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How will Iowa State women’s basketball replace Kenzie Hare with tough slate on the horizon

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1 year ago

December 14, 2024

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How will Iowa State women’s basketball replace Kenzie Hare with tough slate on the horizon

AMES – The Iowa State women’s basketball team entered the season with one starting spot up for grabs.

The Cyclones brought back starters Audi Crooks, Emily Ryan, Addy Brown and Arianna Jackson. The team thought it filled the fifth starting spot when Kenzie Hare emerged as a constant contributor.

But with Hare now out for the season with an injury, that starting spot is once again up for grabs. Finding her replacement is one of the top priorities for No. 17 Iowa State, which takes on Eastern Illinois on Sunday at 5 p.m., at Hilton Coliseum.

“We’ve got to figure that out,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly. “And obviously we didn’t do a very good job of it the other night (against Iowa). So, we’ll continue to probably keep doing what we’ve been doing in the sense of giving everyone a lot of opportunities, mix and match and hopefully something good will come of it.”

Hare, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, transferred to Iowa State from Marquette and quickly produced for the Cyclones. The Illinois native averaged 8.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10 games, including eight starts this season.

Hare had been dealing with a hip injury that occurred before she arrived in Ames. The Iowa State coaching staff tried treatment options but never could get her to 100%. So, the Cyclones decided to shut her down and medically redshirt her this season.

Hare’s absence created a giant void on the floor. The newcomer, an established star 3-point shooter, gave Iowa State experience, defense on the perimeter and grit throughout games, diving for loose balls and making small but important plays.

“It’s a huge loss for our team,” Fennelly said.

Replacing her will be difficult. But Iowa State does have options. Freshman Aili Tanke has started at times this season. So has sophomore Kelsey Joens, who filled in during the Iowa game. Then there’s juniors Sydney Harris and Lily Hansford. The problem, Fennelly said, is that no one has stepped up and taken the job.

Tanke provided some valuable minutes in the Iowa game. Joens has shined at times off the bench. Harris has as well. Hansford, another strong shooter who transferred from Oregon State, has struggled to find her rhythm but is still in the mix after knocking down a big 3 against the Hawkeyes.

But no one has continually given Fennelly what he’s looking for: some points, some defense on the perimeter and some hard work. The bar isn’t high with Crooks, Brown and Ryan expected to handle the bulk of the scoring. Still, Tanke, Joens, Harris or Hansford has yet to win the job.

“They’re all in the mix and we just, up to this point, the only consistency has been inconsistency,” Fennelly said.

The coach said Friday and Saturday’s practices would decide who starts Sunday’s game. But that person may not be the permanent answer.

“I’m going to actually meet with all of them and just say, ‘Hey, here’s where we are and it’s going to be, whoever practices best the next two days will go out there first and whoever plays the best in the game on Sunday, stays in the game,’” Fennelly said.

There are other routes for the Cyclones to go as well. Fennelly said he’s thought about playing two post players at once, putting Crooks and Alisa Williams on the floor at the same time. He’s even thought about moving the versatile Brown to the three spot or into the post. Everything is on the table right now.

“I’m not afraid to try other things,” Fennelly said.

Time is ticking for Iowa State to figure it out. Things get very difficult for the Cyclones after Sunday’s game. Iowa State plays No. 2 UConn in the Invesco QQQ Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase next week. After that, the Cyclones embark on Big 12 Conference play. Iowa State was picked to finish second in the league this season.

If the Cyclones are going to have any success this season, replacing Hare is something they have to find an answer for. Fast.

“This is the situation we are in and it’s pretty evident, especially in the two road games that we lost,” Fennelly said. “So, we’ve got to figure that out.”

Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468

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Where Iowa State basketball stands in NCAA Tournament bracketology

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Where Iowa State basketball stands in NCAA Tournament bracketology

We’re heading down the homestretch.

Iowa State men’s basketball has two regular-season games left, followed by the Big 12 Tournament.

Iowa State enters the final week of the regular season with a 24-5 overall record and an 11-5 mark in Big 12 action.

The Cyclones have a NCAA Tournament resume-bolstering opportunity on Monday, March 2 with a road game against Arizona, before wrapping up the regular-season on Saturday, March 7 against Arizona State.

Plenty can still change with bracketology from now until Selection Sunday on March 15, but here is where experts are projecting Iowa State to land in the NCAA Tournament entering the final week of the regular season:

Iowa State basketball’s computer metrics as of Tuesday

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5

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Iowa Lottery Pick 3 Midday, Pick 3 Evening results for March 1, 2026

Published

18 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The Iowa Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big with rewards ranging from $1,000 to millions. The most an Iowan has ever won from playing the lottery was $343 million in 2018 off the Powerball.

Don’t miss out on the winnings. Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026, winning numbers for each game:

Winning Pick-3 numbers from March 1 drawing

Midday: 6-9-4

Evening: 4-2-5

Check Pick-3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick-4 numbers from March 1 drawing

Midday: 1-7-4-8

Evening: 7-6-9-1

Check Pick-4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Iowa Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 12:20 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 10:00 p.m. CT daily.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Iowa editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.

The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.

The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.

The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.

Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:

Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa

Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan

Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland

Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue

Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.

It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.

Nebraska at UCLA

When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

UCLA rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-UCLA analysis

The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.

UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.

The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.

Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.

Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.

This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg goes to the basket as Iowa forward Cooper Koch defends during the first meeting in Iowa City. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa at Nebraska

When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Iowa rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska forward Braden Frager defends a fast-break layup attempt by Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz in the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 17. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska-Iowa analysis

The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.

Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.

Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.

Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.

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