Iowa
Iowa basketball: As Hawkeyes exit Big Ten Tournament, uncertainty looms over program
Fran McCaffery discusses Iowa basketball’s loss to Illinois
Fran McCaffery, Josh Dix, Payton Sandfort discuss Iowa basketball’s loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.
INDIANAPOLIS — At this very venue on this very day three years ago, Iowa basketball stood atop the Big Ten’s mountaintop.
The Hawkeyes won four games in four days to capture a Big Ten Tournament title. Capped off by a win over Purdue, those four days were filled with thrills and euphoria. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery spoke fondly of that team earlier this week.
Thursday was three years removed from that tournament championship. And things looked much different.
After back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Ohio State, Iowa’s hopes to make an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament were put to an end. The Hawkeyes were unable to overcome the usual suspects — defense and rebounding — in a 106-94 loss to Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
That win over Ohio State on Wednesday was Iowa’s first victory in the Big Ten Tournament since beating Purdue in 2022. That year was also the last time the Hawkeyes made the NCAA Tournament. They haven’t won a game in the Big Dance since 2021.
The energy surrounding the program is drastically reduced from that memorable day three years ago.
As Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament run came to an end on Thursday, uncertainty looms over the future of the program.
For the second time in less than two weeks, McCaffery was prompted to speak about his future at Iowa. For the second time, he reaffirmed his commitment to the program.
On Thursday, McCaffery was asked if he expects to be Iowa’s coach next season and beyond.
“I do,” McCaffery said.
If that is the case, attention turns to Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz, who will have a decision to make.
In 15 seasons as Iowa’s head coach, McCaffery orchestrated success for the program. He helped develop nationally distinguished players such as Luka Garza, Keegan and Kris Murray, and others. Iowa won at least 20 games for four consecutive seasons in two separate stints during McCaffery’s tenure. The Hawkeyes did it from the 2012-13 to 2015-16 seasons and the 2018-19 to 2021-2022 seasons.
At its best, the program was relevant on a national scale.
But there are also fair criticisms of McCaffery’s tenure.
His teams’ lack of NCAA Tournament success are illustrated by the fact that he has never reached a Sweet 16 with the Hawkeyes. Defensive struggles are as woven into the fabric of the program as the Hawkeyes’ high-octane offense. McCaffery’s temper flare-ups occasionally brought unwanted national attention.
Iowa checked a few of those boxes on Thursday.
The Hawkeyes scored 94 points, shot 55% from the field, 46% from deep, turned the ball over just five times and still managed to lose by double-digits. In the second half, McCaffery was called for two technicals and thrown out of the game.
After the game, McCaffery indicated that he was pointing out the fouls discrepancy when he was hit with the first technical.
“I’m always going to advocate for my guys,” McCaffery said. “That’s my job.”
Thursday’s loss was not for a lack of trying. Payton Sandfort drilled eight 3-pointers (tying a Big Ten Tournament record) en route to a 30-point outing. A team that battled through injuries this season simply did not have enough answers, which might sum up where the program currently stands under McCaffery.
“It’s the greatest honor of my life to be able to represent the black and gold,” Sandfort said. “And that’s why I gave it everything I did every day. The chance to play for coach and the chance to play with so many great Hawkeyes. It’s the honor of my lifetime. I wish I could repay this place as much as it gave to me. But I gave it everything I had.”
Goetz has a lot to consider as she evaluates the future of the men’s basketball team. The last two seasons have been stale. Iowa managed a mediocre 36-31 record during that stretch. One win in the Big Ten Tournament. Zero appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowds that were small and spiritless far too often reflected a fan base distancing itself from the program.
But if Goetz decides it’s time for the program to go a different direction, there is no guarantee Iowa will be destined for greater heights. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, the longest-tenured Big Ten men’s basketball coach, warned of that last week.
Iowa’s roster payroll is in the range of $1.1 million to $1.5 million, according to reporting by the Register’s Chad Leistikow. Not nearly enough, McCaffery said after Thursday’s loss.
“You’d probably need 6 million, and we were nowhere near that,” McCaffery said. “I think you know that. Those numbers are going to go north of that.”
If Iowa elects to embark on a new era, it will be a test of whether the program’s struggles were more of a McCaffery problem or an athletics department infrastructure problem.
Was McCaffery set up for failure due to a lack of financial resources? Or was it burnout from his tenure that caused the downturn?
For what it’s worth, McCaffery said Iowa playing in the debut of the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament is “going to happen.” But that is not currently the most pressing issue.
The future of the program is in Goetz’s hands. The ball is in her court.
Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com
Temu sued by Oklahoma AG over alleged deceptive practices
Oklahoma AG sues Temu, alleging illegal data harvesting, deceptive practices and counterfeit Oklahoma merchandise.
Online retailer Temu has sold cheap and counterfeit goods, used underhanded marketing tactics and lied about when and how it takes customers’ data, Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says.
Bird is suing the China-based retail giant, accusing it of numerous violations of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. Temu, which has aggressively been promoted in the United States under its “Shop like a Billionaire” tagline, competes with Amazon and other online retailers and operates online marketplaces for third-party sellers.
The lawsuit, filed July 1, cites years of complaints to the Attorney General’s Office, Better Business Bureau and other watchdog groups about the quality and reliability of Temu shopping, with reports often citing purchased merchandise that bear little resemblance to the photos of items offered for sale.
Those complaints are just the tip of the iceberg, Bird alleges. Her suit accuses Temu of dishonest pricing practices, such as labeling items for sale despite listing them at their normal price. Temu also allegedly uses “gamification” tricks to encourage users to make purchases, sign up their friends on Temu, and other actions, but often fails to deliver on the promised benefits, it says.
In some cases, the company is accused of simply fabricating sales. “Numerous” Iowans have reported receiving and being charged for Temu packages they never ordered and were unable to return, the complaint alleges.
The company also has lied about its business practices in other ways, including covering up its use of forced labor to manufacture many of the items it sells, Bird claims.
App allegedly violates data privacy laws
Temu isn’t just angling to make a sale, Bird claims. She also accuses the company of vacuuming up customers’ private data, even hiding code in the company’s mobile apps to bypass users’ cell phone security and collect private data without their consent.
The complaint states that forensic experts retained by Iowa found the app collects data far beyond what might be necessary to complete transactions, conceals its exfiltration of sensitive data and “reconfigures itself even after having been downloaded to a user’s phone” without consent.
Much of this echoes code previously found in Pinduoduo, another e-commerce app owned by the same Chinese conglomerate, which was banned from the Google Play store in 2023 due to malware concerns. Many of those programmers, and much of the banned code, has been transferred to the Temu app, Bird claims.
Iowa Wave among fake merch sold on Temu
Temu often has been accused of violating intellectual property laws, and those practices have directly affected Iowa, Bird claims. The complaint includes examples of unauthorized University of Iowa, Iowa Wave and Dowling Catholic clothing.
Bird notes in her complaint that a portion of sales of authentic Iowa Wave merchandise goes to benefit pediatric cancer patients and others at the Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Iowa businesses and sellers on other marketplaces also have reported Temu stealing their branding and in some cases simply copying their product photos and descriptions to market unauthorized products.
Iowa joins several states, including Oklahoma, Texas and Nebraska, that have filed consumer protection lawsuits against Temu in recent months. Temu did not respond to a message seeking comment.
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com or 715-573-8166.
What happens when you call 911?
Here’s everything a dispatcher does to get emergency services to your location when you dial 911.
Miguel Fernandez, NorthJersey.com
A 14-year-old Dyersville girl has died from injuries caused by a watercraft collision on Clear Lake on the 4th of July.
The crash involved five people in two personal watercrafts and occurred around 5:30 p.m. near the McIntosh Woods State Park boat ramp on a part of the lake called Little Lake, according to a release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Passengers on a nearby pontoon immediately helped the victims before the Iowa DNR water patrol and conservation officers, Ventura and Clear Lake fire departments, Iowa State Patrol, Clear Lake Police Department and the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office came on scene.
The release does not give the names of the four children involved.
A 35-year-old woman, an 11-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy, all from Greenwood, South Carolina, were treated at the Mercy-One Medical Center in Mason City and released on July 4. A 15-year-old Mason City girl was transferred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and is in serious condition.
While the investigation is ongoing, Iowa DNR officers have ruled out alcohol or other impairments as contributing factors to the crash, the release states.
Isabelle Foland is a communities reporter for the Register. Reach her at ifoland@registermedia.com.
As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for the 2026 campaign, the program is also looking toward the future and rebuilding a program that was hit hard by departures.
Last season, Iowa State battled a lot of injuries, but was still able to have a pretty good year. However, following the campaign coming to an end and before bowl season kicked off, the team lost head coach Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
As expected, a lot of players from the program ended up leaving, leaving the team with nearly an entire roster to rebuild. However, new head coach Jimmy Rogers has been able to come in and make a good impression early on.
While Iowa State might not be as talented as they were last year, they have a good coach and a lot of depth. The Cyclones will be hoping that he can develop and get the most out of some of these new players, but the team certainly won’t be competing for a Big 12 title next season.
For Iowa State, with at least this year being a rebuild for the program, they will be looking toward the future. With that comes a need to recruit well, and that is something Rogers and the staff have been impressive at so far.
Iowa State Recruiting Class Shaping Up Nicely
Following the four-star addition of Chuck Alexander, who flipped from the Louisville Cardinals, the 2027 recruiting class is looking really strong right now for Iowa State. According to Rivals, they rank 49th in the country right now, and that is a strong place to be for the team.
With Alexander being the new top recruit for the team, he will be joining a class that has been highlighted by some good offensive talent so far. Running back Isaiah Hansen is regarded as a very good player at his position, and the team also has offensive lineman Will Slagle.
With the three top recruits so far being offensive players, a future core might be starting to come together for Rogers and the program. While the team might be a bit more defensive-minded this year, there is clearly a focus on improving offensively for the future.
Overall, with time still to go, this class could continue to get better. However, it is really encouraging to see what Rogers and the staff have been able to accomplish so far. Recruiting will be key for Iowa State to get back to where they want to be, and they are off to a strong start.
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