Ready to Report: Josh Dix

It's been a long road to recovery for future Hawkeye Josh Dix. After sustaining a brutal lower leg injury during his senior season, Dix is now well on his way to a full recovery and should be on the basketball court very soon. He talks about where he's at in the rehab process, when he anticipates being fully cleared, and overcoming the mental hurdles following an injury like this one.

Q: How are you doing from a health perspective?

DIX: I’m doing well. I have been making a lot of progress.

Q: What are you able to do now? I think the last time we talked the thought was running by early summer and then hopefully fully cleared by the start of practice.

DIX: The hope is that by late August or early September that I will be fully back. Right now I have been shooting and dribbling and doing some defensive slides. It doesn’t look as normal as it did before, but it’s getting better.

Q: Is it like riding a bike where you can just pick it right back up?

DIX: I think so. I think once I get back out there I should be fine. Right now it’s kind of retraining my brain.

Q: How are you doing from the mental side of things coming back from the injury?

DIX: I think I am doing ok. I miss not being able to play, but now that I am starting to get better and that’s helped me a lot.

Q: Are you able to block out the idea that something like this could happen again?

DIX: Yeah, that sort of stuff can linger around in your head, but you just have to block all that out. If you think like that, it won’t help, so you just have to block that out and think positive.

Q: Coach Speraw was the main coach who recruited you to Iowa. He announced his retirement recently. Have you talk to him?

DIX: Yeah I talked to him a lot. He is still going to be around this summer. He was a great guy and I wanted to play under a coach like that. But, it’s all good from my end and I understand why he is retiring.

Q: How anxious are you to get back on the court and get your college career going?

DIX: I am super excited. I can’t wait until the day I get cleared and can get back on the court without restrictions.

Q: When are you schedule to get to Iowa City?

DIX: Sometime between June 10th and 12th.

Q: How excited are you to move in?

DIX: I’m really excited. It feels like such a long time ago when I last played, so I’m ready to get going.

Q: Did you enjoy watching Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament this year?

DIX: Oh yeah. That made me even more excited to be a Hawkeye. I was happy for the guys on the team.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most about being a Hawkeye?

DIX: I just feel like I fit in really well in their system. I think Fran teaches his guys to play the right way and share the basketball. I can’t wait to play in his system.

Q: Most interesting place you have received a “Go Hawks”?

DIX: Living in Iowa, I get it a lot. I know when I go out to Target or Dick’s, I will always have someone give me a “Go Hawks.”