Iowa

Wisconsin 116, Iowa 85: Badger Blitz

Published

1 year ago

January 4, 2025

Wisconsin 116, Iowa 85: Badger Blitz

A good start for the Hawkeyes — Iowa led Wisconsin 28-22 almost 12 minutes into the game — fell apart in the face of torrid shooting from the Badgers, resulting in a 116-85 Wisconsin victory. The loss dropped Iowa to 10-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten.

A 19-2 Badger run in the first half flipped the game on its head and put the Hawkeyes in a hole they were never able to escape. Wisconsin shredded the Iowa defense over the final thirty minutes of the game and rolled to an easy win.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

1. When it Rains 3s, it Pours

Both teams started off shooting the ball well, especially from three-point range. Iowa made its first four three-point shots, while Wisconsin made three of its first four threes. But while Iowa’s three-point shooting slowed down, the Badgers just kept burying triple after triple.

Nine different Badgers made at least one three and six players made two or more, led by John Blackwell with a scorching-hot 6-of-10 effort from deep (part of his game-high 32 points). Kamari McGee was the second-best long-range shooter for the Badgers, draining 4-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc.

This sort of three-point eruption from the Badgers wasn’t expected — Wisconsin entered this game shooting 32.5% from deep this season, 217th in the nation. Blackwell was one of the Badgers not firing from deep before tonight — he entered the game making just 28.9% of his long-range efforts, including 3-of-19 in his last six games.

Iowa’s defense didn’t do enough to close out on several of Wisconsin’s three-point attempts and too many of Wisconsin’s school-record 21 threes were wide open. “They got going from the beginning,” Iowa guard Drew Thelwell said. “I don’t think we made enough adjustments to I guess run them off the line or do something else and they just got comfortable out there.”

“We just gotta fly around, have more energy,” added Thelwell. “[It] felt like we just quit on some possessions, which we can’t have, especially starting off on the Big Ten on the road.”

The entire Wisconsin team was clearly in the zone when it came to shooting from beyond the arc — that’s the only way a team can go 21-of-31 from 3-point range. On some level you have to tip your cap to the Badgers; sometimes the flood hits and just washes away everything in its path.

Still, allowing 50+ points in a half or seeing an opponent get hot from long range are not new problems for Iowa basketball — as Thelwell said, the Hawkeyes needed to make some sort of adjustments and do something to stop the torrent of threes flowing from the Badger shooters.

“Our shot selection wasn’t very good, nor was our defense obviously,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said. “We gotta be better with our ball-screen action, with our transition defense. Our initial defense was good sometimes, but not our closeouts, not our defense after the ball was reversed, so sometimes they were getting open 3s.”

“They’ve got a lot of weapons,” McCaffery noted. “Once they start hitting 3s, they’re hard to guard. That’s why what you do on the offensive end is so critical.”

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2. Broken Glass

Iowa didn’t do many things well against Wisconsin on Friday, but they did protect the ball well — Iowa had just nine turnovers in the game, versus 13 for the Badgers. The Hawkeyes were able to turn 13 Badger giveaways into a 21-8 edge in points off turnovers.

That was about the only thing that Iowa did better than Wisconsin in this game.

Aside from 3-point shooting, Wisconsin also hammered Iowa on the glass, out-rebounding Iowa 37-21 for the game. Obviously Iowa didn’t have as many defensive rebound opportunities with the ball going through the net again and again on the Wisconsin end (the Badgers shot 64.5% overall from the floor and missed just 22 shots), but they didn’t capitalize well on the chances they did have.

The offensive rebound stats ended up almost even — 8 for Wisconsin, 7 for Iowa — but that’s mainly a function of some late o-boards for the Hawkeyes after the game outcome was long decided. In the first half, Wisconsin out-rebounded 18-9 overall and 5-1 on the offensive glass. They turned that advantage on the offensive boards into a 10-2 edge in second-chance points.

“As a collective unit, I think we just took our foot off the gas pedal,” Thelwell said of Iowa conceding a 19-2 run to Wisconsin after the Hawkeyes led 28-22 in the first half. “Obviously you can’t do that in the Big Ten. [We] just need more energy, more effort, gotta rebound the ball too.”

There are tactical things that Iowa can do to improve its rebounding — as we’ve discussed over the last few days — but one of the biggest changes Iowa can make is bringing more effort to its rebounding attempts. The Badgers seemed to be the quicker team to every loose ball in this game, which is the sort of effort that can be critical in winning the rebounding battle.

3. Drew Thelwell Shined, but…

One of the only bright spots for Iowa in this drubbing was the play of Morehead State transfer Drew Thelwell. Thelwell had his best game as a Hawkeye (by far), erupting for a team-high 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting (3-of-5 from deep), along with a team-high five assists and two rebounds. Thelwell attacked the Badgers inside and out on offense and did what he could on the defensive end as well.

“He was spectacular at both ends,” said McCaffery after the game. “[He] kept fighting, played at the 1, at the 2, driving the ball, finishing in traffic, getting to the free throw line, making steals. [He] just really tried to will us though those difficult minutes in the middle portion of the game.”

After the game, Thelwell said that he embraced the role of being a sparkplug for the team, especially on the defensive end. “I would say it has to start with somebody,” he said. “If that’s my role to get this team going, I’ll do it the best I can on defense and show them that I’ll always give 100%.”

Aside from Thelwell, Iowa’s top performer was Josh Dix, who made his first four shots of the game and finished with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting (2-of-3 from 3-point range). Dix was key to Iowa’s fast start and early lead and things went south when he went to the bench for a break in the first half; Wisconsin outscored Iowa 16-2 with Dix out of the game in that stretch.

Not one of Iowa’s top performers? Payton Sandfort, who endured one of his worst games in an Iowa uniform and finished with more personal fouls (3) than points (2). Sandfort could not buy a shot, going 1-of-9 from the floor and 0-of-5 from beyond the arc. He did finish with a team-high 5 rebounds.

“Payton puts a lot of pressure on himself,” said McCaffery. “He’s had some off nights. He was fighting tonight, he was trying, [but he] couldn’t get anything to fall. [He] had a couple clean looks, they didn’t go in. That really frustrated him, because teams are guarding him very closely, and then when he gets a clean look, he wants to make it. He was flying at the glass, he was flying around, [it] just didn’t happen for him tonight.”

Iowa is not going to win many games — especially in Big Ten play — when Payton Sandfort scores just two points.

Owen Freeman, Iowa’s other top scorer this season, finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but had a quiet night overall. He had just three rebounds and struggled mightily to slow down Wisconsin’s twin towers in the post — Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl combined for 32 points (on 12-of-15 shooting), 15 rebounds and 3 assists.

NEXT: Iowa returns home to face Nebraska (11-2, 1-1 Big Ten) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday, January 7 (7:00 PM CT, Peacock).

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Iowa

6 locally owned eastern Iowa gems defining the dining scene

Published

12 hours ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

6 locally owned eastern Iowa gems defining the dining scene

From a restored 1914 general store serving reinvented American classics to a nationally revered small-town pizza spot to an authentic mom-and-pop Korean restaurant. Whether you are craving carefully crafted concepts to hole in walls, consider this your guide for planning weeknight dinners, date nights, or after-work fare across the Iowa City corridor.

Káva House & Café

Káva House & Café is located in downtown Swisher in a restored 1914 general store. A longtime staple, the restaurant might be best known for its fine coffees, but it is also a full-service restaurant with breakfast, lunch and dinner options. The menu reinvents American deli standards, including Otto’s old-fashioned meat loaf hot sandwich and a variety of loose meat sandwiches

Details: 122 Second St. S.W., Swisher, 319-857-5000, kavahousecafe.com

Price range: $10 to $20

Ramen Belly

Ramen Belly is tucked away in the Peninsula Neighborhood in Iowa City. In 2023, the restaurant was named to Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants in the Midwest. While ramen is in the restaurant name, the spot offers a wide variety of Japanese cuisine, from poke bowls to donburi, dumplings and short ribs.

Details: 1010 Martin St., Iowa City, 319-569-1057, or ramenbelly.co

Price range: $10 to $20

I Love Fufu

I Love Fufu opened in 2022 and has been serving African and Caribbean specialty dishes, such as jollof rice, the popular West African soup egusi, and oxtail. Fufu is a must-try, a staple in many West African countries, made by boiling starchy vegetables such as cassava, yams or plantains, then pounding them into a smooth, elastic dough. Fufu is typically served as an accompaniment to soups, stews and sauces, allowing diners to scoop up and savor the rich flavors of each dish.

Details: 230 E. Benton St., Iowa City, 319-499-8189, ilovefufuiowacity.com

Price range: $10 to $20

Lincoln Winebar

Lincoln Winebar is nationally acclaimed to have the best pizza in Iowa, according to the New York Times and 50toppizza.it. Lincoln Winebar leans into local ingredients, from toppings like asparagus and hot honey sourced from local farms, to bring a fresh influence to the Italian classic. From seasonal pizza varieties to mainstay classics like pepperoni and sausage, to locally grown oyster mushrooms, a Margherita, and brie and Gorgonzola, this small-town spot has big energy.

Details: 125 First St. W., Mount Vernon, 319-471-0959, or foodisimportant.com

Price range: $20 to $30

Le Gourmet

Located in the Old Capitol Mall, Le Gourmet is a traditional Korean restaurant that can be easy to miss but is a must-try. It offers a variety of Korean soups and noodle dishes, along with popular Korean street food like tteok-bokki, chewy rice cakes stir-fried in a spicy, sweet, savory sauce, or gimbap, similar to hand-rolled sushi but with different preparation techniques. The restaurant also offers formal dining options like broiled eel and L.A. galbi, inviting diners to try something new.

Details: 201 S. Clinton St. Suite 173, Iowa City, 319-471-0959, or legourmettogo.com

Price range: $10 to $20

La Regia Taqueria

La Regia specializes in street tacos, as well as burritos and quesadillas. Located on the west side of town, La Regia offers a multitude of options, from carne asada to birria, and more adventurous meat options like lengua (cow tongue) and tripe (cow stomach), one of the few places where these meat varieties can be found in the Iowa City corridor. The restaurant also has an expansive menu for non-meat eaters, from fried fish tacos to veggie sope.

Details: 436 Hwy. 1 W., Iowa City, 319-341-8226, or laregia.com

Price range: $10 to $20

Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_

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Iowa

Endene No Longer On Iowa Wrestling Team As Hawkeyes Prepare For Penn State – FloWrestling

Published

24 hours ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

Endene No Longer On Iowa Wrestling Team As Hawkeyes Prepare For Penn State – FloWrestling

Fourth-ranked 197-pounder Massoma Endene is no longer a member of Iowa’s men’s wrestling team, coach Tom Brands said on Tuesday.

Endene, who compiled a 6-1 record with the Hawkeyes, hasn’t wrestled since an 8-2 defeat to second-ranked Rocky Elam on Nov. 30 in the 20-14 dual loss to Iowa State.

Brands announced the news when he opened his weekly media availability, saying: “My statement to that is, sometimes these things work and sometimes they don’t work, and this one just didn’t work out. We wish him the best, and that’s the extent of it. So that’s the opening statement.”

Asked if he wanted to add any clarifying details to the announcement, Brands paused, then said, “That’s as far as I’ll go.”

Endene, a Dallas, Texas native, transferred to Iowa in the offseason after winning three NCAA Division III national championships at Wartburg. Before that, he was a two-time NJCAA All-American at Iowa Lakes Community College.

Gabe Arnold wrestled at 197 in duals against Chattanooga and Utah Valley in the “Uncivil War” event on December 12. Harvey Ludington wrestled at the weight class in last Friday’s dual against Wisconsin, losing to Wyatt Ingham 10-8.

Ludington and Brody Sampson are listed as the choices at 197 for Friday’s home dual against top-ranked Penn State. Sampson, a redshirt freshman, is 6-6 this season. Ludington, a freshman, was undefeated in eight matches at the Luther Open and Jim Koch Wisconsin Open, and finished fifth at the Soldier Salute.

“We want to be really, really smart with Ludington,” Brands said. “He’s our best option, based on the results at the Soldier Salute. We are going to be smart, and take it week to week.”

Ferrari Revs Up

Redshirt freshman Angelo Ferrari is 9-0 this season and takes a #1 ranking at 184 pounds into Friday’s match against fourth-ranked Rocco Welsh.

It’s Ferrari’s confidence and composure that has impressed Brands.

“He embraces being a leader in a way that is comfortable and natural for him,” Brands said. “You talk about being the first-guy-in-the-last-guy-to-leave type of thing. He exhibits that he gets done what he needs to get done. Not sure that he’s real concerned with being a verbal-type leader at this point in his career, but definitely (a leader) by example. And when I say, is he even comfortable being a verbal leader? That doesn’t matter. What matters is that he’s doing the work that’s required. His commitment level is top-notch.”

“I think I hold myself to a higher standard than, you know, anybody else holds me to,” Ferrari said. “I expect myself to go out there and put up points, and if I don’t, then I’m disappointed myself, and I know what I’m capable of.”

Ferrari got his first taste of the rivalry with Penn State last season, when he wrestled at 184 against second-ranked Carter Starocci, losing 2-1. It was Ferrari’s only defeat of the season.

“I think it was great,” Ferrari said of the experience. “There were a lot of fans and a lot of people rooting against you. It was fun, that’s all I could really say. I mean, it was a fun experience. And obviously there’s a fire under me this time to go out there and put up some points and get some takedowns.”

Ferrari has been putting up the points this season, winning three matches by technical fall.

“The fact is, he’s a real popular guy in that locker room,” Brands. “I mean, our guys love him. There’s good relationships there.

“He stepped up big a couple different times. And so when you’re stepping up big, you know sometimes you’re getting responsibility that you may not have thought that you would ever get, and sometimes you have to embrace that responsibility, even if you’re not comfortable with it. And I would say that he’s embraced it great, because he’s still doing what he needs to do to prepare every day. He loves the mat. He loves the wrestling mat, and that’s what we need.”

Ferrari said his battles with national champion Stephen Buchanan during workouts have prepared him well and helped with his composure during matches.

“I’ve been in scrambles like that with Buchanan every day,” Ferrari said. “You know, he puts me in those types of positions where he’s coming at me, and I think it’s just crazy positions like that was what prepares me for when I’m out on the mat.”

It’s a composure that Ferrari said also comes with his family’s success on the mat.

“Everybody’s rooting against you,” he said. “So it kind of drives you a little bit more. And just having that helped me out a little bit.”

Block Bounce Back

Ryder Block is hoping to bounce back after his sudden-victory loss to Joseph Zargo in last Friday’s dual against Wisconsin.

Block, 6-2 last season and ranked 10th at 149, gets top-ranked Shayne Van Ness on Friday.

“If you’re gonna be the guy going out there, you’ve got to be ready to go,” Block said. “(The loss) happened, now you’ve got to move forward.”

Block said there is a piece of advice he is taking from Brands.

“Tom always said you’ve got to have some big nuts,” Block said. “So this week, gotta have some big nuts to get back on the right track, and then just keep getting better.”

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Iowa

James Madison transfer Trent Wilson details commitment to Iowa football

Published

1 day ago

January 13, 2026

Press Room

James Madison transfer Trent Wilson details commitment to Iowa football

IOWA CITY — In what has been an active transfer portal window for Iowa football, the Hawkeyes added to their offensive line room with the commitment of Trent Wilson.

Wilson appeared in all 14 games as a true freshman at James Madison last season, including one start. The Dukes made the College Football Playoff and finished the season 12-2 overall.

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Iowa is losing three starters from its Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line last season. The Hawkeyes started the same five offensive linemen every game in 2025: Trevor Lauck, Beau Stephens, Logan Jones, Kade Pieper and Gennings Dunker. Stephens, Jones and Dunker are departing the program.

At the very least, Wilson gives Iowa more depth in that room next season as the Hawkeyes try to replace some serious experience and production.

Wilson is not the only player to transfer from James Madison to Iowa. Tyler Brown, who started all 14 games at free safety for the Dukes last season and ranked second on the team in total tackles with 80, is joining Wilson in Iowa City.

Wilson detailed his commitment to Iowa, providing typed responses via social media to the Register:

Note: Answers have been edited slightly for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

On why he committed to Iowa

“I committed to Iowa because of the culture. At Iowa, offensive linemen get sent to the NFL, and the team isn’t ‘flashy’ (like) other teams, they just want to win. On my visit, Iowa toured me around the facilities, which were amazing, but my favorite part was talking to the coaches. In the meeting, (offensive line coach George Barnett) spoke my language exactly. He spoke about the drive it takes to win and how their linemen play, and I immediately felt at home. Walking out of that meeting, I knew I was going to commit.”

More insight from Wilson on his commitment to Iowa

“As for JMU, and even my high school, I come from a winning culture. I knew what college I picked couldn’t be satisfied with a mediocre season. This also led me to picking Iowa, as they are one of the winningest programs in the Big Ten. Since I was young, I’ve dreamed of having a dedication to a college team, then going to the NFL. At Iowa, I feel I can make this happen. That’s why I’m committed.”

What Wilson learned from getting meaningful playing time on a winning team as a true freshman

“I learned (I) could play with anyone. Going into college, I was nervous that all the other athletes would be a lot bigger, faster, and stronger than me. At JMU, especially against Oregon (in the College Football Playoff), I proved that I can compete with anyone.”

Wilson describes his skillset

“Aggressive and intelligent. I’m going to give my all every play, all while knowing exactly what’s going on in the defense and seeing their movement. After I pick up the movement, I’ll make sure to put them on their back.”

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com

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