Iowa Men to Host Western Carolina Saturday

Dec. 15, 2004

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THE SETTING
Iowa (8-1) hosts Western Carolina (5-6) Saturday, Dec. 18 in Iowa’s only contest of the week following final exams. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500).

Iowa improved to 8-1 with a 70-63 win over Iowa State Dec. 10 in Iowa City. Western Carolina (5-6) has been idle since a 93-50 home win over Atlanta Christian on Dec. 9.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play with color commentator Bob Hansen.

Television: ESPN Regional will carry the game to a network of stations that includes KGAN Cedar Rapids, KDSM Des Moines and KGWB Quad Cities, with KYOU Ottumwa joining the broadcast in progress. Larry Morgan and Mac McCausland will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,319 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,383-935 (.596). That includes an 863-303 (.740) record in home games, a 520-633 (.451) record in games away from Iowa City, a 657-644 (.505) mark in Big Ten games and a 269-77 (.777) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 269-77 (.777) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 127-64 (.665) in Big Ten games and 142-13 (.916) in non-Big Ten games. Iowa has drawn over five million fans for men’s basketball games since the arena opened in 1983. Iowa has posted a 61-22 (.735) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 39-4 (.907) mark in non-conference home games.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa is ranked 16th by the Associated Press and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Iowa began the season receiving no votes in either poll.

TWO STRAIGHT OVER RANKED TEAMS
Iowa’s back-to-back wins over Louisville and Texas marks the second time Iowa has won consecutive games against ranked opponents under Coach Steve Alford. The Hawkeyes, during the 2002-03 season, defeated 20th-ranked Michigan State 68-64 and 8th-ranked Illinois 68-61.

IOWA COACH Steve Alford
Steve Alford (pronounced ALL-ford) is in his sixth season as the head coach at the University of Iowa and his 14th season as a college head coach. Alford holds a career record of 253-149 (.630), including a 97-72 (.574) record at Iowa, a 78-29 (.729) record in four seasons (1992-95) at Div. III Manchester College and a four-year record (1996-99) of 78-48 (.619) at Southwest Missouri State. Alford ranks sixth among Iowa’s head basketball coaches in career wins and he is 34-46 (.425) in Big Ten games at Iowa. Alford is 8-5 in the NCAA Tournament (3-2 in Div. I and 5-3 in Div. III) and 2-4 in the NIT.

Alford led Iowa to the 2001 Big Ten Conference Tournament title and into the second round of the NCAA Tournament in his second season with the Hawkeyes. Iowa earned a return trip to the title game of the Big Ten Conference Tournament in 2002 and advanced to the NIT in post-season play in 2002, 2003 and 2004. The Hawkeyes set a Big Ten Conference Tournament record with seven straight wins over two seasons (2001-2002) before a last-second loss in the first round of the 2003 tournament. Alford’s record in the event is 8-4 in his five seasons.

Alford led Southwest Missouri State to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1999 and in 1995 Manchester advanced to the NCAA championship game before suffering its first defeat of the season.

Alford is a 1987 graduate of Indiana, where he led the Hoosiers to the 1987 NCAA title. Alford was a member of the 1984 U. S. Olympic team that earned the Gold Medal and he was the 26th player selected in the NBA Draft following his senior season. Alford played four seasons in the NBA before beginning his coaching career.

At Indiana, Alford started 120 of 125 games in four seasons. He served as team captain in 1987 when the Hoosiers were 30-4. Steve concluded his college career as Indiana’s all-time scoring leader with 2,438 points and he holds the Indiana record for career steals with 178. He was a consensus first team All-American and the Big Ten MVP as a senior.

Alford is a member of the Manchester College M Association Hall of Fame and the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2001 he was named one of the “Top 50 Athletes” in the history of the state of Indiana and was selected as a member of the 15-man Indiana University all-Century team. A year ago he was one of five players selected to ESPN’s Big Ten Conference Silver Anniversary team, honoring Big Ten players from the past 25 seasons.

Alford has not coached against Western Carolina or WCU Coach Steve Shurina.

ALFORD CLIMBS WIN CHARTS
Iowa Coach Steve Alford collected career victory number 250 as a head coach with the 88-53 win over Centenary. His career mark stands at 253-149.

Alford has a 97-72 record at Iowa, moving into sixth place on the Iowa list for coaching victories. Pops Harrison (1943-50) ranks fifth with 98 wins.

WCU COACH STEVE SHURINA
Steve Shurina is in his fifth season as a college head coach, all at Western Carolina. Shurina holds a record of 45-81. Shurina has served as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, Davidson and Brooklyn College. He was a player at St. John’s in the 1980’s. He helped St. John’s earn four NCAA tournament berths, including a trip to the 1985 Final Four where St. John’s lost in the semi-finals to Georgetown. St. John’s won the Big East title the following year and he served as a team captain as a senior in 1988. Shurina has not coached against Iowa or Hawkeye Coach Steve Alford.

IOWA WON ONLY MEETING
Iowa and Western Carolina have met just once, with the Hawkeyes taking an 85-60 win in Iowa City in December, 1994. Iowa shot 53.6 percent from the field in building a 42-27 halftime advantage, as the visitors shot just 39.3% in the opening half. Iowa maintained its shooting throughout the game, shooting 53.7% from the field in the game. Iowa also held a 42-30 rebounding advantage and forced 20 turnovers in improving to 7-1.

Kenyon Murray led Iowa’s scoring with 16 points, while reserve Mon’ter Glasper added 14, Ryan Bowen scored 13 and Jim Bartels 11. Bowen made all five of his field goal attempts and added 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Iowa posted a 21-12 record that season, participating in the NIT post-season tournament.

Western Carolina was led by Frankie King with 16 points, while Versile Shaw added 19 points and nine rebounds. King went on to earn Player of the Year honors in the Southern Conference for the second straight season.

IOWA, WESTERN NOTES

  • Iowa and Western Carolina feature two of the top shot blockers in the nation. Iowa’s Erek Hansen is averaging four blocked shots per game, while WCU’s Rans Brempong is averaging 3.1 per game.
  • WCU assistant Anquell McCollum played for the Catamounts when they lost to the Hawkeyes early in the 2004-05 season. McCollum, as a junior, had nine points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals in the loss at Iowa. The following season he was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year.
  • Iowa is 7-0 all-time against current members of the Southern Conference, including an 83-58 victory earlier this season over North Carolina-Greensboro in the championship game of the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge.
  • Western Carolina will be playing its second game of the season against a Big Ten team. The Catamounts earlier dropped a 78-63 decision to Penn State in the consolation bracket of the Black Coaches Association Classic in Milwaukee, WI.
  • Iowa and Western Carolina played one common opponent last season. Iowa opened the 2003-04 season with a 107-80 win over UNC-Asheville, while Western Carolina defeated Asheville 81-70 in their only meeting.

HAWKEYES ADD TO THE ROSTER
Ryan Kennedy (6-7, 210) is a sophomore forward who has joined the Iowa basketball team as a walk-on. Kennedy attended Roosevelt High School in Des Moines as a prep.

Kennedy earned honorable mention all-conference recognition as a prep senior, serving as team captain and earning team MVP honors.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Three Hawkeyes currently rank among national leaders in statistical categories. Junior center Erek Hansen ranks third with 32 blocked shots (4.0 per game), while junior guard Pierre Pierce is 10th in steals with 24 (2.7 per game). Junior guard Jeff Horner ranks fourth in the nation with 57 assists (6.3 per game), fifth with 28 three-point field goals and 25th with 2.2 steals per game.

IOWA DEFEATS IOWA STATE
Iowa won its fifth straight game with a 70-63 decision over Iowa State Dec. 10 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes never trailed in the contest and held on at the end after ISU had pulled to within one, 61-60, with just over two minutes to play. Greg Brunner scored on a driving lay-up for a three point advantage and two free throws by Adam Haluska gave Iowa a 65-60 cushion with 40 seconds remaining. Brunner sealed the win with a steal and a free throw with 12 seconds to play. Jeff Horner added two free throws for the final margin with seven seconds to play.

The game was tied three times in the first half before Iowa went to the break with a 34-32 advantage. Iowa then scored the first seven points of the second half and went on to lead by as many as 11 with 10 minutes remaining before Iowa State rallied at the end.

Both teams shot less than 40% from the field. Iowa shot just 23.5% (4-17) from three-point range, but the Cyclones failed to connect on any of their six three-point attempts. Iowa held a 22-17 advantage at the free throw line, but ISU won the rebounding battle, 47-39. Iowa came up with eight steals while forcing 16 ISU turnovers and the Hawkeyes had just 10 turnovers and blocked eight shots.

Haluska led Iowa’s balanced scoring attack with 20 points, including 4-8 treys. Pierre Pierce added 15 points, Horner scored 12 and Brunner 11. Brunner led both teams with 13 rebounds, Horner contributed seven assists, Hansen added a career-best seven blocked shots and Pierce came up with five steals.

NO TREYS ALLOWED
In the 70-63 win over Iowa State, Iowa held the Cyclones without a three-point basket as ISU missed all six of its attempts. That marks the first time an Iowa opponent did not make at least one three-point basket since early in the 2001-02 season, when Iowa State missed all eight of its three-point attempts in a 78-53 loss to Iowa in Ames.

WESTERN WINS TWO STRAIGHT
Western Carolina has won two straight games, including a 93-50 win over Atlanta Christian in its last outing on Dec. 9. The Catamounts led 38-25 at halftime before outscoring the visitors 55-25 in the second half. WCU shot 56.8% from the field over the final 20 minutes and for the game held a 49-33 rebounding advantage. The WCU defense forced 25 turnovers and held Atlanta Christian to 32.3% shooting from the field.

Four players scored in double figures for WCU, with Corey Muirhead collecting 15 to lead the way. Trey Hopkins came off the bench to score 13 points and Lunzaya Nlandu and David Berghoefer each scored 12. Reserve Terrence Woodyard led the Catamounts with nine rebounds, Nlandu added eight and Hopkins added seven assists.

THREE EARN ALL-TOURNEY HONORS
Three Iowa players, Greg Brunner, Jeff Horner and Pierre Pierce, all juniors, were named to the all-tournament team of the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge, with Horner and Pierce sharing MVP honors.

Pierce scored 36 points in the two games, including 19 in the championship tilt. He also had 11 rebounds, eight assists and six steals. Horner, who had a career-high 11 assists in the title game, had 23 points, seven rebounds, 18 assists and five steals in the two wins. Brunner led Iowa with 15 rebounds in the two games, while adding 26 points, five blocked shots and four assists.

HAWKEYES SET TOURNEY RECORDS
As a team, Iowa set two Gazette Hawkeye Challenge tournament records and tied a third, in the win over UNC Greensboro. The Hawkeyes set a tournament record and tied their own school record with 12 blocked shots. That record was set earlier this season in a loss to North Carolina. Iowa also shot 57.9% (11-19) from three-point range to set a tournament record and the 11 three-point field goals tied a tournament mark.

HAWKEYES SET BLOCK RECORD
Iowa set its second single-game record of the season in a loss to North Carolina and tied that record in a win over North Carolina-Greensboro. The Hawkeyes blocked 12 shots in each of those two games, and junior center Erek Hansen led the way in both games with five each. The previous record of 11 blocked shots was set in an 80-65 win at Drake on Jan. 4, 1993.

IOWA SETS FREE THROW MARK
Iowa set school and Carver-Hawkeye Arena records in its opening win over Western Illinois by making all 20 of its free throw attempts. Six Hawkeyes contributed to the record, with Pierre Pierce and Erek Hansen each making four. The previous best for a perfect free throw percentage (18-18) came in a win at Indiana in 1979. The previous record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena was 94.7%, when Iowa made 18-19 attempts vs. Wisconsin in 2001.

NEW FACES CONTRIBUTE EARLY
Several new faces have been big contributors in Iowa’s first nine games. The newcomers are averaging 24 points and 11.4 rebounds per outing.

Junior college transfer Doug Thomas scored 14 points and led Iowa with nine rebounds in the opening win over Western Illinois, and he added 10 rebounds vs. UNC Greensboro. Thomas added eight points and five rebounds vs. North Carolina and he had six rebounds in the win over Texas.

Sophomore Adam Haluska has scored in double figures in six of nine games, including a career-high 21 points in a win at Drake and 20 points in a home win over Iowa State.

In the win at Drake, freshman Carlton Reed scored 14 points, while freshman Alex Thompson added four points and three rebounds in two of Iowa’s last five games.

Newcomers contributed 31 points and 13 rebounds in the opening win, 37 points and 11 rebounds vs. North Carolina, 39 points and 15 rebounds in the win at Drake, 22 points and 15 rebounds vs. Centenary and 27 points and 19 rebounds vs. UNC Greensboro.

IOWA VS. RANKED FOES
Steve Alford has posted a 17-24 record against ranked opponents as Iowa’s head coach. Iowa, this season, has defeated 11th-ranked Louisville 76-71 and 13th-ranked Texas 82-80, with a loss to 11th-ranked North Carolina. Those three games were at the Maui Invitational.

Alford’s Hawkeye teams are 5-8 when playing teams ranked in the top 10, including wins over top-ranked Connecticut (70-68 in 1999-00), 2nd-ranked Missouri (83-65 in 2001-02), 5th-ranked Ohio State (67-64 in 1999-00), 7th-ranked Illinois (78-62 in 2000-01) and 8th-ranked Illinois (68-61 in 2002-03). The eight losses to top 10 teams have been once to top-ranked (Duke, 2001-02), once to 3rd-ranked (Illinois, 2000-01), twice to 4th-ranked (Michigan State, 1999-00 and 2000-01), twice to 5th-ranked (Tennessee, 2000-01 and Missouri, 2001-02), once to 9th-ranked (Kentucky, 2000-01) and once to 10th-ranked (Illinois, 2002).

In the 41 games against ranked teams, Alford and his Iowa team are 6-7 in home games, 8-8 at neutral sites and 3-9 when playing ranked teams in their home arena.

HORNER OFF TO FAST START
Junior guard Jeff Horner is off to a fast start through nine games, leading the team with an 16.1 scoring average. Horner also is averaging 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. Horner had a career-high 27 points in the win over Texas and he led the Maui Invitational in scoring with 63 points in three games. He added 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a win at Drake.

Horner made 15-23 three-point attempts in the three games in Hawaii, moving into Iowa’s top 10 in both three-pointers and three-point attempts. Horner was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his play in Maui. The honor is the second of Horner’s career, as he earned it last Feb. 9 after leading Iowa to a double-overtime win at Indiana.

He added his first career scoring and assist double-double in the win over UNC Greensboro with 14 points and a career-best 11 assists. He added 16 points and nine rebounds in the win over Northern Iowa. Horner scored Iowa’s final five points in the last 95 seconds against the Panthers and he added 12 points and seven assists in a win over Iowa State. Through nine games he is shooting 50% from the field, 51.9% from three-point range and 79.5% from the free throw line. Horner was named to the all-tournament team at the Maui Invitational and he was co-MVP (with teammate Pierre Pierce) of Iowa’s Gazette Hawkeye Challenge.

PIERCE WELL BALANCED
Junior guard Pierre Pierce is proving to be a very versatile player through Iowa’s first nine games. Pierce is averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game and he leads the team with 24 steals. He has scored in double figures in all nine games, has at least six assists in four games and five or more rebounds in six games. Pierce made a three-point basket in the final minute to lead Iowa in a win over Texas, scoring 18 points vs. the Longhorns and 16 points vs. Louisville in Iowa’s first two games of the Maui Invitational. He had 13 points vs. North Carolina, 15 in a win at Drake, 19 vs. UNC Greensboro and he had 15 points, eight rebounds and five steals in a win over Iowa State. Pierce was named co-MVP (along with teammate Jeff Horner) of Iowa’s Gazette Hawkeye Challenge.

BRUNNER WORKING THE BOARDS
Junior forward Greg Brunner is Iowa’s top returning rebounder and he is averaging 6.7 rebounds after nine games. Brunner, who ranked second in the Big Ten in rebounding last season, had a season-best 13 rebounds in the win over Iowa State. He had 10 rebounds vs. Louisville, nine vs. UNC Greensboro and eight in the win over Texas. Brunner has scored in double figures in eight games, with a season-high of 23 in the win over Northern Iowa. He is shooting 58.2% from the field and 70.3% from the foul line. He was named to the all-tournament team of Iowa’s Gazette Hawkeye Challenge.

HANSEN BLOCKING THE WAY
Junior center Erek Hansen has picked up where he left off a year ago, making an art of blocking shots. Hansen led the Big Ten in blocked shots last season and has 32 blocks in eight games this year. Hansen did not play in the win at Drake after suffering a bruised hip in practice the day before the game. Hansen collected a career-high seven blocks in the win over Iowa State and ranks among the national leaders at four blocks per game.

Playing with added confidence at both ends of the floor, Hansen scored a career-high 14 points in the win over Northern Iowa, hitting his first six shots of the game. Hansen is averaging 9.3 points and three rebounds per game, shooting 50.9% from the field and 70% from the foul line. He had 13 points in the opening win over Western Illinois and added 11 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots in a win over Texas. Hansen has blocked five or more shots in four games and is the main reason Iowa set (and later tied) a single-game record of 12 blocked shots.

HALUSKA HITS NEW HIGH
Sophomore Adam Haluska reached a career-high 21 points in the win at Drake, and he also had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Playing against his former school, he added 20 points in a win over Iowa State, hitting 4-8 treys. Haluska had 19 points in the loss to North Carolina and 17 points vs. UNC Greensboro. He matched his career-high of four assists in the win over Northern Iowa and played an outstanding defensive game.

In his first season at Iowa, Haluska has scored in double figures in seven of nine games. Haluska is shooting 83.8% from the free throw line while averaging 13.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

THOMAS HELPS ON THE GLASS
Junior Doug Thomas is making a major contribution to Iowa’s rebounding efforts, as he is fourth on the team with an average of five per game. Thomas had nine rebounds in his first game as a Hawkeye and added a season-best 10 in a win over UNC Greensboro. Thomas is averaging 4.8 points while shooting 58.3% from the field and 75% from the foul line.

SEEKING FIVE STRAIGHT IN `05
Iowa is seeking a fifth straight winning season, a streak that would match the second longest consecutive winning seasons record in Iowa basketball history. Iowa’s longest streak of consecutive winning seasons is seven, from 1950 through 1956. Pops Harrison, Bucky O’Connor and Rollie Williams all coached the Hawkeyes during those years. Only a 10-10 record in 1949 kept Iowa from 13 consecutive winning seasons (1944-56).

Lute Olson coached Iowa to five straight winning seasons from 1979-83, George Raveling and Tom Davis combined to coach Iowa to winning seasons from 1985-89 and Davis coached Iowa to winning seasons from 1995-99.

ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE
As has been the case in recent years, the Iowa schedule is very demanding. In non-conference action, Iowa took part in the EA Sports Maui Invitational early in the season, defeating #11 Louisville and #13 Texas, while falling to #11 North Carolina.

The non-conference slate also includes Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Air Force and Saint Louis, five teams that participated in post-season play a year ago. Northern Iowa, Texas Tech and Air Force all participated in the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa also hosts non-conference games vs. Western Illinois and Western Carolina and won at Drake. The Gazette Hawkeye Challenge included wins over Centenary College and North Carolina-Greensboro. Iowa will play 16 games against teams that advanced to post-season play a year ago.

1,000 POINT POSSIBILITIES
Iowa has three players, all juniors, who could reach the 1,000 point plateau this season. Pierre Pierce has scored 859 points, Jeff Horner has 777 and Greg Brunner 670. Some notes on Iowa’s 1,000-Point Club include:

  • 35 Hawkeye players have scored over 1,000 points, the most recent being Glen Worley last season
  • The last Hawkeye to reach 1,000 points in three seasons was Dean Oliver in 2000
  • Iowa has had three 1,000-point scorers on the roster in the same season on three occasions. Jess Settles, Kenyon Murray and Chris Kingsbury in 1996, Roy Marble, B.J. Armstrong and Jeff Moe in 1988 and Marble, Armstrong and Ed Horton in 1989

TRI-CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2005
Iowa’s tri-captains for the season include juniors Greg Brunner, Jeff Horner and Pierre Pierce. Pierce, a native of Westmont, IL, started all 29 games a year ago, leading the team in scoring (16.1) while averaging 5.7 rebounds per game. Brunner, a native of Charles City, started 26 of 29 games. His 8.2 rebounds per game were a team best and ranked second in the Big Ten. Horner, a Mason City native, has started all 69 games over the past three seasons. He led the team in assists in each of the last two seasons while also averaging 13 points and 5.3 rebounds last year.

THE RETURNING CAST
Iowa returns three starters and six lettermen from 2004. Those six returning lettermen last season scored over 1,200 points and totaled over 600 rebounds. The six players, in 2004, scored 60.1% of Iowa’s points, had 56.9% of the rebounds, 67.5% of the assists, 64.4% of the blocked shots and 45.2% of the steals.

In 29 games, a sophomore led Iowa in scoring 26 times and a sophomore was the top rebounder in 22 games. The Hawkeyes return their statistical leader from last season in all categories, with the exception of steals (Brody Boyd). The 13-man squad includes one senior, six juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. The roster includes eight Iowans, plus one player from California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Texas.

NEWCOMERS GAIN ATTENTION
Iowa’s class of newcomers includes seven players. That list includes juniors Doug Thomas and Justin Wieck, sophomore Adam Haluska and freshmen J.R. Angle, Seth Gorney, Carlton Reed and Alex Thompson. The group is ranked the second best incoming class in the Big Ten and 20th in the nation by Hoop Scoop in the June issue of Basketball Times.

Street and Smith’s ranks the group as the top incoming class in the Big Ten and names Thompson on the all-Midwest team on its list of Top 100 Freshman.

Lindy’s rates the incoming class as 14th best nationally and lists Haluska fourth among its top 10 transfers. Athlon Sport’s also lists Haluska among the top transfers in the nation and rates the overall class fourth best in the Big Ten.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has outscored its opponents 356-308 in the first half and 387-333 in the second half. Iowa has led at halftime in six of nine games and the Hawkeyes have outscored their opponent in the second half in seven of nine games.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

  • Iowa’s contest at Drake is the only true road game for the Hawkeyes in non-conference play. Iowa played three neutral site games at the EA Sports Maui Invitational and will play Texas Tech at a neutral site (Dec. 21 at the United Center in Chicago).
  • Iowa has had four players or more score in double figures in eight of nine games, with a season-best six players in the win over Western Illinois. Iowa is 1-0 when six players score in double figures, 6-1 when four reach double figures and 1-0 when two are in double figures.
  • Iowa has four players averaging between 13.3 and 16.1 points per game and four players averaging between 5.0 and 6.7 rebounds per outing.
  • Iowa is 6-0 when leading at halftime and 2-1 when trailing at intermission.
  • Iowa is 4-1 when controlling the opening tip and 4-0 when not controlling the tip.
  • Iowa is 4-0 in games decided by 10 points or less, and has not played an overtime game.
  • Under Steve Alford, Iowa is 29-6 when shooting at least 50% from the field, including 4-1 this season.
  • North Carolina and Northern Iowa are the only Iowa opponents to shoot over 50% from the field this season. Last season, Iowa was 0-5 when its opponent shot at least 50% from the field.

NOTES FROM A YEAR AGO

  • Iowa is one of four Big Ten teams to post a winning season in each of the last four years, joining Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Iowa advanced to post-season play for the fourth straight season a year ago.
  • Iowa’s 9-7 Big Ten record earned a fourth place finish in the conference race, a feat that was accomplished despite the fact that Iowa lost an average of 30 points and 17 rebounds from the team that posted a 9-4 record through its first 13 games of the season.
  • Iowa collected four Big Ten road wins in 2004 and seven in the last two seasons. In Big Ten play, only Illinois (six) and Michigan State (five) won more road games a year ago as Iowa won at Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State and Minnesota. The Hawkeyes won three road games in 2003. Under Steve Alford, Iowa has won at least three Big Ten road games in three of five seasons.
  • Iowa ranked second in the Big Ten, for all games, in five statistical categories, including scoring offense, field goal defense, three-point field goal percentage, rebounding margin and assists per game.
  • Iowa’s single-game bests in 2003-04 included Pierre Pierce with 28 points vs. Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament, a career-high. Greg Brunner had 14 rebounds in the double-overtime win at Indiana, also a career-high. Jeff Horner had a then career-high nine assists in the win over Drake and 2004 Brody Boyd had seven steals in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois.

IOWA IN TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iowa has faired well while taking part in regular-season tournaments over the past 23 years. In that time Iowa has won the Great Alaska Shootout (1986-87), the Cal-Irvine Anteater Classic (1986-87), the Maui Classic (1987-88), the San Juan Thanksgiving Shootout (1992-93), the San Juan Christmas Shootout (1997-98), the Big Ten Conference Tournament in 2001 and its own invitational 22 times.

In addition, Iowa was runner-up in the 1985-86 Far West Classic, the 1987-88 All-College Tournament, the 1988-89 Chaminade Classic, the 1991-92 Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational, the 1994-95 Rainbow Classic, the 1995-96 Great Alaska Shootout, the 1999-00 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the 2001-02 Guardians Classic, the 2002 Big Ten Conference Tournament and the 2004 Maui Invitational.

IOWA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Iowa made its 20th appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2001, defeating Creighton 69-56 in the opening round of the East regional before falling to second-seeded Kentucky 92-79 in the second round. Iowa, which earned the Big Ten’s automatic bid, was seeded seventh in the East.

The Hawkeyes hold an overall record of 27-22 in the tournament, advancing to the Final Four in 1955 (fourth), 1956 (second) and 1980 (fourth). Iowa has advanced to at least the second round in its last 10 tournament appearances, last losing in the first round in 1986. Iowa reached the regional championship in 1987 and lost in the regional semi-final in 1988 and 1999.

HALK TALK WITH Steve Alford
Fans of the University of Iowa basketball program may join Iowa Coach Steve Alford and radio announcer Gary Dolphin each week during the season for the “Hawk Talk with Steve Alford” radio call-in show. The show takes place each week at Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Café in Iowa City. The show airs from 6-7:30 p.m. on the following dates: Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28; and Mar. 7.

IOWA ON THE TUBE
Every Iowa game throughout the 2004-05 season is slated for television. Iowa appeared on national cable television (ESPN and ESPN2) in three games in the Maui Invitational and the Dec. 21 game vs. Texas Tech in Chicago is slated for national cable television on ESPN2. Iowa games not selected for national coverage will be televised regionally by ESPN Plus, while several conference games are scheduled to be carried throughout the Big Ten Conference viewing area as part of the Big Ten regional network agreement with ESPN Plus.

AFTER THIS
Iowa’s final non-conference games include Texas Tech (Dec. 21, 6:05 p.m.) in Chicago and home dates with Air Force (Dec. 28) and Saint Louis (Dec. 31). Iowa opens Big Ten play Jan. 5, hosting Michigan.