It's another special edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast as we get to know the new coaches for the University of Iowa men's basketball team. This week we are pleased to be joined by Xavier Kurth. He is the new player development coach for the basketball program and we have a great conversation with him about his daily work.

We open talking about his early years in basketball starting at the high school level in St. Joseph, MO and the influence his high school coaches had on his playing and coaching career. We talk about playing with the Mo Kan program in AAU basketball as well and what that experience was like for him.

Then we discuss his college career and playing for Ben McCollum. What was it like to be part of his program. What about the impact that that he has had on him. Then getting into coaching and what a player development coach has to do on a daily basis.

We dive his workouts with Cooper Koch and what he has seen from him this spring and how he can help Iowa hoops this year. We talk about a new signee who has already been on campus and how he has looked in workouts so far. Plus, there are five players coming over from Drake that Kurth has coached and developed. We dive into how each of them have improved and what Iowa fans should expect from them this season and why Ben McCollum has had great success with point guards over the years.

It's another very busy edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. We have Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann breaking it all down to start your week. We open the with Iowa Baseball and the Hawkeyes getting swept by a red hot Oregon Ducks squad. The Hawkeyes had one chance on Friday to win and get a share of the Big Ten title, but let it slip away in the final three innings.

We get Kyle's view on the what happened in the last three games and the end of the regular season. Did the Hawkeyes simply run out of gas? Did a couple of injuries compound Iowa coming up short in their chase for the Big Ten title? Will they regret a couple of losses this season that got away late? We also look at what Iowa needs to do this week in Omaha in a new look Big Ten Tournament to possible get into the NCAA Tournament. Do they need to win the tournament to get in or could a trip to the championship game be enough?

Then we talk some Iowa women's basketball and the latest on the recruitment of portal prospect Emely Rodriguez. She looked like she was possibly headed to Iowa, but now might be making another visit? If Iowa lands the transfer how would it impact the starting lineup?

Finally we wrap up with an extended discussion on Iowa men's basketball recruiting. Kakert was Council Bluffs this weekend at the Adidas circuit event and so was Iowa head coach Ben McCollum and his assistant coach Josh Sash. We have a rundown of the prospects that they were watching and thoughts on how those players performed. Could new offers get extended in the next few days? We also look at the current roster and if Iowa was close to landing anyone else in the portal.

The biggest Iowa baseball series in the last 35 years is taking place at Banks Field starting on Thursday evening. It's Iowa hosting Oregon and there is a chance that the Hawkeyes could win an outright or share a Big Ten title for the first time since 1990.

Kyle Huesmann and Tom Kakert spend just over 30 minutes on some breaking down the series and some breaking news for the Iowa baseball team that suggests that they will be without a key hitter this weekend against the Ducks. What will the impact be of this potential loss and who will have to step in? What will it do to impact the batting order?

Then we look at the overall Big Ten race and what Iowa needs to do in the three team race for the top spot with UCLA right behind the Hawkeyes and Oregon also in the mix. We also discuss the unique format for the Big Ten Tourament and some interesting decisions that coaches of the higher seeded teams could potentially have to make to conserve pitching later in the week.

Finally, we also discuss if Iowa is still in the field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament? If they win the Big Ten outright or tie are the lock to make the NCAA Tournament?