Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/442418
77 T urning the page, that's what we do when the calendar flips to a new year. In the world of intercollegiate athletics at the University of Iowa, that turning of the page traditionally means the white-hot spotlight shis from the gridiron at Kinnick Stadium to Mediacom Court in Carver- Hawkeye Arena. So, what are we looking at in terms of Iowa hoops and wresting? To say the three programs are off to solid start would be an understatement. Bluder's Bunch and Fran's squad stand atop their respective Big Ten Conference standings with perfect 2-0 records with each securing a win over a nationally ranked opponent in a game played away from Iowa City. It doesn't get any better than that — and the same can be said for the unbeaten-in- Big-Ten Iowa wresters. ey are 3-0, including last Sunday's thrilling come-from-behind victory over seventh-ranked Ohio State in Columbus. I've noted this before, but I can't recall a single Hawkeye who has made more improvement from freshman year to senior year than Gabe Oleseni. Look at his line from Monday night's victory over Nebraska: a career-high 18 points that included 12-of-13 shooting from the charity stripe and 3-of-5 from the field, and five rebounds — all in just 22 minutes of playing time. I recall Tom Davis suggesting it always took a little longer for the big guys to put it all together. Well, Gabe has put it all together. He's not perfect yet, but he has a final March to March to get that much closer, and it sure appears that he will. Is Melissa Dixon the Gabe Oleseni of Bluder's Bunch? She isn't a big, and she also was a big- time contributor from Day 1 on campus. Like Gabe, Melissa's numbers have only gotten better year-over-year and today, as Bluder's Bunch read- ies itself for a Jan. 8 date at Illinois, the 2013 B1G Sixth Player of the Year is averaging a career-high 15.6 points per game, thanks to white-hot shoot- ing from behind the arc. Dixon is shooting at a 48 percent clip from 3-point land, making a team- high 53-of-110 attempts. So what are we to make of Iowa Football 2014 and the prospects for the future? I'm an optimist — it's a much healthier way to live one's life — so, 2014 is in the rear view mirror for me. I'm looking forward to 2015 and supporting a team that will tackle another schedule that — on paper — looks favorable for the good guys in black and gold. e 2015 team will look different than the 2014 version. at's the beau- ty of the college game, the revolving door of young, talented football players. I'll leave it to our coaches to determine the specifics of how we turn tough losses into hard-fought victories. I don't know the intricacies of the game well enough to start rambling on about this, that, and another thing. However, I do know this: ere's talent in the coaching staff and there's talent on the roster, and the doors were re- cently opened to a new facility that will catch the at- tention of talented young men. e future is bright. As they say, it's always darkest before the dawn.