Hawkeye Season Ends with 21 Wins and NCAA Invitation

April 7, 2005

• 2005 National I-Club Spring Banquet Tour
• 2005 Iowa Boys Basketball Camps
• 2005 Iowa Basketball Banquet

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HAWKEYES CLOSE FAST, EARN NCAA TOURNAMENT SPOT
Iowa closed the regular season with three straight wins and extended the winning streak to five games with a pair of wins in the Big Ten Tournament, climbing over the 20-win total for the season and earning a spot in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

The Hawkeyes closed the year with a 21-12 overall record after earning a 7-9 record (seventh place) during the Big Ten season. Iowa concluded the season with a 76-64 loss to Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa won road games at Penn State and Michigan, along with a home win over Ohio State, to end the regular season on a high note. The Hawkeyes opened the Big Ten Tournament with a win over Purdue and then earned a 71-69 win over 10th-ranked and Final Four team Michigan State in the quarter-finals. Wisconsin ended Iowa’s run in the tournament with a 59-56 decision, scoring the winning three-point basket from 22 feet at the final horn.

Iowa started fast in November and December, posting a 12-1 record during the non-conference schedule. The Hawkeyes began the year with a strong showing in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, placing second to 2005 NCAA champion North Carolina after defeating Louisville and Texas in the first two rounds. Iowa appeared in the national rankings for nine straight weeks during the middle of the season, moving as high as 14th in early January.

In other non-conference action, the Hawkeyes earned the mythical state title with wins over Drake, Northern Iowa and Iowa State, and also defeated Texas Tech, Air Force and Saint Louis. Iowa was 15-5 through 20 games when Pierre Pierce, its leading scorer and top defensive player, was dismissed from the team.

After losing five of six games during the early part of February, the Hawkeyes responded with three wins to close the regular season. Along with securing a fifth straight winning season, the late-season drive led the Hawkeyes back to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa earned its fifth straight post-season invitation and second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five seasons.

The Hawkeyes played 15 games (7-8 record) against teams that advanced to post-season play and 10 games (3-7) against ranked opponents. Iowa played six games against the Final Four participants, posting a 2-4 record while being the only team in the nation to play all four teams. Iowa and Duke were the only teams to have two wins over the Final four participants.

Iowa defeated three teams that advanced to the Sweet 16 and played eight games against Elite Eight teams. Iowa posted an 11-8 record in games decided by 10 points or less.

Forward Greg Brunner and guard Jeff Horner, both juniors, each surpassed 1,000 career points during the season. Brunner led the team in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (8.3), while Horner (14 ppg) was the leader in assists (5.5) and steals (1.4). Sophomore Adam Haluska (14.2 ppg) joined Brunner and Horner with a scoring average of at least 14 points per game.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,343 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,396-947 (.596). That includes an 871-306 (.740) record in home games, a 525-641 (.450) record in games away from Iowa City, a 664-653 (.504) mark in Big Ten games and a 277-80 (.776) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 277-80 (.776) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 132-67 (.663) 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 69-25 (.734) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 42-4 (.913) mark in non-conference home games.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa was ranked for nine consecutive weeks during the year and was listed among teams receiving votes for five additional weeks. Iowa climbed as high as 14th in the Associated Press poll on Jan. 3. Iowa began the season receiving no votes in either poll and ended the season receiving votes in both rankings.

IOWA HAS FAST START, STRONG FINISH
With 12 wins in its first 13 games, Iowa enjoyed 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.

After struggling during the middle of the season, Iowa won its final three Big Ten games and increased the win streak to five games with a pair of wins in the Big Ten Tournament.

Iowa’s nine-game win streak during non-conference action matched 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 posted 12 non-conference wins (not including post-season) for the first time since 1988-89.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Iowa’s 2005 roster included just one senior, former walk-on Jack Brownlee. A Ft. Dodge native, Brownlee joined the Iowa program from Kirkwood Community College and earned a scholarship for his final year. Brownlee came on strong at the end of the year, playing a key role and hitting a couple of three-point baskets as the Hawkeyes made their late season run into the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawkeyes will return all five starters from the final 13 games of the 2005 season, including three players, Greg Brunner, Adam Haluska and Jeff Horner, who earned all-Big Ten recognition. Both Horner and Brunner will be seniors and both have scored over 1,000 career points, while Haluska scored 467 points in 2005. Center Erek Hansen returns for his senior season and guard Mike Henderson, like Haluska, will be a junior.

Iowa will return 84.6% of its scoring from 2005, along with 90.9% of its rebounding, 81.6% of its assists and 78.5% of its steals. Iowa’s returning players shot 45.5% from the field, 38.7% from three-point range and 71.9% from the free throw line.

IOWA COACH Steve Alford
Steve Alford (pronounced ALL-ford) has completed 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 266-160 (.624), including a 110-83 (.570) 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 41-55 (.427) in Big Ten games. Alford is 8-6 in the NCAA Tournament (3-3 in Division I and 5-3 in Division III) and 2-4 in the NIT. His record in the Big Ten Tournament is 10-5 in six seasons. Iowa won the tournament in 2001, returned to the title game in 2002 and just missed the championship game in 2005.

Alford led Iowa into the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in his second season and the Hawkeyes returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2005. Iowa advanced to the NIT in 2002, 2003 and 2004.

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. In 2004 he was one of five players selected to ESPN’s Big Ten Conference Silver Anniversary team.

ALFORD REACHES 100 HAWKEYE WINS
Coach Steve Alford collected win No. 100 as Iowa’s head coach in a 73-63 victory over Air Force on Dec. 28, 2004. Career victory No. 250 came in the 88-53 win over Centenary in early December. His career mark stands at 266-160. Alford is 110-83 at Iowa, moving into fifth place on the Iowa list for coaching victories. Iowa’s top four coaches in career wins include Tom Davis (269), Lute Olson (168), Rollie Williams (139) and Bucky O’Connor (114).

AGAINST THE NCAA FIELD
Iowa posted a 7-8 record in 15 games against teams that played in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Among the NCAA teams, Iowa was 1-0 against Texas, Louisville, Northern Iowa, Iowa State and Texas Tech. The Hawkeyes were 1-1 vs. Michigan State and Minnesota, 0-1 vs. NCAA champion North Carolina and Cincinnati and 0-2 vs. Illinois and Wisconsin.

The Hawkeyes played just one team that participated in the 2005 NIT, defeating Indiana 72-57 in Iowa City in the only meeting.

HAWKEYES CLOSE FAST
Iowa closed the regular schedule with three straight victories for the first time since 1997. It also marks the first time since 1987 in which Iowa closed the season with three straight wins, when two of the wins were on the road. Iowa had not won its final two road games of the season since 1991 when Iowa won at Indiana and at Northwestern in the final two road games.

IOWA VS. FINAL FOUR TEAMS
For the first time ever, Iowa, in 2005, played all four teams that advanced to the Final Four.

During the course of the season, Iowa played six games against the Final four teams, posting a 2-4 record. Iowa was the only team in the nation to play all of the Final Four teams, while Iowa and Duke were the only teams to collect two wins against the four teams.

Iowa defeated Louisville (76-71) in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational in November. After a semi-final win over Texas, the Hawkeyes lost to North Carolina (106-92) in the championship game of that event. The Tar Heels went on to win the 2005 national title.

Along with those two games, Iowa split two games with Michigan State and lost twice to Illinois. Iowa lost to the Spartans (75-64) in Iowa City during the regular season before a 71-69 win in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten Tournament.

Iowa’s two losses to Illinois both went down to the wire. Iowa’s overtime loss at Illinois (73-68) in January marked the closest game of the season, at that point, for the Illini. Illinois later scored a 75-65 win in Iowa City, pulling away at the end after leading by just three points with 2:44 remaining.

This marks the first time ever that Iowa has faced all Final Four teams. Iowa played three Final Four teams in 1999, 1960 and 1956. Iowa advanced to the Final Four in 1956, defeating Temple in the semi-finals before falling to San Francisco in the title game. Iowa had scored a win over Southern Methodist early in the regular season.

The Hawkeyes claimed victories over three teams that advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Along with the wins over Louisville and Michigan State, Iowa defeated Texas Tech at the United Center in Chicago in December.

Iowa had not defeated three Sweet 16 teams in the same season since 1991, when the Hawkeyes scored wins over Temple (73-71, home), Ohio State (80-69, home) and Indiana (80-79, OT, away).

IOWA SECURES FIVE IN A ROW
With 21 wins in 2005, Iowa has enjoyed a fifth straight winning season, a streak that matches the second longest consecutive winning seasons streak in Iowa basketball history.

The 19 wins mark the highest regular season victory total for Iowa under Steve Alford and the most for Iowa since 1998. Iowa won 18 regular season games in 2001 on the way to posting a 23-12 final record.

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).

Harrison coached Iowa to five straight winning seasons from 1944-48, Lute Olson coached Iowa to 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.

IOWA AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS
As a team, Iowa ranked 15th nationally in blocked shots per game (5.4). Individually, Erek Hansen ranked 19th in blocked shots per game (2.6) and Jeff Horner ranked 27th in assists per game (5.5).

HAWKEYES SET THREE RECORDS
Iowa set three team records during the course of the 2005 season. The Hawkeyes set a single-game record for free throw percentage (100%) in the first game of the year, making all 20 of their attempts in a win over Western Illinois. Iowa established a season record with 174 blocked shots and a single game record with 12 blocked shots. The previous season record of 165 blocks was set in 32 games in 1993.

The Hawkeyes had 12 blocks vs. three opponents, including North Carolina, UNC Greensboro and Saint Louis. The previous record of 11 blocked shots was set in an 80-65 win at Drake on Jan. 4, 1993.

Along with the records, Iowa’s 210 three-point field goals in 2005 ranks as the third best total for a single season.

MORE ABOUT RECORDS
The Hawkeyes set one Iowa record and tied three others during their play in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa had 21 assists in the opening win over Purdue to establish an Iowa record for the event and Iowa’s nine three-point baskets against the Boilermakers tied a team record. The previous mark of 20 assists was set vs. Minnesota in 2000. Iowa also had nine three-pointers in that win over the Gophers.

Individually, Jeff Horner tied a record with eight assists in the win over Purdue. Horner tied a record with 11 three-point attempts in the win over Michigan State. Horner had eight assists against Ohio State in 2003 and Dean Oliver had eight vs. Penn State in 2001. Brody Boyd had 11 three-point attempts vs. Ohio State in 2003.

IOWA SETS ARENA RECORDS
Also in 2005, Iowa set three Carver-Hawkeye Arena team records. Iowa established a new mark when by shooting 67.5% (27-40) from the field in a win over Air Force. That percentage ranks as the second best ever for an Iowa team in a single game.

The Hawkeyes set a record for free throw accuracy with the 100% (20-20) performance against Western Illinois. Iowa set a new high with the 12 blocked shots in wins over UNC Greensboro and Saint Louis.

HAWKEYE HONORS

Greg Brunner

• Academic all-Big Ten
• Second team all-Big Ten
• USBWA District Six all-District Team
• Gazette Hawkeye Challenge all-Tournament team
• Big Ten Player of the Week, Feb. 14

Adam Haluska

• CoSIDA District VII academic all-American
• Academic all-Big Ten
• Honorable Mention all-Big Ten

Jeff Horner

• Honorable Mention all-Big Ten
• NABC District 12 all-District Team
• Maui Invitational all-Tournament team
• MVP of Gazette Hawkeye Challenge
• Big Ten Player of the Week, Nov. 29
• Big Ten Player of the Week, Mar. 7

HORNER AMONG IOWA LEADERS
Guard Jeff Horner ranks among Iowa’s single season and career leaders in a number of categories. Heading into his senior season, Horner ranks 27th in career scoring with 1,095 points. He also has 440 rebounds and 443 assists. In career statistics, he ranks third in three-point field goal attempts (512), fourth in three-point field goals (192) and fifth in assists (443). His 86 three-pointers in 2005 rank third best for a single season, his 211 attempts tie for third most in a season and his 180 assists ranks fifth.

Horner is the only player in Iowa history to total over 1,000 points (1,095) and over 400 rebounds and 400 assists and he is the only player to surpass 200 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in three seasons.

Horner, a Mason City native, earned honorable mention all-Big Ten recognition in 2003 and 2004 and he was a third team selection in 2004. This season he was also named Most Valuable Player in Iowa’s Gazette Hawkeye Challenge and he was named to the Maui Invitational all-tournament team. He was selected to the NABC all-District 12 team and he was Big Ten Player of the Week twice during the 2005 season.

This past season Horner scored 18 points or more in eight games, including four games of 20 points or more. He scored in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including the last 14 games of the year. He recorded scoring and assist double-doubles in wins over UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina, had five or more rebounds in 12 games and collected five or more assists in 20 games.

Horner in 2005 averaged 14 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 40.7% from the field, 40.8% from three-point range and 78.7% from the free throw line.

BRUNNER TOP REBOUNDER, AGAIN
Greg Brunner led Iowa in rebounding for the second straight season while also joining Iowa’s 1,000-Point Club. Brunner averaged 14.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, raising his career totals to 1,035 points and 676 rebounds. He is tied for ninth with 84 career blocked shots. This past season he shot 51.2% from the field and 69% from the free throw line.

Brunner ranked second in the Big Ten in rebounding, for all games and league games, for the second straight season. He was named to the all-Big Ten second team and was an all-District selection by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He was named to the Gazette Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team and was Big Ten Player of the Week on Feb. 14. He also earned academic all-Big Ten honors.

Brunner tied for the Big Ten lead with 11 scoring and rebounding double-doubles in 2005 and his 20 career double-doubles are the most among current Big Ten players. In Big Ten games only, Brunner ranked second in rebounds (8.9), ninth in scoring (15.9), eighth in steals (1.4), ninth in blocked shots (0.8) and 15th in FG% (.495).

The native of Charles City scored 18 points or more in seven games and scored 20 or more on five occasions. He collected a career-high 28 points vs. Northwestern. Brunner also had eight or more rebounds in 21 games last season and had 10 or more rebounds in 13 games. He scored in double figures in 28 of 33 outings.

HALUSKA A SOLID ADDITION
Adam Haluska made a lasting impression during his first season with the Hawkeyes. The Carroll native was the only Hawkeye to start all 33 games and he averaged 14.2 points and four rebounds per contest. Haluska shot 47.8% from the field, 38.9% from three-point range and a team-best 80.8% from the free throw line.

Haluska earned honorable mention all-Big Ten recognition and academic all-Big Ten honors and was named to the CoSIDA District VII academic all-America team. He is a finance major with a 3.46 grade point average.

Haluska stepped up his production when needed over the final 13 games of the season, averaging 16.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in those games, while increasing his shooting percentage to 49.4% from the field. For the year, Haluska scored in double figures in 28 games, scoring 20 points or more in eight outings. Haluska scored a career-high 24 points vs. Michigan State and he had at least five rebounds in 15 games.

HANSEN ON BLOCKS CHART
Center Erek Hansen collected 83 blocked shots in 32 games, moving among Iowa’s leaders in blocks for a season and career. The 83 blocks rank fourth best for a single season and his 123 career blocks rank fourth among Iowa’s career leaders. Hansen ranked 19th nationally at 2.6 blocks per game.

Hansen had a career-best seven blocked shots vs. Iowa State and Saint Louis and he had six blocks in a win over Texas Tech and a loss to Michigan. The junior was the main reason Iowa set a single-season record for blocked shots (174).

Hansen collected five or more blocked shots in eight games, and averaged 4.8 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 44.1% from the field and 72.2% from the free throw line. He had a career-high 14 points vs. Northern Iowa, 11 points and six rebounds vs. Texas and nine points at Minnesota.

Hansen collected nine points, six rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament after having seven points and six rebounds in an opening round win over Purdue. He added five rebounds vs. Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament. Following is a list of Iowa’s single season and career leaders in blocked shots:

THOMAS HELPS ON THE GLASS
Doug Thomas made a major contribution to Iowa’s rebounding efforts in his first season. He ranked third on the team with an average of 4.8 per game. Thomas collected five or more rebounds in 15 games. He also averaged 4.6 points per game while shooting 52.9% from the field.

Thomas led all players with 11 rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan State, and he added seven points, including two key free throws with 38 seconds remaining. He added nine rebounds and five points in the NCAA Tournament loss to Cincinnati.

Thomas had nine rebounds and 14 points in a home win over Purdue, eight rebounds vs. Michigan State and nine points and five rebounds at Penn State. He added seven points in the win over Ohio State, including a three-point play in the final minute that gave Iowa a three point lead. In the win at Michigan, Thomas scored four points in the overtime period and ended the game with six points and eight rebounds.

Thomas had nine rebounds in his first game as a Hawkeye and added 10 in a win over UNC Greensboro. The 14 points vs. Purdue matched his season high.

HENDERSON SETTLED IN
Mike Henderson settled into Iowa’s starting line-up over the final 14 games of the season. In just his second season, Henderson averaged 4.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as his playing time nearly doubled over the second half of the season.

Henderson collected a career-high 17 points in the win over Michigan State in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten Tournament, hitting 6-10 field goals and 5-6 free throws. He also scored 11 points in the opening win over Purdue and sparked a second half rally vs. Wisconsin with seven points and five rebounds.

He had eight points in the win over Northwestern and five rebounds in games vs. Northwestern, Wisconsin and Illinois. At Minnesota he added eight points and five rebounds, six points and three assists at Penn State, six points in the home win over Ohio State and seven points in the win at Michigan.

Along with the improved offensive numbers, Henderson became one of Iowa’s top defenders as well. He collected a career-best five steals in the win at Michigan, and in the second half played a key role in the defensive effort of guarding Dion Harris. Harris did not score a point in the final 11 minutes of regulation and he had just three points in overtime. In Iowa’s win over Northwestern, Henderson played a key roll in holding Wildcat guard T.J. Parker to just two points on four field goal attempts.

ALL IOWANS IN THE STARTING LINE-UP
Iowa’s starting line-up in games vs. Northwestern and Purdue consisted of five native Iowans, including Alex Thompson (Ames), Greg Brunner (Charles City), Adam Haluska (Carroll), Jeff Horner (Mason City) and Mike Henderson (Waterloo).

This season marks the first time that has occurred since 1997-98 when Ricky Davis (Davenport), Ryan Bowen (Ft. Madison), Dean Oliver (Mason City), Kent McCausland (Waterloo) and Kyle Galloway (Sioux City) started four games late in the regular season and the NIT loss to Georgia. That group won games against Ohio State, Purdue and Northwestern and lost at Illinois before the post-season loss to Georgia.

Both the 1998 line-up and the all-Iowa line-up this season included two players from Mason City (Jeff Horner and Dean Oliver were both coached at Mason City HS by Jeff’s father, Bob) and Waterloo (McCausland attended West HS and Henderson attended East HS). Both also include a first year Hawkeye. Davis and Oliver were true freshmen in 1997-98. Thompson is a true freshman and Haluska, a sophomore, is in his first season of action at Iowa.

IOWA AT NEUTRAL SITES
Iowa played eight neutral site games in 2004-05, posting a 5-3 record. The Hawkeyes were 2-1 at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, defeating Louisville and Texas before falling to North Carolina in the title game. Iowa defeated Texas Tech at the United Center on Dec. 21 and posted a 2-1 record in the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago. The Hawkeyes ended the season with a loss to Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.

In 17 games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa posted an 8-9 overall record.

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.

RECOGNITION ON THE NET
Iowa’s basketball program was 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.
• CollegeInsider.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.
• CollegeInsider.com selected Coach Steve Alford for its “Mid Season” Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honor. The Jim Phelan Coach of the Year honor is awarded in March.
• Gregg Doyel, writing for cbssportline.com, featured the Iowa guard court as one of the best in the nation.

HOT SHOOTING FIRST HALF AT PSU
When Iowa made 20 of 31 field goal attempts in the first half of a 78-56 win at Penn State, the 64.5% shooting marked the seventh time in 2005 that Iowa shot 60% or better from the field in a half. Iowa’s best shooting half of the season, 75% (15-20), came in the second half of a 73-63 win over Air Force. Iowa also shot 65.4% in the second half vs. North Carolina, 61.3% in the second half vs. Western Carolina, 60.9% in the first half vs. Indiana, 60% in the first half vs. Air Force and 60% in the first half vs. Centenary.

Iowa ended the win over Penn State shooting 52.5% from the field. The Hawkeyes made over 50% of their field goal attempts in nine games, posting an 8-1 mark in those games. The Hawkeyes made at least 50% of their field goals in 23 of 66 halves this season.

NOT GETTING THE CLOSE ONES
Nineteen of Iowa’s 33 games were decided by 10 points or less. Iowa was 11-8 in the 19 games, with seven of the losses coming in Big Ten games and the eighth in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa was 1-2 in overtime games.

In Big Ten play, Iowa lost two games in overtime, two road games by three points each and another by two points at home. The Hawkeyes lost to Michigan 65-63 to open Big Ten play and dropped a 72-69 decision at #20 Wisconsin and a 66-63 contest at Purdue. Iowa lost overtime games at top-ranked Illinois (73-68) and at Northwestern (75-74). Iowa closed the regular season with a two-point home win over Ohio State and an overtime win at Michigan. In the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes defeated Michigan State by two points and lost to Wisconsin (59-56) on a three-point shot at the buzzer.

Five of Iowa’s seven conference wins came on the home court, with the Hawkeyes winning their final two road games at Penn State and Michigan. The five home wins came by margins of six, 14, 15, 10 and two points. Even with the 7-9 Big Ten record, Iowa outscored its opponents by a 68.2-67.2 margin in 16 league games.

HOLD THAT LEAD
Not being able to close out the game hampered Iowa in losses at Northwestern, Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota. In each of the four games, the Hawkeyes led in the second half, only to see the opponent come from behind and gain the win.

In a Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan State, Iowa let a nine point lead in the second half slip away before the Hawkeyes won by two. In the three-point semi-final loss to Wisconsin, Iowa tied the score after trailing by 10 in the second half before Wisconsin won on a shot at the buzzer.

LEADER ACROSS THE BOARD
Sophomore Adam Haluska led Iowa in the win over Northwestern, leading the Hawkeyes in points (20), rebounds (eight), assists (five) and steals (four), field goals (seven), three-point field goals (four) and free throws (two). Haluska hit 7-14 field goals, 4-6 treys and 2-3 free throws, while committing just one turnover and collecting no personal fouls.

Haluska’s performance marked the first time one player has led Iowa in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals in one game since the 2002-03 season. Jeff Horner, as a freshman, led Iowa to a 68-61 win over eighth-ranked Illinois in Iowa City, collecting 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

NO SECOND CHANCE FOR WILDCATS
In Iowa’s 64-54 win over Northwestern, the Hawkeyes did not allow the Wildcats any offensive rebounds. Iowa won the rebounding battle by a 34-22 margin and all 22 of Northwestern’s rebounds came on Iowa missed shots.

That game marks the only time in 193 games that a Steve Alford coached Iowa team did not allow an opponent offensive rebound. The previous low was by Wisconsin, as the Badgers had just one offensive rebound in Iowa’s 61-55 win in Madison on Jan. 29, 2000.

HAWKEYES BETTER ON THE BOARDS
Iowa won the rebounding battle in nine of its last 11 games. The Hawkeyes ended the season with a +1.4 rebounding advantage and won the rebounding battle in three of four post-season games. For the season Iowa held a 36.3-34.9 rebounding advantage, while Iowa’s margin was 34.8-33.6 in Big Ten games.

IOWA HAS FEWEST TURNOVER TOTAL
Iowa was guilty of just six turnovers in a loss at Wisconsin, a season-low and the lowest number for Iowa in 193 games under Coach Steve Alford. For the second straight game, the Hawkeyes had just one turnover in the second half. The Hawkeyes were guilty of just nine turnovers in a home win over Ohio State.

The Hawkeyes are 7-8 in 15 games under Alford in which they commit less than 10 turnovers, with six of those games taking place in 2005.

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.

Along with the record-setting performance against Western Illinois, Iowa made at least 80% of its free throw attempts in four additional games. Iowa shot 85% (17-20 in both games) against Ohio State, shot 80.8% (21-26) in a home loss to Illinois and shot 80% (12-15) in the loss to Wisconsin at the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa posted just a 7-7 record when shooting over 70% from the free throw line.

NEW FACES MAKE CONTRIBUTION
Several new faces made big contributions throughout the season. The newcomers averaged 23.4 points and 12.3 rebounds per outing.

Sophomore Adam Haluska scored in double figures in 27 of 33 games, including a career-high 24 points vs. Michigan State. He added 22 points at Penn State and in the home win over Ohio State. He had 21 vs. Drake and Texas Tech and he added 20 points in home wins over Iowa State and Northwestern and the home loss to Illinois.

Junior college transfer Doug Thomas was Iowa’s most productive player off the bench, averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. Thomas had a scoring high of 14 points and he had five or more rebounds in 15 games. Thomas had 11 rebounds vs. Michigan State and nine in the NCAA Tournament vs. Cincinnati.

Freshman Carlton Reed scored 14 points in the win at Drake, while freshman Alex Thompson added five rebounds in the win over Texas Tech and nine rebounds in a loss at Minnesota. Seth Gorney played a key defensive role and had five rebounds in a win over Minnesota and he added six points at Penn State and five vs. Ohio State.

Newcomers contributed 25 points or more in nine games and 15 or more rebounds in 10 games.

ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE
As has been the case in recent years, Iowa’s 2005 schedule was very demanding. Six of Iowa’s 13 non-conference games were against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament and Iowa was 5-1 against those teams.

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 Hawkeyes lost twice to top-ranked Illinois (once in overtime), lost to 10th-ranked Michigan State 75-64 and dropped a 72-69 decision at #20 Wisconsin. In the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa defeated 10th-ranked Michigan State before falling to No. 22 Wisconsin.

Iowa also recorded non-conference wins over Northern Iowa, Iowa State and Texas Tech, teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Fifteen of Iowa’s 33 games were against teams that played in the post-season.

Iowa’s 13 non-conference opponents posted an overall record of 202-172 (.540) during the regular season, with eight of the 13 winning at least 17 games and four winning 20 games or more.

NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE STRENGTH
According to the February issue of Basketball Times, Iowa’s non-conference schedule ranked as the 18th-strongest in the nation. Among Big Ten teams, only Indiana (7th), Wisconsin (8th) and Purdue (12th) played stronger non-conference schedules. The remaining Big Ten teams and their ratings included Illinois (66), Michigan (106), Michigan State (142), Minnesota (148), Ohio State (159), Northwestern (214) and Penn State (276).

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 eighth-ranked Illinois 68-61.

IOWA VS. RANKED FOES
Steve Alford has posted an 18-30 record against ranked opponents as Iowa’s head coach, including a 3-7 mark in 2005. Iowa, this season, defeated 11th-ranked Louisville (76-71), 13th-ranked Texas (82-80) and 10th-ranked Michigan State (71-69), with losses to 11th-ranked North Carolina (92-106), at No. 1 ranked Illinois (68-73) in overtime, to 10th-ranked Michigan State (64-75) at home, at #20 Wisconsin (72-69), 75-65 to top-ranked Illinois in Iowa City, 59-56 to #22 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament and 64-76 to #23 Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament.

Alford’s Hawkeye teams are 6-12 when playing teams ranked in the top 10, including wins over top-ranked Connecticut (70-68 in 1999-00), second-ranked Missouri (83-65 in 2001-02), fifth-ranked Ohio State (67-64 in 1999-00), seventh-ranked Illinois (78-62 in 2000-01), eighth-ranked Illinois (68-61 in 2002-03) and 10th-ranked Michigan State (71-69 in 2005).

The 12 losses to top 10 teams have been three times to No. 1 (Duke, 2001-02 and Illinois twice in 2004-05), once to third-ranked (Illinois, 2000-01), twice to fourth-ranked (Michigan State, 1999-00 and 2000-01), twice to fifth-ranked (Tennessee, 2000-01 and Missouri, 2001-02), once to ninth-ranked (Kentucky, 2000-01) and three times to 10th-ranked (Michigan State, 2000, Illinois, 2002 and Michigan State, 2005).

In the 48 games against ranked teams, Alford and his Iowa team are 6-9 in home games, 9-10 at neutral sites and 3-11 when playing ranked teams in their home arena.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa outscored its opponents 1,120-1,024 in the first half and 1,265-1,171 in the second half, and the Hawkeyes were outscored 26-22 in three overtime periods. Iowa led at halftime in 19 of 33 games and the Hawkeyes outscored their opponent in the second half 16 times.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

• Iowa played three overtime games, losing in single overtime at Illinois and at Northwestern and winning at Michigan.
• 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’s 27-point halftime margin in the win at Penn State tied the largest halftime lead for Iowa in 193 games under Coach Steve Alford, and it marked Iowa’s biggest halftime lead since a 45-22 margin in a 2004 home win over the Nittany Lions. The 27 point halftime advantage equaled Iowa’s lead (45-18) in an 89-59 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 13, 2001.
• Iowa attempted more free throws than its opponent in 22 of 33 games. In the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, Iowa attempted more free throws than its opponent in all four games.
• 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 was 17-1 when scoring between 70-89 points and 9-1 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points.
• Iowa was 14-4 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 15-3 when having fewer turnovers and 15-5 when collecting most steals than the opponent.
• Iowa had four players or more score in double figures in 14 of 33 games, with a season-best six players in the win over Western Illinois.
• Iowa was 1-0 when six players scored in double figures, 1-0 when five players scored 10 points or more, 9-3 when four reached double figures, 7-7 with three in double figures and 3-2 when two were in double figures.
• Iowa had three players average between 14 and 14.7 points per game and four players averaged between four and 8.3 rebounds per outing.
• Iowa was 17-2 when leading at halftime, 4-9 when trailing at intermission and 0-1 when tied at halftime.
• Iowa was 12-5 when controlling the opening tip and 9-7 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa was 11-8 in games decided by 10 points or less, 6-6 in games decided by five points or less and 1-2 in overtime.
• Under Steve Alford, Iowa is 33-6 when shooting at least 50% from the field, including 8-1 in 2005.
• North Carolina, Northern Iowa, Northwestern (second meeting) and Ohio State (second meeting) are the only Iowa opponents to shoot at least 50% from the field this season, and Iowa was 3-1 in those games. In 2004, Iowa was 0-5 when its opponent shot at least 50% from the field.

IOWA ON THE TUBE
Every Iowa game throughout the 2004-05 season was televised. Iowa appeared on national cable television (ESPN and ESPN2) in three games in the Maui Invitational and in games vs. Texas Tech (ESPN2), twice vs. Illinois (ESPN) and vs. Purdue (ESPN) in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa’s contest vs. Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament and the game vs. Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament were televised on CBS.

Iowa games not selected for national coverage were televised regionally by ESPN Plus, while several conference games were carried throughout the Big Ten Conference viewing area as part of the Big Ten regional network agreement with ESPN Plus.