Former Iowa State coach Steve Prohm was introduced as the new coach at Murray State. It will be his second stint at the school after leading the Racers to a 104-29 record from 2011 through 2015.

Prohm led ISU for six years and was fired after posting a 2-22 record in 2021.

Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley is enjoying a return to “normal” spring football. After playing a shortened spring season in 2021 the Panthers returned to the field last week and are focused on player development.

It has been several years since the Panthers have had a normal spring.

Farley says this is a new experience for much of the roster.

The Panthers will conclude spring drills the weekend of April 23rd.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Keegan Murray (15) during a photo shoot at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA on Monday, September 13, 2021. (Stephen Mally/hawkeyesports.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray has been named a finalist for the 2022 Lute Olson Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Former Hawkeye Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 Lute Olson Award. The award, which has been presented annually to the top Division I college basketball player since 2010, is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson. He won 776 games in 34 seasons, nine of which were spent at the University of Iowa. Olson, who passed away last August, is one of 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games (all divisions) and ranks ninth on the Division I career victories list. Olson is the all-time winningest coach at Arizona (587-190, .755) and third winningest coach in Iowa history (167-91, .647).

Murray becomes the first Hawkeye to be named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Award. The award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in Division I basketball, is named in honor of the legendary former coach. Driesell won 786 games in 41 years at Davidson, Maryland, James Madison and Georgia State. He ranks eighth on the NCAA career Division I coaches victories list and his teams at each stop were known for playing tenacious defense.

Earlier this month, Murray became the program’s fourth consensus first-team All-American, joining Murray Wier (1948), Charles Darling (1952), and Garza (2020 and 2021).

Murray is also a Wooden Award Semifinalist and a Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Finalist.

Murray (6-foot-8, 225 pounds) ranks first in the country in Player Efficiency Rating (37.8); fourth in points per game (23.5); 34th in field goal percentage (.554); 46th in blocks per contest (1.94); and 51st in double-doubles (10). His 23.5 points per game average is tops among players from a major conference and marks the third consecutive season a Hawkeye has led the Big Ten in scoring (Garza in 2020 and 2021). Murray is the only player nationally to average 23+ points and 8+ rebounds this season.

Trevor Hudgins poured in 31 points and led Northwest Missouri State to the first ever Division II National Championship 3-peat with a 67-58 win over Augusta in the title game on Saturday.

Hudgins got hot early and had 22 points in the first half to pair with 12 points and 4 rebounds from Luke Waters. The Bearcats did see their lead dwindle to one with two and a half minutes left in the game due to a 16-5 run by the Jaguars. Hudgins knocked down a couple free throws and Luke Waters had a layup to secure the Bearcats lead.

Northwest Missouri State ended the season with a record of 35-5. Hudgins was name the Most Outstanding Player of the Elite Eight. Northwest has now won four of the last five Division II titles.

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz says whoever is eventually named the starting quarterback will have a better offense to work with. That unit that ranked next to last in the Big Ten last season.

Spencer Petras opened spring drills at the top of the depth chart with Alex Padilla second.

Ferentz is confident in both.

Joe Labas is third on the depth chart.

The future is bright for the Iowa State men’s and women’s basketball teams after runs to the Sweet-16. The Cyclone men closed T.J. Otzerlberger’s first season as head coach with a 22-13 record after a 70-56 loss to Miami in Chicago and Otzelberger credits a roster that bought in.

Otzelberger on how this team will be remembered.

Otzelberger says the Cyclones also handled their share of adversity.

ISU guard Izaiah Brockington hopes this team is remembered as the one that got the program restarted.

The Cyclone women finished 28-7 after a 76-68 upset loss to Creighton in Greensboro, North Carolina. Even if star forward Ashley Joens does not used her COVID season a solid nucleus returns for coach Bill Fennelly.

Fennelly says it was an enjoyable team to coach.

Miami grabbed 11 steals and piled up 21 assists on their 26 made shots to push past Iowa State 70-56 in a Sweet 16 game in Chicago on Friday night. The Cyclones were a cold 4 of 22 from three point range and didn’t have many loose balls bounce their way.

Miami led by three at half and the Canes never surrendered the lead in the second half. Kameron McGusty had a huge game with 27 points on 10 of 18 shooting to lead Miami. Jordan Miller had 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Sam Waardenburg came up with some big shots to finish with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Iowa State was led by 13 points each from Tyrese Hunter and Gabe Kalscheur. Hunter also had 7 assists and 4 rebounds. Star guard Izaiah Brockington was held in check, finishing with 11 points and 7 rebounds. The Cyclones end their turnaround season with a mark of 22-13 after finishing 2-22 a season ago.

Miami improved to 26-10 on the season and reached their first ever Elite Eight with the win. The Hurricanes will face Kansas in the Midwest Region Final on Sunday at 1:20 p.m. back at the United Center.

Creighton poured in 11 threes and shot 45% from the field on their way to 76-68 win over Iowa State in the round of 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The game was back and forth in the first half and tied 30-all at the break. The Jays took control with a 29-21 advantage in the third quarter and kept the Cyclones at bay in the fourth.

Morgan Maly led four Creighton players in double-figures with 21 points. Tatum Rembao added 19 points and 4 assists. Iowa transfer Lauren Jensen nearly had a double-double with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

Iowa State was led by 22 points from Emily Ryan and 15 points and 5 rebounds from Nyamer Diew. Ashley Joens finished with 14 points and 4 boards in what may be her last game with the Cyclones. Iowa State ends the season with a 28-7 record.

Creighton improved to 23-9 and will now face top-seed South Carolina on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. in the Elite Eight.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Women’s NCAA Sweet 16

No. 1 N.C. State vs. No. 5 Notre Dame 11:30 a.m. ESPN
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Indiana 2 p.m. ESPN
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 4 Tennessee 4 p.m. ESPN2
No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 10 South Dakota 6:30 p.m. ESPN2

Men’s NCAA Elite Eight

No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 5 Houston 4:09 p.m. TBS San Antonio, Tex. AT&T Center
No. 2 Duke vs. No. 4 Arkansas 7:49 p.m. TBS San Francisco, Calif. Chase Center

Friday, March 25, 2022

Men’s NCAA Sweet 16

No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s 6:09 p.m. CBS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Providence 6:29 p.m. TBS Chicago, Illinois United Center
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 8 North Carolina 8:39 p.m. CBS Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wells Fargo Center
No. 10 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 11 Iowa State 8:59 p.m. TBS Chicago, Illinois United Center

Women’s NCAA Sweet 16

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 5 North Carolina 6 p.m. ESPN
No. 2 Texas vs. No. 6 Ohio State 6 p.m. ESPN2
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 4 Maryland 8:30 p.m. ESPN
No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 10 Creighton 8:30 p.m. ESPN2