I led off a column a few weeks ago about how enthused Iowa football fans were for the start of the year, having been stopped several times with the person saying, "I can't wait until Iowa football."

And now the scene shifts to the little gym in North Liberty, where the fans are getting excited about Iowa basketball. Of course, Fran McCaffery and his staff have done such a good job of compiling talent for the upcoming season that it should make the Hawk roundball fans excited to see the team the Hawks will put on the floor.

With that in mind, a packed house this week went to the North Liberty Community Center to see the now-Hawks and the future Hawks, and nothing happened in North Liberty to take away their enthusiasm. This Iowa team, my friends, is going to be very, very good. And it's going to be under the radar with regards to preseason hype outside of the state.

Mike Gesell out of Nebraska impressed, Adam Woodbury showed that he needed a lot of work and Zach McCabe showed his football mentality plays well on the basketball court. Once you get down to the nitty gritty of this forming team, the fellow who is going to make the Hawks tick will be Aaron White.

This week he scored 40 points and had numerous rebounds, had several dunks off the fast break and the ball comes to him. You mark this young man down as a difference-maker. Obviously Gesell showed he's been around the block a few times in national showcases, as well as playing Class B basketball in Nebraska. And he showed the poise and leadership ability of a future point guard.

On the national scene, the Hawks won't get a call. Already Kentucky has been crowned the recruiting champ of the season, with UCLA, Arizona, North Carolina State and Baylor as the top five. Indiana comes in as No. 6 in the country. Nary a mention about the Hawks in the top 25, or Iowa State for that matter.

Only Indiana is mentioned in the top 20 in this compilation by Eye on College Basketball Recruiting by CBS Sports.

Another basketball note, in fact two: Illinois picked up a 6-foot-10 center this week by the name of Maverick Morgan. He comes from Springboro, Ohio, ranked among the top 15 at his position in the Class of 2013.

Another basketball story: This past weekend, Bob Knight showed up at Marian University in Indianapolis. He and several of his former players had a reunion 75 miles north of Bloomington. He stayed as long as necessary with Landon Turner and others, to sign autographs, memorabilia, chat with fans and raise money for the Marion basketball program, which incidentally will benefit with new coach Todd Lickliter. I'm sure you Iowa fans remember him.

Also, one of Michigan's all-time great football players, Hall of Famer and Heisman Trophy runnerup Bob Chappius, passed away at the age of 89 in Ann Arbor. He was a triple-threat back who in 1947 finished second in the Heisman balloting to Notre Dame's John Lujack, now of the Quad Cities.

The 1947 Michigan team, because of Fritz Crisler's offensive design, was called the Mad Magicians. They were undefeated, won the Rose Bowl and the national title and it should be noted that one of the great players in that backfield with Chappius was Bump Elliott of Iowa.

(Bob Brooks is sports director at KMRY and has been one of the leading voices of college and prep sports in Eastern Iowa for more than 65 years. He is a 10-time winner of the Iowa Sportscaster of the Year Award, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana in 2004. His sports reports can be heard weekday afternoons at 4:30 and 5:30, and Saturdays at 6:40 for the Hawkeye football wrap-up.)