Iowa Travels to Take Part in Paradise Jam

Nov. 14, 2006

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THE SETTING
Iowa (1-0) meets Toledo Friday, Nov. 17 in the first round of the 2006 Paradise Jam. Game time is 2:30 p.m. CT. All games in the event are being played at the Sports and Fitness Center (3,000) on the campus of the University of the Virgin Islands. Iowa defeated The Citadel 75-53 to open the regular season Nov. 13 in Iowa City. Toledo is 0-1 after opening with a 79-66 loss at Missouri State.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Jim Albracht will handle the play-by-play of Iowa’s three games in the Paradise Jam, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pre-game show.
Television: Iowa’s first round game vs. Toledo will not be televised. Fox Sports will televise the semi-finals and the third place and championship games.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,378 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,422-956 (.598). That includes an 889-306 (.744) record in home games, a 533-650 (.451) record in games away from Iowa City, a 675-658 (.506) mark in Big Ten games and a 295-80 (.787) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ABOUT THE PARADISE JAM
The 2006 tournament is the sixth annual Paradise Jam men’s event, but it marks the first time the event has included an eight team field. In the previous years the tournament has included just six teams. Iowa is the third Big Ten Conference team to participate in the event. Michigan participated in the event in 2002 and Wisconsin won the tournament a year ago.

TOURNAMENT NOTES

• Iowa is making its first appearance in the Paradise Jam. Toledo is the only team in the 2006 tournament that has played in the event previously. The Rockets, in the 2002 event, lost to eventual champion Brigham Young and Virginia Tech and defeated Kansas State.
• Four of the eight teams in the event participated in the NCAA Tournament last season and four teams won more than 20 games last season. Villanova advanced to the Elite Eight last season and Alabama advanced to the second round. The combined record of the eight teams last year was 164-82.
• Alabama is ranked 10th in the Associated Press rankings and 11th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Both Xavier and Villanova are listed among teams receiving votes.
• Xavier returns five starters from a team that posted a 21-11 mark a year ago, while Toledo (20-11), Alabama (18-13) and College of Charleston (17-11) return four starters. Iowa and Villanova, with two each, return the fewest number of starters from last season.

IOWA AT NEUTRAL SITES
Iowa played six neutral site games in 2005-06, posting a 4-2 record. The Hawkeyes split neutral site games in the Guardians Classic, defeating ninth-ranked Kentucky in the semi-finals before falling to second-ranked Texas in the title game. Iowa won three straight neutral site games at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to claim the 2006 Big Ten Tournament title before falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. Iowa will play three neutral site games, all in the Paradise Jam this week, during the 2006-07 regular season prior to the 2007 Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago.

IOWA IN TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iowa has faired well while taking part in regular-season tournaments over the past 24 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 2006 and its own invitational 23 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 2005-06 Guardians Classic, the 2002 Big Ten Conference Tournament and the 2004 Maui Invitational.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 295-80 (.787) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 140-67 (.676) in Big Ten games and 155-13 (.923) in non-Big Ten games. Iowa has drawn over 5.4 million fans for men’s basketball games since the arena opened in 1983. Iowa has posted an 87-25 (.777) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 52-4 (.929) mark in non-conference home games. The Hawkeyes have won 19 straight home games and 24 consecutive non-conference home games.

IOWA IN SEASON OPENING GAMES
With a 75-53 win over The Citadel, Iowa has won 29 consecutive season-opening games, dating back to 1978, when it lost a road game to start the season. The Hawkeyes have won 44 straight home openers, dating back to a 62-54 loss to Ohio University to begin the 1962-63 season. Iowa Coach Steve Alford is 14-1 in season-opening games, including wins in nine straight openers. Alford’s Iowa teams have recorded a win in all eight season-opening games.

COACH Steve Alford
Steve Alford (pronounced ALL-ford) is in his eighth season as head coach at the University of Iowa and his 16th season as a college head coach. Alford holds a career record of 292-169 (.633), including a 136-92 (.596) 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 fourth among Iowa’s head basketball coaches in career wins, just three wins from third place. Alford’s 292 career victories are the most in the nation among all head coaches who are 41-years old or younger. Alford has posted a 13-5 record in the Big Ten Conference Tournament, leading the Hawkeyes to the tournament title in both 2001 and 2006. His total wins and winning percentage in the event rank tops among all Big Ten coaches. Alford is 52-60 (.464) in Big Ten games after leading Iowa to a second place finish (11-5) in the 2006 regular season. Alford is 8-7 in the NCAA Tournament (3-4 in Div. I and 5-3 in Div. III) and 2-4 in the NIT. Alford is the only Iowa coach to lead his Hawkeye teams to six consecutive winning seasons. Iowa has advanced to post-season action in each of the past six years and the Hawkeyes have won 20 or more games in three of his seven seasons. 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 has not coached against Toledo or Rocket coach Stan Joplin.

ALFORD MOVES TO FOURTH
Coach Steve Alford has collected 136 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. Iowa’s top three coaches in career wins are Tom Davis (269), Lute Olson (168) and Rollie Williams (139).

TOLEDO COACH STAN JOPLIN
Stan Joplin is in his 11th season as a college head coach, all at Toledo, his alma mater. Joplin has posted a career mark of 173-124, ranking second on the Toledo coaching list for career victories. Joplin served as an assistant coach at Kent State (1982-84), Toledo (1984-90) and Michigan State (1990-96) before taking the head job at Toledo. In his time as an assistant at Michigan State the Spartans posted a 113-65 record, advancing to four NCAA Tournaments. Joplin played at Toledo from 1976-79, hitting the game winning shot in a 74-72 win over Iowa in the 1979 NCAA Tournament as a senior. During Joplin’s playing career Toledo posted an 82-27 overall record. As the Rocket head coach he has led his team to three 20-win seasons. Toledo won its division of the Mid-American Conference in 1999, 2000 and 2005 and has placed no lower than second in the division in seven of the past eight seasons. Joplin has led Toledo to three appearances in the NIT. Joplin has not coached against Iowa or Hawkeye Coach Steve Alford.

THE SERIES
Toledo holds a 3-0 advantage in the series that began with a 59-39 Toledo win in December, 1937. The Rockets also defeated Iowa 54-30 in January, 1940, with those first two games being played in Toledo. The teams last met in the first round of the 1979 NCAA Tournament, with Toledo winning 74-72 in a game played at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN.

THE LAST MEETING
Toledo defeated Iowa 74-72 in the first round of the 1979 NCAA Tournament when the teams last met. The Hawkeyes had earned a share of the Big Ten title that season before the first round loss, which took place at Indiana’s Assembly Hall. Iowa built at 41-29 halftime advantage, shooting 68% from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Toledo responded by shooting 63.2% from the field in the second half and won the game when Stan Joplin, now the Toledo head coach, hit a 20-foot shot at the buzzer to provide the winning margin. Joplin scored 15 points in the game and added three assists and three steals. The Rockets hit 21-25 free throws in the second half and won the rebounding battle by a 41-33 margin. Toledo held Iowa to 40% shooting in the second half. Iowa, after hitting 7-10 free throws in the first half, made just 7-17 foul shots in the second half. Ronnie Lester led Iowa with 23 points and six assists, while William Mayfield added 19 points. Iowa responded from that tournament loss with a run to the Final Four the following season.

NOTES ON THE ROCKETS

• Iowa holds an all-time record of 20-6 against current members of the Mid-American Conference. Along with the three losses to Toledo, Iowa has played Bowling Green (2-0), Eastern Michigan (1-0), Kent State (3-0), Miami, OH (2-0), Northern Illinois (5-0), Ohio University (5-1) and Western Michigan (2-2).
• Iowa posted a 7-5 record vs. Michigan State in the six years (1990-96) that Toledo Coach Stan Joplin was a Spartan assistant coach.
• Mike O’Brien is in his fifth year as Toledo’s Director of Athletics. O’Brien is a native of Iowa City.

IOWA WIN STREAK RANKS THIRD
Iowa begins the 2006-07 season with the third longest home winning streak in the nation. Iowa won all 17 home games a year ago and has won 19 straight dating back to the final home game of the 2005 season. Iowa’s last home loss was a 75-65 decision to Illinois on Feb. 19, 2005. Last season marked Iowa’s first unbeaten home season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983. The 17 victories set a school record for home wins in a season. The Hawkeyes lost just one home game in 1993 (15-1) and 1996 (14-1). The 19-game streak is a new mark for Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa’s record for consecutive home wins is 24. That streak began in 1946-47 and ended in 1948-49. Last season marked Iowa’s seventh perfect home season in school history and the first since 1966. Iowa’s current streak of 24 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 OPENS WITH WIN OVER THE CITADEL
Senior guard Adam Haluska matched a career-high with 29 points in leading Iowa to a 75-53 season-opening win over The Citadel Nov. 13 in Iowa City. Haluska connected on 8-16 field goal attempts, including 6-14 treys, and added 7-7 free throws. He also had five rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Cyrus Tate, in his first game at Iowa, came off the bench to add 13 points on 6-7 field goals. Junior center Seth Gorney added 10 points and three steals and junior forward Kurt Looby led both teams with 14 rebounds. Sophomore point guard Tony Freeman had 11 assists, seven points and six rebounds. Iowa shot 49.1% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range, while holding The Citadel to 33.9% shooting. Iowa won the rebounding battle 40-33 and had 25 assists.

IOWA WINS LONE EXHIBITION
Iowa placed four players in double figures, forced 27 turnovers and held Buena Vista to 34.9% shooting from the field in a 77-58 exhibition win Friday evening. The Hawkeyes collected 18 steals, shot 41.7% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range. Junior college transfer Justin Johnson led Iowa’s scoring attack with 22 points, hitting 7-12 field goals and 4-6 treys. Adam Haluska added 15 points, Seth Gorney had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Cyrus Tate added 11 points. Point guard Tony Freeman contributed seven points, seven assists and six steals.

TOLEDO FALLS AT MISSOURI STATE
Toledo opened the season with a 79-66 loss at Missouri State, a team picked to contend for the title in the Missouri Valley Conference. Toledo got off to a slow start, shooting just 36% from the field in the first half and trailing 34-23 at intermission. The Rockets shot better in the second half (54.5%), but it wasn’t enough to offset Missouri State’s hot shooting as the home team shot 52% from the field for the game. Missouri State also hit 18-29 free throws, compared to 5-7 for the Rockets, won the rebounding battle 32-30 and forced 22 Toledo turnovers. Forward Keonta Howell led the Rockets with 23 points and seven rebounds, as he connected on 8-16 field goals attempts, including 5-8 three-point shots. Guard Justin Ingram added 16 points and six rebounds and center Florentino Valencia scored 11 points.

HENDERSON OUT OF ACTION DUE TO INJURY
Senior guard Mike Henderson is expected to be out of action for three to six weeks after suffering a hand injury in practice on Oct. 30. Henderson suffered a fracture to the pinkie finger on his right hand and underwent surgery two days later. Henderson (6-3, 200), a Waterloo, IA native, started all 34 games a year ago. He averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per outing while shooting 46.4% from three-point range. He earned the team “Most Improved Award” at the conclusion of the season. As a junior Henderson scored in double figures in 11 games. He matched a career-high with 17 points in a win at Purdue and scored 16 points vs. Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament and in a home win over Penn State. Henderson added 15 points and seven rebounds in an early season win over ninth-ranked Kentucky as Iowa was 11-0 when he scored in double figures.

HALUSKA NAMED CAPTAIN
Senior Adam Haluska will serve as Iowa’s 2006-07 team captain. Haluska is a native of Carroll, IA who has started every game for the Hawkeyes over the past three seasons. A year ago he earned third team all-Big Ten recognition. Haluska averaged 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds last season. He has scored 1,254 career points, including 970 with the Hawkeyes. He was named to the Guardians Classic all-tournament team a year ago and was an all-tournament selection in Iowa’s Hawkeye Challenge.

PRE-SEASON HONORS FOR HALUSKA
Senior guard Adam Haluska has earned pre-season recognition for his action on and off the floor. Following are Haluska’s pre-season honors:

• Named the recipient of the 2006-07 Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award. The award is presented by Playboy Magazine and recognizes a student-athlete who excels in the classroom and on the court. The magazine will donate $5,000 to the University of Iowa general scholarship fund.
• Named to pre-season all-Big Ten team, as selected by vote of media representatives attending Big Ten Conference Basketball Media Day.
• One of 50 players named to the pre-season Watch List for the John R. Wooden all-America team.

Haluska earned academic all-America honors last season and is a two-time academic all-Big Ten honoree. He earned third team all-Big Ten honors a year ago after averaging 13.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. He ranks among Iowa’s career leaders in three-point field goals and three point attempts.

IOWA SEEKS SEVENTH STRAIGHT
Iowa, in 2007, is seeking its seventh consecutive winning season. The current streak of six straight 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 record in each of the last six seasons, joining Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Iowa, in 2006, advanced to post-season play for the sixth straight season and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

IOWA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Iowa made its 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2006, falling to Northwestern State in the opening round at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Iowa earned the Big Ten Conference’s automatic bid by virtue of claiming the league’s tournament title. The Hawkeyes hold an overall record of 27-24 in the tournament, advancing to the Final Four in 1955 (fourth), 1956 (second) and 1980 (fourth). Iowa reached the regional championship in 1987 and lost in the regional semi-final in 1988 and 1999.

IOWA PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,422) with a 79-46 victory over Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 26, 2005. Iowa is one of 37 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.

IOWA SCHEDULE NOTES

• Iowa has reached the title game in 11 of 12 in-season tournaments under Coach Steve Alford in the past seven seasons. The Hawkeyes have won their own Hawkeye Challenge in each of the seven years. Iowa was second in the Guardians Classic in both 2002 and 2006, second in the Maui Invitational in 2005 and second in the IKON Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in 2000. In the only event Iowa did not advance to the title game, the Hawkeyes placed third in the Rainbow Classic in 2001. Under Alford, Iowa is 25-5 while playing in tournament events during the season, plus 13-5 in the Big Ten Tournament and a combined 3-6 in the NIT and NCAA tournaments.
• The Hawkeyes, in 2006-07, could meet two teams from Philadelphia (LaSalle and Villanova) and two teams from Charleston, SC (The Citadel and College of Charleston), along with two teams from Virginia (VA Commonwealth and VA Tech).
• Iowa is slated to play two schools which are headed by former University of Iowa presidents. Mary Sue Coleman is the President at the University of Michigan and David Skorton at Cornell University.
• Iowa Coach Craig Neal will see a familiar face should the Hawkeyes meet College of Charleston in the Paradise Jam. Bobby Cremins, who coached Neal when the Hawkeye assistant was playing for Georgia Tech, is in his first season at Charleston.
• Iowa and Alabama both competed in the 2001 Guardians Classic. Missouri defeated Alabama in the semi-finals before defeating Iowa in the title game.
• Herb Sendek, the first year coach at Arizona State, was the head coach at North Carolina State a year ago when the Hawkeyes defeated the Wolfpack 45-42 in Iowa City as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• Seth Greenberg, now the head coach at Virginia Tech, was the head coach at Long Beach State when Iowa defeated the Forty-Niners101-79 in the finals of the 1993 Hawkeye Challenge.
• Iowa’s single exhibition game is against Buena Vista University, marking the second straight year Iowa will host a member of the Iowa Conference. Buena Vista has won the Iowa Conference post-season tournament in each of the past five seasons and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament a year ago.

HALUSKA OVER 1,000 POINTS
Guard Adam Haluska heads into his final season as Iowa’s most honored player, both on the court and off. Along with earning third team all-Big Ten honors a year ago, Haluska is a two-time academic all-Big Ten honoree and a year ago he was recognized as an academic all-American. Haluska has earned the Chris Street Award, one of the top Iowa team awards presented at the end of each season, in each of the past two years. Last season he was also named to the NABC District 12 all-District second team and he was a member of the all-tournament team in both the Hawkeye Challenge and the Guardians Classic. Haluska surpassed 1,000 career points with his career-high 29-point performance in a win at Penn State last season. He has 1,254 points in his career, with 970 of those coming with the Hawkeyes. His 185 three-point field goals attempts last season rank sixth best at Iowa. He ranks ninth in career three-point field goals (128) and seventh in career attempts (348). Haluska began the season with 29 points in the win over The Citadel, matching his career high. He also added five rebounds and six assists. Haluska hit 7-7 free throws against The Citadel and has made 10 straight overall, dating back to the final game of the 2006 season. He scored in double figures in 27 of 34 games a year ago 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 led Iowa in steals in 11 games. Haluska has started all 99 games he has played in his career. His consecutive starts streak ranks 10th longest among all Division I players, according to STATS — Chicago.

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 while earning the team “Most Improved Award”. 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 league 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.

FREEMAN SOLID AT THE POINT
Guard Tony Freeman had a solid first season with the Hawkeyes a year ago and played well in Iowa’s opening win. Freeman had a career high 11 assists and a career-high six rebounds in the opening game of the season. Freeman, last season, played in 33 of 34 games, with four starts in the non-conference season. Freeman averaged 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds and collected 53 assists and 19 steals. He scored a season-high 10 points in a win over Michigan and had a season-best seven assists in a win over Arizona State.

LOOBY HITS THE BOARDS
After sitting out last season as a redshirt, junior Kurt Looby began to prove that his hard work from a year ago will pay dividends. Looby led Iowa with 14 rebounds in the win over The Citadel and added three blocked shots as well. The native of St. John’s Antigua will play somewhat close to home this weekend when the Hawkeyes take part in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Looby’s mother, Olivet, will be in St. Thomas to see him play.

GORNEY ADDS TO THE MIDDLE
Junior center Seth Gorney started for the first time in his career against The Citadel and responded with 10 points, two rebounds and three steals, matching his career scoring high. Gorney hit 4-7 field goals and 2-2 free throws in 25 minutes. Last season Gorney had 10 points in an early season win over Maryland-Eastern Shore before scoring just 17 points the rest of the season while averaging four minutes per game. His 25 minutes of action vs. The Citadel more than doubled his previous high (12 minutes vs. Penn State).

TATE ON TARGET IN FIRST ACTION
Sophomore forward Cyrus Tate connected on 6-7 field goal attempts to score 13 points vs. The Citadel in his first action as a Hawkeyes. Tate attended junior college one season before joining the Iowa program. The Chicago native added three rebounds and a steal while playing 18 minutes in the opening win.

IOWA ON THE TUBE
Nearly every Iowa game throughout the 2006-07 season will be televised, with the only exception being the Paradise Jam tournament in November. Iowa’s opening round game will not be televised. Fox Sports will televise only the semi-finals, third place game and championship game of the eight-team tournament. The majority of Iowa’s non-conference games will be televised on ESPN Regional. Games at Drake and Virginia Tech will be aired on ESPNU and the contest at Arizona State can be seen on Fox Sports. During the Big Ten season, Iowa games vs. Michigan State, Indiana (twice), at Wisconsin and at Penn State will be televised on ESPN. Iowa’s home game with Wisconsin can be seen on CBS and the home finale against Illinois could appear on either CBS or ESPN. All other conference games will be on ESPN Regional, while several conference games will be televised throughout the Big Ten Conference viewing area as part of the Big Ten regional network agreement with ESPN.

IOWA INTRODUCES SOLDIERS FIRST PROGRAM
Coach Steve Alford and the Iowa Hawkeyes have introduced a new program that thanks active members of the U.S. Military for their service to the country by providing them the opportunity to enjoy a home game of the Iowa Hawkeyes with their family and/or friends. The “Soldiers First” program offers five men or women who are on “active duty” with any branch of the U.S. Military the opportunity to cheer Alford’s 2006-07 Iowa squad with three guests. Ticket requests will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible servicemen and servicewomen can call the UI Sports Marketing Office at (319) 335-9431 to learn more about the “Soldier’s First” program. Information and a registration form are also on the home page for men’s basketball at hawkeyesports.com, the official world wide web site of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

BASKETBALL TICKETS AVAILABLE
The following is information on Iowa basketball tickets.

Season tickets are available for 2006-07, including general public ($300), UI faculty and staff ($243) and UI students ($85). Single game tickets are available for $20 and $25, depending on the date of the game. UI students can purchase single game tickets for $15 on the day of the game, when available. There are several options available for fans interested in purchasing tickets for selected games:

• A three-game package is available for $57 that includes games vs. Northern Iowa, Michigan State and Indiana.
• The Big Ten mid-week package is available for $68 and includes games vs. Michigan State, Penn State, Northwestern and Purdue.
• The Big Ten weekend package includes games vs. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois and is available for $100.
• The pre-Big Ten season package includes both nights of the Hawkeye Challenge and games vs. Iowa State, Texas Southern and Cornell, for $80.
• The Holiday Special package, which includes games vs. Cornell, Michigan State and Minnesota, is $54.
• Tickets for the two nights of the Hawkeye Challenge are $36.
• “Youth Basketball Nights” have been set for both nights of the Hawkeye Challenge and games vs. Georgia State, Texas Southern, Cornell, Penn State, Northwestern and Purdue. Tickets for students high school age or younger are $10 for these games.
• Discounted tickets to select home games, earmarked for purchase by groups of 20 or more, are also available for purchase. For information about group ticket packages, fans should call the UI Sports Marketing Office at (319) 335-9431.

Fans interested in obtaining men’s basketball tickets can do so at the UI Athletic Ticket Office, located in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, by calling the ticket office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS or by visiting the UI website at hawkeyesports.com.

HAWKEYES LOOKING FOR HEROES
Is there a hero among you, your friends, your family? Coach Steve Alford and the Iowa Hawkeyes are looking for heroes, people who have gone above and beyond to help others. “There are wonderful things being done each day in every community across the state of Iowa by outstanding people,” said Hawkeye Coach Steve Alford. “Our basketball staff feels the “Heroes Among Us” program is an easy way to salute the friends and neighbors of ours who are making a different in the lives of their friends and neighbors.”

Nomination forms for the “Heroes Among Us” program are available online at hawkeyesports.com, the official web site of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Fans can print their nomination form by visiting the men’s basketball home page and clicking on the “Heroes Among Us” line under the “Features” heading.

The UI will select one here to be saluted at each Hawkeye home game throughout the remainder of the season. The hero, and the individual who nominated them, will be provided pairs of tickets to the game and a $10 gift certificate to the Official Iowa Hawk Shop. The hero will also be recognized when they are in attendance.

This marks the second year of the “Heroes Among Us” program, as 15 Iowans were recognized at home games a year ago.

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 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The show will take place on the following dates: November 27; December 4, 11 and 18; January 8, 17, 22 and 29; February 5, 12, 19 and 28; March 5 and 12.

COMING UP NEXT
Iowa will continue action in the Paradise Jam with two additional games. Iowa will meet either Alabama or Middle Tennessee State in the next round before concluding play on Monday. The Hawkeyes play at Arizona State Nov. 25 and at Virginia Tech Nov. 29 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Iowa’s next home contest is Friday, Dec. 1 against Texas-Pan American in the first round of the Hawkeye Challenge.