The Hyball is a weekly basketball column.


I keep drifting back to the Minnesota game.

You remember that one -- exactly one month ago today. Iowa won 108-60. The nets in that gym are still sitting there in ashy piles.

Almost a full regular season removed from Iowa's drama with LSU in the national title game, I wonder if we will look back at that as the last pure time of the Caitlin Clark era.

Since then? Clark declared for the pros. Senior night. An epic comeback in the Big Ten title game. Getting bashed in the face against Holy Cross. A West Virginia game so stomach churning, its vibes could only be compared to the devilish sport that is college football.

And I'm just talking about the game itself. Now we've got the the refs thing. And the -- /gulp -- backlash to Caitlin Clark. Backlash? Pardon? I've been around the block to know every high level hooper not named Steph Curry is going to have some detractors (hi, LeBron and KD!), so it really doesn't worry me about some sort of big picture narrative changing on Clark, but still -- it feels shitty.

This team, as often as they make us feel coated in freshly fallen snow, isn't perfect. Nothing, really, is perfect. They lack size. Athleticism. Clark does complain a lot (and has been on that for a while).

But still -- they're ours. So maybe real perfect doesn't exist, but to this fanbase? They can do no wrong. One door closes, another opens:

(I'm sorry, but this column just had to include that.)

Lisa Bluder's four words keep sticking with me:

This run, this winning, this legacy. All of it is generally awesome at all times -- but that doesn't mean it isn't taxing as well. I'm wonderfully envious of Caitlin Clark and would sign up for her life's arc in a second, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have its challenges; its tough moments.

Because looking in the rear view mirror at all that -- combined with a foreground that includes Colorado and potentially LSU in a three day span -- shows this team is still flying... but they also have a little anchor in that backpack, too.

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“If the pressure of winning is too much, wait until you get the bill for regret.”

3/23 - (1) Iowa 91, (16) Holy Cross 65: Power-Cassidy.

Extra pass.

And yeah, Iowa won by 26, but between Holy Cross' solid start, the elbow Clark took to the face, not knowing (in real time) the situation with Hannah Stuelke, and the general frustration in the air, the pressure and tournament tightness were real.

3/25 - (1) Iowa 64, (8) West Virginia 54: The defining play of this game:

What's stuck with me maybe even more was the relentless pressure that West Virginia's defense exerted. They looked like they were playing their last game of basketball ever; so inspired, such effort. They took what makes Iowa special, put a lid on it, and kicked it into a corner. The Hawkeyes really had to dig deep to earn that one.

How they won by 10 with Syd's bucket being the only one scored in Q4 is beyond me*.

(* - "Refs! Refs!" -- yeah, yeah, yeah)

3/30 - (1) Iowa vs. (5) Colorado: Haven't watched Colorado enough to call myself versed, but their opening statement to the season gives them more than enough stripes in my mind. This Elite 8 will be earned.

4/1* - (1) Iowa vs. (2) UCLA -or- (3) LSU:

(* - I mean, you know)

Vacancy at Perkins Place.

:(

Scream it out with new Olivia before the Sweet 16.

Is it gettin' a little Dusty in here?!?!

As truly, truly un-fun as this section has been to write all damn season, we are somehow ending on an incredibly high note. Have delved into any and all Dusty May content over the last few days, and I absolutely love the hire for Michigan. News he may get three of his key players from Florida Atlantic to transfer only sweetens the deal.

Would rather look horrible with y'all than dapper with anybody else.

Bobby Loesch is a weekly contributor to Go Iowa Awesome. Find him on Twitter @bobbystompy, Instagram @bobbystompy, or email at bobbyloesch@gmail.com.