IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa forwards Ben Krikke and Owen Freeman swept the Big Ten Conference weekly men’s basketball honors, the announcement was made Monday by the league office.  Krikke is the Player of the Week, while Freeman is the Freshman of the Week for a second straight week.

Krikke, a graduate student from Edmonton, Alberta, averaged 24.5 points and seven rebounds, while shooting 66 percent from the field (21-of-32) in a pair of games at No. 8 Creighton and Arkansas State. Freeman averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 blocks and two rebounds, while shooting 55 percent (6-of-11) from the floor.

It is the first time since the 2019-20 season that Iowa has swept the Big Ten weekly honors (Luka Garza (Player), CJ Fredrick (Freshman).  Freeman, meanwhile, is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the distinction in consecutive weeks.

Krikke opened the week by making 11-of-18 field goals en route to a game-high 24 points against the Bluejays in the Gavitt Tipoff Games in Omaha. He followed it up by scoring a season-high 25 points, making 10-of-14 field goals and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds in a home victory over Arkansas State.  Krikke also had a career-high four steals and three blocks against the Red Wolves.

In four games, the Valparaiso transfer is leading the team in scoring, averaging 20 points, 6.5 rebounds and two steals per game, while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.  He is second in the Big Ten in steals, third in field goal percentage and fourth in scoring.

In his first collegiate road game, Freeman had three blocked shots and scored eight points in just 14 minutes at No. 8 Creighton.  He finished with seven points, three rebounds and two blocks in 10 minutes in the home win over Arkansas State.

Freeman is averaging 9.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his first four collegiate games.  He is shooting 60.9 percent from the floor, making 14-of-23 field goal attempts.

Krikke’s Player of the Week honor is his first Big Ten recognition and third honor of his career.  He was twice named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week during the 2022-23 season.

The Hawkeyes (3-1) return to action Thursday, facing Oklahoma in the first game of the Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego.  The game will tipoff at 2:02 p.m. (CT) and be televised on FS1.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa defensive coordinator and secondary coach Phil Parker has been named a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, it was announced Monday by the Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation. The Broyles Award is presented annually to the top assistant coach in college football.

It is the second straight year Parker has been named a Broyles Award semifinalist. Two Hawkeye coaches — Norm Parker (2013) and Ron Aiken (2002) — have been named the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Norm Parker was also a finalist in 2004 and 2005.

The foundation will narrow a list of 15 semifinalists to five and the finalists will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the awards luncheon on Dec. 5.

Parker, who is in his 25th season on Iowa’s coaching staff (12th as defensive coordinator), has been the mastermind behind one of the nation’s top defenses in 2023. The Hawkeyes have allowed just 12 touchdowns in 11 games (third fewest in the NCAA) and the unit ranks third nationally, giving up 12.3 points per game.

The Hawkeyes have given up one touchdown or less in nine of 11 games this season and the unit is ranked in the top 17 nationally in total defense for a sixth straight year. The team is currently seventh in total defense, allowing 281.4 yards per game. Iowa’s defense has allowed 400 yards or less in 22 straight games dating back to the 2021 season — the longest active streak nationally.

One of Parker’s main principles is limiting “explosive” plays. In 2023, the Hawkeyes have allowed just 15 such plays in the team’s first 11 games.

Across the board, Iowa ranks in the top 20 nationally in virtually every defensive category this season, sitting fourth in team passing efficiency defense (98.36), sixth in red zone defense (.708), 10th in passing yards allowed (173.0), 16th in first down defense (182), 18th in rushing defense (108.4) and third down conversion percentage defense (.311).

Under Parker’s tutelage, three defensive players — DB Cooper DeJean, DB Sebastian Castro and LB Jay Higgins — were midseason All-Americans. DeJean is a finalist for the Nagurski Award and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy, while Higgins is a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.

The Hawkeyes, the Big Ten West Division champion, close out the regular season on Friday, traveling to Lincoln to face Nebraska in the Heroes Game. Game time is set for 11:09 a.m. (CT) and it will be televised on CBS.

2023 Broyles Award Semifinalists
Tommy Rees (Offensive Coordinator) – Alabama
Adam Fuller (Defensive Coordinator) – Florida State
Mike Bobo (Offensive Coordinator) – Georgia
Phil Parker (Defensive Coordinator) – Iowa
Bryant Haines (Defensive Coordinator) – James Madison
Ron English (Defensive Coordinator) – Louisville
Mike Denbrock (Offensive Coordinator) – LSU
Sherrone Moore (Offensive Coordinator) – Michigan
Kevin Peoples (Defensive Line) – Missouri
Jim Knowles (Defensive Coordinator) – Ohio State
Will Stein (Offensive Coordinator) – Oregon
Manny Diaz (Defensive Coordinator) – Penn State
Pete Kwiatkowski (Defensive Coordinator) – Texas
D’Anton Lynn (Defensive Coordinator) – UCLA
Ryan Grubb (Offensive Coordinator) – Washington

ROSEMONT, Ill. & SANTA MONICA, Calif. (November 20, 2023) – The Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Network today announced a groundbreaking partnership with Greenfly, the leading platform for short-from content capture, organization, and distribution, to power the flow of digital media assets for thousands of Big Ten student-athletes. The multi-year partnership will allow the conference to provide student-athletes across 14 member institutions sophisticated access to tailored content they can leverage to build their brands.

The Big Ten turned to Greenfly as a solution to empower student-athletes in growing their social media presence and platforms. For the first time, Big Ten student-athletes will have access to the very same tools that the world’s leading professional leagues, teams, and athletes use to enhance their digital presence and engage with audiences around the globe.

“Greenfly’s proven technology has given athletes from the most prominent professional leagues around the world the ability to tell their story and engage a community,” Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti said. “We want to provide Big Ten student-athletes with the same level of technology. As broadcast coverage of Big Ten athletics continues to expand, this partnership is going to transform our ability to support student-athletes as they build their online presence and connect with fans, brands and alumni around the world.”

Greenfly’s technology will sort and organize thousands of incoming assets into curated galleries and make them immediately accessible to student-athletes. Broadcast content from the Big Ten Network and other conference partners will make its way to student-athletes.

“Powering the digital media ecosystem of the Big Ten will help the conference set a new standard for supporting student-athletes, and for storytelling and engaging their fans,” Greenfly CEO Daniel Kirschner said. “This is a game-changing opportunity for student-athletes to build their brands. In this transformational moment in college athletics, the Big Ten is leading the way in its commitment to address the content needs and opportunities for its community. We couldn’t be prouder to partner with the conference to help deliver this vision.”

Big Ten student-athletes across many sports will have access to Greenfly’s cutting-edge content tools – allowing them to create, receive and share compelling photos and videos with fans on social media. The technology is currently being used by leagues, teams and federations around the world, including MLB, the PGA Tour, the NHL and the NBA. The partnership with the Big Ten Conference marks Greenfly’s first broad collaboration in college athletics.

As the content licensing agent for the Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Network, Veritone will introduce an NIL footage licensing program to power the partnership, which enables student-athletes to use Big Ten footage on their social media platforms to help them build their personal brands. The program will also provide a pathway for student-athletes and their NIL partners to license Big Ten footage through Veritone for use in commercial endeavors.

UNI football coach Mark Farley says it was a week 10 loss at Missouri State that kept the Panthers out of the FCS Playoffs. UNI finished the season with a 6-5 record after a 48-27 loss to North Dakota State.

It is the second straight season the Panthers have missed out on the FCS playoffs.

Farley feels good about the future of the program.

A tough nonconference schedule did not benefit UNI. The Panthers finished tied for third in the Missouri Valley race but did not get a playoff bid.

TCU’s Jared Wiley (offensive), Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman (defensive), West Virginia’s Jahiem White (newcomer) and Kansas State’s Keenan Garber (special teams) earned Big 12 football weekly awards. It was the first career honor for each recipient.

Wiley compiled 178 receiving yards, the most by a Big 12 tight end in Conference history and the most in a game nationally this season by a player at that position, in TCU’s 42-17 win over Baylor. He set a TCU tight end record with his career-best receiving yardage as well as a career-high with seven receptions while tying another personal mark with two touchdowns. His 81-yard touchdown catch was the longest reception of his career, surpassing his previous best of 52 yards against TCU while playing for Texas in 2020. He later added a 28-yard scoring grab. The 81-yard TD was also TCU’s longest pass play since 2017. Wiley is pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts.

Bowman returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown and registered nine tackles, including one for a loss (four yards), in Oklahoma’s 31-24 win at BYU. The interception came on a third-quarter first-and-goal play from the 2-yard line with the game tied at 17. It was the third 100-yard interception return in program history and OU’s first since 2014. Bowman’s interception was his fifth of the season, tied for the most in the Big 12 and tied for second-most nationally. It was the junior safety’s second interception returned for a TD this season (44-yarder vs. Iowa State), tied for the most in the country. His 193 interception return yards this season also lead the nation (next most is 167) and are already the second-most in OU single-season history (the record is 232 by College Football Hall of Famer Rickey Dixon in 1987 on nine picks). The sociology major’s nine tackles against BYU marked his second most of the year.

White racked up a career-high 204 yards on the ground in West Virginia’s 42-21 win over Cincinnati to become the first Mountaineer to exceed 200 yards rushing since Justin Crawford vs. Baylor on Dec. 3, 2016 (209). He finished with a game-high 279 all-purpose yards, including 75 yards receiving, for the most all-purpose yards in a game since Winston Wright finished with 256 at Maryland in 2021. White is the first true freshman to have 200 more yards rushing since Dustin Garrison finished with 291 yards rushing against Bowling Green in 2011. The exploratory pathway student scored his first receiving touchdown of the season with a 75-yard grab in the second quarter. The catch marked the longest Mountaineer touchdown reception since George Campbell caught an 83-yarder vs. Baylor on Oct. 31, 2019. The touchdown also marked West Virginia’s longest play from scrimmage this season. He added a rushing TD in the third quarter, finding the end zone on a four-yard run.

Lawrence native Garber returned a blocked PAT for a score to change the momentum of the game in K-State’s 31-27 win at Kansas. After KU scored early in the second quarter to go up 13-6, the social sciences major returned the PAT 91 yards to cut the lead to 13-9. K-State followed with a touchdown on its ensuing possession. It was the second straight week that Garber recorded a non-offensive score after a pick six the week prior. Garber’s return was just the fifth defensive extra point in school history and the first since Nigel Malone returned one 68 yards against Arkansas in the 2012 (post-2011 season) Cotton Bowl. It was the longest defensive extra point return off a blocked kick in school history – one yard longer than Terence Newman’s 90-yard return against USC in 2002 – while it was the longest overall since a 98-yard interception return by Chris Canty against Oklahoma in 1994.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior punter Tory Taylor has been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following his dominant performance in the Hawkeyes’ 15-13 comeback win over Illinois, it was announced Monday by the Big Ten Conference office. The honor is Taylor’s third this season and sixth of his career.

Playing in his final game inside Kinnick Stadium, the Hawkeye senior punted eight times for 413 combined yards, averaging 51.6 yards per punt. He had six punts of 50+ yards and two downed inside the 20-yard line.

The native of Melbourne, Australia, moved into first place in school history in career punts in his home finale, passing Jason Baker for the most punts in the Iowa history (274). Taylor also holds the school record with 12,647 career punting yards.

The Ray Guy semifinalist has punted 72 times for a 48.2-yard average in 2023 season with 31 punts traveling 50+ yards (five punts of 60+), 25 being fair caught and 27 being downed inside the 20, 12 inside the 10 and six inside the 5. Taylor only has five touchbacks and opponents average just 6.2 yards per return. His 72 punts are most by any punter nationally, while his punting average of 48.2 ranks fourth best in 2023.

This marks the sixth time this season that Hawkeye football players have earned Big Ten weekly recognition. Taylor was an honoree (special teams) three times after wins over Purdue, Wisconsin and Illinois. Drew Stevens (special teams) was honored after the win over Northwestern in Wrigley Field. Cooper DeJean (special teams) and Nick Jackson (defense) were recognized after Iowa’s win over Michigan State. Sebastian Castro (defense) was honored following the Hawkeyes’ triumph at Iowa State.

Iowa (9-2, 6-2), champions of the 2023 Big Ten West Division, returns to action Friday at Nebraska (5-6, 3-5). Kickoff is set for 11:09 a.m. (CT) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The contest will be televised on CBS and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.