Iowa Begins Big Ten play vs. Michigan

Jan. 3, 2005

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THE SETTING
Iowa (12-1) begins Big Ten Conference action by hosting Michigan (8-5) Wednesday, Jan. 5. Game time is 8:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500).

Iowa won its ninth straight game Dec. 31, defeating Saint Louis 67-58 in Iowa City. Michigan improved to 8-5 with a 75-54 win over North Carolina-Asheville on Dec. 31.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,323 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,387-935 (.597). That includes an 866-303 (.741) record in home games, a 521-633 (.451) record in games away from Iowa City, a 657-644 (.505) mark in Big Ten games and a 272-77 (.779) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 272-77 (.779) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 127-64 (.665) in Big Ten games and 145-13 (.918) 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 64-22 (.744) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 42-4 (.913) mark in non-conference home games.

IN THE RANKINGS
In the Dec. 27 rankings, Iowa is ranked 16th by the Associated Press and the Hawkeyes are 18th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Iowa began the season receiving no votes in either poll. The Hawkeyes are eighth in the RPI rankings and 15th in the Sagarin Ratings.

IOWA OFF TO FAST START
With 12 wins in 13 games, Iowa has its best start under Coach Steve Alford. Iowa, in 2001, posted a 10-1 mark to start the season and ended the year with a 23-12 overall record. Iowa began both the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons with a 13-1 record.

The current nine-game win streak matches the best streak for an Iowa team under Alford, as the Hawkeyes opened the 2000-01 season with nine straight wins. The Hawkeyes also had six-game win streaks in 2003-04 and 2001-02.

Iowa has 12 non-conference wins (not including post-season) for the first time since 1988-89.

RECOGNITION ON THE NET
Iowa’s basketball program has been well recognized on the internet for its play during the non-conference portion of the season.

• On espn.com, ESPN analyst Dick Vitale selected the Hawkeyes as his “Team of the Week” for their 83-53 win over Texas Tech.
• CollegeInsiders.com selected sophomore guard Adam Haluska as its “Star of the Week” for his play in the win over Texas Tech. Haluska matched his career high with 21 points, hitting 7-9 field goals, 3-3 three-pointers and 4-5 free throws.
• Gregg Doyel, writing for cbssportline.com, recently featured the Iowa guard court of Jeff Horner, Peirre Pierce and Adam Haluska as one of the best in the nation.

OPENING THE CONFERENCE SEASON
With the 71-61 win over Purdue a year ago, Iowa has opened Big Ten action with a win in each of the last eight seasons. Iowa’s last loss to open Big Ten Conference play came at Purdue in 1996, but the Boilermakers were later forced to forfeit that win. Iowa has also been successful in its initial home Big Ten game of the season, winning 12 straight. Iowa’s last loss in its first home conference game of the season was (80-77) at the hands of Michigan in 1992.

HORNER IN THE BIG TEN
Junior guard Jeff Horner ranks among the top 11 in the Big Ten Conference in seven statistical categories. Horner is first in the league in three-point field goal percentage (50.7%), second in assists (6.3), fourth in three-pointers per game (2.7), sixth in assist/turnover ratio (+2.5), eighth in steals (1.8), 10th in scoring (14.7) and 11th in free throw percentage (78.6%).

IOWA TO HOST FINAL FOUR RE-UNION
The Iowa basketball program and the National Iowa Varsity Club are sponsoring a re-union of Iowa’s 1980 Final Four team when the Hawkeyes host Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 15. The re-union of the Final Four team is part of Letterman’s Day, as all former men’s basketball lettermen are invited to attend the Big Ten Conference game.

Game time is 1:32 p.m. and tickets are available at the UI Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS or by ordering online at www.hawkeyesports.com.

Members of the 1980 Final Four team will be recognized during the game and will be available prior to the contest for an autograph session. Iowa’s most recent trip to the Final Four came in 1980 in Indianapolis, IN, with the Hawkeyes losing to eventual national champion Louisville in the semi-finals and Purdue in the consolation game. The Hawkeyes began their tournament run with wins over Virginia Commonwealth and North Carolina State in Greensboro, NC. Iowa moved on to Philadelphia, PA, where it scored wins over Syracuse and Georgetown. The Hawkeyes ended the season with a 23-10 overall record.

Members of the 1980 Final Four team included seniors Mike Arens and Ronnie Lester, juniors Greg Boyle, Vince Brookins, Mike Henry, Steve Krafcisin and Steve Waite, sophomores Kenny Arnold, Kevin Boyle and John Darsee and freshmen Mark Gannon, Tom Grogan, Bob Hansen and Mike Heller.

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 257-149 (.633), including a 101-72 (.584) 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 fifth 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 is 3-6 vs. Michigan and 2-3 vs. Wolverine Coach Tommy Amaker.

THE SERIES
Michigan holds a 79-52 advantage in the series that began with a 19-15 Wolverine win in 1912. Michigan won two of three meetings a year ago. Iowa won in Iowa City by a 69-61 margin. Michigan won 90-84 in Ann Arbor and 79-70 in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Michigan won the only meeting in 2003, 70-62 in Ann Arbor. Iowa scored a 76-56 decision in Iowa City in the only meeting in 2002. Michigan has won eight of the last 12 meetings.

Iowa holds a 33-31 advantage in games played in Iowa City, including a 12-8 advantage in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won three of the last four games in Iowa City and four of the last six.

The teams close the regular season in Ann Arbor on either March 5 or 6.

BOTH IN HALL OF FAME
Iowa Coach Steve Alford and Michigan Coach Tommy Amaker are both members of the Athletic Hall of Fame of their respective alma maters. Alford attended Indiana, where he is a member of the Hall of Fame and Indiana’s all-Century team. Amaker is a member of the Duke University Hall of Fame.

GAME NOTES

• Iowa features the leading shot blocker in the Big Ten in Erek Hansen (3.9), while teammate Greg Brunner is eighth (1.1). Michigan’s Brent Petway (1.7) and Courtney Sims (1.5) rank fourth and fifth in the league, respectively.
• Steve Alford and Tommy Amaker met once as players, with Alford’s Indiana team defeating Amaker’s Duke team 88-82 in the regional semi-finals of the 1987 NCAA Tournament. Duke had played in the championship game the previous year, while Alford and the Hoosiers went on to win the NCAA title in 1987. Alford had 18 points, five assists and two rebounds in the win over Duke, while Amaker led the Blue Devils with 23 points.
• Iowa Coach Steve Alford was named to the all-Final Four team in 1987 when Indiana won the national title. Michigan Coach Tommy Amaker was named to the all-Final Four team in 1986 when Duke lost to Louisville in the NCAA title game.
• Michigan assistant Coach Charles E. Ramsey, in his fourth year on the Wolverine staff, was an assistant coach at Drake University in Des Moines in 1995 and 1996. Iowa defeated the Bulldogs in both of those seasons.
• Michigan assistant Coach Chuck Swenson, in his fourth season with the Wolverines, previously served as a graduate assistant at Indiana. He was an assistant at Duke when Steve Alford and Indiana defeated the Blue Devils in the 1987 tournament, he was an assistant at Duke when the Blue Devils defeated Iowa in 1996 and he was an assistant coach at Penn State from 1996-2001.

MICHIGAN WON TWO OF THREE
Iowa and Michigan split during the regular season a year ago before the Wolverines won at the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan won 90-84 Jan. 28 in Ann Arbor, Iowa won 69-61 Feb. 14 in Iowa City and the Wolverines prevailed 79-70 in Indianapolis.

Michigan used an 11-2 scoring run to start the game and a 13-2 spurt to close the first half to gain control of the first meeting. Michigan led 31-20 in the first 11 minutes before Iowa used a 15-0 run of its own to take a 35-31 lead. Iowa held Michigan without a point for nearly seven minutes. Several Iowa turnovers led to Michigan’s run to close the half, which ended with the Wolverines holding a 44-37 advantage. The Wolverines led by as many as 14 points, 70-56, with 10 minutes left to play. Iowa rallied from that point, but came up short. The Hawkeyes were able to get as close as four, 88-84, with less than five seconds to play, but Michigan sealed the verdict with its two final free throws. Pierre Pierce led Iowa in scoring with 23 points. Glen Worley added 18 while Brody Boyd and Greg Brunner each scored 13. Worley and Pierce led Iowa with seven rebounds apiece. Lester Abram scored 24 points to lead the Wolverines, while Courtney Sims added 16 and Daniel Horton 15.

Iowa held Michigan to 32.1% shooting from the field in taking a 69-61 win in Iowa City. Iowa controlled the action throughout much of the first half, leading by as many as nine points on two occasions. Michigan’s zone defense took Iowa away from points in the paint late in the half as the Wolverines rallied for a 32-28 halftime advantage. Michigan scored the final nine points of the half as Iowa did not score in the final 4:14.

Michigan maintained a slight advantage over the first eight minutes of the second half before a three-point basket by Brody Boyd gave Iowa a 41-40 advantage with 12:09 remaining. Jeff Horner’s three-pointer gave Iowa a 44-42 advantage with 11:22 remaining and the Hawkeyes led the rest of the way. Horner’s basket began a 14-3 Iowa scoring run as the Hawkeye lead reached 11 with 7:15 to play. Michigan closed to within five points on two occasions, the last at 63-58 with 1:02 to play. Iowa’s defense improved in the second half as Michigan made just 7-29 (24.1%) field goal attempts.

Horner led Iowa’s scoring with 20 points, while Body scored 14, Glen Worley 13 and Pierre Pierce 11. Worley added seven rebounds, Pierce had five rebounds and a career-high eight assists and Erek Hansen had four blocked shots. Michigan was led by Lester Abram with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Dion Harris added 10 points.

An Iowa rally in the final 10 minutes came up short as it dropped a 79-70 decision to Michigan in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten Conference tournament. The Hawkeyes trailed by 19 points with 10:19 left to play before closing the margin to just four points, 67-63, with 2:42 remaining. But Michigan made enough defensive stops and free throws to hang on for the win. Trailing by five with just over three minutes remaining, Iowa missed two three-point attempts that could have cut the margin to just two points.

The Hawkeyes started fast in the contest, hitting six of their first seven field goals to take a 12-2 advantage. But, after leading 14-4 with 16:42 left in the half, Iowa scored just 11 points during the remainder of the period and trailed 32-25 at intermission. Iowa made just 3-11 free throw attempts in the first half and just 11-21 (52.4%) for the game. Michigan, on the other hand, connected on 28-35 (80%) free throws, the most made by an Iowa opponent in 28 games.

Pierre Pierce led Iowa’s efforts in the comeback, scoring 23 of his career-high 28 points in the second half, including 19 points in the final 10 minutes. Along with his 28 points, Pierce added six rebounds and six assists. Brody Boyd added 13 points, Greg Brunner had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots and Jeff Horner had 10 points and four assists. Michigan was led by Dion Harris with 23 points. Lester Abram added 19 and Daniel Horton scored 14.

IOWA DEFEATS SAINT LOUIS
Iowa turned ups its intensity and its defensive pressure in the second half in taking a 67-58 win over Saint Louis Dec. 31 in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes trailed 29-27 at halftimw after Saint Louis shot 48.1% from the field in the opening period. Iowa’s second half rally, which included a 10-0 scoring run midway through the frame, saw the Hawkeyes outscore the visitors 40-29. Saint Louis shot just 30.6% from the field in the second half while Iowa shot 56%. Iowa also hit 66.7% of its three-point attempts in the second half and shot 78.9% from the foul line in the game.

Pierre Pierce led Iowa with a season-high 24 points, hitting 11-18 field goals. Pierce added five rebounds and three assists. Greg Brunner recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Adam Haluska scored 13 points and Jeff Horner added 12 points and six assists.

MICHIGAN TOPS ASHEVILLE
Michigan improved to 8-5 on the season with a 75-54 win over North Carolina-Asheville on Dec. 31. The Wolverines shot 59.3% (16-27) from the field in building a 38-23 halftime advantage, missing only six shots from inside three-point range in the period. The Wolverines also shot well in the second half (58.6%) and made 33-56 (58.9%) of its field goal attempts in the game. Asheville shot 55.6% in the first half before shooting just 34.5% in the second half. Michigan won the rebounding battle 30-21 added 22 assists.

Forward Chris Hunder led Michigan’s balanced scoring attack with 20 points, while Ron Coleman added 17, Courtney Sims 11 and Dion Harris 10. Sims (six) and Hunter (five) led the Wolverines in rebounding and Harris added eight assists.

HAWKEYES AMONG NCAA LEADERS
As a team, Iowa ranks 10th nationally in assists per game (17.8) and blocked shots (6.8), 12th in three-point percentage (42.9%) and 19th in scoring (81.1).

Individually, center Erek Hansen is third in blocked shots (3.9) and guard Jeff Horner is ninth in three-point field goal percentage (50.7%), 15th in assists per game (6.3) and 21st in three-point field goals per game.

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.

HAWKEYES TIE BLOCK RECORD, AGAIN
Iowa set its second single-game record of the season in a loss to North Carolina and tied that record in wins over North Carolina-Greensboro and Saint Louis. The Hawkeyes blocked 12 shots in each of those games to break the previous record of 11, set in an 80-65 win at Drake on Jan. 4, 1993.

Junior center Erek Hansen led the way with five blocks against the North Carolina and UNC Greensboro, and he had seven in the win over Saint Louis.

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 13 games. The newcomers are averaging 24 points and 12 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 10 of 13 games, including a career-high 21 points vs. Drake and Texas Tech and 20 in a home win over Iowa State.

In the win at Drake, freshman Carlton Reed scored 14 points, while freshman Alex Thompson added five rebounds in the win over Texas Tech. 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.

ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE
As has been the case in recent years, the Iowa schedule is very demanding. Eight of Iowa’s 13 non-conference games were against teams that advanced to post-season play a year ago. Iowa posted a 7-1 record in those games, including a 5-1 record vs. teams that were in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

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 included Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Air Force and Saint Louis, teams that participated in post-season play a year ago.

Iowa will play 16 games against teams that advanced to post-season play a year ago.

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 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.

HANSEN ON BLOCKS CHART
Junior center Erek Hansen has collected 47 blocked shots in 12 games, moving among Iowa’s leaders in blocks for a season and career. A year ago Hansen blocked 40 shots in 22 games. The 47 blocks rank ninth best for a single season and his 87 career blocks ranks eighth among Iowa’s career leaders. Hansen had a career-best seven blocked shots vs. Iowa State and Saint Louis and he had six blocks in the win over Texas Tech. He has blocked five or more shots in six of the 12 games he has played, and he is averaging 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 49.4% from the field and 70.4% from the free throw line. He had a career-high 14 points vs. Northern Iowa and he had 11 points and six rebounds vs. Texas.

HORNER OFF TO FAST START
Junior guard Jeff Horner is off to a fast start, ranking among national leaders in assists and three-point field goals while averaging 14.7 points per game. Horner is averaging 6.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 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. He is shooting 47.1% from the field, 50.7% from three-point range and 78.6% 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 13 games. Pierce is averaging 17.1 points, 4.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game and he leads the team with 33 steals. He has scored in double figures in all 13 games, has at least six assists in four games and five or more rebounds in 10 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 added 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over Texas Tech and a season-high 24 points vs. Saint Louis. 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 7.6 rebounds this season. Brunner, who ranked second in the Big Ten in rebounding last season, had a season-best 13 rebounds in the win over Iowa State and 11 vs. Western Carolina and Saint Louis. He had 10 rebounds vs. Louisville, nine vs. UNC Greensboro and eight in wins over Texas and Texas Tech. Brunner has scored in double figures in 11 games, with a season-high of 23 in the win over Northern Iowa. He is shooting 55.4% from the field and 70.2% from the foul line. He was named to the all-tournament team of Iowa’s Gazette Hawkeye Challenge.

HALUSKA HITS NEW HIGH
Sophomore Adam Haluska scored a career-high 21 points in wins over Texas Tech and Drake as he has scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games. 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 is shooting 51.9% from the field and 80.8% from the free throw line while averaging 13.7 points and 3.8 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 4.5 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 had six points and six rebounds in the win over Texas Tech. Thomas is averaging 4.5 points while shooting 58.8% from the field and 79.2% from the foul line.

1,000 POINT POSSIBILITIES
Iowa has three players, all juniors, who could reach the 1,000 point plateau this season. Pierre Pierce has scored 938 points, Jeff Horner has 823 and Greg Brunner has 717. 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

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has outscored its opponents 476-399 in the first half and 578-491 in the second half. Iowa has led at halftime in nine of 13 games and the Hawkeyes have outscored their opponent in the second half in 10 games.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

• 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.
• As a team, Iowa set two Gazette Hawkeye Challenge tournament records and tied a third, in a 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.
• Iowa’s contest at Drake was 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 played Texas Tech at the United Center in Chicago.
• Iowa has had four players or more score in double figures in 10 of 13 games, with a season-best six players in the win over Western Illinois.
• Iowa is 1-0 when six players score in double figures, 1-0 when five players score 10 points or more, 7-1 when four reach double figures, 1-0 with three in double figures and 2-0 when two are in double figures.
• Iowa has four players averaging between 12.8 and 17.1 points per game and four players averaging between 4.5 and 7.6 rebounds per outing.
• Iowa is 9-0 when leading at halftime and 3-1 when trailing at intermission.
• Iowa is 7-1 when controlling the opening tip and 5-0 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 6-0 in games decided by 10 points or less, and has not played an overtime game.
• Under Steve Alford, Iowa is 31-6 when shooting at least 50% from the field, including 6-1 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 will be televised. Iowa appeared on national cable television (ESPN and ESPN2) in three games in the Maui Invitational and the Dec. 21 game vs. Texas Tech was a national cable telecast 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 travels to Ohio State Jan. 8 (11:07 a.m. CT) and will host Minnesota Jan. 15 at 1:32 p.m.