The Iowa State Cyclones welcomed in 36 newcomers to their football program during a signing day event at Jack Trice Stadium’s Sukup End Zone Club on Wednesday.

New Head Coach Matt Campbell and staff put together one of the Cyclones highest rated classes ever in just a short 2-month time span since coming to Ames.

The Cyclone signed 11 players on Offense including consensus 4-star Offensive Tackle Sean Foster from Mundelein, Ill.  The Cyclones also beat out Michigan for TE Chase Allen from Nixa, MO.  Allen is the son of former ISU assistant and UNI Head Coach Terry Allen.  Quarterback signee Jacob Park is expected to compete for time and add depth to the position.  Park is a former 4-star recruit who spent time at Georgia and NE Oklahoma A&M and will come in as a Sophomore in class standing.

On the defensive side the Cyclones signed 12 players including an emphasis on the line with 3 Defensive Ends and 2 Defensive Tackles.  The Cyclones got a nice surprise with the signing of Twin Brothers JaQuan and Joshua Bailey from Jacksonville, Florida whom are both three star prospects on the defensive line and were swayed by the chance to play together.

The Cyclones also signed one specialist in Long Snapper Steve Wirtel of Orland Park, Illinois.  Iowa State also welcomed in 5 mid-year signees and 6 players signed financial aid agreements as preferred walk-ons.

Iowa State will host their Spring Game on April 16th at 1:00pm at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Iowa Hawkeyes Football team added a group of 24 players to the roster yesterday on national signing day.  Kirk Ferentz and staff once again brought in a class mostly focused on kids from the midwest, signing five from the states of Iowa and Illinois, four from Michigan, and three from Wisconsin.

The Hawks put an emphasis on the defensive side of the ball and signed five defensive linemen, five linebackers, and four defensive backs.  That group includes Defensive Ends Cedrick Lattimore, a 250-pounder out of Detroit and Illinois product Romeo Knight.

On the offensive side of things the Hawkeyes signed three linemen, three tight ends, two running backs, a wide receiver, and a quarterback.  The first commitment of the class was Quarterback Nathan Stanley from Menomonie, Wisconsin.  Stanley turned down his home-state Badgers to sign with Iowa but his family does have ties to Iowa as both of his parents attended Wartburg College in Waverly.  The Hawkeyes also held on to a commitment from Offensive Alaric Jackson from Detroit despite late overtures from other Big Ten schools including Michigan.

Iowa begins spring practice the last week in March with the annual open practice scheduled for Saturday, April 23rd at Kinnick Stadium.  Iowa also plans to hold an open practice in Des Moines again the weekend of April 8-10.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Jim Field.

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Jarrod Uthoff scored 14 points and Adam Woodbury had a career-high 15 rebounds to help No. 5 Iowa roll past Penn State 73-49 on Wednesday night. Peter Jok scored 12 points and Anthony Clemmons had 12 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Hawkeyes (18-4, 9-1 Big Ten), who won their 15th straight home game. Iowa shot 46 percent from the field and held Penn State to 30 percent shooting.

Brandon Taylor had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Penn State (11-12, 2-8). Taylor shot 6 of 18 from the field. The Nittany Lions made only one 3-pointer in 20 attempts. The Hawkeyes have won by double figures in eight of their nine conference wins.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Wes Washpun scored 14 points and made the go-ahead layup with 27 seconds left, and Northern Iowa held on to beat Evansville 57-54 on Wednesday night. The Panthers built an 11-point lead and never trailed in the first half. The Purple Aces opened the second half on a 20-8 run and led 44-40 with 11 minutes left. Blake Simmons scored five points, and Egidijus Mockevicius and D.J. Balentine chipped in four apiece during the stretch.

There were four lead changes before Washpun gave the Panthers the lead for good. Jeremy Morgan blocked Jaylon Brown’s potential game-tying jump shot with three seconds left. Morgan grabbed the rebound and then made two free throws to seal it.

Matt Bohannon added 13 points for Northern Iowa (13-11, 5-6 Missouri Valley Conference). Morgan finished with 12 points and two of the Panthers’ five blocks. Mockevicius led Evansville (18-6, 7-4) with 14 points.

A state senator says Iowa shouldn’t stand for what Stanford’s band did at halftime during the Rose Bowl last month. The Stanford band put on what it called a “Farmers Only…corn show” — complete with cow tipping — to mock its Rose Bowl opponents: the University of Iowa. Senator Mark Chelgren, a Republican from Ottumwa, married into a family of Hawkeye fans and he was not amused.

“This was very disrespectful not only to the fans of the University of Iowa, but also to Iowans in general,” Chelgren says. “I was disappointed and I would like to see Stanford have the courage to stand up and say: ‘This was wrong,’ and to make a public apology.” Chelgren’s sponsoring legislation that calls on the University of Iowa and the other two universities that get state tax-dollar support to cut ties with any Stanford researchers until that apology is made.

“There are areas of the country that apparently don’t share our Iowa values and I think we need to stand up for those virtues and values,” Chelgren says, “and this is one way to do that.” Chelgren’s daughter — who went to the University of Iowa — was at the game. “We’ve always taught our family to cheer as loud as you can for your team, but not really boo the other team, because they’re someone’s kids,” Chelgren says. “This just showed such a lack of respect for any kind of sportsmanship that I thought a statement had to be made.”

State Senator Bob Dvorsky, a Democrat from Coralville, represents the University of Iowa. He was watching the Rose Bowl and saw the halftime show on T-V — until E-S-P-N cut away from the performance before it concluded. “I think what they did was offensive, but I don’t think you can blame the institution of Stanford for that,” Dvorsky says. That’s because the Stanford band is not a university-sanctioned group.

“It’s not like the Hawkeye Marching Band,” Dvorsky says. “…It’s just some loosely-organized student organization.” Stanford officials had prohibited the band from traveling to The Cardinal’s road games this past season because of bad behavior, but the band was at the Rose Bowl for Stanford’s 45-to-16 victory over the Hawkeyes. Chelgren’s bill isn’t likely to pass the state senate, but Dvorsky isn’t suggesting Chelgren withdraw it.

“It sends a message,” Dvorsky says. “We didn’t like that.” Chelgren, who grew up in California, is running for congress this year — hoping to defeat Dave Loebsack, the lone Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation who also happens to live in Iowa City.

(Radio Iowa)

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — The mother of Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer has died. Rutgers announced the death of Thelma Stoner on Wednesday. The school gave no other details. Stringer missed a game on Jan. 16 against Nebraska to be with her mother in Atlanta during her illness.

The 67-year-old Stringer thanked her “friends, fans and members of the Rutgers Athletics community who have reached out with sympathy and support during these past difficult weeks.” Assistant coach Timothy Eatman will take over head coaching duties when the Scarlet Knights travel to Minnesota and Penn State this week.

Stringer has entered her 21st season at Rutgers. She’s the first basketball coach — male or female — to take three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (Cheyney, Iowa, Rutgers).

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the postseason pairings for Class 1A and 2A boys basketball on Wednesday.  Each class is broken down into 16 districts with winners of the districts then meeting up in a substate final to determine state qualifiers.  First Round games will be played on Monday, February 15th with Second Round Games played Thursday, February 18th.

Class 1A

District 13

First Round
Orient Macksburg @ East Union 8:00pm
Diagnol vs. Lamoni @ East Union 6:30pm

Second Round
O-M/East Union Winner @ Lenox 8:00pm
Central Decatur vs. Mormon Trail at Lenox 6:30pm
Diagnol/Lamoni Winner @ Nodaway Valley8:00pm
Murray vs. Mt. Ayr @ Nodaway Valley 6:30pm

District 14

First Round
CAM vs. Riverside @ Guthrie Center 6:30pm
Adair-Casey @ Guthrie Center 8:00pm

Second Round
CAM/Riverside Winner @ IKM-Manning 8:00pm
Glidden-Ralston @ Audubon 8:00pm
Paton-Churdan vs. Guthrie Center/Adair-Casey Winner @ IKM-Manning 6:30pm
Exira-EHK vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard @ Audubon 6:30pm

District 15

First Round
Clarinda Academy @ Griswold 8:00pm
Essex vs. Heartland Christian @ Griswold 6:30pm

Second Round
Clarinda Academy/Griswold Winner vs. Stanton @ Bedford 6:30pm
Sidney vs. Nishnabotna @ Fremont-Mills 6:30pm
Essex/Heartland Christian Winner @ Fremont-Mills 8:00pm
East Mills @ Bedford 8:00pm

District 16

First Round
West Monona vs. Charter Oak-Ute @ Logan-Magnolia 6:30pm
West Harrison @ Logan-Magnolia 8:00pm

Second Round
Ar-We-Va vs. West Monona/Charter Oak-Ute Winner @ Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 6:30pm
Tri-Center @ St. Albert 8:00pm
Logan-Magnolia/West Harrison Winner @ Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 8:00pm
Boyer Valley vs. Woodbine @ St. Albert 6:30pm

Class 2A

District 14

First Round
Van Meter vs. Southwest Valley @ Panorama 6:30pm
West Central Valley @ Panorama 8:00pm

Second Round
Earlham vs. Van Meter/SW Valley Winner @ I-35 6:30pm
Panorama/WCV Winner @ I-35 8:00pm

District 15

First Round
Red Oak @ Underwood 8:00pm
Missouri Valley vs. Clarinda @ Underwood 6:30pm

Second Round
Underwood/Red Oak Winner @ Treynor 8:00pm
Missouri Valley/Clarinda Winner vs. Shenandoah @ Treynor 6:30pm

District 16

First Round
AHSTW vs. East Sac County @ South Central Cahoun 6:30pm
OA-BCIG @ South Central Calhoun 8:00pm

Second Round
Ridge View vs. AHSTW/East Sac County Winner @ Kuemper Catholic 6:30pm
South Central Calhoun/OA-BCIG Winner @ Kuemper Catholic 8:00pm

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AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jaysean Paige scored 23 points, including a crucial 3 with 1:05 left, and No. 14 West Virginia beat No. 13 Iowa State 81-76 on Monday night for its league-leading fourth Big 12 road win. Devin Williams added 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Mountaineers (18-4, 7-2), who rallied from 15 points down for its third win in four games.

Paige shot 10 of 17 from the field, none bigger than the 3 that gave West Virginia a 75-74 lead. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Cyclones 43-26, and Tarik Phillips grabbed his own missed free throw to seal it with 19 seconds left. Georges Niang scored 20 points and Abdel Nader had 19 for Iowa State (16-6, 5-4), which lost consecutive games for the second time this season.