(Radio Iowa) – As March Madness starts in Des Moines today (Thursday) with the opening rounds of the N-C-double-A basketball tournament, betting is sure to be big business, especially with six Iowa teams in the men’s and women’s contests. The Iowa Gaming Association reports Iowans wagered 233-million dollars last March, with college hoops accounting for most of it. Susan Sheridan Tucker, an educator on problem gambling, says those office bracket pools can be a lot of fun.

Gamblers are no longer just betting on the outcome of games, but a wide variety of in-game opportunities. With the wide availability of sports books in Iowa, Sheridan Tucker says she has concerns about how easy it is to bet on mobile apps.

Sheridan Tucker says it’s no coincidence that Problem Gambling Awareness Month and the basketball tournament are both in March. An estimated 68-million Americans will wager more than 15-billion dollars on the N-C-A-A tourney this year. Anyone who thinks they may have a problem can call the Your Life Iowa hotline at 1-800-BETS-OFF.

Iowa opens the NCAA Tournament in Birmingham this (Thursday) afternoon against Auburn. The game will be played about two hours from the Auburn campus.

That’s Iowa coach Fran McCaffery who says the bigger issue is the physical challenge Auburn will offer.

The Hawkeyes are 19-13 and a win tomorrow would be their 11th 20 win season in the last 13 years.

Iowa senior guard Connor McCaffery says Auburn will try to shut down the Hawkeye’s three point shooting.

Junior forward Kris Murray will ponder his future after the season is over. Murray is averaging better than 20 points and nearly 8 rebounds. He will have the opportunity to enter the NBA Draft.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl says it will take more than a partisan crowd in Birmingham to beat the Hawkeyes.

It matches two emotional coach and one website put the over-under for technical fouls at one and-a-half.

Pearl says Iowa teams are always tough to guard.

Two teams that started strong but stumbled late collide in Des Moines Thursday when Illinois plays Arkansas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini are 20-12 after dropping five of their last eight games. Illini coach Brad Underwood says his team will have a challenge against a Razorback team that is 20-13.

The Illini had some big non-conference wins but finished 11-9 in the Big Ten.

Underwood says the Illini lacked consistency in the second half of the season.

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman says both teams have potential.

With six of their 12 players freshmen Musselman says inexperience has been a factor in their inconsistency.

Kansas coach Bill Self is expected to return to the bench today (Thursday) when Kansas opens defense of its national title against Howard in Des Moines. Self missed the Big-12 Tournament after undergoing a heart procedure to treat blocked arteries. Assistant coach Norm Roberts handled Wednesday’s media obligations.

Roberts says Self took part in practice Wednesday.

Roberts was asked ab out the pressure to repeat.

Jayhawk leading scorer Jalen Wilson is hopeful Self will return to the bench today (Thursday).

Wilson says they are not concerned that Self will be absent long term.

Howard is in the tournament for the first time in 31 years and coach Kenny Blakeney says the Jayhawks will be tough to guard.

Blakeney says Howard will want to push the tempo.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball junior Kris Murray has been voted third team All-America by the Associated Press and United States Basketball Writers Association’s (USBWA).

Both outlets are used by the NCAA to determine its consensus All-America teams (Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, USBWA, and Sporting News). Murray has been recognized on third team by three of the four outlets, with the NABC’s announcement coming later this month.

Murray, who is a semifinalist for the Wooden, Oscar Robertson and Lute Olson national player of the year awards and a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, was last week recognized as a third team All-American by Sporting News and a first-team All-Big Ten honoree.

Murray is averaging a team-best 20.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per outing. He is the only Division I player to average 20+ points, 7.5+ rebounds, one block, and have made 60+ 3-pointers this season.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has scored 30+ points four times this season, 25+ points nine times, and 20+ points 15 times.

Murray and the Hawkeyes (19-13) return to action on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be televised nationally on TNT and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

The Big 12 and the NFL today announced a partnership to launch the Big 12 Pro Day, a reimagined Pro Day experience with state of the art medical and player skill assessments designed to maximize the student-athlete prospect experience.

The Big 12 Pro Day, debuting in spring of 2024 at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas will be the first-ever conference-wide pro day, replacing and advancing traditional on-campus pro days. The event will showcase Big 12 football talent at a world-class facility, providing maximum exposure for Big 12 student-athletes as they prepare for their professional careers.

Off the field, the Big 12 Pro Day will offer a job fair and non-football career networking opportunities for Big 12 student-athletes. Additionally, Big 12 football student-athletes will have the opportunity to network and meet with individuals from the Big 12 Business Advisory Board, who will lend guidance on several topics, including professional development and career growth.

While the Big 12 Pro Day on-field workouts will be closed to the public, the Conference will be hosting a Big 12 Fan Fest outside of the event, complete with special VIP appearances, fan engagement experiences, screens broadcasting NFL Network’s coverage of the Pro Day and more.

“The first-of-its-kind Big 12 Pro Day will provide our student-athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent and skill as they turn their NFL dreams into reality,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Through this partnership with the NFL, Big 12 student-athletes will receive national media exposure across NFL Network and NFL Media platforms. We are thrilled to partner with the NFL to host this Pro Day, and we look forward to creating a special experience for our student-athletes.”

“With the creation of a Big 12 Pro Day, our conference and Commissioner Yormark continue to prioritize the enhancement of the student-athlete experience,” said TCU head coach Sonny Dykes. “The Big 12’s partnership with the NFL, its programming through NFL Network and its powerful social media presence will provide an unbelievable amount of exposure for all the participants from each member institution and the conference as a whole. The opportunity to host this event in a first-class facility like The Star at the Dallas Cowboys’ complex is another positive for the student-athletes in preparing them for the next stage of their careers. It is a powerful statement on how the Big 12 is at the forefront of innovation.”

“The Big 12 unified approach will provide world-class maximum exposure, mentorship, and development opportunities for potential future prospects pulling on the vast resources of these Big 12 institutions,” said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. “From state of the art medical and talent evaluations to maximized media exposure and classroom professional development, these future leaders will experience a dignified, respectful and comprehensive assessment.”

NFL Network will bring its talent and production capabilities onsite to capture drill performances and workouts as well as provide expert commentary and analysis around the event, packaged into nightly coverage of the event on NFL Network. The Big 12 Pro Day coverage will be featured within additional NFL Network programming and promoted across NFL digital and social channels.

The inaugural Big 12 Pro Day will be held at Ford Center at The Star, the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and practice facility in Frisco, Texas.

AMES, Iowa – Ashley Joens added more honors to her name as the senior was named a Second Team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association and a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press on Wednesday.

This is Joens’ third-straight season earning USBWA All-America honors as she picked up Second Team honors in 2021-22 and Third Team honors in 2020-21. She is the only player in ISU history to be a multi-time USBWA All-American. Joens also earned a Second Team AP nod in 2021-22 and Honorable Mention in 2019-20 and 2020-21. She joins Angie Welle as the only players in Iowa State history to make multiple AP All-America teams in their Iowa State careers.

The Iowa City native leads the Big 12 Conference averaging 21.5 points this season. Joens recently was named the Big 12 Player of the Year, becoming the second in program history to notch the accolade while earning her fourth-straight unanimous All-Big 12 First Team selection.

Joens is fresh off a Big 12 Tournament title win, earning Most Outstanding Player after averaging 26.7 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Joens’ average points per game is the most ever for an Iowa State player in the tournament.

Against No. 14 Oklahoma in the semifinals of the tournament, Joens became the 14th player in Division I women’s basketball history to reach 3,000 career points and currently ranks 10th all time. This season Joens has put up 19 20-plus point performances, including four with 30 or more and 15 double-doubles.

Joens and the No. 17 Cyclones returns to action this Saturday in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship First Round, facing Toledo at 2:30 p.m. Central on ESPN2.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Wednesday the 2022-23 Academic All-America® women’s basketball teams for NCAA Division I-II-III and NAIA, headlined by University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Brooke Olson from the University of Minnesota Duluth, Anderson University’s (IN) Lexi Dellinger, and Grace Beyer of the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis.

Clark (Division I), Olson (Division II), Dellinger (Division III) and Beyer (NAIA) have each been named the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award winner for their respective divisions.

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native, carries a 3.60 GPA while majoring in marketing. This year, she is averaging 27.0 points, 8.3 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game for the Big Ten champion Hawkeyes. She currently leads Division I in several statistical categories including assists per game, three pointers made (108), and triple doubles (4).

Clark was also named a First Team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association for the second consecutive year on Wednesday.

This season, Clark is the only player in the nation with more than 860 points, 235 rebounds, 265 assists, and 45 steals. She has registered +25 points, +5 rebounds, and +5 assists in 16 games this year and 38 times in her career which is the most in NCAA women’s basketball history.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior guard Caitlin Clark was named a unanimous First Team All-American by the Associated Press for the second consecutive year on Wednesday. Monika Czinano was named honorable mention by the AP as well, she earned the same honors in 2022.

This season, Clark is the only player in the nation with more than 860 points, 235 rebounds, 265 assists, and 45 steals. She has registered +25 points, +5 rebounds, and +5 assists in 16 games this year and 38 times in her career which is the most in NCAA women’s basketball history.

Against teams that are top 26 in the NET Rankings, Clark picks it up a notch averaging 29.6 ppg, 8.4 apg, and 7.1 rpg. Iowa leads the nation in AP Top 10 victories with five.

Most recently, she became the first player in Big Ten Tournament Championship history to record a triple-double. Clark finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 17 assists, the latter figure is also a title-game record and second-most in any BTT game. Clark was subsequently voted the tournament’s Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player by the media, becoming the third two-time recipient of the award.

Clark is leading the nation’s best offense with 27.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, and 8.3 apg. She also paces the country with four triple-doubles this season. Clark accounts for 52% of Iowa’s offensive output in points and assists.

Clark carries a 3.60 GPA while majoring in marketing. She currently leads Division I in several statistical categories including assists per game, three pointers made (108), and triple doubles (4). She has scored 30 or more points in 10 games, including a pair of 40-point games.

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native also was recognized as Big Ten Player of the Year for the second consecutive season as well as The Athletic National Player of the Year. She was also a unanimous All-Big Ten First Teamer.

Czinano has been named to the honorable mention list in back-to-back seasons. She is the 15^th Hawkeye in school history to earn All-American honors. Czinano averaged 17.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, and made 67.4% of her field goals this season. She has been top four nationally in field goal percentage the last four years.

In Big Ten play, Czinano averaged 17.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, and made 70.4% from the field. She was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.

The 2-Seeded Hawkeyes are set to host 15-Seed SE Louisiana on Friday at 3 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will broadcast coast-to-coast on ESPN.

(Iowa DNR) – Channel catfish move close to shore and are eager to bite in many lakes and the large reservoirs across Iowa just after the ice is gone. The bite starts sooner in southern Iowa impoundments since they lose ice a week or two before northwest Iowa natural lakes.

After eating light during the winter, channel catfish put the feed bag on in early spring cleaning up small fish that died over the winter. Search for actively feeding fish on windblown shorelines and points where dead fish are piled up and the shallow water warms quickly. Keep the wind in your face and move often until you find actively feeding fish.

Use cut bait or shad sides fished on the bottom. To keep the bait on the hook, try using a 1/0 to 3/0 bait holder hook and enough weight (3/8- to 1/2-ounce) to cast into the wind. Bring along disposable latex gloves to handle the bait and help keep the smell off your hands.

Ice-out catfishing can be good in any lake that has an abundant catfish population.  Iowa’s flood control reservoirs, Rathbun, Red Rock, Coralville and Saylorville usually offer the best action. Try catfishing in the natural lakes, like Storm Lake, North Twin, Tuttle, East Okoboji, Little Wall Lake, or Black Hawk Lake in northwest Iowa soon after the ice is gone. Small impoundments, like Don Williams, Big Creek, Volga Lake, Diamond Lake, Mormon Trail Lake, Greenfield City Reservoir, or Lake Icaria, also offer good early spring catfishing.

Catfish can be found in almost every body of water across Iowa. Check the weekly fishing report to find out where catfish are biting.