25 Wins Marks Second Highest Single Season total for Iowa Men

April 13, 2006

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IOWA WINS BIG TEN TOURNAMENT WHILE POSTING 25-9 RECORD
Iowa compiled a 25-9 overall record in 2006, posting the second highest number of victories in school history while claiming the Big Ten Conference Tournament title. Iowa won 11 of 16 games during the Big Ten regular season, earning a tie for second place, one game behind league champion Ohio State. Earning the second seed in the conference tournament, Iowa defeated Minnesota, Michigan State and the top-seeded Buckeyes to earn its second tournament title in the last six seasons. The Hawkeyes earned a three seed while making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, ending the season with a last second loss in the first round. The three seed was the highest for Iowa in the national tournament since earning a two seed in 1987. Iowa began the season in the national rankings and the Hawkeyes were ranked 15th in both major polls at the end of the season. Iowa’s final RPI was seventh and the Hawkeyes never lost more than two straight games. At the start of the NCAA Tournament, Iowa was the only team in the nation to record 10 wins over teams ranked in the top 25 at the time of the game. The Hawkeyes were 10-4 against the top 25, playing over 40% of their schedule against ranked teams. Iowa was 15-7 against post-season teams, including a 10-6 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa won seven home games against ranked opponents and won all 17 home games. Iowa’s current 18-game home streak ranks as fourth longest in the nation as Iowa posted its first-ever unbeaten season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983. Iowa started the season by placing second in the Guardians Classic, defeating seventh-ranked Kentucky before falling to second-ranked Texas in the title game. Overall, Iowa was 11-3 in non-conference action, collecting wins over North Carolina State, Arizona State and Saint Louis. Senior guard Jeff Horner suffered a knee injury in a loss at Northern Iowa and missed four games, returning to action in the win over Saint Louis in the final non-conference game. After opening Big Ten action with a loss at Wisconsin, Iowa began a four-game win streak with a key home win over Illinois, handing the Illini their first loss of the season. Holding a 4-2 record after a loss at Michigan State, Iowa again won four straight, taking over first place with a home win over Ohio State on Jan. 28. The Hawkeyes would hold on to first place for nearly five weeks, moving out of the top spot with a loss at Illinois on Feb. 25. Iowa then closed the season with two home wins to clinch second place. Iowa was led throughout the season by a group of experienced seniors. Forward Greg Brunner became Iowa’s career rebounding leader (990) and he ranks 10th in scoring (1,516). He led the conference in rebounding and was a first team all-Big Ten selection. Guard Jeff Horner, despite missing four games with a knee injury, became Iowa’s career leader in assists (612), three-point field goals (262) and three-point attempts (713). He ranks 11th in career scoring. Horner was named MVP of the Big Ten Tournament and was third team all-Big Ten. Center Erek Hansen enjoyed the best season of his career and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Hansen led the team in blocked shots and ranks third with 212 career blocks. Senior Doug Thomas also played well throughout the season and was named “Sixth Man of the Year” in the Big Ten. Brunner, along with junior Adam Haluska, was named to the CoSIDA academic all-America third team.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,377 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,421-956 (.598). That includes an 888-306 (.744) record in home games, a 532-650 (.450) record in games away from Iowa City, a 675-658 (.506) mark in Big Ten games and a 294-80 (.786) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa was ranked 15th in final Associated Press rankings and 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Iowa was ranked as high as 12th (AP, 12/5/05), its highest ranking since early in the 2001-02 season. Iowa, that season, moved as high as seventh (Nov. 26) in the Associated Press rankings and eighth (Nov. 19) in the coaches poll.

IOWA STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Iowa was seventh in the final RPI Index and 14th in the Sagarin Ratings. Iowa’s strength of schedule was 21st in the RPI Index and 23rd by Sagarin. Iowa posted a 10-5 record while playing 15 games against top 50 teams in the RPI Index. Prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, Iowa was one of eight teams nationally with as many as 15 games against top 50 teams. Prior to tournament play, Iowa was the only Division I team in the nation to record 10 wins against teams that were ranked in the top 25 at the time of the game.

IOWA EARNS 25 WINS
Iowa’s 25 wins in 2006 rank as the second most in school history for a single season. Iowa won 30 games in 1987 and 24 games in 1988. The 22 regular season wins tie as the second most in school history. The Hawkeyes won 27 regular season games in 1987 and 22 in both 1988 and 1989.

HAWKEYES WON BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Iowa rallied in the second half in three straight games to claim the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Indianapolis. Iowa earned the title with a 67-60 win over seventh-ranked Ohio State after defeating Minnesota and Michigan State to advance to the finals. Iowa is one of three league teams with two tournament titles and Iowa Coach Steve Alford has a 13-5 record in his seven years in the event. Iowa won the 2001 title and also advanced to the championship game in 2002. Iowa and Minnesota were tied at halftime of their quarter-final game, while both MSU and OSU led Iowa at the break. Iowa used a 12-0 scoring run over a six minute period late in the second half to overcome Ohio State in the final game.

TWO HAWKEYES ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior guard Jeff Horner was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Tournament, while senior forward Greg Brunner was also named to the five-man all-tournament team. Horner averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and six assists in the three games. He shot 48.7% from the field, 43.5% from three-point range and 80% from the foul line. He led Iowa with 26 points in the win over Minnesota when he tied a tournament record with six three-point field goals. He added 14 points in the win over Michigan State and 16 points and 10 assists in the title game victory. Brunner averaged 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in the three games while leading Iowa’s inside attack. Brunner had 16 points against Minnesota, 12 points vs. Michigan State and 10 points and eight rebounds in the title game.

IOWA COACH Steve Alford
Steve Alford (pronounced ALL-ford) has completed his seventh season as the head coach at the University of Iowa and his 15th season as a college head coach. Alford holds a career record of 291-169 (.633), including a 135-92 (.595) 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. He has led Iowa to six straight winning seasons and three seasons of 20 or more wins. Iowa won at least 23 games for the second straight season and Iowa has averaged over 20 wins per year over the last six years. Alford ranks fourth among Iowa’s head basketball coaches in total wins. He is 52-60 (.464) in Big Ten games. Alford is 8-6 in the NCAA Tournament (3-4 in Division I and 5-3 in Division III) and 2-4 in the NIT. His record in the Big Ten Tournament is 13-5 in six seasons. His 13 wins rank as the most among all Big Ten coaches and his .722 winning percentage is tops among all coaches in the event. Iowa won the tournament in 2001 and 2006 and was second in 2002. Under Alford, Iowa is one of three league teams with two tournament titles and he is the only Big Ten coach to take three teams to the title game. 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 and 2006. 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 MOVES TO FOURTH
Coach Steve Alford has collected 135 victories as Iowa’s head coach, a total that ranks fourth on Iowa’s list of coaches in career wins. Alford, in 2006, moved past Bucky O’Connor, Iowa’s head coach from 1952-58 (he also was Iowa’s head coach for 11 games in 1950), who earned 114 wins as Iowa’s basketball coach. Iowa’s top three coaches in career wins are Tom Davis (269), Lute Olson (168) and Rollie Williams (139).

THREE SENIORS SHARE MVP HONORS
Seniors Greg Brunner, Erek Hansen and Jeff Horner were named Iowa’s Most Valuable Players for the 2005-06 basketball season. Brunner led the Hawkeyes in both scoring (14.1) and rebounding (9.2), while shooting 45.4% from the field. His career totals include 1,516 points and 990 rebounds. He is Iowa’s career rebounding leader and he ranks 10th in scoring. Brunner led the Big Ten in rebounding and earned first team all-conference honors. He was also a third team academic all-American and he was named to the Big Ten all-tournament team. Horner averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in his final season. He scored 1,502 career points and is the only player in Iowa history to collect over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 500 assists. Horner is Iowa’s career assist leader (612) and he also ranks first in three-point field goals (262) and attempts (713) while ranking 11th in scoring. Horner was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten tournament and earned third team all-league honors during the season. Hansen averaged 6.7 points and four rebounds per game, shooting a team-best 58.1% from the field. He led the Big Ten in blocked shots for the second straight season (2.6). Hansen was voted the Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year and named to the league all-defensive team. His 212 blocks rank third on Iowa’s career list and his 89 blocked shots in 2006 are third best for a single season. For the second straight year, Junior Adam Haluska received the Chris Street Award, which is presented annually to a Hawkeye player, or players, who best exemplify the spirit, enthusiasm and intensity of Chris Street. Haluska, a native of Carroll, started all 34 games. He averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest while earning third team all-Big Ten recognition. Haluska led the team in free throw percentage (84.8%) and shot 41.7% from the field while scoring in double figures in 27 games. Haluska also earned the Highest GPA Award. A finance major with a 3.41 GPA, he was honored during the season by being named to the CoSIDA academic all-America third team. Brunner joined Haluska on the academic all-America third team, making Iowa the only Division I program with two players on the team. Haluska and Brunner, along with Horner and senior Justin Wieck, earned academic all-Big Ten honors as well. Those four players shared the Most Dedicated Student Award. Junior Mike Henderson earned the Most Improved Award. Senior Doug Thomas earned the Sixth Man Award and freshman Tony Freeman was recognized as Newcomer of the Year. Thomas was also the Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year.

IOWA HAS STRONG FINISH
Following is a list of Iowa’s accomplishments in 2006:

• Posted 25 wins, which ranks as the second highest total in school history. The Hawkeyes won 30 games in 1987. Posted 10 wins in 14 games against top 25 teams, becoming the only team in the nation with 10 wins against the top 25. Iowa was 3-2 against top 10 teams.
• Posted 11 Big Ten wins, the most for an Iowa team since the 1996-97 team won 12 conference games. The 11 Big Ten wins are the most for Iowa since the Big Ten went to a 16-game league schedule in 1998.
• Won the Big Ten Conference Tournament with three straight wins. Iowa also won the event in 2001 and was second in 2002. Iowa is one of three teams with two tournament titles and Coach Steve Alford is the only Big Ten coach to take three teams to the championship game.
• Earned a tie for second place in the regular season standings. Iowa had not placed as high as second in the regular season since earning a tie for second with a 12-6 record in 1997.
• Earned a third seed in the NCAA Tournament. The three seed is the highest since the Hawkeyes were seeded second in the 1987 event. Iowa was also a three seed in 1981.
• Earned the No. two seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa’s previous best seed in the event was fourth in 2004. Advanced to the title game of the Big Ten Conference Tournament for the third time since 2001.
• Defeated seven top 25 opponents in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa set school records for home wins and total wins over ranked opponents this season.
• Completed its first-ever undefeated home season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983, and its first undefeated home season since 1966.
• Completed the seventh season in Iowa history with an undefeated home record. Iowa was also undefeated at home in 1902 (3-0), 1926 (9-0), 1945 (11-0), 1948 (12-0), 1950 (6-0) and 1966 (12-0).
• Established a school record 17 home wins in one season. The previous record of 16 was established in 1985.
• Improved its overall home winning streak to 18 games, a streak that ranks longest in the Big Ten and fourth best in the nation.

IOWA SECURES WINNING SEASON
Iowa in 2006 enjoyed its sixth consecutive winning season. The current streak ranks as the second longest in the history of Iowa basketball. Iowa’s record for 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 had five consecutive winning seasons on three occasions, 1979-83, 1985-89 and 1995-99. Iowa is one of four Big Ten teams to post a winning season in each of the last six seasons, joining Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Iowa advanced to post-season play for the sixth straight season and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

IOWA SETS HOME RECORDS
Closing the year with two home wins during the final week of the season, Iowa had its first unbeaten home season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983. Iowa won all 17 home games, setting a school record for home wins in a season. The Hawkeyes lost just one home game in 1993 (15-1) and 1996 (14-1). Iowa’s home streak stands at 18 games, a new mark for Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and the third longest active streak in the nation heading into next season. Only Gonzaga (40) and Connecticut (19) rank ahead of Iowa in current home wins. Iowa’s record for consecutive home wins is 24. This marks Iowa’s seventh perfect home season in school history and the first since 1966. Iowa’s current streak of 23 consecutive non-conference home wins ranks 14th-longest among Division I programs. That streak dates back to the final home game of the 2002-03 season, an NIT loss to Georgia Tech.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 294-80 (.786) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 140-67 (.676) in Big Ten games and 154-13 (.922) in non-Big Ten games. Iowa has drawn over 5.4 million fans for men’s basketball since the arena opened in 1983. Iowa has posted an 86-25 (.775) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 51-4 (.927) mark in non-conference home games.

IOWA SETS ARENA WIN STREAK
Iowa has won 18 straight games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, setting a school record for consecutive wins in the facility, which opened in 1983. Iowa won its final home contest in 2005 vs. Ohio State and all 17 home dates in 2006. Iowa’s last home loss was a 75-65 decision to Illinois on Feb. 19, 2005. The 17 wins in 2006 set a record for home wins, as the previous mark of 16 home wins was set in 1985. Iowa’s initial 15-game win streak in the arena began Jan. 25, 1986 with a 79-69 win over Indiana and ended with an 80-76 loss to Ohio State on Jan. 24, 1987. The streak began with Coach George Raveling and ended with Coach Tom Davis. The current 18-game win streak includes nine non-conference and nine conference wins. Iowa’s overall record of 24 consecutive home wins began in the 1946-47 season and ended during the 1948-49 campaign.

HAWKEYES, BY THE NUMBERS
Following is a statistical ranking of where Iowa’s current players rank among Iowa’s single season and career leaders:

Single Season – – Greg Brunner

• 314 rebounds in 2006 ranks eighth
• 12 double-doubles in 2006 ties for 12th
• 11 double-doubles in 2005 ties for 14th

Career – – Greg Brunner

• 990 rebounds ranks first
• 104 blocked shots ranks sixth
• 368 free throws ranks 10th
• 566 free throw attempts ranks sixth
• 553 field goals ranks ninth
• 1,516 points ranks 10th
• 32 career double-doubles ranks sixth
• 127 career games played ranks sixth

Single Season – – Adam Haluska

• 185 3-point FG attempts ranks sixth

Career – – Adam Haluska

• 122 3-point FGs ranks ninth
• 334 3-point FG attempts ranks seventh

Single Season – – Erek Hansen

• 89 blocked shots in 2006 ranks third
• 83 blocked shots in 2005 ranks fifth

Career – – Erek Hansen

• 212 blocked shots ranks third

Single Season – – Jeff Horner

• 180 assists in 2005 ranks fifth
• 169 assists in 2006 ranks seventh
• 86 3-point FGs in 2005 ranks third
• 65 3-point FGs in 2004 ties for seventh
• 211 3-point FG attempts in 2005 ranks third
• 201 3-point attempts in 2006 ranks fifth
• 70 3-point FGs in 2006 ties for sixth

Career – – Jeff Horner

• 612 assists ranks first
• 262 3-point FGs ranks first
• 713 3-point FG attempts ranks first
• 166 steals ranks seventh
• 1,171 field goal attempts ranks 10th
• 1,502 points ranks 11th
• 123 career games tied for 12th

HORNER AMONG BIG TEN BEST
Senior Jeff Horner ranks among the best in the Big Ten Conference in three statistical categories. Horner ranks seventh in three-point attempts (713) and assists (612) and eighth in career three-point field goals (262).

HAWKEYE HONORS

Greg Brunner

• Co-Most Valuable Player
• Big Ten Conference all-Tournament team
• First team all-Big Ten by coaches and media
• CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine third team academic all-American
• Academic all-Big Ten
• First team all-Big Ten by SI.com
• USBWA District Six all-District team
• NABC District 12 all-District First team
• Basketball Times Midlands all-District team
• Mid-season candidate for the Naismith Trophy
• Hawkeye Challenge all-Tournament team
• Guardians Classic Regional Most Valuable Player

Tony Freeman

• Newcomer of the Year award

Adam Haluska

• Chris Street Award
• vThird team all-Big Ten
• CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine third team academic all-American
• Academic all-Big Ten
• NABC District 12 all-District second team
• Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, Jan. 30
• Hawkeye Challenge all-Tournament team
• Guardians Classic all-Tournament team

Erek Hansen

• Co-Most Valuable Player
• Defensive all-America team by collegeinsider.com
• Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year
• Big Ten Conference all-Defensive Team

Mike Henderson

• Co-Most Improved Award

Jeff Horner

• Co-Most Valuable Player
• Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player
• Third team all-Big Ten
• Academic all-Big Ten
• One of 16 finalists for Bob Cousy Award
• Co-Big Ten Player of the Week, Feb. 6
• Hawkeye Challenge Most Valuable Player

Doug Thomas

• Big Ten Conference Sixth Man of the Year
• Sixth Man team award

Alex Thompson

• Co-Most Improved Award

Justin Wieck

• Academic all-Big Ten

HAWKEYES VS. RANKED FOES
Iowa posted a 10-4 record against teams in the top 25 rankings at the time of the game, including a 3-2 mark against top 10 teams. The 10 wins vs. ranked foes are the most ever for a Hawkeye basketball team in one season. The nine wins are the highest total for a Steve Alford-coached Hawkeye team and the most since Iowa posted a 6-2 record vs. ranked teams in 1990-91. Seven of the 10 wins over ranked teams have come in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, also a school record. With wins over 21st-ranked Indiana and 16th-ranked Michigan State in late February, Iowa has defeated ranked teams in consecutive games on four occasions under the direction of Coach Steve Alford. In late January, Iowa defeated No. 11 Indiana and No. 16 Ohio State in consecutive games. A year ago, Iowa defeated 11th-ranked Louisville and 13th-ranked Texas in the first two rounds of the Maui Invitational. In 2002-03, Iowa recorded back-to-back wins over 20th-ranked Michigan State and 8th-ranked Illinois.

HAWKEYES IN NATIONAL STATS
In NCAA statistical rankings, Iowa was third in field goal defense (38.0), 12th in fouls per game (15.2), 13th in scoring defense (58.9) and 30th in blocked shots (4.9). Individually, Jeff Horner ranked 21st in assists per game (5.6), Erek Hansen 19th in blocked shots per game (2.6), Greg Brunner 33rd in rebounds per game (9.2) and Adam Haluska 38th in free throw percentage (.848).

IOWA GETS DEFENSIVE
Iowa allowed opponents just 58.9 points per game and held opponents to 38% field goal shooting. The points allowed are the fewest for an Iowa team since the 1985 Hawkeyes held opponents to 58.8 points per game. The field goal defense is the best for Iowa since 1961-62 when Hawkeye opponents shot 38.9% from the field.

IOWA ON THE BLOCK
Iowa recorded 167 blocked shots in 2006, the second highest single season total ever. The Hawkeyes collected 174 blocked shots in 2005. Senior center Erek Hansen led the way with 89 blocks, while Doug Thomas collected 28 and Greg Brunner 20. Iowa led the Big Ten Conference in blocked shots for the second straight season.

IOWA PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,421) with a 79-46 victory over Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 26. Iowa is one of 34 NCAA Division I programs with as many as 1,400 wins. Iowa’s basketball history includes 72 winning seasons and 24 years in which the Hawkeyes have won 20 or more games. Iowa (with 22) is one of 31 programs to earn more than 20 invitations into the NCAA Tournament.

TWO HAWKEYS EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
Senior forward Greg Brunner and junior guard Adam Haluska were selected to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine academic all-America third team. Both players were also named to the District VII academic all-America team. Haluska is a finance and marketing major with a 3.41 grade point average. He was named to the District team for the second consecutive season. The Carroll, IA native started all 34 games, scoring double figures in 27 games. He averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 41.7% from the field and 84.8% from the foul line. Brunner, a Charles City native, is a communications studies major with a 3.25 GPA. He is a two-time academic all-Big Ten selection and led the team in both scoring (14.1) and rebounding (9.2) while shooting 45.4% from the field and 69.5% from the free throw line.

NABC RECOGNIZED BRUNNER & HALUSKA
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) recognized senior Greg Brunner and junior Adam Haluska. Brunner was named to the District 12 first team, while Haluska was a second team selection. Brunner led Iowa and the Big Ten Conference with an average of 9.2 rebounds per game. He scored 14.1 points and recorded 12 scoring and rebounding double-doubles. Haluska averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He had a career-high 29 points at Penn State and scored in double figures in 27 of 34 games.

HORNER A COUSY FINALIST
Senior guard Jeff Horner was one of 16 players named as a finalist for the 2006 Bob Cousy Award. The list of finalists included 12 Division I players and two each from Division II and III. Horner played in all but four games throughout his career, missing four games earlier this season with a knee injury. Horner averaged 13.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. He scored over 1,500 career points and recorded over 600 career assists and over 500 rebounds, the only player in Iowa history to surpass those totals.

BRUNNER NAMED NAISMITH CANDIDATE
Senior forward Greg Brunner was one of 30 players named as a mid-season candidate for the Naismith Trophy, presented annually to the Player of the Year. Brunner averaged 14.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He is Iowa’s career rebounding leader and he led the Big Ten in rebounds in 2006 after placing second in the league as a sophomore and junior.

HORNER IS CAREER ASSIST LEADER
Senior guard Jeff Horner became Iowa’s career assist leader in a home win over Michigan State. Horner’s pass to Erek Hansen for Iowa’s first basket of the second half moved Horner past Andre Woolridge (575, 1995-97) on Iowa’s career list. His career total stands at 612. With seven three-point field goals in Iowa’s 77-68 win at Purdue, Horner became Iowa’s career leader in made three-pointers. Horner has 262 treys to move past Chris Kingsbury, who had 226 during his career (1994-96). Horner is also first in three-point attempts (713). Horner made 7-10 treys while scoring a career-high 32 points against the Boilermakers. The seven three-pointers tie as the third best single-game performance in school history. Horner led Iowa in the win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament, collecting 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and five steals. The point total vs. the Gophers is his second highest of the season, as he had 32 points in a win at Purdue. His six three-point baskets vs. Minnesota tie a Big Ten Tournament record. Horner earned tourney MVP honors after collecting 16 points and 10 assists in the win over Ohio State in the title game. He was named co-Player of the Week in the Big Ten for his play vs. Purdue and Michigan.

BRUNNER IS CAREER REBOUND LEADER
Senior forward Greg Brunner raised his career rebounding total to 990 to become Iowa’s all-time leading rebounder. With 11 rebounds at Northwestern, Brunner moved past Kevin Kunnert (914 rebounds, 1971-73) to take over as Iowa’s career leader. Among the career leaders at each of the Big Ten Conference schools, Brunner joins Michigan State’s Greg Kelser, both listed at 6-7, as the shortest players in the league to lead their school in career rebounds. Brunner is 10th in career scoring (1,516), ninth field goals (553), sixth in free throw attempts (566) and sixth in blocked shots (104). Brunner recorded 32 career double-doubles, sixth most ever at Iowa. Brunner had 12 scoring and rebounding double-doubles in 2006 while scoring in double figures in 25 games and collecting 10 or more rebounds in 16 outings. Brunner established a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record with 23 rebounds in a win over Minnesota. The previous mark of 21 was set by Dwayne Scholten of Washington State on 12/6/86. The previous best in the Arena by an Iowa player was 19 by Ryan Bowen vs. Long Island on 11/29/98. The 23 rebounds were the most by any player in the Big Ten Conference and the second most in Division I this season. Rashad Jones of Arkansas-Little Rock had 30 rebounds in a game. The Iowa record for single game rebounds is 30, set by Chuck Darling vs. Wisconsin on 3/3/52. Brunner’s 23 rebounds tie as the fourth highest total in school history and it is the most by a Hawkeye player since Kunnert had 23 rebounds vs. Drake on 12/27/72.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

• Iowa’s field goal percentage of 65.3% (32-49) against Michigan is the second best for an Iowa team in 227 games under Coach Steve Alford. Iowa shot 67.5% (27-40) in a win over Air Force in 2004-05 and 60% (27-45) in a win over Northwestern in 2001-02 in the only other contests in which Iowa has shot at least 60% from the field under Alford.
• Iowa shot over 60% from the field in each of three consecutive halves at one point in the season. Iowa shot 64% in the second half of a 77-68 win at Purdue, rallying from a 33-25 halftime deficit. The Hawkeyes then shot 61.5% in the first half against Michigan and 69.6% in the second half of the 94-66 win over the Wolverines. In those 60 minutes, Iowa also made 21-30 (70%) three-point attempts, including 8-11 (72.7%) in the second half at Purdue, 7-9 (77.8%) in the first half vs. Michigan and 60% (6-10) in the second half. Iowa shot 60% or better from the field in seven different halves this season, including 68.8% in the second half of a 73-60 home win over Indiana, 60% in the second half of an 86-41 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore, 62.5% in the second half of a 65-38 home win over Penn State and 63.2% in the second half of the win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Iowa scored 52 points in the second half of wins over Purdue and Michigan, the most scored by Iowa in a half this season. Iowa trailed 33-25 at halftime at Purdue before using a 52-35 advantage in the second half for the 77-68 win. Iowa held a 42-34 advantage at halftime of the 94-66 win over Michigan.
• Iowa posted a 10-4 record vs. ranked teams, the only team in the nation with 10 victories against the top 25, prior to the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes defeated 7th-ranked Kentucky (67-63), 21st-ranked North Carolina State (45-42), 6th-ranked Illinois (63-48), 11th-ranked Indiana (73-60), 16th-ranked Ohio State (67-62), 20th-ranked Michigan (94-66), 21st-ranked Indiana (70-67), 16th-ranked Michigan State (66-54), 25th-ranked Wisconsin (59-44) and seventh-ranked Ohio State (167-60). Iowa lost to 2nd-ranked Texas (59-68), 24th-ranked Wisconsin (52-66), 11th-ranked Michigan State (55-85) and 8th-ranked Illinois (59-71).
• Iowa’s 70-67 win at Indiana marked Iowa’s first win on the home floor of a ranked opponent since a 67-63 win at 20th-ranked Tulsa on Dec. 28, 2002.
• Iowa made nearly as many free throws (501) as its opponents attempted (507).
• Iowa was 3-0 when scoring 80 points or more, 9-0 when scoring between 70-80 points, 10-2 when scoring between 60-70 points and 3-7 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa was 15-1 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 8-4 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 2-4 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
• Iowa was 18-1 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 4-8 when the opponent had more assists and 3-0 when assists were equal.
• Iowa was 14-2 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 11-6 when the opponent had fewer turnovers and 0-1 when turnovers were even.
• Iowa was 9-1 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 15-8 when the opponent had more steals and 1-0 when steals were equal.
• Iowa had four players or more score in double figures in 10 games, with a season-best five players in wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore and Michigan. Iowa was 2-0 when five players score 10 points or more, 9-0 when four reach double figures, 9-3 with three in double figures and 5-6 when two were in double figures.
• Iowa was 21-5 when leading at halftime, 3-4 when trailing at intermission and 1-0 when tied at halftime.
• Iowa was 19-3 when controlling the opening tip and 6-6 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa was 12-4 in games decided by 10 points or less, 8-3 in games decided by five points or less and 1-1 in overtime.
• Iowa held eight opponents to 50 points or less and 15 to under 60 points. Only 16 Iowa opponents shot as well as 40% from the field.
• Iowa has won at least 11 games before the start of Big Ten play four times in seven years under Coach Steve Alford. Along with the 11 wins in 2006, the Hawkeyes won 12 games prior to Big Ten play in 2005 and 11 games in both 2001 and 2002.
• Under Steve Alford, Iowa is 39-6 when shooting at least 50% from the field, including 6-0 in 2005-06. Michigan State (away), Purdue (away) and Minnesota (away) were the only Iowa opponents to shoot 50% or better from the field, and Iowa was 1-2 in those games. Iowa is 4-8 over the past three seasons when the opponent shoots 50% or better from the field.

BRUNNER & HORNER SEE DOUBLE, AGAIN
Forward Greg Brunner and guard Jeff Horner both registered double-doubles in Iowa’s home win over Minnesota. Brunner collected 17 points and 23 rebounds and Horner had 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Minnesota game marks the fourth time during their careers that Brunner and Horner posted a double-double in the same game. Also in 2006, Brunner had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Fairfield, while Horner added 12 points and 10 assists. In an 88-75 win over Western Carolina on 12/18/04, Brunner had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Horner collected 20 points and 10 assists. In an 84-82 double overtime win at Indiana on 2/7/04, Brunner had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Horner had 17 points and 10 rebounds.

HORNER HITS 500, AGAIN
Guard Jeff Horner, the only Iowa player ever to total over 600 assists, collected career rebound No. 500 in Iowa’s home win over Indiana. Horner is Iowa’s career assist leader with 612 and he has 563 career rebounds. Horner ranks 11th in career scoring (1,502). In other career stats, Horner is Iowa’s career leader in three-point field goals (262) and three-point attempts (713) and he is seventh in steals (166) and 10th in field goal attempts (1,171). Horner missed four games in December with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, stopping his consecutive games streak at 102. The injury occurred during Iowa’s game at Northern Iowa Dec. 6.

HALUSKA OVER 1,000 POINTS
Guard Adam Haluska surpassed 1,000 career points with his career-high 29-point performance in a win at Penn State. He has 1,225 points in his career, with 284 of those coming in his freshman season at Iowa State. In the Big Ten Tournament title game he had 15 points and eight rebounds, including three free throws in the final 33 seconds. Haluska led the Hawkeyes with 20 points in the NCAA Tournament vs. Northwestern State. He scored in double figures in 27 of 34 games and was named co-Big Ten Player of the Week for his play in wins over Indiana and Ohio State. He averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds and he led Iowa in steals in 11 games. Haluska has started all 98 games he has played in his career. His consecutive starts streak ranks 10th longest among all Division I players, according to STATS — Chicago.

HANSEN CONTRIBUTES AT BOTH ENDS
Center Erek Hansen improved his play on both offense and defense in his senior season. Hansen started all 34 games for the Hawkeyes and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference. He led the league in blocked shots for the second straight season and ranked 19th in the nation with 2.6 blocks per game. In the win over Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament, Hansen had nine points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots and he added three more blocks in the semi-final win over Michigan State. In the title game he added 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Hansen collected three blocked shots or more in 17 games. For the season he averaged 6.7 points and four rebounds, shooting 58.1% from the field for the season and 59.2% in Big Ten play. He also shot 70% from the free throw line.

HENDERSON NUMBERS IMPROVED
Guard Mike Henderson played a key role in Iowa’s 2006 success, improving his numbers in several categories from his sophomore season. Henderson matched his career scoring high with 17 points in the win at Purdue. Henderson led Iowa in a home win over Penn State, collecting 16 points while connecting on 6-7 field goals and 3-4 free throws. Henderson averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per outing, improving his shooting to 48.7%. In Big Ten games only, he ranked sixth in the league in field goal percentage (54.9%). Henderson scored in double figures in 11 games after scoring 10 or more points just three times in his first two seasons.

1,000 POINT CLUB ADDS MEMBERS
Seniors Greg Brunner and Jeff Horner joined Iowa’s 1,000 Point Club as juniors and Adam Haluska surpassed 1,000 career points in Iowa’s win at Penn State in 2006. Brunner ranks 10th in career scoring with 1,516 points, while Horner is 11th with 1,502. Brunner led the Big Ten in rebounding after ranking ranked second as both a sophomore and junior. He earned first team all-Big Ten honors as a senior and was named to the all-tournament team at the Big Ten Tournament. Horner is the only Iowa player ever to score over 1,000 points, grab over 500 rebounds (563) and distribute over 600 assists (612). Horner was a third team all-Big Ten selection and the Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Tournament. Haluska has 1,225 career points, with 284 of those coming during his freshman season at Iowa State. He has scored 941 points at Iowa. He averaged 13.9 points and scored in double figures in 27 of 34 games while earning third team all-Big Ten honors. This is the fifth time Iowa has had three 1,000 point scorers on the same team, but the first time they have all three been native Iowans. In happened in 2005 (Brunner, Horner and Pierre Pierce), 1996 (Jess Settles, Kenyon Murray and Chris Kingsbury), 1989 (Roy Marble, B.J. Armstrong and Ed Horton) and 1988 (Marble, Armstrong and Jeff Moe).

IOWA EARNS KEY NOVEMBER WINS
Iowa Coach Steve Alford has led five of his Hawkeye teams to key wins over ranked opponents in November. Those victories have included:

• Iowa defeated top-ranked Connecticut 70-68 in the semi-finals of the 1999 Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York’s Madison Square Garden in Alford’s first game as the Hawkeye head coach. The Huskies were the defending NCAA national champions. The Hawkeyes fell to Stanford in the title game.
• Iowa defeated 12th-ranked Memphis 75-71 in the semi-finals of the 2001 Guardians Classic at Kansas City’s Kemper Arena. After losing to fifth-ranked Missouri (77-78) in the finals, the Hawkeyes later that season defeated the Tigers (ranked second at the time) 83-65 in Columbia.
• Iowa defeated 16th-ranked Louisville 70-69 in overtime in the 2003 Wooden Classic in Indianapolis.
• Iowa defeated 11th-ranked Louisville (76-71) and 13th-ranked Texas (82-80) on back-to-back days at the Maui Invitational a year ago. The Hawkeyes fell to North Carolina, the eventual NCAA champion, in the finals.
• After two opening round wins in Iowa City, Iowa defeated seventh-ranked Kentucky 67-63 in the semi-finals of the 2005 Guardians Classic in Kansa City. The Hawkeyes fell to second-ranked Texas in the finals.
• As part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Iowa defeated 21st-ranked North Carolina State 45-42 Nov. 30, 2005 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, giving the Hawkeyes their second win over a ranked opponent in the first six games of the season.

IOWA VS. RANKED FOES
Steve Alford has posted a 28-34 record against ranked opponents as Iowa’s head coach, including a 10-4 mark in 2005-06. The Hawkeyes defeated seventh-ranked Kentucky (67-63), 21st-ranked North Carolina State (45-42), sixth-ranked Illinois (63-48), 11th-ranked Indiana (73-60), 16th-ranked Ohio State (67-62), 20th-ranked Michigan (94-66), 21st-ranked Indiana (70-67), 16th-ranked Michigan State (66-54), 25th-ranked Wisconsin (59-44) and seventh-ranked Ohio State (67-62). Iowa dropped a 68-59 decision to second-ranked Texas, fell 66-52 at 24th-ranked Wisconsin, was defeated 85-55 at 11th-ranked Michigan State and lost at eighth-ranked Illinois, 71-59. Alford’s Hawkeye teams are 9-14 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), sixth-ranked Illinois (63-48 in 2006), seventh-ranked Ohio State (67-60 in 2005-06), seventh-ranked Kentucky (67-63 in 2005-06), 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 14 losses to top 10 teams have been three times to No. 1 (Duke, 2001-02 and Illinois twice in 2004-05), once to second-ranked (Texas, 2005-06), 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 eighth-ranked Illinois, 2005-06), once to ninth-ranked (Kentucky, 2000-01) and three times to 10th-ranked (Michigan State, 2000, Illinois, 2002 and Michigan State, 2005). In the 62 games against ranked teams, Alford and his Iowa team are 13-9 in home games, 11-11 at neutral sites and 4-14 when playing ranked teams in their home arena.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa outscored its opponents 1,083-924 in the first half and 1,146-1,054 in the second half. Iowa led at halftime in 26 games and the Hawkeyes outscored their opponent in the second half in 21 games. The second half scoring was even (20-20) once. Iowa and its opponents have scored 25 points in two overtime games, a single overtime loss at Northern Iowa and a triple overtime win vs. Minnesota.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its 17 home games, Iowa outscored its opponents by a 70.2-52.7 margin, shooting 45.2% from the field while holding its opponent to 34.4% shooting. Iowa held a 41.1-33.9 rebounding advantage. In 17 games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena (six neutral site games), Iowa was outscored 62.4-65.1. The Hawkeyes shot 40.9% from the field while opponents shot 41.8%. The opponents also held a 34.8-34.5 rebounding advantage.

IOWA FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa made over 80% of its free throws in five games and at least 70% of its free throws in 21 of 34 games, with a season-best 83.3% (20-24) in a win over Fairfield. Iowa posted a 15-6 record when shooting at least 70% from the free throw line.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves averaged 11.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, compared to 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the opponent reserves. Iowa was 13-2 when the reserves outscored the opponent’s reserves, 10-6 when the opponent reserves scored more points and 2-1 when the reserve scoring was even. Iowa was 17-5 when the Hawkeye reserves had more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 6-4 when the opponent reserves had more rebounds and 2-0 when the reserve rebounding was even.

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS
Iowa made 98-134 (73.1%) free throws in the final four minutes and overtime of its 16 games that were decided by 10 points or less. Iowa’s opponents in those games made 47-63 (74.6%) of their free throw attempts in the final four minutes and overtime periods. Iowa was 12-4 in those games.

IOWA ON THE TUBE
Every Iowa game throughout the 2005-06 was televised. Iowa appeared on national cable television (ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS) 13 times. Hawkeye games not selected for national coverage were televised regionally by ESPN Plus, while several conference games were televised throughout the Big Ten Conference viewing area as part of the Big Ten regional network agreement with ESPN Plus.

ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE
Iowa’s non-conference schedule saw the Hawkeyes meeting teams from nearly every major conference in the nation. The Hawkeyes participated in the Guardians Classic to begin the season, advancing to the championship game, defeating seventh-ranked Kentucky before falling to second-ranked Texas. Iowa’s non-conference home schedule was highlighted by games vs. Arizona State of the Pac 10 Conference and North Carolina State of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Iowa also hosted Fairfield, Tulane and Valparaiso in the Hawkeye Challenge and Maryland-Eastern Shore, Colgate and Utah Valley State in the first round of the Guardians Classic. Additional non-conference home games were against Drake and Robert Morris. The schedule included non-conference road games at Northern Iowa, Iowa State and Saint Louis.

IOWA INFORMATION ON THE WEB
Iowa basketball information is available on the University of Iowa’s web site, hawkeyesports.com. Once you have entered the web site, you may obtain game notes, game stories and box scores from all games throughout the season, plus team and individual cumulative stats and a pdf version of Iowa’s History and Record book. Members of the media who wish to have this information forwarded via e-mail throughout the season may do so by contacting the Iowa Sports Information office with your e-mail address.