shot if they wanted to, while Iowa started slowly on the other end. This seemed like it was going to be a blowout to put a dagger into Iowa’s season. Then the Hawkeyes came storming back to close out the second half, going blow-for-blow with the Badgers all the way to overtime.

And then, get this, Iowa won.

That’s right. All year it feels as though the Hawkeyes have dropped these close games. They’ve ripped our hearts out time and time again this year. But this was their day, Tony Perkins hitting the game-winning bucket with 1.2 seconds left to go. Iowa knocked off 20th-ranked Wisconsin, 88-86.

Iowa needed statement victories late into the season. Ladies and gentlemen, we just got our first one. Here are the reactions.