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College

Cinderella Lady Hawkeyes earn at-large NCAA bid

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/15/10:

Iowa City, IA-  Cinderella will wear a black and gold uniform to the Big Dance in Stanford, Calif., on Saturday, officially solidifying the University of Iowa as one of the biggest women's basketball success stories in recent memory.

Once sitting with a 1-6 record in Big Ten Conference play, the Hawkeyes reeled off 11 wins in their final 14 games to finish 19-13 overall, 10-8 in the league and advance to the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive season. A No. 8 seed, Iowa will play No. 9 Rutgers in the first round at Maples Pavilion beginning at 7:16 p.m. (Iowa time). Rutgers (19-14) is coached for C. Vivian Stringer, who lead the Hawkeyes from 1983-95.

Stringer might have put Iowa on the women's basketball map, but it is current head coach Lisa Bluder who makes sure the rest of the nation continues to spell it with a capital I.

Stinger and Bluder have combined to coach the UI for 22 seasons with Bluder being in charge for the past 10 campaigns.

"Now we have an opponent, we have a date and a site," Bluder said at a media conference Monday evening inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. "Things can kick into motion. Our team is very excited and there are a lot of unique angles to this game."

One of those unique angles is the fact Stringer took Iowa to the NCAA tournament nine times and to the Final Four in 1993. The other is the director of athletics at Stanford is Bob Bowsbly, who was AD at Iowa from 1991-2005.

Rutgers plays one of the toughest schedules in the nation and the Scarlet Knights have already battled Stanford, Tennessee and Connecticut. Iowa and Rutgers have played two common opponents: West Virginia (Iowa lost 69-66; Rutgers lost 55-51 and 56-49) and Boston College (Iowa lost 72-67; Rutgers won 59-53).

"It doesn't matter to us who we're playing," Bluder said. "That's a good thing going into the NCAA tournament that your team doesn't worry who you're playing, but that you're playing together. Our team is very confident that when we have that balanced scoring that we're a very good basketball team."

"Wow, if you would have talked about this a month and a half or two months ago, getting an eighth seed and going to the NCAA tournament...it looked like a far-off dream," UI director of athletics Gary Barta said. "Then to watch what our women did; I'm so proud of the way they came on, fought through adversity and here we are, we get a chance to go to the Big Dance."

For Hawkeye junior Kachine Alexander, this is three-for-three for her in the NCAA tournament. The native of Minneapolis has never traveled to the state of California, and she doesn't want to make this a quick trip.

"I'm not trying to go there and leave right away," Alexander said. "We'll prepare for Rutgers and the tactics we'll take and things like that. We're a pretty hot team."

"It doesn't matter to us who we're playing. That's a good thing going into the NCAA tournament that your team doesn't worry who you're playing, but that you're playing together. Our team is very confident that when we have that balanced scoring that we're a very good basketball team." UI head coach Lisa Bluder

Iowa has dropped its last five games in the NCAA tournament, including a 76-62 decision to Georgia Tech on March 22, 2009, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This will be the first postseason appearance for Jaime Printy, the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year. Printy leads the Hawkeyes in points (477) and free throw percentage (87.8).

"I've heard it's a lot of fun, a privilege," Printy said. "I'm ready to get going. We're bringing a lot of confidence to California. We've been playing well together. Just to be there and being a part of it is almost like a dream come true. I thought it would happen eventually, but to have it actually happen is a different story."

Said Bluder: "It would be tremendous to get a win. We wanted to get in the tournament, now we're in it and definitely our sights are on winning that first game. That's as far as we're going to look right now. We have always taken the one-game-at-a-time approach. We know it's a tough challenge, but at the same time, I don't think our team cares who they play."

The winner of the Iowa/Rutgers game will play Stanford, the top team in the Sacramento Regional.

"I'm going to worry about our first game against Rutgers," UI sophomore Kamille Wahlin said. "They'll be a huge team to get by. We have to take it one game at a time like we have all year and focus on them, knowing that C. Vivian Stringer will have them ready."

Bluder knows what to expect: full-court pressure and great man-to-man defense.

"She put Iowa on the map, there's no doubt about that," Bluder said of Stringer. "We're going against one of the best coaches in the business and we're proud of Vivian and we're proud of all the success that she has brought to our program."

Then Bluder added a poetic twist:

"We're proud that (Vivian's) a Hawkeye and we hope she remembers that come Saturday."

Four teams from the Big Ten Conference qualified for the NCAA field: Ohio State (No. 2 seed in the Dayton Region), Michigan State (No. 5 in the Kansas City Region), Wisconsin (No. 7 in the Kansas City Region) and the Hawkeyes.

There are also three teams from the state of Iowa in the field. Northern Iowa (17-15) is the No. 16 seed in the Kansas City Region and Iowa State (23-7) is the No. 4 seed in the Dayton Region.

"UNI is my alma mater, so it's pretty neat that it's the first time ever they've been in the tournament," Bluder said. "Three teams from the state going to the NCAA tournament is wonderful. It speaks volumes for our state when you look at how many in-state kids are on those three teams, too."

Bluder was pleasantly surprised with Iowa's No. 8 seed.

"I really felt confident that we were in, so I wasn't nervous, but it's always a good thing to see your name up there no matter how many times you do this," Bluder said. "It's fun to see your name go up there and then to see what your path is.

"I thought we might be a 10 seed, but I'm thrilled that the selection committee thought we were better than we think we are sometimes."

Iowa's Kachine Alexander named All-Region

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/17/10:

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA:

Iowa City, IA-  Junior Kachine Alexander has been named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) all-Region team. Alexander is one of only five players selected to the Region 6 team, and one of only 52 Division I women's basketball players to earn the award.

Alexander is now eligible for the State Farm Coaches' all-America team. The all-America committee will trim the list to 40 finalists Tuesday, March 23. Those 40 finalists will all be in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches' all-America team.

Alexander was a first team all-Big Ten selection and was also one of five players named to the Big Ten all-Defensive team. She leads the Hawkeyes with 15.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per contest. The Minneapolis, MN, native claimed the Big Ten rebounding title, averaging 11.1 boards per game in league games. She is one of only two guards in the country to average a double-double, and ranks 17th nationally in rebounding.

Alexander has 15 double-doubles this season, which is one shy of tying the school record for single-season double-doubles held by Amy Herrig. She became Iowa's all-time leading rebounder among juniors this season, and currently has 267 boards.

Four players from the Big Ten were chosen to the Region 6 squad. Alexander was joined by Ohio State's Samantha Prahalis and Jantel Lavender along with Illinois' Jenna Smith. Missouri State's Casey Garrison was also included on the team.

Alexander is the 13th Hawkeye in school history to earn all-region honors. She is also the fifth player to earn the award under Head Coach Lisa Bluder, joining Cara Consuegra (2001), Jennie Lillis (2003), Crystal Smith (2006) and Kristi Smith (2008).

Alexander and the Hawkeyes are a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and will take on No. 9 seed Rutgers Saturday (3/20) at 7:16 p.m. (CT) regionally on ESPN2 and espn360.com in Stanford, CA.

ISU's Brackins garners yet another award

MEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/16/10:

Lady Cyclones earn No. 4 seed in Big Dance

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/15/10:

HILTON COLISEUM:

Ames, IA-  The Iowa State women’s basketball team will face Lehigh at 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Hilton Coliseum in the NCAA Championship first round. The Cyclones were chosen as a No. 4 seed in the Dayton Regional, while Lehigh is a No. 13 seed. The No. 5 seed Virginia will face the No. 12 seed Green Bay in the first game of the night at 6 p.m. Sunday at Hilton.

“They (Lehigh) look on paper a lot like us,” ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said. “They don’t score a lot, are a good defensive team, shoot the three a lot, and we’re obviously scrambling like crazy to find out. You win 29 games, and you are doing something right. We’ll spend a long night tonight trying to get information and luckily we don’t play until Sunday. The challenge of playing someone new is always fun. We’ll do the best we can to get ready.”

The winners of the NCAA first-round games in Ames will face off at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum. The first-round games at Hilton will be televised by ESPN2. The games will be televised in a whiparound coverage across the nation with ESPN2 showing the best available action at any given point in time. The Iowa State game should be shown in its entirety in the state of Iowa, but fans should check ESPN.com for coverage details later this week.

Iowa State is making its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, and its 11th in school history. All 11 ISU NCAA bids have come in head coach Bill Fennelly’s tenure. The Cyclones are playing host to the NCAA first and second rounds for the seventh time overall, and the sixth time at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State also hosted the 2002 NCAA Women’s Championship Midwest Regional at Hilton, as well as the 2008 first and second rounds at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

“The crowd at Hilton is one of the best in the country,” Fennelly said. “They are very smart and very loyal, and you add the adrenaline, the enthusiasm and the energy of the NCAA Tournament, and everything goes up to a whole new level. We are honored that the NCAA committee allowed it to come to Hilton. This will be a great event for all the teams who are here and for our fans. Our seniors are going to be able to brag that they went to four NCAA Tournaments and that is special.”

Tickets are available for purchase at cyclones.com or ticketmaster.com. They may also be purchased by phone at 1-888-478-2925 or in person at the Iowa State Athletics Ticket Office during regular office hours of 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All-session tickets are $27 for adults and $22 for youth. Single-session tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 8 a.m. and cost $16 for adults and $11 for youth.

Parking for the NCAA first and second rounds will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cyclone Club parking permits will not be valid for this NCAA event.

Iowa State earned a No. 4 seed for the second consecutive season and has been picked as a fourth seed or better seven times in school history. ISU is 14-10 in NCAA Championship games and has advanced to the Sweet 16 four times and the Elite Eight twice, including last season.

The Cyclones are 23-7 this season and 11-5 in the Big 12, which was good for a second-place finish. Iowa State has been led by All-Big 12 First-Team pick Alison Lacey. The senior point guard has posted 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game this season. She is the first player in school history and the seventh player in the history of the Big 12 to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists in a career. She has missed the last three games with pneumonia, but is expected to return to the court for ISU’s NCAA first-round contest.

Lehigh is 29-3 this season and went 13-1 in the Patriot League, to share the conference title with American. Lehigh defeated American in the conference tournament championship to earn the Patriot League’s NCAA automatic berth. The Mountain Hawks have averaged 65.8 points per game, while holding opponents to a 54.5 scoring average. Three players are averaging double figures for Lehigh.

Virginia enters the tournament with a 21-9 overall record and a 9-5 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Cavaliers fell to NC State in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals. Green Bay enters the postseason with a 27-4 overall mark this season. The Phoenix went 15-3 to claim the Horizon League regular-season title, but fell in the tournament semifinal game to Cleveland State, 83-75.

Iowa State is one of seven Big 12 teams to be picked to the NCAA Championship field. Nebraska was chosen as the No. 1 seed in the Kansas City Regional. Texas A&M was chosen as a No. 2 seed and Oklahoma is a No. 3. Baylor and Oklahoma State joined Iowa State as a No. 4 seed, while Texas was a No. 6.

Lickliter fired as Iowa head men's basketball coach

MEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/15/10:

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA:

Iowa City, IA-  Saying he was surprised it didn't work out and calling it a painstaking decision, University of Iowa director of athletics Gary Barta released Todd Lickliter from his position as head men's basketball coach for the Hawkeyes on Monday. In three seasons at the UI, Lickliter compiled a record of 38-58.

"This morning I had a meeting with Todd Lickliter and I announced to him that he would no longer be our men's basketball coach," Barta told a gathering of media inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. "This was a conclusion of a process, an evaluation."

Barta said the search for Lickliter's replacement will begin Monday as well.

"There's no timeline," Barta said. "I'm going to hire someone as fast as we possibly can, but not at the expense of finding the right person and the right fit."

In an opening statement to the 35-minute press conference, Barta highlighted some facts, which he said were the easy things to talk about in a situation like this.

"The first fact is that Todd Lickliter is a tremendous basketball coach. I believed that when I hired him and I still believe it today," Barta said. "Another fact is that Todd is a tremendous person, someone of high values -- values that I share; ethics, all those things that are important to Iowans.

"The facts that aren't as much fun to talk about, but still facts nonetheless: If you take a look at our competitive record the past three years has not been improving, it still continues to be below where we would expect -- including coach Lickliter; our attendance and our season ticket sales have continued to go down. This is not something that started three years ago, but in the past three years it has continued to go down dramatically. Related to that, but beyond just ticket sales, the financial side of the basketball equation: the revenue from ticket sales, the revenue from contributions, the revenue from all other sources related to basketball have continued to decline dramatically. I've made the determination under the current circumstances we can't overcome that hill we haven't been able to climb."

The Hawkeyes finished the 2009-10 season with a record of 10-22 overall. Barta said he is "very excited" about the players in the program. He said when they join incoming student-athletes Ben Brust, Cody Larson, Devyn Marble and Zach McCabe, the UI will be able to compete in the Big Ten Conference.

Not only did Barta call Lickliter a terrific coach, but he said the two had what he would characterize as a terrific relationship.

"In the end, it's my responsibility to create an environment to get this basketball program back on track," Barta said. "I'm not excited about how we've got to this point or how I have to proceed (Monday), but what I am excited about is going forward with this great program. Our current challenges are real, but they're short-term."

"I don't want to bring anybody here on false pretenses. I'm going to re-emphasize our history, I'm going to re-emphasize the positives, I'm going to re-emphasize that we invest and are committed to the sport of men's basketball. I'm a positive person and I believe this is a great opportunity for someone. I'm going to find somebody who's excited about taking that bigger picture and bringing Iowa basketball back to where we all know it can be and where it has been." Gary Barta UI director of athletics

Barta said he would look for a coach with many of the same characteristics as Lickliter:

"We're going to be looking for a person who's a proven leader, a winner, someone who has competed for championships," Barta said. "They need to be committed to the student-athlete; (the student-athletes) need to excel on the court, but they also have to be committed to earning a degree from the University of Iowa."

Barta said the next head coach for men's basketball will be someone who shares the value systems of the state of Iowa, the University of Iowa and of him personally.

"It will be somebody who is going to take this talented group, convince them they can do this, and with as little disruption as possible, get back up and running," Barta said.

The new coach will have loads of positives to build upon. Over the next two years, a $43 million addition and renovation project will enhance Carver-Hawkeye Arena, already one of the premiere college basketball facilities in the nation. When filled to capacity at 15,500, it is one of the most imposing venues for opponents to visit.

"We have great fan support," Barta said. "We haven't seen it in Carver the past several years, but I know it won't take much to get that arena full again and rocking. I know when that arena's full, there's no better basketball environment in America."

Lickliter, 54, coached the Hawkeyes for three seasons, compiling a 39.6 winning percentage. His first win at the UI came Nov. 9, 2007 against Idaho State -- a 58-43 decision inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The final win was against Indiana, 73-57, on Feb. 28, 2010.

One of the biggest victories by the Hawkeyes during the Lickliter era was a 43-36 upset over No. 6 Michigan State on Jan. 12, 2008.

Lickliter's tenure as head coach -- from 2007-10 -- is the shortest stint for a head Hawkeye since George Raveling replaced Lute Olson and was head coach from 1984-86.

Barta said he would honor all pieces of Lickliter's contract, which will continue to pay $800,000 per year for the next three years. Barta emphasized that money, as well as the money to hire a new coach, will be drawn from athletic department funds and will not use any university funds or state tax dollars.

"He acted professionally, like he has in any endeavor we've undertaken or any discussion we've had," Barta said, when asked how Lickliter reacted to Monday's meeting. "The reality is, it's been hard on myself, it's been hard on him, it's been hard on his staff. He was a consummate professional. It was a difficult conversation, but he handled it in a professional way."

When Barta hired Lickliter in the spring of 2007, he said he hoped the 2007 Division I national Coach of the Year would retire a Hawkeye.

"I'm not somebody who desires turnover," Barta said. "I would love to never have to hire another coach again because that would mean that we're incredibly successful and I can just continue to provide them resources to be successful. This is not something I enjoy doing."

Lindsey Evans signs with IHCC softball

SOFTBALL-  03/09/10:

Ottumwa, IA-  Ottumwa High School senior Lindsey Evans has signed a letter of intent to attend Indian Hills Community College and play softball for the Warriors.

In her junior season last summer, Evans led the Bulldogs in batting average (.395), RBIs (24), doubles (12) and slugging percentage (.521) and tied for first in hits (47).  She was a first-team catcher on the CIML Metro All-Conference squad.

Indian Hills coach Jim Overturf looks forward to having Evans with his team this fall.  “Lindsey has a lot of versatility,” said Overturf.  “She will do some catching and also play the outfield for us.  I like the fact that she is a very aggressive hitter.  Lindsey comes from a very strong high school program and it’s great that she will be able to continue her softball career at Indian Hills.”

Evans is the sixth recruit for 2010 signed by Overturf.  The others are pitcher Hannah Washburn and outfielder Autumn Bowen, both from Keokuk; Burlington HS pitcher Ali Martin; Cortney Wood, an infielder from Alburnett; and Jenna Wolfe, an outfielder from Dallas Center-Grimes.

Panthers Down Rebels...Jayhawks Next

OKLAHOMA CITY - With the final seconds ticking away and Northern Iowa without a timeout, the chance to break an NCAA tournament funk came down to a bit of improvisation.

Kwadzo Ahelegbe dribbled down the clock and Ali Farokhmanesh found himself open against UNLV's trapping defense for the decisive 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds left as the Panthers ended a 20-year drought in the NCAA tournament with a 69-66 victory Thursday night in the Midwest Regional.

"That's what you dream for is to make a shot like that," Farokhmanesh said. "It just felt good to actually do it."

After burning its final timeout with 1:22 to play, Northern Iowa (29-4) gave the Runnin' Rebels the chance to tie when Ahelegbe drained the clock and couldn't get an open shot against UNLV's pressure. The shot clock ran out, and Oscar Bellfield tied it at 66 with his 3-pointer from the left corner with 37 seconds left.

Take 2 resulted in far better results for ninth-seeded Northern Iowa, even if "closer to a fire drill than a set call" was how coach Ben Jacobson described it.

Ahelegbe ran the shot clock down to 9 seconds before he swung the ball to Johnny Moran on the right wing. He whipped it to the opposite side to Farokhmanesh, who took advantage of an opening in the defense to sink the game-winner.

The No. 8 seed Runnin' Rebels (25-9) got one last chance to tie it, but Tre'Von Willis didn't get his 3-pointer off before the final buzzer and it was off-target anyway.

Farokhmanesh finished with 17 points, including three 3-pointers in the second half, and Ahelegbe added 13 points as the Panthers won in the NCAAs for the first time since upsetting third-seeded Missouri in 1990.

Farokhmanesh's shot was from about the same spot as Maurice Newby's 3-pointer that beat Missouri with 4 seconds left 20 years ago.

"I think that it gets talked about at our place, and in a positive way. It's something that our program is very proud of, the win that we had 20 years ago against Missouri," Jacobson said. "It gets talked about, it gets written about and it should. That was certainly a building block in our program. ... Being able to win a game in the tournament now after 20 years, I think it's significant. I think as you continue to build your program, it's a big part of it."

Jacobson took over the program four years ago when Greg McDermott moved on to Iowa State after leading UNI to three straight NCAA tournament berths.

In all, the Panthers have made the field five of the last seven years -- with the first four trips ending in first-round losses by exactly five points. This time, Northern Iowa claimed its highest seed in school history behind a defense allowing only 54.3 points per game -- the second-lowest total in the nation.

"That's why we win games is because our defense is consistent," Farokhmanesh said. "Your offense is up and down usually, but as long as your defense is there you have a chance to win basketball games."

In the second half, the Panthers were able to turn the game into their sort of grinding style and prevented UNLV from becoming only the second team to score 70 points against them this season. The Runnin' Rebels, who were 22-2 when scoring at least 70 points, fell to 3-7 when failing to reach that mark.

It was a rare first-round loss for the program, which fell to 13-3 in its NCAA openers. Coach Lon Kruger also had his personal streak of five straight first-round wins snapped. He had won his last three openers at Illinois and his first two at UNLV.

"Losing in the first round is a little disappointing," Willis said. "But overall, we had a good season. We're definitely going to have our good days ahead of us."

Reserve forward Matt Shaw scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half to lead UNLV. Willis and Bellfield added 13 points apiece and Chace Stanback had 11 points while leading the Runnin' Rebels out of a 58-49 hole with 7:16 remaining.

Bellfield said the Rebels had to "really dig down deep and just really compete."

"That's what we did and it paid off for a while," he said. "We just broke down at the end where he just got an open shot and just knocked it down."

Penn Baseball

Game 1: William Penn 14   Central Methodist (MO) 6    Game 2:  William Penn 15   Central Methodist (MO) 2.  Statesmen moves to 8-7.

UNI Panther women a No. 16 seed in first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-  03/15/10:

Cedar Falls, IA-  The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team will face Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Mar. 21, in Minneapolis, Minn. The game is set to begin at 6:06 p.m. (Central) in Williams Arena.

The Panthers were awarded a No. 16 seed in the Kansas City Region. Nebraska is one of the tournament's four No. 1 seeds.

The winner of the first round matchup will meet the winner of No. 8-seeded UCLA and No. 9-seeded North Carolina State.

UNI captured the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship to secure the school's first-ever berth in the NCAA Tournament.