Tag: Iowa

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Derik Queen and No. 25 Maryland soar into College Park, Md., facing Iowa next

Derik Queen (NCAAB)

Derik Queen played exceptionally well on Thursday night.

As the freshman center for the No. 25 Maryland Terrapins, Queen will lead the team into a Big Ten Conference game against Iowa on Sunday in College Park, Md. He will likely be a key focus in Iowa’s game plan.

Queen had an outstanding performance in Maryland’s 83-75 win at Nebraska, scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Queen has the most 20-10 games (five) among Division I freshmen this year, a group that includes national Player of the Year candidates like Cooper Flagg of Duke and Ace Bailey of Rutgers.

“There have definitely been some games where I struggled a lot and my numbers and performances weren’t great,” Queen said. “But now since my coaches and my teammates are getting on me and telling me that I’m better than this and then me just watching film of myself, just keep building and (learn) what mistakes not to make again.”

Queen (15.9 points, 8.6 rebounds per game) and Julian Reese (13.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg) give the Terrapins (19-6, 9-5 Big Ten) a strong frontcourt. Having Ja’Kobi Gillespie (14.3 ppg, 4.7 assists), Rodney Rice (13.2 ppg), and Selton Miguel (11.8 ppg) shooting from outside also helps, making it harder for opponents to defend.

Gillespie and Miguel both hit 3 of 5 3-point attempts at Nebraska.

“When you have Selton Miguel, Rodney Rice and Ja’Kobi Gillespie out there shooting threes, it makes your life a lot easier,” Maryland coach Kevin Willard said.

Iowa State players celebrate after scoring

Together, these five players form one of the most productive lineups in college basketball. All five have scored in double figures in the same game four times, including Thursday night. Only Kentucky has done this more, with all five starters reaching double digits five times.

While Maryland is heading toward an NCAA Tournament spot, Iowa (14-10, 5-8) is fighting just to make the Big Ten Tournament. An 84-73 win at Rutgers on Wednesday, only their second win in the last eight games, was an important step forward for Iowa.

It was Iowa’s first win without their leading scorer, Owen Freeman (16.7 ppg), who is out for the season after finger surgery. Iowa won with strong performances from Josh Dix and Payton Sandfort, who combined for 46 points. The Hawkeyes outscored Rutgers 51-31 in the second half.

“We were locked in on both offense and defense in that second half,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “I’m really proud of that. Especially when you’re on the road against a really good team, you have to stay connected, and we did.”

Even without Freeman, Iowa still has enough offensive power to beat any team. They are ranked 11th in Division I in scoring, averaging 84.5 points per game. They rely heavily on outside shooting from Sandfort (16.1 ppg), Dix (14.4), and Drew Thelwell (10.5).

It’s uncertain if Thelwell, who missed the Rutgers game due to an ankle injury, will return on Sunday. McCaffery said that Thelwell is getting closer to returning, but regardless, Brock Harding, who started in Thelwell’s place and contributed 13 points and seven assists against Rutgers, will play a big role.

Maryland leads the all-time series 9-8, including two wins last season. The Sunday game is the only scheduled meeting between the two teams this season.

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College Football

In Iowa’s rural towns, communities unite to support a local hero in football’s biggest showdown

Cooper DeJean takes down Jamison Crowder in the NFC football game

In the small town where Cooper DeJean once drew football plays in elementary school and taught his classmates how to run them during recess, the community is planning a big party to watch the town’s local hero in the Super Bowl.

The Philadelphia Eagles defensive back has lifted spirits in Odebolt, Iowa, a town with a population of just 920 people, which was once known as the Popcorn Capital of the World.

Residents say he has also inspired children in the four towns that make up the local school district in this remote area of Western Iowa, where he played quarterback in stadiums made out of cornfields.

On Sunday, they will gather in the Odebolt Community Building for a Super Bowl watch party they are calling the “Cooper Bowl.” Many people plan to wear special Eagles green T-shirts printed for the occasion, featuring DeJean’s No. 33. It’s also a birthday celebration for DeJean, who turns 22 on Super Bowl Sunday.

“The whole town is just ecstatic,” said Cory Duff, who owns The Bolt Drive-In, a local restaurant.

“I would say it has brought a renewed energy back to the community,” he said. “It has definitely uplifted everybody around here.”

Duff, a lifelong Denver Broncos fan, mentioned, “I even bought his jersey.”

“Everybody around here has their own team, but whenever the Eagles are playing, everyone’s watching,” Duff added.

DeJean’s father, Jason, was moved by a video that school employees made, featuring dozens of children and teachers wishing his son the best in the Super Bowl.

“They all got on the playground and spelled out ‘Cooper,’” Jason DeJean said. The nearly 5-minute video includes scenes of elementary students mimicking birds as they sing the Eagles’ fight song, “Fly Eagles Fly.”

Since DeJean began his football career at the University of Iowa, “the support around this community has been just crazy,” Jason DeJean said. “Now you see Eagle jerseys and 33 and all that stuff. It’s great to see, and you couldn’t ask for any more support than what this community gives.”

After winning back-to-back state football championships in his final two years of high school, DeJean went on to a successful career at the University of Iowa, where he was named an All-American. In the 2024 NFL draft, the Eagles selected him in the second round.

Cooper DeJean in the NCAA college football game

Only a few athletes from the small towns in the Western Valley Activities Conference go on to compete at major universities, making DeJean’s journey from Odebolt to the Iowa Hawkeyes and now the Philadelphia Eagles one of the most remarkable paths in this part of Western Iowa.

“It’s not very often a kid from a town of less than 1,000 people gets to go to the Super Bowl,” Duff said.

DeJean’s hard work is a common link that connects him to other legendary athletes from Iowa, such as former Iowa Hawkeye and WNBA star Caitlin Clark from West Des Moines and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner from Burlington, who played high school football in Cedar Rapids.

DeJean’s journey to the Super Bowl has brought attention to Odebolt, but it was the ground he played on that helped put the town and its surrounding farmlands on the map.

A two-lane highway leads from the Loess Hills on Iowa’s western edge, passing giant wind turbines and fields of corn and soybeans to Odebolt.

A 20-mile stretch of the road, Iowa Highway 175, connects the towns that send students to DeJean’s old high school: Battle Creek, Ida Grove, Odebolt, and tiny Arthur, with a population of 222.

In this vast area, farm animals greatly outnumber the people. The county that includes Odebolt is home to around 46,000 cattle — more than four times the human population of 9,800, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The rich soil surrounding Odebolt was once ideal for growing popcorn, and Chicago’s Cracker Jack Co. chose it to supply popcorn for their snacks.

In 1938, Cracker Jack Co. Executive Vice President E.R. Shields praised the early settlers of Odebolt, calling them shining examples of strength, fortitude, and foresight, which made the town “The Popcorn Center of the World.”

People who know DeJean say they see the same strength and fortitude in him. They admire not just his work ethic in sports but also his character in life.

“The kid is insanely humble, and he’s not going to forget where he comes from,” Duff said.

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WNBA

Iowa will retire Caitlin Clark’s jersey after their key game against No. 4 USC this Sunday in Iowa City

Jan Jensen watches from the bench in the 2nd half

Iowa’s Kylie Feuerbach will always consider Caitlin Clark a teammate, whether she’s at concerts or hanging out with Taylor Swift at an NFL game.

Feuerbach laughs whenever she sees Clark in the media.

“We talk about this all the time, but it’s crazy, because you don’t really realize it until you start seeing all the Instagram posts or news (headlines), whatever it is, because obviously we know her as a friend and a teammate,” said Feuerbach, a senior guard for the Hawkeyes.

“So seeing her at that level, it’s kind of just out of this world, but it’s crazy. It’s awesome to see all the publicity she gets. Obviously, she deserves it, and she’s worked really hard to where she’s at now.”

Clark is returning to the place where she became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, both men’s and women’s, and led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA national championship game the last two seasons while winning the national player of the year award twice. On Sunday, Clark will have her jersey number 22 retired in a ceremony at Carver-Hawkeye Arena after Iowa’s game against No. 4 USC.

For the Hawkeyes, the first season without Clark has been “unique,” said coach Jan Jensen. The Hawkeyes are 14-7 overall and 4-6 in the Big Ten in Jensen’s first season as head coach. Iowa started the season 12-2 and was ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 before a five-game losing streak knocked them out of the rankings and put their NCAA Tournament hopes in jeopardy.

Jensen, who was an assistant coach since 2000 and took over the team in May when Lisa Bluder retired, said, “This whole year has been unique,” mentioning the loss of key players like Clark, Kate Martin, Gabbie Marshall, Sharon Goodman, and Molly Davis from last season’s team that lost to South Carolina in the national title game.

Jensen also noted the departures of Bluder and longtime assistant coach Jenni Fitzgerald. “There’s been a lot of firsts, and a lot of different situations that we’ve been navigating.”

Caitlin Clark signs mini basketballs for the fans

Sunday’s game is a sellout— Iowa sold out its public season tickets for the second consecutive year, even without Clark returning. But, the increased attention on the game is something many of the Hawkeyes are used to, having gone through the last couple of seasons with all of the media focus on Clark.

“We play out in front of a sold-out crowd almost every home game, and it’s no different,” said guard Sydney Affolter. “We just say, ‘Focus on the game.’ There’s going to be a lot of outside noise and a lot of things going on, which is really great and cool, but obviously we want to use that to our advantage, and use the crowd and everything that we can to beat USC, and that’s going to be our main focus.”

The Hawkeyes have won two straight games. They close the regular season with a schedule that includes home games against USC and top-ranked UCLA, along with a road game against No. 8 Ohio State.

“We’ve had the same mentality every single day, which I think is what strengthened us,” Feuerbach said. “We’ve really, really stayed together, trusted in our work, and we knew that, like Coach J would say, the shore was near.”

Clark attended one other game this season, on Nov. 17 in Des Moines, when the Hawkeyes defeated Drake 86-73. She kept a low profile during that game.

“I didn’t even know she was there until after,” said Feuerbach, laughing.

But if Clark is courtside on Sunday, her former teammates expect to hear from her— just like in her playing days.

“Wherever Caitlin’s at, she brings the energy,” Feuerbach said. “She lights up a room with her energy, vocal communication, whatever it may be.”

Clark’s rise from a highly-touted high school recruit to being an “A-lister,” as Jensen called her, has been fun to watch.

“I’m just forever blessed that I got to be part of her ride,” Jensen said. “She’ll always be part of us. Just like I’ve said before — Michael Jordan will forever be Carolina blue, Caitlin will forever be Hawkeye black and gold.”

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Ohio State Welcomes The Return To Action After A Break, Hosting Iowa In Columbus

Ohio State (NCAAB)

After a road win over No. 11 Purdue, Ohio State coach Jake Diebler is grateful for the break before hosting Iowa on Monday in Columbus. The Buckeyes (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten) have played five straight one-possession games, and Diebler believes this break will help the team recover and improve.

The win over Purdue ended a three-game losing streak for Ohio State, while Iowa (13-7, 4-5) snapped its own three-game slide with a 76-75 win against Penn State on Friday. The Hawkeyes now face a quick turnaround before playing Ohio State.

“Iowa senior Payton Sandfort, who averages 16.2 points per game, said, “When you’re going through a tough stretch, it can feel impossible to get a win.

Once you get one, things start to feel better. You feel like you can compete. You feel like we’ve got all the confidence in the world that we can go out and compete with Big Ten teams.”

Drew Thelwell, who scored 16 points for Iowa, reached 1,000 career points in the win over Penn State. “I’m thrilled for him,” said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery. “It’s an incredible accomplishment. It’s really hard to do. It says a lot about who he is.”

Iowa State players celebrate after scoring

Ohio State showed resilience in the Purdue win, coming back from a 16-point deficit. Micah Parrish led the way, scoring 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Parrish is in his first season with Ohio State after two years at San Diego State. He is fourth on the team in scoring, behind Bruce Thornton (17.1), Devin Royal (13.9), and John Mobley Jr. (12.3).

Diebler added, “We just always felt like there was more to his game than what he got to do, but that can be uncomfortable for guys at times, too. He’s used to doing things a certain way for a couple of years, and then you’re in a whole new system.”