Catching up with future Hawkeye Brennan Cougill

DES MOINES - Iowa basketball recruit Brennan Cougill will compete in the shot put at today's Class 3A state track meet. Then it's all basketball, all the time.

The 6-foot-9 post from Sioux City Heelan is working on getting stronger and his outside shooting skills just weeks from moving to the Iowa City area. Cougill, Iowa's Mr. Basketball this year, will compete in the Prime Time League in North Liberty this summer.

"It's pretty exciting to be coming in," Cougill said. "I've got to come in, and I've just got to work hard and put my work ethic out there and just give it 100 percent all the time."

Cougill, who weighs around 260 pounds, said he's uncertain if he'll attend summer classes - " it kind of depends on what the administration wants us to do."

Cougill said he was concerned after four players transferred from the Iowa men's basketball team in the offseason and stayed in contact with Iowa assistant coach Chad Walthall.

"Walthall is usually the guy that usually calls me and talks to me," Cougill said. "Last time I talked to Lick was official visit, maybe.

"I didn't call that much, but they were willing to talk if we wanted to talk. My mom pretty much got all that information. I was texting Matt (Gatens) and asked what was going on, and he said things were a little hectic but everything was starting to calm down."

Cougill scored 28 points in the Class 3A state title game, a 77-42 win against Norwalk. He averaged 18.2 points and 13.3 rebounds his senior year and was the 11th player in state history to score 1,500 points and pull down 1,000 rebounds in a career.

The Iowa basketball team, sans newcomers like Cougill, are headed to Italy on Saturday for a four-game exhibition tour.