Last year the Iowa seniors were men on a mission, led by Greg Brunner and Jeff Horner. Now the five seniors have moved on and the leadership role on the Hawkeye basketball team will be assumed by seniors Adam Haluska and Mike Henderson. Haluska talks about filling that leadership void, what he needs to do for Iowa to be successful, and much more.

Q: This coming season will be different for you without Horner and Brunner and their leadership. That role will be taken by you and Mike Henderson as seniors. Have you talk about that already?

HALUSKA: We have a little bit. I have talked about it with Jeff and Greg. It was good for them because they have five really good leaders that stepped up and showed great leadership. I know that Mike and I are looking to just pick up where they left off. They set a good example on and off the floor and we just have to try and emulate what they did and I think that will really help the team. Other guys are going to have to step up as well like Tony Freeman and Seth Gorney. Everyone is going to have to help to set that bar even higher.

Q: What did you specifically get from Jeff, Greg and the other seniors in terms of leadership advice that you can carry forward?

HALUSKA: I think they just did a lot of the right things on and off the floor. They were leaders who wanted the ball in crunch time and stepped up to show leadership. Really the big thing is just how they went about their work ethic on the floor and listening to the coaching staff to accomplish what was asked. They really helped the younger guys to improve them and improved their own games as well.

Q: You really have a new look to the team this fall with a lot of new faces. How has that gone thus far?

HALUSKA: It has been very good so far. We have sort of eased into that transition, but it has also been nice to have some of the graduated seniors like Jeff and Greg around to work out with us and play with us every once in a while. For the new guys, it has been a transition, but they have handled it well. Some of them are jumping right in and taking classes and playing here in the Prime Time. We are working hard together and I think that is going to pay off in the long run.

...More... To continue reading this article you must be a member. Sign Up Now for a FREE Trial