Former Iowa greats take in PTL games

NORTH LIBERTY — The Iowa men’s basketball program always is well represented at the Prime Time League, but not usually to the extent that it was Sunday.

A who’s who of former Iowa players that included Glenn Vidnovic, Luke Recker, Greg Brunner, Adam Haluska, J.R. Koch, Bobby Hansen, Ryan Luehrsmann, Kyle Galloway, Cyrus Tate and Wade Lookingbill attended Sunday’s PTL games at the North Liberty Community Center.

However, it wasn’t a coincidence that they all showed up on the same day.

Sunday’s PTL session was the first part of a two-day reunion of sorts for former Iowa basketball players.

The group also was scheduled to have a party Sunday night at the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort before playing golf today.

“It’s more kind of just the fellas getting together and telling lies,” Lookingbill joked.

Actually, it’s more than that.

Lookingbill helped organize the reunion and said he hopes it’ll become an annual summer event.

He also hopes that it will help bridge the gap between the current and past Iowa players.

“I think that’s all part of it, just getting the fan base back involved and getting the ex-players back involved,” said Lookingbill, who played at Iowa from 1989-93 and now lives in Urbandale. “It just shows that even as ex-players, we really want to be committed to the program.”

Lookingbill said the reunion is open to anybody who had a role within the Iowa basketball program.

“We tried to invite everybody we could,” Lookingbill said. “I feel bad because I’m sure we left somebody off the invite list. But if you can’t make it down this year, we’re going to try and make it an annual thing.

“It’s Iowa basketball; whether it’s coaches, managers, players, if you scored one point or 2,000 points. Come on back and watch the current players play and show some encouragement to them.”

PTL director Randy Larson was thrilled that so many former Iowa players took the time to attend Sunday’s games.

“It’s an honor to have them be interested enough to come see it because typically ex-college players kind of think that summer leagues and pickup games aren’t things they pay too much attention to,” said Larson, an Iowa City lawyer who started the PTL in 1987 so members of the Iowa men’s basketball team would have a league to compete in over the summer. “So I’m glad that they want to come to see what the new players are going to be like and what the returning players have been doing.’

“It’s pretty impressive to see them all get together.”

Larson estimated that there were about 25 former players on hand.

Sunday marked the first time since Lookingbill was in college 18 years ago that he attended a PTL game.

Much has changed since Lookingbill, 41, last played at Iowa, including the head coach three times.

Iowa also has had four consecutive losing seasons and lost at least 20 games in each of the past two seasons.

Current Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has made an effort to connect to the program’s past, including having two former Iowa players, Kirk Speraw and Ryan Bowen, on his coaching staff.

The basketball reunion is a way for the former players to show their support and to re-connect with their past in a fun environment.

“We’re trying to span the eras,” Lookingbill said. “Not just the 40-plus guys like me. We want some of the young guys to really get involved.”

Sunday’s turnout at the PTL didn’t go unnoticed by the current Iowa players.

“I think it’s awesome,” senior guard Matt Gatens said. “It means a lot for them to come back and support us.”

Gatens has grown up around the Iowa basketball program, with his father, Mike Gatens, being a former player. Mike Gatens also helped organize the reunion.

“It’s been difficult to reach out and get everybody back, but they’re working on it,” Matt Gatens said. “And the more guys they get back the better.

“It’s always nice for them to come back. And it’s fun for them to see each other and get back and talk and reminisce.”

Matt Gatens sees the reunion as another example of how attitudes are changing with regard to Iowa basketball under McCaffery.

“I’m definitely feeling it, and I feel like everybody around town is talking about it and maybe we’re finally turning that corner,” Matt Gatens said. “But the bottom line is we’ve got to win some games and we’re working towards that.”

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Category: Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball