Thad Nelson

@bballbreakdown @XavierHarkness Agree. It’s finding the appropriate velocity and learning that through a variety of trials.

@tnels20 @XavierHarkness Ironically, the best ball handlers don't machine gun the ball into the ground. It's more a subtle art of feel and touch. And when HS players master the float dribble, it's an almost unfair advantage

Is there anyway to incorporate all types of ball handling drills? Especially with the youth. Personally, I don't think it is a bad thing for young kids to look at the ball while doing drills just to figure out what exactly they are doing as they gain confidence and understand what their body is doing(Now at what age kids should start playing basketball to begin with is a different story).

@bballbreakdown @XavierHarkness If you’re dribbling stationary, I would be focusing on the velocity of the ball out of the hand. Learn to push the ball into the ground with force and recover it with control. The

@XavierHarkness The key is learning to dribble while moving. So if they have to look down in beginning, that's okay, but almost never are you dribbling in place

@RobDFB Absolutely amazing. Toughness is now the DNA of this program.

Truly surreal. Never in my life would I had thought I’d see a Sweet Sixteen…. Never in my life would I had thought I’d see an Elite Eight… So incredibly grateful for my life and for the Hawks. Feel like a god damn sap 😅

@GregChalmersPGA Clearly the ball goes too far then. Roll it back!

My 80y old dad had his 2nd hole in 1 couple days ago. He is so pumped.loves this game. 🙏❤️

@RobDFB The red zone scoring efficiency due to his running threat and physicality were huge. Iowa got 7 so often when inside the 15. Great leader who battled through a preseason shoulder surgery and then big knee injury in season.

Iowa fans will be chasing the “Mark Gronowski high” for years to come… Just a perfect blend of a plus-level athlete with a good enough passing repertoire to kill defenses on both fronts. Simply the best all-around offense I’ve watched at Iowa since Brad Banks was in town 🐥🤟🏻

@hawkeyegamefilm A lot of what ifs on the year. But when QB11, RB28, WR15, and TE81 were healthy as a group it was a pretty efficient offense.

@tnels20 If Iowa had QB11 playing like this from week 1, I don't think they end up 8-4, very likely to be a 10 win team, didn't help WR15 had the freak injury & TE87 popped his achilles...still was fun to watch QB11 operate out there

Blitz on 1st down play, QB11 hits his hot in the flat for 2; LB10 blitzing right into IZ on 2nd, drops RB28 for a loss; sideline stop to WR15 is complete, protection holds up vs blitz this time, nice piece of work there

Using NFL formula, on targets to RVZ and Vonnahme, Iowa QB had rating of 108.2 and 118.2 respectively.

On the season, Vonnahme had 29 receptions and 20 resulted in a first down. Vander Zee had 15 catches with 11 first downs. RVZ missed the five games with injury and Vonnahme really picked up snaps significantly in the Indiana game.

. @BHGP @hawkeyegamefilm Gronowski shines in final start. Iowa found something with RVZ and Vonnahme. Feels like 12 targets should be their floor next season. The offense has come so far in Lester’s two seasons.

@hawkeyegamefilm The hot and quick throws were great 4Q. He cut loose once the back foot hit. Much more accurate passer when on schedule.

need some rollouts, and ball has to come out quick when you do throw from the pocket; give QB11 easy hot throws and you can start slowing down their blitz w/WR screens and attacking the flats quickly,

TEs: Vonnahme and Ortwerth

WR: Anderson and Howard

As we prepare for Iowa’s final game, here is a recap of the regular season pass game.

We’re seeing a lot of people/organizations who have gained immense wealth off college athletes throw a giant fit the moment they lose their total control and leverage. NIL landscape is far from perfect, but this should always be about the young people and not the institutions.

@hawkeyegamefilm @ScottDochterman I thought Lauck was exceptional and overshadowed publicly by the upperclassman but played at a REALLY high level. A positional battle winner became a future centerpiece.

@ScottDochterman the pass blocking in '25 was very impressive from All-22 to me as well, mental mistakes were few & rarely if ever repeated, slid protection as needed more often than not and post snap they adjusted so much better than the last 3-4 years

Guessing most of my followers have read this but it's a great story of what 'development' actually looks like on the OL, sometimes you have to find the bottom before you can turn it around & climb the mountain, Iowa's process/formula on the OL remains very sound

smoking gun

@HackItOutGolf So much fun following him this week!

A very solid closing round leaves Greg with a T16 (pending how the remaining golfers finish) in the Australian Open (tied with Ryan Fox and Rory McIlroy). This has been great to follow and congratulations to Greg on a great tournament!

@hawkeyegamefilm Where it really stands out is Iowa’s redzone numbers. His legs helped them get 7 instead of 3 many times.

Gronowski carried on average 10 times a game with 7-8 being called runs and 2-3 being scrambles; dude took a beating in a couple of games too, ISU & Rutgers stick out to me there; he was an absolute difference maker with his legs

Updated the Iowa historical spreadsheet with Moulton's 2025 rushing numbers, mostly shakes out how you'd expect, solid numbers ovreall with very low negative & 0yd carries, one of the highest 5-9yd buckets & middle of the pack on 10+