LOVE IT or LEAVE IT: Is it basketball season yet?

Not a lot for an introduction today. Admit it, you’re still depressed about Saturday. I know I am. But hey, it’s Floyd of Rosedale week and what would be better than keeping the bronze piggie in Iowa City? Well, if you’ve already resigned yourself to the fact that Iowa will once again be humiliated in Minneapolis, there’s always basketball season!

LOVE IT: Basketball season is exactly one month away (if you count the exhibition game—hey it’s a real thing, just ask Augustana). While the football team was busy frustrating the entire fanbase on Saturday, the Hawkeye basketball team held their first practice of the year.

The Pants will be doing more in-depth basketball previews in the coming weeks, but for now, I think it’s fair to be excited about the squad. Do I think they’re a lock for the NCAA? No. I think making the tournament is probably the team’s ceiling this year. What I am excited about is seeing 7 new faces and the potential they bring, especially Tyler Cook, who I think will start from day 1. Over/under on him shattering the glass at least once as a Hawkeye is set at .5 backboards.

LEAVE IT: In perusing the interwebz since Saturday, I came across an interesting fact about Hawkeye football under Coach Ferentz. KF has won 10 or more games five times while at Iowa. Can you name what all those seasons had in common (other than a dominating defense)? Stumped? All five featured first-year starting QB’s (Banks, Chandler, Tate, Stanzi, Beathard). I used to not give much thought to the theory that QB’s regressed under Ferentz. But considering that Tate, Stanzi, and Beathard all seemed to be a bit more gun shy after their first years does indicate something is amiss. Hell, we saw James Vandenberg’s potential in the 2009 game against Ohio State and he never went anywhere. And in 2013, I thought Jake Rudock at least looked respectable until something seemed off in 2014. Things that make you go ‘hmmm.’

LOVE IT: It was announced yesterday that the Hawkeye baseball team will be playing in the 2017 World University Games in Taiwan. The Hawkeyes will be representing the entire USA (Love it or leave it!) in baseball. Great news for Coach Heller. Now that Heller has mostly his recruits in the system, this will be a great opportunity for his new recruits to mesh. Very cool.

LEAVE IT: I am not a fan of cheap shots and Minnesota LB Jaylen Waters definitely deserved to be ejected after landing a pretty egregious hit on Penn State kicker Joey Julius. Julius has made a name for himself for pretty big tackles on returners of his kicks such as this one:

Waters was going to make sure that didn’t happen to his return guys, so I’m glad he stuck up for his guys. I definitely thought Penn State overreacted. Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it.

LOVE IT: The memorials for the late Nebraska punter Sam Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler keep getting better and better. This week, all B1G games used a ceremonial coin featuring the two. And Nebraska’s opponent, Illinois, did something equally awesome. Is it dusty in here? Got something in my eye.

LEAVE IT: Smooth move, Troy Davis. Hours after being inducted into the Iowa State Athletic Hall of Fame, Davis was arrested for public intox. Public intox is not really a big deal in my mind, but reports have surfaced that Davis was about to drive drunk. Good on the Ames police for not allowing that to happen.

Des Moines Register

LOVE IT: I take a small amount of joy in seeing the Chris Petersen-led Washington Huskies mollywhoop Stanford 43-6. That is all.

And an RIP to the great Hawkeye legend Randy Duncan, who passed away last week. Check out some highlights, courtesy of the Des Moines Register.