Yo guys gotta interrupt real quick to talk to you guys about anchor have you guys heard of anchor? Obviously, you've been listening to this podcast for how long which by the way we love you guys for that. You guys are the best but anchor, you know, it's free. It's what we use to create our podcast. It's the first thing we found when we started our podcast if you guys are ever interested in starting your own anchors the best place to do it again, it's free. There's tools that allow for creation and very easy steps toBoard and edit your podcast right from your phone or your computer. It will distribute your podcast for you. We don't do any of that. They put it on iTunes and all the other places that you can hear the wash up Walk-Ons and many more you can make money from your podcast with no minimum minimum listenership your podcast can get sponsored. It's how we kind of pay for the the couple's subscriptions we have for some of the tools that we use to make the podcast. It's how we've paid for the equipment that we've we bought it's great. It's everything you need to make a podcast in one place. Download the free anchor app or going to Anchor dot f m-- to get started. Thanks guys now back to the show. Special guest Nicholas bear joins the podcast today. We talk all things, Iowa basketball Nick's story his journey to Iowa City what it's like playing with guys like Bohannon Garza. We Scamp all of it a lot of other personal stuff from Nick as well. Really. Hope you guys enjoy this one. Listen to the whole thing. Let's have it. Welcome back wash. The Walk-Ons fans is the 83rd episode of the podcast. Excuse me, and I'll tell you what, it's no secret that I am pretty excited to get on the podcast. Every time that we do said it before I really do enjoy just coming on here chopping it up with the guys having having people on having great conversations. It's always a great time. But today I think this might be one of the more excited I've been this episode in particular is one that I've wanted to do for quite a while because of how much history behind the scenes this guy and myself have through other people through all of our high school careers, and it's also another opportunity for us to the podcast the step outside of the realm of football and get some other Hawks on the podcast who deserve to be recognized for the awesome ship it they did in their careers not everybody has a podcast to talk about how great they used to be we do. That's what we did is so we're trying to offer our platform to others to fucking remember the good times man, because this whole growing up shit. It's not as fun as I expected it to be like getting rid of birds for for lunch and what you wear and what curse words you say like, that's okay, but paying bills and shit. Like I didn't know how much I hated Panic cable bill until I was on the phone cursing out somebody on DirecTV. Because their prices are way too expensive and it was a $400 cancellation. So like, you know growing up just ain't all that shit. But we have a great podcast. And today we have probably man. What's going to end up being a top five all-time guest I guarantee this is going to be a great conversation Nicholas Golden Bear. Welcome to the podcast bro. What's up guys? Had a lot of pressure put on me. Holy shit. There's absolutely zero pressure. In fact fact after that intro I realized how truly sad what we're doing here is you know, we are fresh off of recording episode 82 with the one and only make and pleb as a guest host talking about football talking about Hawkeyes talking about the UFC fight and we're you know in this offseason format we've done we switched over to getting all of our shit done on Sundays so that we can be a little Bit more professional a little bit more scheduled and now we have like Drake said someone on who we've wanted for a while Nick. So excited to have you on and have a basketball perspective. Gosh where to start let's start with what Drake mentioned lot of lot of history not necessarily directly but Drake and you hail from the same part of the earth we do. Hey his town listen to me. Listen to me his town on their on their sign says Bettendorf. Welcome to the premier City. Yeah. Look Ben David now that now that that's out in the oxygen. I'll let you smoke. Yeah, I know both from the Eastern, Iowa area. Yeah, I was actually born in Iowa City, but I grew up in bed or from there like second grade. So whether my whole life, you know went through high school and everything there kicked Most teens ask a bunch of times. It was all good. Here we go. And the worst part is he has all the bragging rights and let's let's let's talk about it. What was the closest game that Muscatine gave you guys in high school? Oh man, I Funny Story one of my memories about Muscatine as I remember. We're playing them was my junior year. I think where's my seniors their senior night and we're their plan and we got chewed out at the end of the third quarter because we like stole a ball and one of my teammates try to thrown off the back where Allie you to me, and I just think that's why you can't do that in like someone's like senior night, you know. But that's incredible about a minute but then go down. That's actually incredible man. And just the fact that Drake Drake likes it like he's obviously the shit talker on the podcast. You probably know that and so forth to get somebody in here that can really just, you know, bring Muscatine down a level and all of that is it's really great. We're all for that I want to so, okay. So see y'all will get into it, but But so Nick I want to start off 2012. Oh boy that football team have you so the story Justin vanhouten? Most people are going to have no idea what I'm talking about, but that's okay. Did he actually jump out of a moving car? I can't confirm that but if you like that up, that wouldn't surprise me. So there's a there's a story there. So this for the podcast listeners, I don't bring this up for no reason just in Van Hooten is the single number one scariest football player I've ever played against in my life Bar None no level or anything because I was the the least prepared to be up against somebody like him because I've never met somebody that was more fucked up than me by so far like he several standard deviations to the right of me and that is really saying something and the the the word on the street around Eastern Iowa is that he was in an altercation with somebody inside a car and they were just like talking a bunch of shit and he they said he wouldn't jump out of the car blah blah blah they bet him and he just he jumped out of a moving car like 30 somehow the word on the street. I think I heard something about I'm not sure if it's true or not. But like I wouldn't doubt it though. Like that's very by possible Nick. I imagine you probably imagine you probably didn't hang out with a lot of people that had those qualities. No, I wasn't jumping out of cars in high school. Yeah, you see the like more of a straight edge one of the guys that if you were on the football team at Iowa KF what a really really enjoyed talking about. Here's another here's another story that takes us back to high school. We were playing better. Dorf in Passing League. Did you you ever know about Passing League Nick? I heard about it. Yeah. Yeah, it's always just High School seven on seven, but it was just to try and get everybody better and we were playing in Rock Island, which is already a sketchy place to be and we were playing Bettendorf and like, you know passing leagues. No helmets. No pads not then just two hand touch seven on seven and the way Justin vanhouten got me down one time was I ran an out route from the slot and he just, you know was playing outside line. GE and I tried to cut back and he tagged me down with a punch to the face. He just punched me in the face the only one way to play so we want me to play so talk about talk about your years at Bettendorf any any memories or anything that you think kind of, you know shaped you and led you to your time and Iowa City. What are some of the better times in high school? And how did Nick bear become Um a guy that the Iowa basketball team found. Yeah, I think a lot of like the like the reason I am who I am today is from like the Bender of culture that we had and I think what was really unique was I got a chance to play like all like the people in my grave. We're all like George play with each other from like third grade on so we have like a really good chemistry together, but I think I remember my junior year. We went 25 and one we lost in the State title game to Iowa City West and Those guys are really good and I remember come back the next year and just like thing like that. Like, you know, this is this is it like we got every pretty much like everybody back. We lost a couple of seniors but I remember like the standard like play a bender was always like to play like play as hard as you can try because I can you can I think that's something that I definitely carried with me at Iowa. And I think like that was just like the expectation and I think that's something that as as always like stuck with me. And it just becomes like second nature now like the pro level. It's like it's just second. It's like it's just your habit and I think just being a Bend or if like, they help they help me build a really good habits. And therefore like, you know, like have some success in Iowa. What was the process of you becoming a Hawkeye? What was what did that look like? When did that begin in your high school? Yeah, so my senior year. I had like hardly any interest at all. I had one I'd like some interest from Wayne State out in, Nebraska. And you can pretty much I know so but it pretty much really picked up after my senior year. I had an opportunity I one scholarship offer to Northwest Missouri State which is division to school division two powerhouses. Like they've won like two or three national teams in a row and then I could have walked on at Drake you and I or Iowa I just grew up in Iowa fan. My order of like huge Iowa Hawkeye fan didn't wasn't interested in Drake that much. They were going to make private tuition solution that and then I mean she had to pick between I would sit here Cedar Falls. That's a pretty clear choice. Sounds like these its decision of all time. Yeah, I mean and I just had a chance to sit down with because coach McCaffrey. He saw me play in Des Moines. I was planning its Connor actually in the state semifinal. We lost we counter actually ice the game. He made two free throws put them out for with like Three seconds, there's almonds so he's give me a whole lot of shit about that permit. No, I mean it's just interesting how it should happens. But so he saw me play there. I had 22 and 12 that game and then he just saw he had me come to campus for like an unofficial and offered me a walk-on spot and her like walking out like with like my mom was there and shit and I was just like, yeah, I'm not turning this down. So I think I call him like two days later. I was like, yeah, so your story sounds like you could be the the fourth host of this podcast right now. Yeah like that shit you gosh. I mean it's almost crazy the parallels outside of the difference the major difference of just the sport being something else. So how many jumpers did you put up between your Junior and Senior year because your senior you were an absolute sniper. I I was screaming for people to flexible. Yeah, that would be What does before you were ever in college? What is what did your workouts look like? How much time were you putting in an offseason in like a high school offseason? What did that look like our high school did a good job of like making sure we had like scheduled workouts every day, but so they were always a like there's always instincts like they had a bunch of football players to so we had to go like before the football like being at like 7:30. So we'd like our work at like 6:00 a.m. It's like make sure that we can accommodate that football players. So we like always have that but then like the thing that I was eight. Preciate it's like my mom's the principal better high school. He's the school. So like pretty much wouldn't like it. Anybody's like is like no one's using it for like volleyball or anything like that. I could pretty much like just take the keys and solutely go up. And so yeah, I just like, I think I utilize that quite a bit and I was always helpful. I think just like, you know find some space that way. But yeah, I think just getting up like a lot of shots and like especially like in college my junior year. I didn't shoot it back great, and I knew I wanted to Rottweiler and I think like some that I would does really well is not you guys see it now. I think we're at the rank like first or third and like Open Season because you can like do all like all skills like Drew. Yeah, you would also I think I would as a really nice job like developing your skills. And I think that's something that really helped me is just like spend a lot of time in the gym and just get a lot of shots up. Yeah, so we know what it's like to be like walk-on football team. There's like a hundred Five Guys, but Obviously there's a lot of spots to compete for is a walk on a basketball team. Like there's only five guys in the coordinate at any given time. So like you don't hear about whole lot of walk on stories and basketball it can do in football. Keep talk a little bit about that like what the process was like for you to, you know, get some recognition get some Court time and eventually be you know, the guy senior year. Yeah. I think I remember funny sort of My First's like it's like my first like two weeks on campus. We had like not two weeks like to Practice. We had a really when I was like closed or scrimmages the like no one's supposed to know about but of course everybody knows what's going on Creighton and I'm running with Erin white at the time whose like senior and like senior leader and everything and like they gave us our scattered reports and I'm just assuming they were supposed to look it over and like know whatever and we go down to breakfast the next morning and unbeknownst to me. We have a quiz so we get we get quizzed about it and I look like because our one of our Cooks like, okay like yeah time for quiz, and I'm Finally always like pulling the like I look over at Whitey and he's just has like the biggest smirk on his face because he didn't they didn't tell me that they set your ass up. What an asshole like I was like, wow, I really so I love getting the question like half right but ever since then I've been like, all right, like I did that was the last question I missed my thrust. Yeah smart man. I'm sorry. No, I think so. My always appreciate was just like coach a Caffrey. Is like he gives gives you like what you earn like based off Merit not necessarily based off like what like how many stars that you have like high school? Like it's based on like, how can you perform? Like, how do you help the team and like, yeah, there's only five guys on the court. So like if you can extend your value even further like that's going to help you and I think that Sam I always appreciated but yeah any like they're really walk on days where I mean that first year my first Redshirt year was kind of fun. It's like I wasn't playing but I was on Scout team. So like I was almost like being with the opposing players every day and you pretty much have free rein. You can like do almost no wrong. Like you can help. Yeah. I do kind of aggressive and you miss it's like, okay. I know that that's what he's going to do type of thing. So I do want to know on scholarship and I do definitely miss that bad be on Scout team and you can literally just do whatever you want and whatever you want as long as you're giving Mefford everything here. Yep. It reminds me of that reminds me of be Ross because when you're on Scout team on the football team, your goal is to basically get noticed by fucking up as many starters as you can and you're gonna get in trouble, but you're going to get noticed and like so that's funny. Um, you were the Sixth Man of the Year talk about that. That talk about that mindset. You mentioned I shot out a text you might have saw tweets if you checked your phone. I tagged you in a tweet and I asked what would you ask if you had one question? What would you ask Nick bear? One of them was what was it like being the Sixth Man of the Year and talk about that? And then also, what was it like playing all the time a hundred percent gassed because of the effort you gave and I think those two things go hand in hand, right? Yeah, I think when I started like my first year I somehow I was like thought to myself is like what is something that I can do that like no one else can bring like wear something like to separate myself to try to get like on the court and I think for me that was definitely bringing energy like playing like as hard as I could as long as I could and I understood like I knew going in like, okay, I'm not gonna be playing like 30 plus minutes. I'm probably me playing anywhere from 15 to 20. So as long as I just play balls in the wall like while we're out there and then that you That's how you'll be effective type of thing. And I think that carried over in like my Sixth Man of the Year just also because like I knew we had that was urea that Peter jock we had Tyler cook and joy, Mohan we had like studs these Frozen up and coming and we had peered doc was like an all-conference player like led the league in scoring. So like I understood that I didn't need like I didn't need to go out and get like 15 20, like I needed to like be really good at my role which was like playing with high energy and helping effect winning. Like I took a lot of pride in that I think that's getting an insane amount of rebounds for a not tall white guy. I know that's why I was thinking the other not tall white guys really damn proud every time good shit will happen though. So yeah, I know I always liked took pride in that and I was like, I was kind of like surprised by the end of the year that I either award but I had some like very proud about was keeping with me. Yeah. Hey guys. Yep, it's me. Again. Got to interrupt the episode real quick to talk to you guys about Spotify one of the sponsors of this podcast on Spotify. You can listen to all your favorite artists and podcasts in one place for free. You don't even need a premium account Spotify has a huge catalogue of podcasts on every topic including the one you're listening to right now. Yeah, we're on Spotify. I don't know how we did that but pretty cool other things you can do on Spotify is All your favorite podcast, so you never miss an episode premium users can download episodes to listen to offline wherever you are and you can easily share what you're listening to with your friends on Instagram. If you haven't done so already be sure to download the Spotify app search for wash up Walk-Ons on Spotify or browse podcasts in the your library tab. Also, make sure to follow us so that you never miss an episode of The Watcher Parkins the so one of the questions that I got was for you was did you have any welcome to the Big Ten moments either good or bad? Like oh shit. I don't know if I'm prepared for this or like an oh shit moment. You walked into a an opposing environment where you're like damn like I'm really a part of this anything come to mind for that. Yeah. Well not big time. I remember my red shirt year. I remember playing we went to North Carolina we played there and I was kind of like Oh fuck. I don't know if I'm relaxing at home. There were ranked. Number one. I'm thinking like I played pretty well that game and like we won we beat the number one team on our home floor is like, you know, I can do this. I can play here like him like be here and like that gave me like some confidence going and I mean that team was But he was like so much fun to be around. So being with like that group of guys was fun and then just kind of like just rolling from there. I think gave me a lot of confidence. Yeah, but it's how you play Michigan State like you're going to end up on your ass. You're gonna end up with bruises next day like this out guys. And anybody like favorite favorite moment or favorite person you ever guarded or favorite anything like that a specific memory that comes to yeah. I think we may be We do at home and I had blocked Isaac Hast the rim. I remember I would like go get the 7-footer. He's gonna get it felt good about yourself. I did. Yeah. I was on a little bit of high after that. Just anytime you go a challenge like a 7-footer odds are you're probably going to get dunked on but like the only one or two times you don't or maybe you found them. They met Cameron at the line, but I think I remember that moment me like I was taught. That was the one that's all right, go go run with that those how tall are you? I'm six seven when I stand up straight and when I run stands on three want to stand up for you. I would take a couple of those. So I'm 510. There you go the other to the other to in this podcast our normal size humans, but I'm kind of on the shorter side what it was sighs weakest. I would say like six one, but that's kind of from the world we come from that's probably a little big the average males m58 in the world. It's like five nine and United. Is it something like that? You know, what's funny is as a just a personal memory real quick going back to football. We were four years into playing and I had a I had a welcome to Big Time football moment for years in three years in starting when we played Florida in the Outback Bowl that returner he gained ground. So quick on me straight up the field that I was like, oh, we're not supposed to be on the same field together. That's what this that brought that brought in memory back. Yeah, funny question real quick. We got a couple Harry Potter questions on Twitter. Excellent boys love about so which of the which I guess maybe it's different which movie / book is your favorite of the seven slot. Yes. Those are two different questions. My favorite book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I said, that's my parents because like sets up like the last one way up as a lot of like that movie is Harry Potter Goblin fire for sure. Proud of the tournament that is dope with like the dragons and the Mets and you're right dude. The Triwizard Tournament was happening comes back and it's like, all right. Let me know so we can talk Harry Potter for days, but the the fans don't wanna listen to that. I want to hear about you got to play with so many incredible people write a lot of the stuff that happens for us. It's all about the people and the the He's that you make in the friendships that you create and people that are still playing you played with a few that are just just real almost like icons their Iowa icons. Bohannon being one of them. Garza is turning into an absolute machine our let's just start with your thoughts on this on the team this year and then we'll talk a little bit about some of your favorite memories from from the guys that are still playing. Yeah, I mean it's been a lot of fun. Like I wasn't sure I was going to feel like watching these guys and it's like I mean, it's like so much fun. Like the first game was a little weird that after that. It's okay. Let's roll but they're I mean, they're playing really well right now, I think like Luca Garza's playing on All-American level like that's phenomenal and I think like that's not necessarily surprising the people in the program. I think it's pretty surprising people outside the program who I like haven't seen I went to like hard he's been working. I think some of it doesn't get enough credit is I'm coach cabins doing a hell of a job like coaching these guys, especially like when you consider how many injuries and like setbacks they've had oh my God dick, you like never run of the mill type of thing. So they been doing really well and I think like if they keep this up like that definitely be like playing a March. I think that's the ultimate goal for every like, I would seriously can you play like deep into March and I just like I like it's like so fun to watch like kind of not like Not as a fan objects, I know what's going on, but it was like seeing like how fast they play like how like skilled they are and either like they're playing really well like connected together and just you ever have a weird moment where you're like you feel like you're on the bench and you know coach is about to look down be like yo Nick get in the game or nice. I know like I just know like the SATs the runner I all see like them like went up nicer for mostly I like you. There we go. Really? Oh, yeah. Thanks, that's always fun though, but I was pretty impressed last night. I had a chance to watch them play against Michigan a crowd is loud, man. That crowd was lousy in the middle of a blizzard to dude. Yeah, exactly. So, I think that that makes a huge difference to because like carver can get really loud, especially like those weekend games. Like I think that goes that can be like really special and I think that definitely does play like a big part like Yakima games. How does car let's talk? Awesome, Joey's Camp. Let's talk some Muscatine Pride Joey's cam underneath. I need to hear some Joey's can't talk from you. I just yeah could be such music to my ears. That dude is as cool as the other side of the pillow. I mean, he's just like very you can key like doesn't get too high doesn't get too low. I think he's a pro. I'm not sure if it's going to be this year or next year. But I mean, I think that the other day using me playing at the highest level there. Is he absolute sniper? Yeah, I mean Did you can't leave a bad thing? And he's I mean like his form is so pure that like you just like like even if like he's like in a little bit of a slump at some point like, you know, like it's not sustainable just by like how he like he shoots the ball. So I'm really looking forward to like watching him because I think they're gonna have to lean on him a lot like the rest of this year, especially with Jordan out. So I think that's gonna be really important. But yeah, I mean, he's been he's like a lot I only played them for one year, but I feel like he committed like really early like almost like before I even got Out there, so it's like I feel like I've known him like I'd seen him like every fall like come like football games like this stuff. So yeah, he's never met a bigger gym rat like you yeah gym rat to me. Yeah. I mean, he's I really like his first like few days like on campus like in the summer like he was like like it was just like going to shoot. He's like already on there. My how do you have a key yet? But you shouldn't even I have like access like in your head. I feel like we Scamp is that kid who at least in high school the other similar to Drake how you like weren't a fan of Nick that dumb that I'm like masculine on the athlete at one school. You're the athlete the other school. I feel like we Scamp is that guy who is just like every other good player on every other team hated him because he was so good. And because it's just like he doesn't do anything wrong. Like I mean, I especially like in high school. He's getting like triple team and crazy still dropping 30 every game. Yeah. He dropped 50 on Benders remember that we're in Penn State like getting ready to fire again the next day and I like shining through Twitter. I see Mac costs tweeting about how like Joey stamps winding us up. So listen, like I know that everybody in this podcast right now is popular in high school and like we had you know, the people of the city were fans of us and less than the other I have never seen High School popularity. Like I saw with Joey's kit dunno I went back to see games. I was in the upper rows. Because the whole place was packed sold out the kid the kid couldn't get off the floor because he had so many autographs. It's like, I mean that line didn't end it was like, you know on Bruce Almighty when he's typing the emails back to everybody's prayers and he like a million of them, but he's got 11 million more to go. That's literally how Joey's counts autograph line was Joe was on his Harrison Barnes shit because that's how it was on his shit. That's how cameras everywhere this guy was the man. Thing is I was like that was like completely well deserve to like it wasn't like bunch of bullshit. Like that's like he was like living up there. Yeah. Yeah. Last year Jordan Bohannon intentionally missed the free throw to two years ago to to keep Chris streets record alive talk about Jordan. I think he's obviously a huge focus of the social media Iowa Community. He's he's not he's a little bit polarizing if there's anyone on the team. That is talk. What it was like being a teammate of Jordans what you thought of the missed free throw what you thought of him leaving the shoes on Iowa State's Court this year all of it. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, like putting its him in high school are like it's like we have a sky reports and I remember playing like this guy's like kind of full of himself has yeah like, you know by the shit, but then I got to college I was like, obviously they committed I started playing with him like playing against him. I hated him, you know, like in caught like a high Look, like he's one of those guys like you love having on your team though, like you love them. He's like you kind of mentioned. He's not afraid to let his opinions known he's really out outspoken, which is like very much something he likes to do and I think he's good at so I think What like what's special about him is like like really like end the game type stuff because like when any game like everyone's nerves like get like ramped up a little bit but like when you watch him and like you look at him like he calms down like everyone else is all I got hyped up jacked up, but he's like almost like makes him like calmer like cooler and I think that's what makes him special especially like me you seem like the late game heroics. He's had like all last year and we'll have again next year. So is he the most ice water teammate you Ever had not even close not even close right he is just he's onions. But I mean, I remember because like our game against was like I really are gave me this Wisconsin his freshman year you get that three to like win it. I was like, we got a killer. We have a killer. So he's you want you want the ball in his hands at the end of games and I mean odds are it's going to be a great decision whatever decides to do. So so I'm like so torn because I wish he was playing for this team right now, so Badly, but I'm so excited that once this year's over we still get to watch him right people for another year. Like I only like too far ahead like you think about like next year's team. Like you got like a full squat like pretty much I would sue my most popular coming back. I mean, maybe like lukeandjo my husband decision that like the end of the year, but I mean like those guys come back healthy Jordan like CJ Frederick who's playing out? His mind right now. It's like I mean, we're I'm cruising to graduate but I mean that's a really strong core Technologies going to come back. So yeah, I think he's reciting dude. It's free. It's really exciting the prospect. That's I'm just hoping it was guys. Don't play too good and they got paid this year. If I if I had to take a guess Joe's coming back. I would yeah, there's knowing who Joe is a person. I think he's coming back that's with no Insider knowledge at all. That's just knowing him his family how Chiz, how much focus is family puts on education and everything? I would have a hard time seeing him leave after I think Luke is the one with the hard decision. Yeah, right. Now he's averaging like I did like some research and like I don't think there's because I forget what he's having he's having some insane like 23 and 11 or something like 24 to 11 right now or something and I was like doing a little research and there's never been a player in a power five School whose average 20 + + + that In go in the first round Jesus sad, he's gone. He's gone. That's an opportunity there. Like if he's I mean obviously if he's going to get dropped the first how high in the first round because basketball kind of does it weird where the bubble tier system? Yeah. So like the first I mean if you're like a lottery pick like that's a little like different. But yeah, I'm not actually like the exact. I just know like the first round first round, you're like guaranteed contracts. So like that's like, that's awesome. So I mean That's some crazy stuff. But I mean if he does come back next year like that be amazing, but if he has an opportunity to promote him and where jelly they have opportunity make life-changing money. I don't let the peacock fly, right? That's what we always say on this podcast man peacock fly, which is so funny. His dad is awesome on Twitter. I look any you mentioned kriner. What a Savage he is, right? Yeah. I'll talk about talk about him like Did you have a good relationship with him? And yeah, absolutely. I love him. Yeah, he's he's a different cat. He's a different cat. He's very like comfortable in his own skin. Like he knows what he does. I think he's not was like high energy my on the court, but I mean, he's been like I think his developments been really impressive of these last few years how he's like with his skill set like how he's like mentally approach to game that's really impressive and I think it's really showing out like his two-year here. Like he had a huge smile. Last night against Michigan my turn the tide probably the biggest shot of the game, of course up for with like minute Thirty or two minutes ago. So I couldn't be happier for him. I think he's going to like continue and to be like a really important role throughout the rest of the season absolutely great offensive rebounder. That's what I love Ryan Kroner for. Yeah, he gets rebounds. He probably shouldn't get and yeah, it was kind of the Nick bear special. Yeah. He's yeah, you always got him and he's got great hands to like around the rim and his always like You always me ready for like offensive rebounds issue Kevin. I think Nick and Crainer. I think they're both like honorary Savage backs. You know if if we could come up with a Savage back tight or definition for basketball that would definitely fit their mold. That's what health Savage 600 Savage back. Nick is a term that was kind of created by guys who did not start out of position. There's actually some criteria you are a walk-on white kid who didn't stop the dart at a real position, but you played all four phases punt punt return kick. Kick return and so it was it was named the SB instead of like a DB or an RB you were an SB good you could call them you could call him the Savage 6 and says Savage back because he's a six-man or terms up here terms any any fun or memorable Fran mccaffery stories. Hell yeah, how much time the I love it? I think sometimes like I mean for about like 90% of the time like he talked to you. He like uses like this voice like very like calm like very like direct like I was like this sometimes we're like, he does like like get animated whatever like that that'll happen. But I think I remember one of the things I was right about Coach you all Told us like really like I think it's like early on in my career. We had like a couple like bad practices and he's like kind of like guys get their own heads or like there's like egos going on about and he's like guys like everybody's got problems here. Like everyone's got some like they're going through but like here's the reality 50% of the people outside of this room. Don't care the other 50% are glad you have them. So like just like it you got some like talk to us in here. It's like people in this program care about you like Don't like thing, like people that are like outside the programmer and that sort of like looking for you like your best interest type of thing. Yeah. I love that. That's always something that's like stuck with me. Like everyone's got shit going on, you know, but what do you miss most now that you're out in a way from Iowa City? Well, we'll get to what you're doing now and what the future for Nick bears, but what's the thing you miss most You know I miss so what was really cool about last season was my brothers on the team. So my brothers on the team and I like that's not my miss a lot. I get a chance like see him every day and just like being with him. That was some was really special. See I miss some special was your whole senior year in general. Yes. Yeah, I think senior year was special because the year we had before was dog shit and it wasn't very good. It was like I was I would like to lower like Parts like my career was like they like coming back off that and knowing I didn't want to go out that way and a lot of great teams are bounce back team bounced back to me because it hurts for a long time. Yeah, so that was a long summer like just like sitting with that and I knew like being the only senior like I knew like there's a lot of like responsibly like helped lead the team and I think I was really like happy with how like my year ended like going out on like a good know making the tournament win a game and coming with them, you know a couple He's away from you and sweet 16. So close dude. That was heartbreaking heartbreaking. I don't gotta tell you but but it was just that game is nuts just like being down 25 and then coming all the way back. It was nuts watching it. It was fucking bananas do and I like re-watch like a few times like there's just like a couple times. We had this one back for that way back, but I'm just proud of how we fought all the way back. So oh, yeah, but yeah so senior that was special. But yeah. The city I miss Danny lion brochure I go back get some pancakes they're missed that but I mean I'm is like the people most meaning for sure - cooking breakfast for Bohannon. What's up? Yeah, go to another place. I said you missed that I've seen not I saw that you were always cooking breakfast for Jordan. He always possible. Yeah, we I don't even know how it started but like yeah, I think he I told him it's like yet. He like didn't eat breakfast like long as I was like dude, you gotta eat breakfast, bro. So that stuff and then he got back and forth. Are you a big gamer? You play Fortnight with Jordan? No, I'm not playing FIFA but not those guys. I'm I'm like so hard behind like that. If I just started now, it'd be like dude. So now talk about lets, you know your time and Iowa City ends and bring us from that point to right now what has transpired in the life of Nick Bear? Yeah, so finished up at, Iowa. And then right now I'm in Toronto some with Raptors 905 and which is the Toronto Raptors G League affiliate and start up here in October. So I like it up here a lot. It's been a great experience so far then just like having a chance to play professionally. Thanks Ben. Like it's always like a goal of mine to have been a dream of mine. So not quite washed up yet, but still got a ways to go. It's been it's been good, though. Good place for me like start my career up here and then hopefully continue my career for as long as like I can play and as long as I can and then figure out the whole the built-in thing later dude, hold off on it is what's up? Hell yeah, as long as you can and when you think you may not want to play anymore just play a little bit longer. Just make once this shit is gone you sometimes wake up from a dream and you're like, wow. I wish I could have just fucking finished that one because you want again so bad look a hundred percent dude. Don't never graduate stay in school and school never never hear us. You're always a washed up walk-on from the University of Iowa. That's true. That's all that's always over and that's kind of what this podcast your you were a smart guy Nick. Yeah. Yeah in school pretty good at something like what like yeah, because I graduate with like a I'd like to 8, you know, I had said Communications major history minor leadership certificate and then I have one semester left to grad school for sports Recreation. Okay. So on so in the when the real life does hit and and and Nick bear jumper just isn't what it used to be anymore. What uh, are there any any what was life after basketball for you you think about Going into coaching you think about something else no idea. I had a chance to do one of my summers at a chance to intern at the University of Iowa foundation. So I had a chance to work with like Athletics development Athletics fundraising. I actually I was like I had was an intern the other intern was Ike bugger. So I just wanted the questions on Twitter was who is the best intern coworker? Yeah, exactly. So yeah, he was a lot of fun, but I think get a chance like see what they do. That was really cool. Not sure if I want to do it necessary for our Athletics, but I think like fundraising in general for like a cause I really care about that'd be something that would be interested in whatever level that might be or whatever organization by things like get a chance to see how like to interact people and build relationships and then like working towards like a good cause and that's something that's worthwhile. Awesome. Are you sure you don't want to sell medical devices? Hey, I'm not going to rule it out. You want to live in the desert? We're living the jump shot. Six extra bedrooms in this house. I've only got one. I've only got one might my mom occupies one. I would never give up my mom's room. But yeah, I do have one. Okay, and then now I'll keep that in mind. Well Nick we are so happy that we were able to finally get you on. I know a lot of people wanted this to happen a lot sooner than it did we we are horrible at the the whole pod casting thing. So we were far behind on most of The gas that we're trying to get on here eventually, but I think the fans are really going to enjoy this one. I know we caught you right after like a travel day. What what what you have going on right now? Yeah, so we were so we played in Canton Ohio last night and we're supposed to drive back rashly game, but there's a big snow storm in the Northeast. So we said the night and then we got on the bus at 6:30 this morning back at about 12:30. So a six-hour bus ride, so, I'm just gonna hang out watch some NFL football. So now whoo, you got it. Whoo, you got in these games. I'm rooting for the Packers and the Chiefs. I want to see Rogers Mahomes. I think that's something like like State Farm guy that well. Yes, he forgot. I think that's something I just be like most entertaining but I mean, I mean if 49ers when I'd be fine with that too, just like I would love watch towards kiddo. I love see that and Super Bowl. Oh, yeah. Absolutely Savage Bang Bang. Yeah, yes. Well in my hookers on the Titan shit, so yeah, we got guys all over the place. So hello. So there you go lose. Well Nick I had to think so so hold up. I had to think about what Nick just said there because he said Amani hooker, but on my end it sounded like my hooker inside. He's like my hookers on the Titans and one of the cheerleaders. Yeah. Yeah. Great. This was that's how most of these And we just fuck it out at the end and a great podcast and Drake just ruins the day. It's just you you got the treatment 101. I appreciate it. Absolutely and you can come back anytime maybe have you back when we get closer to March and the in yes, we got a March Madness episode with the Hawks in the tournament would be dope that would be that'd be incredible. So thank you for joining us again. And we get a hawks by a million Ox by million, baby. Yeah. That's it. Everybody. Have a great day. Peace.
Nicholas Baer is a former walk on basketball player to the University of Iowa. Born in Iowa city, he grew up in Bettendorf where he became one of the states best prep basketball players before becoming a Hawkeye. Nick joins the show to talk all things Iowa basketball including his thoughts on some of the current Hawkeyes, playing for Fran Mccaffery, and what he misses most. He also catches everyone up on what his life looks like now in the G league playing for the Raptors affiliate team. Here is a summary of what Nick accomplished as a Hawkeye: Non-scholarship athlete his first two years, academically, before earning a scholarship following his redshirt freshman season (spring of 2016)… only player in program history to surpass 750 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, 100 blocks, and 100 3-point field goals… third Hawkeye since 1980 to lead the team in steals three consecutive seasons (Dean Oliver, Steve Carfino)… first Hawkeye since 1980 to lead the team in steals and blocks in the same season twice (2017, 2019)… first Hawkeye since Jeff Horner in 2005-06 to lead the team in steals in back-to-back seasons (1.3 spg in 2017 and 1.0 spg in 2018)… only player to win all four games in the seven-year history of the four-team Hy-Vee Classic… reached double figures 29 times and had four double-doubles… averaged 8.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and two steals in four games representing Iowa on the 2016 USA East Coast All-Stars team… four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree… three-time Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree for the Iowa men’s basketball team… averaged 7.3 points, four rebounds, and a team-best 1.75 steals on Iowa’s four-game tour in Europe in August, 2018… twice named to the NABC Honors Court and earned the team’s Academic Excellence Award twice. 