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

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed to a one-year contract with Jordan Ta’amu, the highest-rated quarterback during the abbreviated XFL season. He will compete with veteran Chad Henne for a backup job next season. The 22-year-old Ta’amu was undrafted out of Mississippi last year and spent time in training camp with the Texans. He was released in August and signed with the St. Louis Battlehawks. He led the XFL with an 82.8 passer rating and 72.4% completion percentage and was third with 1,050 yards passing in five games.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The NCAA announced Tuesday that University of Iowa junior Spencer Lee has been named its Division I Most Dominant Wrestler.

The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by dividing the total number of team points awarded through match results by the total number of matches wrestled. Lee averaged 5.0 team points in 18 matches, edging Mark Hall of Penn State (4.7) and Pat Glory of Princeton (4.5).

Lee, a two-time NCAA champion and the 2020 Big Ten champion, had nine technical falls and four falls in 2019-20, scoring bonus points in 17 of 18 matches.

Iowa junior Alex Marinelli ranked 11th on the Most Dominant list. The two-time All-American and 2020 Big Ten champion averaged 4.1 team points, registering a team-high eight falls among his 11 bonus-point victories.

Lee’s nine technical falls are the most by a Hawkeyes since 1999 and rank second in Division I. He recorded those nine technical falls in 35 minutes, 44 seconds. Junior Austin DeSanto ranks 14th in Division I with six technical falls (24:36).

The NCAA on Tuesday released its complete list of wrestling awards in Divisions I, II and III. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes who have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular season, conference tournaments and NCAA super regionals. The complete list is available at NCAA.com.

AMES, Iowa – Tyrese Haliburton’s contagious smile and dazzling play on the basketball court made him a fan favorite at Iowa State.

He turned heads with a record-setting 17-assist game as a freshman and averaged more than 22 points in three games at the prestigious Battle 4 Atlantis last November.

Unfortunately for Haliburton and the Cyclones, his sophomore season came to an abrupt halt in February when he suffered a fractured wrist while falling after blocking a shot in transition against Kansas State.

It was one of those plays that made Cyclone Nation love Haliburton, and it is those plays that we’ll always remember as the point guard announced today that he will follow his dreams and enter his name in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin native will sign with an agent, forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility.

“I want to thank God, Coach Prohm and his staff for believing in me when nobody else did,” Haliburton said. “The trust they have put in me these last two years has made me the player I am today, but the relationships I’ve made with everybody have made me the person I am today.

“To Cyclone Nation, thank you. Playing at Hilton Coliseum in front of all you guys every night was a dream come true,” Haliburton added. “Coming to Iowa State was the best decision I’ve made in my whole life. There is no doubt in my mind you are the best fans in the country, and I can’t thank you all enough for the last two years.

“After talking with my family, we have decided that it is in my best interest to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft. Once a Cyclone, Always a Cyclone.”

Haliburton concludes his career with 574 points, 267 assists, 249 rebounds, 108 steals and 45 blocked shots. He is one of just two players nationally to record 500 points-200 rebounds-250 assists-100 steals and 40 blocked shots the last two seasons, but his legacy will be as much about his personality and love for all things Iowa State as it will for the many things he accomplished on the court.

“We are all incredibly proud of Tyrese and all that he accomplished at Iowa State,” Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm said. “He loves Iowa State and will always be a significant part of our Cyclone family. Tyrese, as well as his parents John and Brenda, have been outstanding ambassadors for this University and we are incredibly fortunate to have had them as part of our program.

“When Tyrese suffered his injury in February, he poured his energy into supporting his teammates and that speaks volumes about him as a person. I wish all of them the very best and know that Tyrese will be very successful. I think I speak for everyone associated with our program when I say we can’t wait to watch his career.”

Haliburton went from a three-star recruit to one of the nation’s most talked about players seemingly overnight.

While most players burst onto the scene because of a high-scoring game, for Haliburton it was his playmaking ability. The ability to make teammates better. With an incredible knack for setting teammates up for success, Haliburton ranked second nationally and led the Big 12 with a 4.5 assist-to-turnover ratio as a freshman.

The summer before his sophomore season, Haliburton played for and won a Gold Medal with the 2019 USA Basketball Men’s U19 World Cup Team. Named to the tournament’s All-Star Five, he was the fourth Cyclone men’s basketball player to win a Gold Medal while representing the United States.

As a sophomore, Haliburton was poised to see an increase in his usage and he was ready for the moment. In 22 games, he averaged 15.2 points per game, an increase of 8.4 points per game from his freshman season, while still dishing out 6.5 assists per game. At the time of his injury, Haliburton ranked among the Big 12 Conference’s top 10 in scoring (15.2), assists (6.5), steals (2.5), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3), field goal percentage (50.4), 3-point field goal percentage (41.9), 3-point field goals made per game (2.4) and minutes played (36.7).

He played 10 complete games this season, just two off the school record of 12, which was set by Barry Stevens during the 1984-85 season.

Haliburton concludes his career with the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in school history at 3.00. He ranks 17th in the Cyclone record books with 267 assists and 20th with 108 steals.

He was also extremely efficient shooting the ball, ending this season as one of just four players nationally to play in at least 55 games the last two seasons and shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent behind the arc (30 3FGM) and 75 percent from the line.

He scored in double figures 28 times in his career, had double-digit assists on four occasions and double-digit rebounds twice.

Haliburton posted just the sixth triple-double in school history this season, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against TCU. He was honored as the Big 12 Player of the Week after his efforts against the Horned Frogs, one of two such honors he received this season.

At the time of his injury, Haliburton was on the Bob Cousy Watch List, the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 and the Lute Olson Award Midseason Watch List.

In the end, Haliburton was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team despite playing just half the conference season. He was also an Academic All-Big 12 First-Team honoree.

The 2020 NBA Draft Combine is currently scheduled for May 21-24 in Chicago, though it has not yet been determined if Haliburton will participate. The 2020 NBA Draft is slated to take place June 25 in Brooklyn.

Since Prohm arrived at Iowa State, the Cyclones have had five players drafted and a total of eight reach the NBA.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced its first-team All-America team on Tuesday, which included University of Iowa junior center Luka Garza.

Garza has earned consensus first-team All-America status as a result of being voted to All-America first teams by the NBAC, Sporting News, AP, and United States Basketball Writers Association). Garza joins former Hawkeyes Murray Wier (1948) and Charles Darling (1952) as consensus first team All-Americans.

Garza becomes the first Hawkeye in program history to be voted to the first team and third Iowa player to earn national recognition by the NABC; Ronnie Lester and Jarrod Uthoff were third team honorees in 1979 and 2016, respectively.

Five major news outlets have already named Garza as its national player of the year: Sporting News, Basketball Times, Stadium, Bleacher Report, and ESPN. Garza is the first Iowa men’s basketball player to earn national player of the year distinction. Additionally, Garza has been named first team All-America by every major news outlet.

The Washington, D.C., native is also a finalist for five national awards: Naismith Trophy, Oscar Robertson Trophy, Wooden Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, and the Lute Olson Award.

2020 NABC COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM 

Udoka Azubuike, Kansas, 7-0, Senior, Center, Delta, Nigeria
Luka Garza, Iowa, 6-11, Junior, Center, Washington, D.C.
Markus Howard, Marquette, 5-11, Senior, Chandler, Ariz.
Payton Pritchard, Oregon, 6-2, Senior, Guard, West Linn, Ore.
Obi Toppin, Dayton, 6-9, R.-Sophomore, Forward, Brooklyn, N.Y.

2020 NABC COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM 

Devon Dotson, Kansas, 6-2, Sophomore, Guard, Charlotte, N.C.
Malachi Flynn, San Diego State, 6-1, Junior, Guard, Tacoma, Wash.
Filip Petrusev, Gonzaga, 6-11, Sophomore, Forward, Belgrade, Serbia
Myles Powell, Seton Hall, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Trenton, N.J.
Cassius Winston, Michigan State, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Detroit, Mich.

2020 NABC COACHES’ DIVISION I ALL-AMERICA THIRD TEAM 

Jared Butler, Baylor, 6-3, Sophomore, Guard, Reserve, La.
Vernon Carey Jr., Duke, 6-10, Freshman, Center, Miami, Fla.
Tre Jones, Duke, 6-3, Sophomore, Guard, Apple Valley, Minn.
Jordan Nwora, Louisville, 6-7, Junior, Forward, Buffalo, N.Y.
Jalen Smith, Maryland, 6-10, Sophomore, Forward, Baltimore, Md.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced Monday the extension of the 2020 football season ticket renewal deadline to Friday, May 29, 2020, with flexible payment options being made available.

The updated ticket renewal deadline extension and upgrade process is as follows:

May 29              2020 football season ticket, per seat gift and parking deadline
June 8               Seat upgrade process begins
June 19             Seat upgrade process concludes
June 26-29        Season ticket holder opportunity for additional mini-plans
July 27-29         Season ticket holder opportunity for additional single-game tickets
Late August       Season tickets delivered digitally or arrive in mail

“We cannot express enough our appreciation of our fan support for Hawkeye football,” said Charlie Taylor, associate athletics director for strategic communications and marketing. “We look forward to being back in Kinnick Stadium, uniting our great state to celebrate Hawkeye football.”

The UI athletics ticket office and I-Club are available to answer questions to make the renewal process as smooth as possible in regard to ticket purchases and flexible payment options. Fans can email  tickets@hawkeyesports.com or call 1-800-IAHAWKS (1-800-434-2957) Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For I-Club questions, email iclub@foriowa.org, or call 319-467-3410.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — Some Iowans are hesitant to leave their houses and apartments for fear they’ll be exposed to coronavirus, but cooped-up couch potatoes are encouraged to get outside and get some exercise. Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says taking in some sunshine and being out in the fresh air is exactly what many of us are needing.

“This virus is spread from person to person so if you’re within the social distancing parameters, being outside is not a problem,” Wyatt says. “You can go outside and exercise and walk and ride your bike and still be very safe from transmission or receiving the virus.” While several states and metro areas elsewhere have issued “shelter in place” orders, Iowans are under no such edict.

Wyatt says Iowa has hundreds of miles of bike trails, carving through metro areas and veering into the wide countryside. Spring is here and things are starting to turn green, he says, so get out and enjoy the outdoors. “We’re hearing a lot from the bike community that they’re still out and biking, they’re just not going on group rides with their friends. They’re going alone or with their family to get some exercise,” Wyatt says. “I think daily exercise is important. We’ve even seen some of the areas that do have shelter-in-place, do recommend that you still go out and exercise. Just don’t go to places where people congregate.”

Keeping a social distance of six to ten feet is still a good idea outside, Wyatt says. If you’re on a bike trail and another cyclist is nearby, simply slow down or speed up and keep your distance. Also, since so many businesses are struggling in light of the pandemic, Wyatt reminds: shop local. “A lot of the bike retailers are still open for business,” Wyatt says. “A lot of them have scheduled appointments or pick-up and drop-off service, if that’s something you’re interested in. Give your favorite bike retailer a call in the state and see what their current operations are.”

Get some tips on keeping fit — and keeping kids active — from the Healthiest State Initiative at http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) announced its first-team All-America team on Monday, which included University of Iowa junior Luka Garza.

Garza becomes the first Hawkeye in program history to be voted to the first team since 1957, the first year that the USBWA recognized All-Americans. Former Hawkeye Jarrod Uthoff was a second team honoree by the USBWA in 2016.

The USBWA is one of four outlets used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (AP, National Association of Basketball Coaches, USBWA, and Sporting News). Garza was named to the first-team All-America squad by Sporting News and Associated Press in recent weeks with the NABC expected to make their announcement later this week. Garza looks to join former Hawkeyes Murray Wier (1948) and Charles Darling (1952) as consensus first team All-Americans.

Five major news outlets have already named Garza as its national player of the year: Sporting News, Basketball Times, Stadium, Bleacher Report, and ESPN. Garza is the first Iowa men’s basketball player to earn national player of the year distinction. Additionally, Garza has been named first team All-America by every major news outlet.

2020 USBWA All-America Teams

First Team
Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas, Sr.
Luka Garza, C, Iowa, Jr.
Markus Howard, G, Marquette, Sr.
Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall, Sr.
Obi Tobbin, F, Dayton, So.

Second Team
Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke, Fr.
Devon Dotson, G, Kansas, So.
Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State, Jr.
Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon, Sr.
Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State, Sr.

Third Team
Jared Butler, G, Baylor, So.
Tre Jones, G, Duke, So.
Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville, jr.
Filip Petrusev, F, Gonzaga, So.
Jalen Smith, F, Maryland, So.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State sophomore guard Tyrese Haliburton on Monday earned a spot on the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 8 Second Team. District 8 is comprised of Big 12 schools.

Haliburton was averaging 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 22 games before a wrist injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

One of the Big 12’s top players, the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native reached double figures in 18 games, including six games with 20 or more points. He posted the Big 12’s only triple-double of the season against TCU in the conference opener, finishing with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. It was just the sixth triple-double in school history.

District 8

First Team

Devin Dotson, Kansas
Udoka Azubuike, Kansas
Jared Butler, Baylor
Jahmi’us Ramsey, Texas Tech
Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia

Second Team

Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
MaCio Teague, Baylor
Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma
Freddie Gillespie, Baylor
Desmond Bane, TCU

Coach of the Year: Scott Drew, Baylor