The Hyball is a weekly basketball column


Caitlin Clark has always been a numbers player.

For all her beauty and creativity as a hooper, quantifying her game can still be its biggest selling point. The distance measured on her threes, the attendance numbers going up up up like a bullish market, and, of course, every new statistic she snipes out on a seemingly nightly basis.

The original title for this column was going to be "For the record, I'mma wreck it" -- because one week ago Queen C did it her way.

I watched history get made with my wife, mom, and baby girl. Not sure if it was the culmination of watching Clark's storied career crest yet again, being surrounded by the important women in my life, or a little mix of both, but it definitely put tears in my eyes.

That was, until my mom -- patiently waiting to bounce after a night of babysitting -- was like "Aright, she got it, I'm going home!" before Iowa even came out of the swiftly called timeout. That took me out of it a little bit, but still, probably for the best.

Been watching sports for a long time, and nothing felt quite like that night. The Big Ten titles have been truly incredible, and beating South Carolina in the 2023 Final Four was a pure blackout experience, but I do wonder, if this team doesn't win the championship this year, if we won't look back at this as the peak of the Caitlin Clark era. Honestly, if that ends up being the case, so be it. Incredibly well deserved; emotional and cathartic for damn near everyone involved. I am completely satisfied.

...but it's sports, so don't we of course want more?

PISTOL PETE, WE COMIN' FOR YOU.

Still waiting on my response to this tweet, GIA:

Sidebar: something I know about Maravich that's always stayed in my head (likely from a Trivial Pursuit question) is how he passed away. Hooping!

Anyway.

I want Pistol Pete. I want Lynette Woodard. After the emotions subsided from Clark passing Kelsey Plum, my brain went into full "Kids See Ghosts"* mode.

I want all the rain, I want all the pain
I want all the smoke, I want all the blame

And why the hell wouldn't we?

(* - in the Kanye Before Times, of course)

"Everybody's got a bike rack they relate to."

2/15 - No. 4 Iowa 106, Michigan 89: Know I hit on this point already, but to double down: how great was it to have this be the one standalone game for the Hawkeyes this past week? Normally the one-game weeks move too slow during these Midwest winters, but this one still feels like it has flames to fan.

2/22 - Iowa (4) at Indiana (14): Was all excited to give everyone the very meaningless "Did you all know that when Iowa played the Hoosiers on 1/13, it was No. 4 vs. No. 14 then as well?"... until seeing Iowa was actually ranked No. 3 then. Oh well. That 27-point victory feels like it's been more than a minute. Been thinking about Mackenzie Holmes' game a fair amount lately; eager -- and a touch nervous -- to see how she and IU respond following a surprising L.

2/25 - Iowa (4) vs. Illinois: Remember when we both beat Indiana? That was *awesome*.

What a dude.

As if beating Wisconsin -- probably my least favorite team in men's college basketball -- with late heroics wasn't enough, the Hawkeyes then go into Breslin and put together one of their best halves of the season (before holding on for dear-ish life to close it out in the second half). Bubble? Bubble.

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This was dece, but still more of a "Daddy Lessons" guy.

You're telling me we can't stay in delusional football mode as the men's basketball team goes full speed ahead in a rocket ship toward the sun?

Still time to vote!

That tweet is worth a full read; a beautiful summation of our hypocrisy and passion as college sports fans.

Love when the boys get in on the fun, too.

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