The Hyball is a weekly Iowa men's basketball column
Playing on the road this week (shout out to Dallas and, more specifically, its incredible neighborhood, Deep Ellum), so we are skippin' the intro.
The Hyball
“The thing about weird people is they have to do some extra work to understand how normal people take things.”
Last Week
2/10 - Iowa 110, Maryland 87: The "J-Bo Holy Fuck" game.
All of u idiots are reallllyyyyyy quiet on the Jbo hate tonight
— Connor McCaffery (@connor_m30) February 11, 2022
Listen, I've been as hard on him as probably anyone on this site, and, not to be a dick, but one game is not at all going to change my mind. But on that night? Absolute kudos. What could be the actual positive/takeaway here is moving him back to PG unlocked... something. One of my favorite plays of the game wasn't one of his threes but instead was an oop he threw to Keegan Murray in the second half.
Other than defense, two of this team's other big problems have been J-Bo's mega slump and Keegan not getting the ball enough, so if this move fixed or helps lessen the blow on both of these issues? I say cool. Also, more of a compliment to Murray than anything else, but I love how J-Bo ties his career high as he lights Maryland's building on fire... and finishes with the same amount of 30 points as Murray's slightly more ho-hum night ended up. I mean, you want a Holy Fuck game counterpoint? J-Bo was 10/16 while Murray went 12/14.
2/13 - Iowa 98, Nebraska 75: Super Bowl Blowout. Actually watched this after the big game ended and was a little buzzed/don't remember much. Probably for the best.
This Week
2/17 - Iowa vs. Michigan: Always interesting when two teams you don't totally believe in play each other. One validates, one surprises.
2/19 - Iowa at Ohio State (18): Eek.
2/22 - Iowa vs. Michigan State (19): Oh boy.
We might be singing a very, very different tune next week.
Caitlin Corner
More of this:
Four of Iowa Women's final five games will be televised. 2 on ESPN2 and 2 on Big Ten Network.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) February 14, 2022
For more of this:
. @CaitlinClark22 with the deep three, per usual #Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/tVmoqiUhXE
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) February 15, 2022
Brad Davison Is Definitively A Senior.
I obviously will not be watching this:
TONIGHT AT 10: In honor of Valentine's Day, a story on love and basketball featuring @tbuss3 and @braddavi34. I'm sure most couples can relate to their biggest disagreement pic.twitter.com/nNIcxp9zbM
— Karley Marotta (@Karley_Marotta) February 14, 2022
But it does appear our man has a lady in his life. I checked out her Twitter pic, and it looks like Brad is getting ready to draw the charge of his life.
/inadvertently sees picture next to it
/deepest of breaths
The good news is SI is also on the case:
Davison, Wisconsin's agitating and annoying fifth-year guard, is engaged to Indiana women's basketball legend Tyra Buss.
Hahaha -- reads like an AP report statement of fact.
Obligatory Michigan Section
The same night Iowa fire bombed Maryland, Michigan beat Purdue by 24 points. Hunt Dick dominated, Eli did cool stuff, Moussa dunked, and, improbably, Caleb Houstan did not have an air ball or shoot the ball over the backboard. The bench did this:
All of us rn: https://t.co/WURDMGEg04 pic.twitter.com/xH4nPo8jqW
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) February 11, 2022
The whole thing, similar to J-Bo going off for Iowa, was bittersweet. Watching a team at the peak of its powers is beautiful, yes, but it's hard to shake the This Is How It Always Could've Been Feeling. In Iowa's case, J-Bo as a game-to-game impactful offensive player. In Michigan's, a pre-season Top 5 team.
So it goes.
Still, you have to find the joy and hold onto it when it comes.
Since apparently they didn't broadcast it. pic.twitter.com/Wl4rUiB6jB
— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) February 11, 2022
Storm away.
Court Storming Cops are by far the most joyless little freaks on this site. You all sound like your Republican dad saying act like youve been there before. Fuck you! I wont!! Sports are supposed to be fun, not a weird passive aggressive dick measuring contest.
— Dan (@ThiccStauskas) February 11, 2022
Storm... away.
* * *
Days later, they lost to tOSU pretty decisively at home. But my friend Tracy gave me blue Fun Dip at the bar, so we'll call it even.
whatever go blue forever pic.twitter.com/yvqR1Efvt7
— Bobby L. (@bobbystompy) February 13, 2022
The Mini-Hybrid Urban Meyer's Chophouse
Urban Meyer steakhouse will drop his name after rebrand https://t.co/kwMzN3AufL
— Jodi Geczi (@jodi_geczi) February 11, 2022
...
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO https://t.co/WJ1uH81e52
— ace (wrong) (@AceAnbender) February 11, 2022
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
i love this man but why is he dressed like the coke bathroom in urban meyers steakhouse pic.twitter.com/dlB6PVG4Md
— only ever a bills fan (@seltzermom) February 13, 2022
hahahaha
/fake weeps for Urban
/real weeps for Joe Burrow
Bill Walton's Western Civilization
Really hope that Bill Walton is on the call again for the PK80 tournament next year. Nobody else gives MSU basketball analysis like this: #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/Kk7wftsULU
— Assistant to MSU Chief of Propaganda (@OdellBrettham) February 15, 2022
No Context College Basketball
— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) February 11, 2022
— No Context College Basketball (@ContextFreeCBB) February 12, 2022
Wrapping It Up...
Bobby Loesch is a weekly contributor to Go Iowa Awesome. Follow him on Twitter @bobbystompy or email to bobbyloesch [at] gmail.com.
