(Radio Iowa) — Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz says there is no way to plan for an eventual return to campus and the field for workouts. The Hawkeyes were one of the teams who had not even started spring practice when spring seasons were cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ferentz says planning for the immediate future is just a waste of time right now.

Ferentz says he has thought about the possibility of not having a football season.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and Iowa High School Athletic Association have released a new spring sports calendar. This calendar is based on the assumption that school and competition could resume on May 1st.

Northwest Missouri State’s sophomore guard Trevor Hudgins and junior forward Ryan Hawkins have each been named among the 14 finalists for the 2020 Bevo Francis Award by Small College Basketball. It marks only the second time that the same school had two finalists in the same year.

Small College Basketball and the National Awards Committee are proud to announce the 14 finalists for the 2020 Bevo Francis Award. This list consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.

The Clarence “Bevo” Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Considerations will be season statistics and individual achievements, awards, personal character and team achievements. This is an incredibly prestigious award, as this award will only be given to one player within Small College Basketball per season.

On April 6 at 6 p.m. (CT) the 2020 Bevo Francis Award winner will be announced.

“On behalf of Small College Basketball and the National Award Committee, I sincerely congratulate all 14 Finalists for the 2020 Bevo Francis Award,” John McCarthy said. “Based on our criteria, these players are the elite of the elite in the country during the 2019-20 season. It’s been a joy to watch each of them, and every one of them has had an exceptional season and has helped to lead their teams to tremendous success this season.  I’m so happy for each of them, as they have earned this tremendous recognition.”

This marks the fifth year of the Bevo Francis Award. Past winners include Dominez Burnett of Davenport University in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State University in 2017, Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial University in 2018, and Aston Francis of Wheaton College in 2019.

Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) led the nation in three-point field goal percentage (53.3% – 105-of-197). Hudgins averaged 19.6 points per game, 6.0 assists per game and 1.5 steals per game Hudgins has already earned first-team all-MIAA, first-team D2CCA all-region, D2CCA region player of the year, MIAA Player of the Year and the Most Outstanding Player at the 2020 MIAA Tournament. Hudgins had 18 20-point scoring games to go along with four 30-point scoring contests. He collected the school’s first triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists vs. Fort Hays State (Jan. 25). His 626 points this season ranks as the sixth-most for a Bearcat in a single season. His 191 assists in 2019-2020 ranks as the second-best total in Bearcat history behind his mark of 203 set last season.

Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) led the Bearcats in scoring at 22.7  per game, in rebounding at 7.4  per contest, in steals at 2.1 per game and in blocks at 0.8 per game. Hawkins collected eight double-doubles, reached 30 or more points on five occasions and posted 20 20-point scoring contests. Hawkins set the Bearcat single-game scoring record with 44 against Southern Nazarene on Nov. 2. The Atlantic, Iowa, native was selected as the MIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while also being tabbed a first-team all-MIAA performer. Hawkins poured in 726 points in the 2019-2020 season, which ranks as the third-most points ever scored by a Bearcat in a single season. He is one of only four Bearcats to ever score 700 or more points in a season.

Hudgins and Hawkins become the fifth and six Bearcat finalists for the Bevo Francis Award. Pitts was a three-time finalist and captured the award in 2017. Northwest is the only school to have a finalists in each of the five years the award has been presented.

Northwest’s six finalists for the Bevo Francis Award is the most of any small college. Cornerstone ranks second with three finalists in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

To stay up to date on all things Small College Basketball, please head to smallcollegebasketball.com.

A day after announcing his intention to transfer, Drake big man Liam Robbins announced his commitment to Minnesota.

The 7-foot-0, 240-pound Robbins averaged 14.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game during his sophomore season with the Bulldogs.

Robbins will now get to play for his uncle Ed Conroy, who is an assistant on Richard Pitino’s staff for the Golden Gophers. His cousin and Ed’s son Hunt Conroy is a walk-on guard for Minnesota.

The Davenport native plans to apply for a waiver to the NCAA to be eligible next season.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.

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(Radio Iowa) — Roster management becomes even more crucial for spring coaches whose athletes all received an extra year of eligibility last week. The Drake softball team had only three seniors on this year’s squad and coach Rich Calvert does not believe any of them will take advantage of the extra year.

Calvert says it becomes more complicated when looking at the younger classes.

Calvert says it is an issue all coaches need to work through.

(Radio Iowa) — College athletic departments took a major financial hit with the cancellation of the NCAA basketball tournament. The loss of the football season would be catastrophic. Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard slashed coaches salaries and bonuses after his department lost five million dollars of tournament revenue.

As the economic driving force Pollard says they can ill afford the loss of football.

Pollard says options are already being discussed for football.

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

UNDATED (AP) — Kobe Bryant’s resume has yet another entry to validate his greatness. He’s now officially a Hall of Famer. Bryant, who died in January, and fellow NBA greats Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett headlined a nine-person group announced Saturday as this year’s class of enshrinees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They all got into the Hall in their first year of eligibility, as did WNBA great Tamika Catchings. Two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich, longtime Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey, 1,000-game winner Barbara Stevens of Bentley and three-time Final Four coach Eddie Sutton were selected. So was former FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs and wide receiver Sammy Watkins have agreed on a restructured one-year contract that gives the franchise much-needed salary cap relief. That’s according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke with The Associated Press on Friday. The person said Watkins will make $9 million in base salary but that incentives could drive the total package to $16 million. More important for the club, the deal will give the Chiefs about $5 million in salary cap savings ahead of the NFL draft.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cordell Pemsl is leaving Iowa to play his final season at another school as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot-8, 248-pound forward from Dubuque averaged six points and just over four rebounds per game in 96 games. Pemsl had three major surgeries over the last six years and was a reserve exclusively after starting 14 games as a freshman. He thanked his teammates, coaches, school and fans for a memorable four years.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Ric Hanson.

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Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs and wide receiver Sammy Watkins have agreed on a restructured one-year contract that gives the franchise much-needed salary cap relief. That’s according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke with The Associated Press on Friday. The person said Watkins will make $9 million in base salary but that incentives could drive the total package to $16 million. More important for the club, the deal will give the Chiefs about $5 million in salary cap savings ahead of the NFL draft.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Cordell Pemsl is leaving Iowa to play his final season at another school as a graduate transfer. The 6-foot-8, 248-pound forward from Dubuque averaged six points and just over four rebounds per game in 96 games. Pemsl had three major surgeries over the last six years and was a reserve exclusively after starting 14 games as a freshman. He thanked his teammates, coaches, school and fans for a memorable four years.