IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior running back Kaleb Johnson has been named as a semifinalist for the 2024 Doak Walker Award, it was announced Tuesday by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.

In its 33rd year, the award is named after SMU’s three-time All-America running back Doak Walker.

Johnson, who is also a Walter Camp and Maxwell semifinalist, is having a record-breaking year for the Hawkeyes. He has tallied a school-record 126 points this season, via a school-record 21 total touchdowns. Johnson (6-foot-0, 212-pounds) has rushed for 20 scores, which ties Shonn Greene’s single-season record set in 2008. Johnson has rushed for 1,328 yards in 10 games in 2024, the third-most in the country and seventh most in program history.

The native of Hamilton, Ohio, has scored at least one touchdown in 10 straight games — the longest stretch in school history. He has seven games this season with two or more rushing touchdowns, believed to be the most in a single season in program history.

Greene won the 2008 Doak Walker Award, while former Hawkeye Albert Young was a semifinalist in 2005.

Voting begins tomorrow (Nov. 19) to determine the finalists, which will be announced on Nov. 26. The award recipient will be announced on Dec. 12.

Iowa (6-4, 4-3) returns to action Saturday, Nov. 23 at Maryland (4-6, 1-6). Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. (CT) in College Park, Maryland. The game will be televised on BTN and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

Kaleb Johnson | National Rankings
Total Touchdowns: 2nd (21)
Rushing Yards Per Game: 3rd (132.8)
Total Points scored: 3rd (126)
Rushing Touchdowns: 4th (20)
Rush Yards Per Carry: 6th (7.06)
All-Purpose Yards: 7th (143.7)

Kaleb Johnson | 2024 Honors
Maxwell Award Semifinalist
Walter Camp National POY Semifinalist
Doak Walker Award Semifinalist
CBS Sports, Sporting News, The Athletic Midseason All-America
Doak Walker National RB of the Week (Sept. 24)
Big Ten Co-Offensive POW (Sept. 23)
Big Ten Offensive POW (Nov. 4)
Senior Bowl Co-Offensive National POW (Oct. 14)
UI September Male Athlete of the Month

The eighth ranked Iowa State women play the first of three instate games on Wednesday night when they visit Northern Iowa. ISU coach Bill Fennelly says games matching Big Four teams always create added interest.

Fennelly says a school like Iowa State has more to lose.

Fennelly says as a native Iowan the instate games mean a great deal to him.

The Cyclones are 4-0. The Panthers are 2-1 and coming off a 76-70 home loss to Ball State.

That’s UNI coach Tanya Warren who says they will need a much better effort against the Cyclones.

Warren considers Fennelly a good friend.

The Iowa Hawkeye women have another neutral site game on Wednesday night against Kansas. The game will be at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls.

That’s Iowa coach Jan Jensen. Both teams are 4-0 and Jensen says the Jayhawks’ guard heavy lineup will be difficult to guard.

Jensen feels the Hawkeyes are an improved team defensively but Kansas offers a different challenge.

Utah has been one of the nation’s most disappointing teams this season but coach Kyle Whittingham says the Utes are focused on Saturday night’s final home game against 22nd ranked Iowa State. Picked as the overwhelming favorite in their first year in the Big 12 the Utes are riding a six game losing skid and need to win the final two just to become bowl eligible.

Whittingham says the Cyclones have a lot to play for.

Whittingham says the Cyclones are good in all phases.

The West Hancock Eagles Football Team will seek another state title on Thursday when they take on the Tri-Center Trojans in the Class A State Championship. Where the Trojans look to claim their first title, this is a position the Eagles have been in before. Thursday will mark the fifth time in the last seven years that West Hancock has appeared in the state final. More than just appearing, the Eagles have won three state titles in the previous six years, including last season’s 30-28 win over Woodbury Central. Head Coach Mark Sanger credits his players,  and community for the program’s continued success.

The postseason has been relatively smooth sailing for the Eagles. After taking care of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn, their second-round game against MMCRU was a come-from-behind 28-21 victory. Then, after handling Woodbury Central in the quarterfinal, West Hancock’s semi-final game against Madrid seemed to be much of the same. However, Madrid recovered two onside kicks and took a 29-point halftime deficit and turned it into an 8-point deficit before the Eagles pulled away in the 50-35. Regardless of how the game unfolded, Sanger was proud of how his team handled the sometimes chaotic environment the UNI Dome provides.

Expect to see a lot of hard-nosed and run-heavy football from West Hancock. The Eagles have three players with over 700 rushing yards, including senior Creighton Kelly and junior Gustavo Gomez. However, the offense is led by senior running back Brady Bixel. Bixel has run for over 1,800 yards and 37 touchdowns. Last week against Madrid, he ran for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Bixel has also run for more than 220 yards in three of the Eagles’ four postseason games this year. Sanger says Bixel’s maturity and vision have helped him become a better runner.

Don’t sleep on the Eagles’ defense either.  West Hancock has forced 22 turnovers, including 16 interceptions this season. The Eagles have five players with 50 or more tackles. Kelly (who leads the team with 60.5), Bixel, Teague Smith, and Zach Beukema all have at least 50 tackles and 30 solo tackles. Sanger says that winning the turnover battle, team tackling, and flying to the football have all been points of emphasis for his defense.

Although it might sound Cliche, Tri-Center will be West Hancock’s toughest challenge. The Trojans bring an explosive and balanced offensive attack to the table. Quarterback AJ Harder has thrown for over 2,600 yards, while running back Carter Kunze has run for over 2,200 yards. This, coupled with receivers Zach Nelson and Cael Witt provide plentiful options for Head Coach Ryan Schroder. Tri-Center’s defense has also been red hot as they have not allowed more than 20 points since a week two win over Treynor. When talking about his defense, Sanger realizes the game will be about limiting the Trojan’s explosiveness and winning the turnover battle.

You can catch all the action on KJAN with pregame coverage starting at noon on Thursday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Top 100 recruit Badara Diakite (Bud-are-uh DEE-uh-KEY-tay) has signed a scholarship agreement with the University of Iowa men’s basketball program, it was announced Monday by head coach Fran McCaffery.

“Badara is an extremely talented, versatile player with a great feel for the game,” said McCaffery. “He can stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting, he can guard any position one through five and he is an even better person.  We’re thrilled to have him as part of the Hawkeye family.”

Badara Diakite
6-10, 190, Forward
Hartford, Conn.
South Kent School

• Originally from Bamako, Mali
• 72 recruit in ESPN Top 100
• Rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals – No. 127 ranked player nationally
• Ranked as the No. 122 player nationally by On3… the 11th-best center and No. 3 player in Connecticut
• Invited to play at the 22nd Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas… won the camp team championship
• Named to the “Cream of the Crop” Top 30 roster at Pango Camp… led the Top 30 Red Team to a 114-106 win over Top 30 Blue Team
• Averaged 10 points and five rebounds last winter at South Kent School… won the 2023 NEPSAC Championship
• Played for New Heights (NY) Lightning in the Nike EYBL circuit
• Represented Africa in the 2019 Junior NBA Global Championship in Orlando
• Attended Northwest Catholic High School prior to enrolling at South Kent

WHY IOWA?
“I chose the University of Iowa because of the coaches’ communication in the recruiting process and because of Coach McCaffery.  I feel he understands me as a person and sees my basketball talents to be used in ways I can grow my game while helping the team win.”

Curtis Jones scored 20 points as fifth ranked Iowa State rolled to an 87-52 win over IU-Indianapolis in Ames. Jones was seven-of-14 from the field to reach the 20 point mar for the second straight game.

The Cyclones shot 50 percent for the game and Jones says the ball movement was good as ISU finished with 19 assists.

The Cyclones posted four players in double figures and opened the game on a 25-5 run.

The Cyclones are 3-0 and will play fourth ranked Auburn in the Maui Invitational next Monday.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Drake point guard Katie Dinnebier became the second Bulldog to win the MVC Player of the Week honor after a stellar week, the league announced today. Dinnebier averaged 27.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game as the Bulldogs faced Creighton and Iowa, who were both receiving votes in last week’s AP Top 25 poll. She started with a solid 15-point effort at Creighton before pouring in a career-high 40 points against Iowa, marking the first 40-point outing for a Bulldog since 2015 and the first 40-point showing in The Valley since Murray State’s Katelyn Young dropped 43 in the same building two seasons ago. Dinnebier scored 28 of Drake’s 38 points in the second half and she made 17 free throws, which tied for the most by a player in the NCAA this season, on 20 attempts, which is tied for the second most by a player in the NCAA this season. Her 40 points are the second-most recorded in a game in Division I this year.

Dinnebier and the rest of the Dogs will continue their tricky stretch with a road game at nationally ranked Iowa State on Sunday, Nov. 24. Tip between the Bulldogs and Cyclones is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.

The Northern Iowa men’s basketball team is at home on Tuesday night against Western Illinois. The Panthers are 2-2 after a six point loss at Wichita State. The Leathernecks are also 2-2. Their losses are to Pepperdine and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson who has been impressed with the unselfish nature of his team.

Jacobson says there are times when the players need to be more aggressive with the ball.

Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley is trying to treat this like any other week. The Panthers close the season on Saturday against Indiana State and it will be his final game as head coach.

Farley says his first priority is to send the seniors out with a victory. The Panthers are coming off an overtime loss at Youngstown State and need a victory to avoid a winless Missouri Valley record.

Despite a lack of success Farley says it is a team with great character that has shown it can handle adversity.

Farley says he has heard from a number of former players since announcing his retirement a week ago.

Indiana State is 3-4 in the Valley, including a win over North Dakota.