Tag: Iowa State

Darlinstone Dubar signs with Tennessee

Darlinstone Dubar signs with Tennessee basketball.

Hofstra transfer guard Darlinstone Dubar signed with Tennessee on Thursday.

Dubar has one year of eligibility remaining after playing three years at Hofstra.

“We are pleased to welcome Darlinstone and his supportive family into the Tennessee basketball program,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “He is already an accomplished collegian who will add a lot to our team. Darlinstone is a true competitor and you know what you will get from him every day. A versatile player who can excel at multiple positions, he is an excellent 3-point shooter who can also knock down midrange shots and finish at the rim. Darlinstone brings toughness and a strong work ethic, both of which will mesh well with the players already in our locker room.”

During his four-year career with Hofstra and Iowa State, he totaled 1,359 points and 580 rebounds.

Dubar also scored 10-plus points in 72 games during his collegiate career.

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 37, Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

On paper, the Green Bay Packers appear to have a solid group of cornerbacks. Jaire Alexander is an all-pro caliber player. Carrington Valentine showed promise last season as a seventh-round rookie. Keisean Nixon is back to man the nickel position. If former first-round pick Eric Stokes can rediscover his rookie form the Packers could have a solid foundation in place.

There are obvious concerns with this group. Can Alexander and Stokes stay healthy? Will Valentine fall victim to a sophomore slump? With question marks surrounding the group, one would expect the Packers to add another body to bolster the cornerback room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

A cornerback that the Packers could target on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft is T.J. Tampa. The Iowa State product checks in at No. 37 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

A three-star recruit out of Florida, Tampa became a full-time starter for the Cyclones in 2022 and responded with five tackles for loss, one interception and nine pass deflections. This past season, Tampa recorded three tackles for loss, two interceptions and seven pass deflections. 

“My time at ISU was everything I could have asked for,” Tampa said. “From day one, my coaches were committed to developing me into the young man and player I needed to be.  Even in my down times, that never changed. I have had the best teammates who are now friends, and brothers for life. That’s why transferring was never an option when presented with options.”

Tampa checks the boxes with his size (6-0) and length. He has long strides that allow him to make up ground if he’s beaten off the line of scrimmage and his length gives quarterbacks a small window to throw into. Once the ball arrives, Tampa does a good job of corralling the wide receiver and limiting YAC. 

“My film study is key,” Tampa said. “My natural instincts, athleticism, and length allow me to stick with receivers in man or zone coverage.”

During his prep career, Tampa played wide receiver and that background is evident when the ball enters his area code. He showcases plus ball skills and tracks the ball like a wide receiver. He showcases good route instincts and does a good job of challenging wide receivers at the catch point. Over the past two seasons, Tampa picked off three passes and broke up 16 more. 

“I already had great ball skills from playing wide receiver previously,” Tampa said. “I just had to develop my technique as a cornerback to not only mirror the receiver but track the ball.”

Tampa is feisty in coverage and that physicality shows up occasionally in run support. During the first nine games of the season, Tampa was tagged with just two missed tackles. In the final three games, Tampa missed eight tackles.

“I am an enthusiastic tackler,” Tampa said. “At ISU, our defensive backs are expected to provide elite run support more than other schools, so physicality at that position is important.”

Tampa played primarily on special teams during his first season in Ames and finished his collegiate career with 301 snaps on special teams. 

Fit with the Packers

In a perfect world, Alexander would stay healthy and play every game of the 2024 season. Stokes puts the past two seasons behind him and returns to form. If those two things happen the Packers are all set at cornerback.

Even the best-laid plans go amuck. Gutekunst recently said that he’s comfortable with the cornerback depth if they can all stay healthy. Recent history suggests that won’t happen. Gutekunst would be wise to add another talented cornerback to that room.

With his length and ball skills, Tampa could provide the Packers with a playmaker in the secondary.

“I am a long, extremely athletic cornerback, with a high IQ for the game,” Tampa said. “My coverage ability is also matched by my ability to support the run defense. I’m also scheme versatile, so I can quickly adjust to different defensive philosophies and excel in them.  I believe those traits will serve any NFL team well.”

A year after drafting Anthony Johnson Jr, Gutekunst could once again turn to Ames, Iowa for secondary help. Tampa looks great off the bus and has the ability to take half the field away.

With the Packers owning four picks on Day 2 of the draft, Tampa could be a target for Green Bay when the calendar flips to April 26th. 

Michigan State basketball in a one-on-one battle for transfer J’Vonne Hadley

MSU is battling hard with Iowa State for one of the top transfers on the market

Michigan State has identified the top transfer target on their board for the small forward position. J’Vonne Hadley, a transfer from Colorado, has the Spartans attention and would be a very nice fit in the program.

When he entered the portal, rumors suggested that Iowa State had a commanding initial lead, as well as being a near lock to land the wing transfer. Now, it appears the Spartans have firmly entered themselves into the equation.

Michigan State has a lot of minutes, and a lot of shot attempt opportunities to offer a small forward transfer, and with some connections he has on the roster, that may have been enough to make this a close race.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Hadley will be having a zoom meeting with the staffs of both MSU and ISU on Monday. Tipton has also suggested that this race is a lot closer than many have thought.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

Impressive Iowa State guard from state of Wisconsin enters transfer portal

Impressive Iowa State guard from Wisconsin enters transfer portal

The numbers in the NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal continue to grow,  and a Kimberly, Wisconsin, native from Iowa State entered his name Saturday.

After one season with the Cyclones, guard Jackson Paveletzke will head to his third school in three years. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound athlete averaged 3.4 points per game while playing an average of 10.5 minutes per contest with Iowa State.

What makes Paveletzke an interesting option on the open market is his freshman season with Wofford. In his first collegiate season, he averaged 15.1 points and 3.7 assists while shooting 49.3% from the field.

Considering Wisconsin has already reeled in one Wisconsin native from Wofford, Max Klesmit, Greg Gard and his staff could certainly revisit the well again this offseason with Paveletzke.

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Wisconsin basketball loses top in-state prospect to Iowa State

Wisconsin basketball loses top in-state prospect to Iowa State

Wisconsin top in-state class of 2025 prospect Xzavion Mitchell committed to Iowa State on Saturday afternoon.

The Oshkosh, Wisconsin, native is the No. 120 player in the class of 2025, the No. 29 small forward and the No. 3 recruit from the state of Wisconsin.

Related: Wisconsin basketball social media debates Greg Gard’s future as Badgers head coach

This news comes on the heels of the Badgers’ demoralizing first-round tournament exit at the hands of No. 12 James Madison. The public sentiment surrounding the program and head coach Greg Gard isn’t great at the moment, and this commitment didn’t help that cause.

Wisconsin’s class of 2025 ranks No. 12 in the nation with one player committed — in-state shooting guard Zach Kinziger.

The Badgers have had recent trouble landing the top in-state players. Mitchell’s commitment to head coach T.J. Otzelberger and the Cyclones continues that worrying trend.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Iowa State’s Audi Crooks broke a remarkable record and drew praise from Aliyah Boston in her March Madness debut

A player from the state of Iowa scored 40 points in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, and it wasn’t Caitlin Clark.

The opening night of the women’s NCAA tournament belonged to Audi Crooks, a freshman post player for Iowa State.

Her No. 7 Cyclones trailed No. 10 Maryland by as much as 20 points on Friday night in Palo Alto, California. And then, Crooks put the team on her back. The 6-foot-3 Iowa native – the first player in program history to earn an AP All-America honorable mention as a freshman – scored a career-high 40 points on 18-of-20 shooting to lead the Cyclones to a 93-86 win.

Crooks scored 22 of those points in the second half on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting. Iowa State kept giving her the ball and she kept scoring.

The 40 points scored by Crooks are the most by any player in their first NCAA tournament game in at least 25 years, according to ESPN. Crooks’ performance, which also included 12 rebounds, helped Iowa State complete the second-largest comeback victory in the history of the tournament – topped only by Texas A&M’s 21-point comeback win over Penn in 2017.

Crooks is also, according to ESPN, the first player in NCAA tournament history with at least 40 points on 90% shooting.

“She dropped 40 on 20 shots. That’s pretty eye-popping right there. It was a special night for her,” said Iowa State point guard Emily Ryan, who had 14 assists. “I think that’s just a credit to the attention that Audi draws inside. When we throw it in there, she gets it every time and she finishes it so well.”

And Crooks’ big game garnered her praise from fans, media and some of the sport’s brightest stars.

Crooks’ performance also called for a wild celebration:

And it made Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly reminisce about the Mexican restaurant he ate at while he visited with Crooks on a recruiting trip:

This writer would also like to point out that Crooks made one of his bold predictions come true.

March Madness: NCAA Tournament East Region odds, picks and predictions

Looking at March Madness futures odds to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament East Region, with expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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March Madness tips off Thursday, and the East Region bracket is absolutely loaded.

Below, we look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s NCAA Tournament East Region futures odds and and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.

The East includes last year’s champs, the UConn Huskies (31-3); they’re the No. 1 seed. For Connecticut to get through this region, it will have to get past this season’s title teams from the Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC in Iowa State (27-7), Illinois (26-8), and Auburn (27-7), respectively. The Huskies (KenPom No. 1), Tigers (No. 4) and Cyclones (No. 5) represent 3/5ths of the top 5 on KenPom’s rankings.

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East Region futures odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:25 p.m. ET.

1 seed: UConn +110 (bet $100 to win $110)

2 seed: Iowa State +440 (bet $100 to win $440)

3 seed: Illinois +800 (bet $100 to win $800)

4 seed: Auburn +500 (bet $100 to win $500)

5 seed: San Diego State +2100 (bet $100 to win $2,100)

6 seed: BYU +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

7 seed: Washington State +3400 (bet $100 to win $3,400)

8 seed: FAU +2900 (bet $100 to win $2,900)

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9 seed: Northwestern +5500 (bet $100 to win $5,500)

10 seed: Drake +4200 (bet $100 to win $4,200)

11 seed: Duquesne +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

12 seed: UAB +13000 (bet $100 to win $13,000)

13 seed: Yale +11000 (bet $100 to win $11,000)

14 seed: Morehead State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

15 seed: South Dakota State +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

16 seed: Stetson +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000)

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East Region expert pick and prediction

Iowa State (+440)

Putting all the key betting factors together and weighing in the prices, the Cyclones come out with a lot of value. The champions of this year’s toughest league are elite at the defensive end and usually maintain key edges in turnovers, rebounding and free-throw frequency.

The analysis of the East includes some slight fading of No. 1 UConn, heavier fading of No. 3 Illinois and a bit of extra potential for an upset in No. 4 Auburn’s path.

Top 25: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

East Region contenders

AUBURN (+500)

The Tigers rank in KenPom’s top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (4th) efficiency. The defense (including what AU does along the perimeter) and overall court skills should help Auburn avoid a misstep in what could be an interesting 1st-round game against Yale.

If the bracket plays out with AU playing UConn or Iowa State, consider that coach Bruce Pearl owns an 8-4 record against the spread when lined as an underdog.

San Diego State (+2100)

The Aztecs (24-10) are just 6-4 over their last 10 games, but they have the defense (39% field-goal accuracy allowed over those 10 games) and court skills to make for profit leverage at this price point. San Diego State sports a veteran lineup, and it gets its 1st 2 potential games in its own time zone (games in Spokane).

The futures market had shorter overall futures odds on SDSU a couple weeks ago. The Aztecs’ Jaedon LeDee is a power forward with possible late 1st-round NBA talent, and he’s a likely match-up problem for most teams San Diego State would play.

East Region long shots

Drake (+4200)

The Bulldogs (28-6) come out of the Missouri Valley Conference, a league that has often done damage from underdog slots in recent years’ brackets. Drake won the MVC Tournament and is 10-1 in its last 11 games.

DU hits from distance (36.5% from 3-point range) and takes great care of the ball. The Bulldogs are a top-notch defensive rebounding team. They have a 6-1 record in neutral-site games, and that includes a Dec. 9 rout of West No. 10 seed Nevada.

Morehead State (+25000)

Morehead State is a slow-tempo squad trending the right way at the defensive end, and that’s a dangerous combination. The Eagles often win the 3-point shooting battle, and they should be considered a live wire against 1st-round opponent Illinois and either team they might play in the 2nd round (BYU, Duquesne).

Both Drake and Morehead State are in the bottom half of the East Region bracket. Making the plays in tandem has merit.

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Oklahoma Sooners must figure out road struggles

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a really solid season in 2024. No one thought this would have been a tournament team this after they were picked to finish last in the Big 12. Not only are they primed for a tournament berth, but they’ve also been …

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a really solid season in 2024. No one thought this would have been a tournament team this after they were picked to finish last in the Big 12.

Not only are they primed for a tournament berth, but they’ve also been ranked for much of the year as well. It doesn’t look like they’ll be ranked again this year barring a great run to close the regular season.

One area where they have struggled however is on the road. The Sooners are 2-4 on the road and 13-3 at home. Their only road wins were at Cincinnati and Kansas State. Three of their final five games of the season are on the road starting with two straight, at [autotag]Oklahoma State[/autotag] on Saturday and then at [autotag]Iowa State[/autotag] the following Wednesday.

They then end the season with a trip to Texas. The issue with how they’ve played on the road is even heightened given one of their final road teams is against Houston, who is the No. 2 team in the country currently.

Still, the goal should be to get to 20 wins. It’s not going to be easy. It’s why blowing some of the games they have were so big when they happened. It’s going to make getting to that 20-win mark even harder.

That final five-game stretch all starts this Saturday in Stillwater with the Sooners needing to win 2 of 3.

More: Despite recent struggles, Sooners a NCAA tournament team

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Rams hiring 33-year-old Nate Scheelhaase as their pass game specialist

The Rams are hiring Iowa State OC Nate Scheelhaase, who’s only 33, as their new pass game specialist

The Los Angeles Rams have found their replacement for Jake Peetz, who was hired by the Seattle Seahawks. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Rams are hiring Nate Scheelhaase as their new pass game specialist.

Scheelaase, 33, started his coaching career in 2015 at Illinois on the football operations side and as the team’s running backs coach. He left to become Iowa State’s running backs coach in 2018 and rose the ranks to offensive coordinator/QBs coach in 2023.

Scheelhaase is a former college quarterback, playing at Illinois from 2010-2013. He threw for 8,568 yards, 55 touchdowns and 37 interceptions, while also rushing for 2,066 yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons.

He was a four-star recruit out of high school and was recruited by Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Arkansas and Kansas but opted to attend Illinois. In high school, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2007 in Missouri, leading Rockhurst to a 13-0 record and state championship.

Watch: Iowa State shares hype video for Brock Purdy before Super Bowl

Iowa State shared a must-watch hype video for former Cyclone QB Brock Purdy before the Super Bowl.

Prior to stepping under center for the San Francisco 49ers, Brock Purdy played four seasons in Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Cyclones. During his college career, Purdy shattered multiple Iowa State records, including becoming the program’s most passing and total touchdowns, along with yards and competitions.

Purdy represented Iowa State as a three-time All-Big 12 quarterback. As a junior, Purdy led Iowa State to the program’s first New Year’s Six Bowl Game, beating Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.

Before the Super Bowl, Iowa State took to Twitter to share a must-watch hype video for their former quarterback. The video featured his family, former Iowa State basketball players Tyrese Haliburton and Georges Niang and his former coach Matt Campbell.

Via @CycloneFB on Twitter:

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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