Hawk Central Hour

With an unwavering belief in one another, the Hawkeyes stunned the entire sports world Friday with a 77-73 win over previously unbeaten South Carolina. Another masterpiece from Caitlin Clark headlined a night the Hawkeyes won't forget for a long time. Live from Dallas, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard analyze every angle of this upset and look ahead to Iowa's chances in Sunday's national title game vs. LSU.

Tasked with facing the women's basketball beast that is unbeaten South Carolina, Iowa knows it has a hefty challenge ahead. It also knows it's playing with nothing to lose. Live from American Airlines Center in Dallas, The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect Friday's Final Four matchup from every angle.

Pressure, what pressure? Caitlin Clark seized Sunday's magical moment with a 41-point triple-double to lead Iowa women's basketball to its first Final Four since 1993. The Hawkeyes superstar was sensational from start to finish, delivering on the dream she first envisioned when she signed with Lisa Bluder's program. Live from Seattle, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect every element of the incredible accomplishment.

An exciting week for Iowa women's basketball, which prepares in Dallas for the Final Four showdown against top-ranked and unbeaten South Carolina. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Kennington Smith to break down all aspects of the matchup, including the Gamecocks' major edge in size and rebounding and how the Hawkeyes might be able to combat it behind the magnificent Caitlin Clark. Also, Iowa men's basketball and spring football discussions.

Pressure, what pressure? Caitlin Clark seized Sunday's magical moment with a 41-point triple-double to lead Iowa women's basketball to its first Final Four since 1993. The Hawkeyes superstar was sensational from start to finish, delivering on the dream she first envisioned when she signed with Lisa Bluder's program. Live from Seattle, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect every element of the incredible accomplishment.

Hunting for their first Final Four appearance since 1993, No. 2 seed Iowa will have its hands full Sunday against No. 5 seed Louisville. The Cardinals began the year in the preseason top 10 alongside the Hawkeyes and boast a energetic, fiery weapon in Hailey Van Lith. Sound familiar? The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard break down the matchup live from Seattle, while also diving into Brody Brecht's decision to put football aside.

March is always a hectic month, and that's no different in Iowa City. Lisa Bluder's Hawkeyes are suddenly Final Four favorites as they ready for the Sweet 16 in Seattle. All Iowa fans are still reeling from Spencer Lee's stunning loss, while the future of Fran McCaffery's roster remains undetermined. Hawk Central's Chad Leistikow chats with colleagues Dargan Southard, Kennington Smith and Cody Goodwin amid a busy stretch in Iowa athletics.

Lisa Bluder's Hawkeyes are off to the Sweet 16 after a grueling 74-66 victory over Georgia in the second round, a win that showed Iowa's veteran maturity and grit. This, however, is far from Iowa's ultimate goal. And after No. 1 seed Stanford fell atop the Hawkeyes' bracket Sunday night, a shot at the Final Four feels like a real possibility. The Register's Chad Leistikow, Kennington Smith and Dargan Southard break down where Iowa is at as it prepares for the Sweet 16 in Seattle, plus a...

Another early-round exit for a Fran McCaffery squad comes to fruition in Birmingham. After a horrendous offensive start stuck the Hawkeyes in a 17-point hole with an Auburn-friendly crowd roaring, Iowa did rally back within four — only for the Tigers to close things out late. A frustrating shooting night for Kris Murray punctuated the Hawkeyes’ struggles as Iowa’s season ended in uninspiring fashion. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith break down the end of this seesawing Iowa...

The Register's Chad Leistikow hosts a three-pronged Hawk Central episode from Birmingham. First, an on-the-scene preview with Hawkeye Report's Tom Kakert. Second, a men's and women's look-ahead with the Register's Kennington Smith. Third, a look at the NCAA Wrestling Championships and Spencer Lee's fourth title quest with Cody Goodwin.

Fran McCaffery's squad is headed to Birmingham as a No. 8 seed against Auburn. Lisa Bluder's bunch received the top No. 2 seed and will face Southeastern Louisiana to start inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Register's Chad Leistikow, Dargan Southard and Kennington Smith dissect everything ahead for both Iowa teams.

Big Ten Tournament champions one year, eliminated by a double-digit seed the next. So it goes in the emotional month of March — and Iowa basketball isn’t off to a great start this year. After Sunday’s home loss to Nebraska forced the Hawkeyes to play Thursday, Iowa sputtered against 13th-seeded Ohio State and will head home from Chicago early. With Selection Sunday just days away, Fran McCaffery’s squad has little time to re-discover its productive side before the NCAA Tournament begins....

Monday's news of the $4.175 million settlement agreement surrounding the Iowa football lawsuit created many points of discussion, and AD Gary Barta has come under the most fire publicly. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Kennington Smith and Andrew Downs to dig into an important conversation. We also talk basketball, looking ahead to Selection Sunday for the Iowa women and the Big Ten Tournament for the Iowa men.

Going solo after covering the Iowa women's basketball team's Big Ten Tournament championship in Minneapolis, the Register's Chad Leistikow recaps a series of huge wins, why Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes are playing so well, revisits his takeout on Lisa Bluder and looks ahead to NCAA Tournament seeding.

Everything has opened up nicely for Iowa men's basketball after beating Indiana on Tuesday, with losses by Northwestern, Maryland and Michigan giving the Hawkeyes a clear path to the No. 2 seed at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. But as we know, crazy things are happening every night in the Big Ten, so Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith of the Des Moines Register do their best to break down the possibilities and what to watch this weekend.

In a super-sized edition of the Hawk Central radio show, host Chad Leistikow of the Des Moines Register navigates through five timely topics. Kennington Smith, fresh off covering the Iowa men's win at Indiana joins the show to discuss seeding scenarios, football's racial-discrimination lawsuit and the NFL Combine. Dargan Southard takes the baton to talk Caitlin Clark's prospects for fifth year and previews the Big Ten Women's Tournament. And finally, Cody Goodwin brings the analysis you need...

Just when it seemed the Hawkeyes were buried underneath a mountain of defensive struggles, Iowa awoke for arguably the greatest comeback in program history. The Hawkeyes trailed by 11 with a minute remaining before hitting five treys in the final 40 seconds to force overtime. By then, Michigan State had nothing left for the extra period. Those who exited Carver-Hawkeye Arena early came streaming back in to soak up an improbable victory.

Two weeks to go in the Iowa men's basketball regular season, and just one week left for the Iowa women. That mean the urgency is up for everyone, and Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith take a deeper look at the Hawkeye men's performance of late and big games against Wisconsin and Michigan State. Meantime, Dargan Southard joins the show to detail a newsy week for the Iowa women, who head to Maryland before hosting Indiana on Sunday.

After dismantling Ohio State Thursday night for their seventh straight home win, the Hawkeyes enter the regular season's final stretch in third place with a chance to surge into the postseason. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith break down where Iowa's at and what it needs to do before the Big Ten Tournament.

Even after a 1-1 week, the Hawkeyes' stock is moving up. They are now in the top four of the Big Ten standings and solidly in the NCAA Tournament. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Kennington Smith revisit the loss to Purdue, the win against Minnesota and offer appreciation for Kris Murray and Connor McCaffery. We also reserve a segment to circle back to Iowa football topics we missed last week.