Running stream of semi-consciousness from Penn State-Iowa basketball

IOWA CITY -- So ... here I am with several hundred of my closest personal friends.

It's Penn State-Iowa men's basketball. A Saturday afternoon. Two teams that are 0-4 in the Big Ten.

Maybe from such low expectations, a magnificent sporting event will emerge.

Maybe not.

I'm in town for tonight's Oklahoma State-Iowa wrestling meet. There will be people in Carver-Hawkeye for that. A lot of people.

Oklahoma State's team was rolling around town this morning. I have proof:

OK, that photo could have been taken anywhere. But the bus was right outside Carver-Hawkeye for this shot. I swear.

Four minutes until player intros. Each team has one player in uniform today who averages more than 10 points a game. Iowa's is Matt Gatens, Penn State's is Talor Battle. Iowa averages 56.2 points in Big Ten games, Penn State 56.0.

Penn State had an announced crowd of 5,799 for its last home game, against Michigan. Iowa will announce far more than that for this game, I'm sure.

The late-arriving crowd is now in the thousands, however. I'll say 5,000, maybe 6,000, even 6,500.

I don't know if I can go through with this. I mean, look. It's mid-January. I have a hard time with January. Ah, what the heck. Let's party.

Penn State was a 3-point favorite at the Las Vegas Hilton and -- Oh my God, Penn State's Andrew Ott barely grazed the net on his first free-throw try. But he swished the second, PSU is up 3-0, and Vegas is right on the money again.

Two foul shots for Iowa's Aaron Fuller. He makes the first, and Iowa has its first point 3:16 into the game.

Iowa's first basket comes 4:53 into the game, on a John Lickliter 3-pointer. We have our first timeout with 14:30 left in the half and Penn State up 6-5.

I watched the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. award show last night. A movie called "The Hurt Locker" was named best picture. It must be good. Look at everyone who is saying so:

I've only seen one of the 10 pics the critics nominated for best picture, "Up in the Air." I liked it. I give it three thumbs up.

Penn State is up 10-5 after a sweet reverse lay-in by Taylor Battle.

Another TV timeout. Nittany Lions ahead 12-6 with 11:10 left. This seems a good time to borrow a photo KWWL-TV's terrific reporter/anchor Ron Steele posted on Twitter today from Hudson, Iowa.

If I didn't mention it, I'm here in Iowa City today primarily for the Oklahoma State-Iowa wrestling dual tonight. What do you think Tom Brands is doing right now, 6 1/2 hours before the meet? I'll bet it involves stomping around.

Penn State now up 17-6 with 10:15 left in the half. Folks, this is a Penn State team that is -- a 3-pointer for Devan Bawinkel, and the comeback is underway for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Iowa's scoring leaders: Bawinkel and Lickliter with 3 each.

Uh oh. Basket for Brooks, foul number two on Cole, and Brooks makes the free-throw to give PSU a 20-9 lead.

Another TV timeout, a 22-11 Penn State lead. Iowa is 3-of-16 shooting, PSU 9-of-15. Matt Gatens is 0-for-5, 0-for-4 from 3-point range. Iowa's Fuller has four offensive rebounds. You care about this stuff, right?

More importantly, where should I go for a late lunch/early dinner between the basketball and wrestling. The easy move to make would be go downhill from Carver (literally, I mean) and hit the closest places, like the Vine or the Wig & Pen. But does someone have a lesser-known gem for me to try that isn't terribly far away?

Here's Jim Lohman, the chef at the Wig:

Bawinkel made a 3-pointer and the the p.a. announcer startled me when he yelled about it. Iowa with the ball, down 24-16. Gatens made a 3, and it's 24-19. The fans are cheering. A few actually are standing. What is this, a basketball game?

Why yes, it is. Eric May had a crowd-rousing blocked shot, Iowa scored at the other end, has a free throw coming after the TV timeout, and trails just 24-21.

A 35-second call on Penn State, and the 7,000 or so here approve. May made a 3, Iowa lelads 25-24, and ... Battle just hit a 3 to put PSU back ahead. But Jarryd Cole answers with a basket to tie the game at 27. It's racehorse. OK, it's Fairmount Park racehorse, not Churchill Downs or Santa Anita. But it's not paint drying. For the moment, anyway.

Anyway, it's halftime. Iowa came from 11 points behind to hold a 31-28 lead. Everyone's on their feet and clapping to the fight song. The renaissance of University of Iowa men's basketball is in process. A buzz is in the air.

I wouldn't lie to you.

Iowa has 11 baskets, 9 assists. Fuller has 10 points, 7 rebounds, on the heels of his 24 points against Tennessee State Tuesday night.

I'm still trying to find an eyewitness to the Tennessee State-Iowa game, by the way.

The halftime show is a 3-point shooting contest and no one's lighting it up. The energy from the end of the first half is leaving the arena at warp-speed.

Iowa State led Texas at halftime Wednesday night, by the way. Of course, Penn State isn't Texas.

Iowa is promoting its next home game, Jan. 27 vs. Ohio State, by telling people the Hawkeyes football team will be feted at halftime. Meanwhile, this man continues his pre-meet stomp:

I'm kind of interested in this afternoon's Arizona Cardinals-New Orleans Saints game. But my pick to win the Super Bowl (today) is the San Diego Chargers. What do you think about that, tough guys?

A source says today's actual crowd here is 5,800. And the second half is in progress, with Iowa holding a 31-30 lead.

Now it's 35-30. Penn State looks rattled, discombobulated. In other words, it looks like Penn State.

The Nittany Lions haven't won a Big Ten men's basketball title since joining the league. Iowa hasn't won one since PSU joined the league, either. And it's 35-32.

Another airballed 3-pointer for the Lions. In other news, Conan O'Brien has his departure deal locked in with NBC according to TMZ.com.

We have our first TV timeout of the second half, and the Hawkeyes have a 42-34 lead after a Gatens 3-pointer. Penn State called time, and all 5,800 are on their feet.

Iowa is on a 29-10 run.

I never have gotten the popularity of Jay Leno as the host of "The Tonight Show." Does it seem like there's a real person there, an interesting person? Letterman's an old crank, but at least he's a real guy who has decades of good will as a great broadcaster to draw upon. Conan seems to be one, too. So does the wildly imaginative Craig Ferguson. And Jimmy Kimmel is far more watchable to me than Leno.

Hey, Iowa's up 44-34 with a TV timeout at the 12:39 mark. This team, these fans ... they need this.

Associated Press' reporter at the game is currently looking at his Facebook page. And Bawinkel hits a 3 to extend Iowa's lead to 47-35.

Talor Battle got fouled in the act of a 3-pointer and made all three foul shots. I saw Iowa State's Lucca Staiger do the same Wednesday night against Texas. Lesson: Don't foul good shooters as they're putting up 3-pointers.

John Lickliter just got his third foul and his father is on the floor during a timeout beefing about a non-goaltending call before that at the other end of the court. It's Lickliter-a-Lujah, I tell ya.

Meanwhile, someone on Twitter just told me he's following my Tweets while on the beach in Cancun. I can't help but feel just a little, well, loathing.

Someone in the crowd just said "Come on, ref, what are you watching?" Has an official ever given a fan a satisfactory answer to that question?

Iowa 49-40, 10:30 left. Now 49-42. Now 49-44, and timeout Iowa.

Fuller makes it 51-44.

The longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium occurred in Africa and Asia today. Which is a ripoff to North America.

Play resumes here. Iowa is up 53-48 with 7:17 left. And the Lions get two free throws with 7:07 to go. Now it's 53-50.

Meanwhile, Tom Brands just spit a nail. Not a fingernail. An actual nail.

Gatens fed a cutting Fuller for a lay-in and a foul on PSU, and Fuller's FT made it 56-50. That's 19 pts. for Fuller, who is giving the Lions the brush. Get it? Fuller Brush. OK, I'm old.

Timeout with 3:55 left and Iowa up 58-50. The band is playing "Don't Stop Believin'." Which I will always identify with the last scene in "The Sopranos." Cause that's how I roll.

Now it's 59-54, May going to the line for two shots with 2:03 left. This would be Iowa's second two-game win streak of the year. The Hawkeyes play next at Michigan State on Wednesday night. The tipoff is actually 5:36 p.m., Central time. On a Wednesday. Strange, strange, strange.

Penn State has a 1-and-1, trailing 60-54 with 1:49 left.

Iowa up 59-50 with 3:03 left and PSU shooting two FTs. Now it's 59-54 with 2:27 left.

It's 60-56 with 1:45 to go. Iowa has the ball, and the fans seem jittery. Now it's Penn State's ball, Iowa with the foul, Battle makes both FTs, and it's 60-58.

Fuller shoots two FTs with :45 left. He made the first. He missed the second. Timeout, PSU, with :32 left and a 61-58 score.

It's 61-60. Penn State timeout with 21 seconds left.

Meanwhile, this from Twitter ...

JRsBBQ JR's NFL picks..Colts by 3 over Balt..Saints by 8 over Cards..Dallas 3 over Vikes..SD 5 over Jets. Dream Super Bowl, Ravens-Vikes.

Payne is fouled with :19 left, shooting two. First one, good. Second one, good. 63-60.

Now it's 63-62 and Iowa called time with 9.5 seconds left. The band is adding to the tension with some sort of nerve-jangling riff. Everyone is standing other than about 3,000 fans.

Payne to the line for two more FTs, with 8.4 seconds remaining. First one, good. Second one, good. Pretty good clutch-shooting for a freshman.

Iowa up 65-62, Payne fouls Tim Frazier, who shoots two with 3.5 seconds to go. Payne denied Frazier a 3-point try, and then the fellow freshman missed both free throws. Gatens fouled with 3.0 seconds left, and one more FT will lock up an Iowa win.

First one, good. It's Iowa's second two-game winning streak of the year. Second shot, good. Iowa 67, Penn State 64 after a gimmee lay-up. Final.

I'll have a short Hlog item on the postgame comments, and then we'll all meet for late lunch in some fine Coralville restaurant.