Hawkeyes Host Texas Southern Saturday Afternoon

Dec. 21, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

THE SETTING
Iowa (6-6) meets Texas Southern (3-6) Saturday, Dec. 23 in the second of four straight home games. Game time is 12:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Iowa is seeking win No. 300 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa defeated Georgia State 101-59 Wednesday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have won four of their last six games. Texas Southern defeated Texas-Arlington 95-81 Wednesday evening at home.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pre-game show.
Television: ESPN Regional will carry the game to a network of stations that includes KGAN Cedar Rapids, KDSM Des Moines, KWQC Quad Cities, KYOU Ottumwa, CSS, Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, Baltimore, MD (tape delayed), Cox-Northeast in Providence, RI, Metro Sports, Kansas City, MO, and cable systems throughout the state of Iowa, including Council Bluffs-Omaha, Rochester-Mason City and Sioux City. The game will be aired on cable systems in Waco, TX and New Orleans, LA and can also be viewed as part of ESPN’s Full Court package. Larry Morgan and Mac McCausland will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,389 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,427-962 (.597). That includes an 893-307 (.744) record in home games, a 534-655 (.449) record in games away from Iowa City, a 675-658 (.506) mark in Big Ten games and a 299-81 (.787) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 299-81 (.787) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 140-67 (.676) in Big Ten games and 159-14 (.919) 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 a 91-26 (.778) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 56-5 (.918) mark in non-conference home games. Iowa has won 23 of its last 24 home games. Two of the five non-conference home losses came in the National Invitation Tournament.

REPORT CARDS GOOD FOR ADMISSION
Elementary, junior high and high school fans of Iowa’s men’s basketball team can gain free admission to Iowa’s home game this weekend against Texas Southern by presenting a copy of their progress report or report card to receive a free game ticket. Elementary students must present a copy of their most recent report card or “progress report”. Junior high and high school students can gain free admission by presenting a copy of their most recent report card with at least one “A” grade. The cards need to be presented at any of the athletic ticket office windows Saturday. The students must be accompanied by an adult, who must have purchased a full-priced ticket. The student tickets may also be exchanged in advance at the Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Those students who present a copy of their progress report or report card Saturday will have a chance to win a home computer system from Best Buy. That drawing will be held Jan. 14 when the Hawkeye women’s basketball team hosts Michigan State.

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 297-175 (.629), including a 141-98 (.590) 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 third among Iowa’s head basketball coaches in career wins. Alford’s 296 career victories are the most in the nation among all head coaches who are 42-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 is 2-0 vs. Texas Southern, but has not coached against Coach Ronnie Courtney.

ALFORD THIRD IN CAREER WINS
Coach Steve Alford has collected 141 victories as Iowa’s head coach, a total that ranks third on Iowa’s list of coaches in career wins. With Iowa’s win over Iowa State, Alford moved past Rollie Williams (139) for third place on Iowa’s career win list behind Tom Davis (269) and Lute Olson (168). Davis coached the Hawkeyes from 1987-99, Olson was the Iowa coach from 1975-83 and Williams coached the Hawkeyes from 1930-42 and in 1950-51.

TSU COACH RONNIE COURTNEY
Ronnie Courtney is in his sixth season as a college head coach, all at Texas Southern. Courtney has posted a 65-88 record. Courtney led Texas Southern to the SWAC tournament title in 2003, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament play-in game, where the Tigers lost in overtime to UNC-Asheville. Courtney joined the Texas Southern staff after a highly successful career as a high school coach in the state of Texas. As the head coach at Fort Bent Willowridge HS Courtney led his team to back-to-back Class 5-A state titles and he has been recognized by USA Today as National Coach of the Year. He has been named Greater Houston Area Coach of the Year three times. His career record as a high school coach is 237-120. Courtney played both football and basketball at McMurry University, serving as a basketball team captain for two seasons. Courtney has not coached against Iowa or Hawkeye Coach Steve Alford.

THE SERIES
Iowa holds a 4-0 series advantage, with all previous meetings taking place in Iowa City. The teams last met early in the 1999-00 season, with Iowa taking a 73-51 win in the first round of the Hawkeye Challenge. Iowa also defeated the Tigers in November, 1990, December, 1992 and December, 1995.

IOWA, TSU NOTES

• Iowa is 8-0 all-time against current members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Along with four wins over Texas Southern, the Hawkeyes have played Alabama State (1-0), Grambling State (1-0), Jackson State (1-0) and Mississippi Valley State (1-0).
• Iowa and Texas Southern have played one common opponent. The Hawkeyes lost to Alabama 72-60 on a neutral site in the semi-finals of the Paradise Jam. Texas Southern dropped a 74-44 contest at Alabama.
• Along with one win over Texas Southern as Iowa’s head coach, Steve Alford’s Southwest Missouri State team defeated the Tigers 77-47 in Springfield early in the 1998-99 season.

HALUSKA GET CAREER BEST
Senior Adam Haluska scored a career-best 36 points in the recent win over Georgia State. Haluska made 13-19 field goals, including 6-11 three-point attempts, and added 4-4 free throws. Along with his scoring, Haluska added four assists and two steals in just 28 minutes of action. Haluska had 31 points earlier this season in a win over Coppin State. Haluska has scored 1,173 points in three seasons at Iowa and ranks 22nd in career scoring. The 36 points matches the most scored by an Iowa player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa’s Rob Griffin scored 36 points in a win over Penn State on March 4, 2000. The arena record is 45 points by Washington State’s Brian Quinnett vs. Loyola-Marymount on Dec. 5, 1986. Carver-Hawkeye Arena opened in January, 1983.

HENDERSON RETURNS TO ACTION
Senior guard Mike Henderson, who missed Iowa’s first seven games after suffering a hand injury in practice on Oct. 30, saw his first action of the season in Iowa’s win over Coppin State. Henderson suffered a fracture to the pinkie finger on his right hand and underwent surgery two days later. Henderson had the cast removed Nov. 27 before playing eight minutes vs. Coppin State and 11 minutes vs. Northern Iowa. Henderson scored eight points in 15 minutes vs. Iowa State and played 26 minutes in the loss at Drake. He returned to the starting line-up for the first time vs. Georgia State and had a career-high nine assists and eight points. 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.

IOWA NOTES

• As a team, Iowa leads the Big Ten Conference and ranks 15th in the nation in free throw percentage, making 75% (141-188) of its attempts. Individually, Adam Haluska is shooting 92.7% (51-55) from the line to rank 21st.
• Iowa completed a five-game road swing in November that saw the Hawkeyes travel nearly 8,000 miles while competing in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, along with playing single games at Arizona State and Virginia Tech. Iowa has played in four different time zones (Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain). This marks the first time since early in the 2000-01 season that Iowa has played five straight games away from home. Like this season, that five-game stretch in 2000-01 also included three games at a neutral site (Rainbow Classic). Iowa’s longest consecutive road game streak under Steve Alford occurred in 1999-00 when the Hawkeyes played at Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri and Drake, winning two of the four.
• Iowa has already played opponents from six of the stronger leagues in the nation, including the Atlantic Coast (Virginia Tech), Big East (Villanova), Big 12 (Iowa State), Missouri Valley (Drake & Northern Iowa), Pac-10 (Arizona State) and Southeastern (Alabama).
• Senior guard Adam Haluska has started all 110 games in his career, a streak that ranks as the longest in the nation among current players.
• Senior guard Adam Haluska was recently named one of 50 candidates named to the pre-season Watch List for the Naismith Award, which goes annually to the Player of the Year.
• With 18 points in Iowa’s loss to Villanova, Adam Haluska became the 39th Hawkeye player to surpass 1,000 career points. Haluska is in his third season at Iowa and has 1,173 points to rank 22nd on Iowa’s career list. His career total, including one season at Iowa State, stands at 1,457.
• Freshman Tyler Smith was named to the all-tournament team at the Paradise Jam. Smith scored in double figures in all three games. He led Iowa to its win over Toledo on the first round, collecting 28 points, six rebounds and five assists. Smith added 19 points in the loss to 10th-ranked Alabama and 13 points in the loss to Villanova.

SMITH AMONG FRESHMAN LEADERS
Iowa’s Tyler Smith ranks high among freshmen in the Big Ten, He is third in scoring (14.6) and assists (3.1), fourth in rebounding (4.7) and steals (1.3), 13th in field goal percentage (.477) and 16th in free throw percentage (.659) and three-point field goal percentage (.250).

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

• Four Hawkeye opponents (Alabama, Villanova, Arizona State, Drake) have shot better than 50% from the field. In 34 games a year ago, Iowa allowed just three opponents to shoot as well as 50% from the field. Those were road games at Michigan State, Purdue and Minnesota, with Iowa losing two of the three. Iowa is 4-12 over the past four seasons when its opponent shoots 50% or better from the field.
• Iowa is 2-0 when scoring 80 points or more, 3-0 when scoring between 70-80 points, 1-4 when scoring between 60-70 points and 0-2 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa is 4-1 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 2-2 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 0-3 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
• Iowa is 5-2 when collecting more assists than the opponent and 1-4 when the opponent has more assists.
• Iowa is 5-4 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent and 1-2 when the opponent has fewer turnovers.
• Iowa is 3-3 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 1-3 when the opponent has more steals and 2-0 when steals are equal.
• Iowa has had four players score in double figures in one game (Toledo) and three players score in double figures in eight games. Iowa is 1-0 when four reach double figures, 4-4 with three score in double figures and 0-3 with two players in double figures.
• Iowa is 6-2 when leading at halftime and 0-4 when trailing at intermission.
• Iowa is 2-3 when controlling the opening tip and 4-3 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 0-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 0-3 in games decided by five points or less.

IOWA SHOOTS PAST GEORGIA STATE
Iowa used a solid shooting performance and a strong all-around game in defeating Georgia State 101-59 in Iowa City. A three-point basket by Adam Haluska gave Iowa a 17-15 advantage with 12:30 left in the opening half, and the Hawkeyes were in control from there. Haluska’s basket began a 13-2 scoring run that gave Iowa a 27-15 lead with nine minutes remaining. He added another three-pointer in the final seconds to give Iowa its biggest advantage, 49-29, at the break. The Hawkeyes scored the first seven points of the second half and were never threatened, leading by as many as 50 points in the late stages. Iowa played well in nearly every phase of the game. The Hawkeyes shot 52.9% from the field, including 52.4% (11-21) from three-point range. Iowa held Georgia State to 34.5% shooting and won the rebounding battle 44-35. Iowa also forced 25 turnovers and collected 26 assists. Haluska led Iowa with a career-best 36 points, hitting 13-19 field goals, 6-11 three-pointers and all four of his free throws. The 36 points matches the highest scoring total by an Iowa player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983. He added four assists and two steals. Freshman Tyler Smith added 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. Tony Freeman added 12 points and Kurt Looby led both teams with 12 rebounds. Mike Henderson, in his first start of the year, added eight points and a career-best nine assists.

TEXAS SOUTHERN TOPS UTA
Texas Southern shot 52.5% from the field and scored a season-high 95 points to take a 95-81 home win over Texas-Arlington Wednesday. The Tigers started fast, shooting 55.9% from the field in the first half while taking a 45-35 lead at intermission. Texas Southern held Texas-Arlington to 35.1% shooting from the field and held a 49-37 rebounding advantage. The visitors made just 9-38 three-point attempts. Guard Jacques Jones led Texas Southern with 26 points and eight rebounds, connecting on 11-16 field goals and 4-6 free throws. Reserve Sollie Norwood added 21 points and eight rebounds. Forward Chris Moore contributed 13 points and nine rebounds and guard Dominique White had 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.

HALUSKA NAMED CAPTAIN
Senior Adam Haluska is 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 1,457 career points, including 1,173 with the Hawkeyes. He was named the tournament MVP in Iowa’s Hawkeye Challenge after scoring 31 points and collecting nine rebounds and nine assists in the title game. His 36 points in a win over Georgia State match the most ever scored by an Iowa player in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Through 12 games Haluska ranks among Big Ten leaders in six statistical categories, including free throw percentage (1st), three-point field goals per game (2nd), scoring (3rd), steals (8th), assists (14th) and assist/turnover ratio (12th).

EARLY SEASON HONORS FOR HALUSKA
Senior guard Adam Haluska has earned recognition for his action on and off the floor. Following are Haluska’s early 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.
• One of 50 players named to the pre-season Watch List for the Naismith Award, which goes each year to the national Player of the Year.
• Named Most Valuable Player in Iowa’s Hawkeye Challenge, collecting 31 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the title game. He had eight points, five rebounds, four rebounds and three steals in an opening round win over Texas-Pan American.

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.

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 scored 20 or more points in six of 12 games, including a career-high 36 points vs. Georgia State and 31 vs. Coppin State. Haluska has raised his career scoring total to 1,457, including 1,173 in three seasons at Iowa. His 185 three-point field goals attempts last season rank sixth best at Iowa. He ranks sixth in career three-point field goals (159) and career attempts (434). 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 scored 24 points in close road losses at Arizona State and Virginia Tech and had 21 points and seven rebounds at Drake. He added 18 points vs. Villanova and increased his consecutive free throw streak to 21 (including three last season) before missing his final attempt vs. Villanova. He is shooting 92.7% (51-55) from the free throw line to rank 21st in the nation in free throw percentage. Haluska has started all 110 games he has played in his career. His consecutive starts streak ranks as the longest in the nation 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 missed the first seven games of this season with a hand injury before returning to see limited action in Iowa’s last five games. He scored eight points in 15 minutes in the win over Iowa State and played 26 minutes at Drake. Henderson returned to the starting line-up in a win over Georgia State, scoring eight points while collecting a career-best nine assists in a season-best 30 minutes of action. Henderson, last season, 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.

SMITH STEPS FORWARD IN PARADISE
Freshman Tyler Smith, who had just two points in his first college game, led Iowa with 28 points in a win over Toledo in the first round of the Paradise Jam. Smith connected on 11-17 field goal attempts and 5-8 free throws. He also led Iowa with five assists and collected six rebounds in 32 minutes of action. Smith had another solid outing in a semi-final loss to Alabama, collecting 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 37 minutes. Against Villanova, he added 12 points and three rebounds and he added 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals at Arizona State. Smith had 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists vs. Texas-Pan American and 16 points and seven rebounds vs. Coppin State. Smith led Iowa with 20 points (9-15 FGs) and added six rebounds vs. Northern Iowa and he added 16 points and a career-best six assists in the win over Iowa State. He added 16 points and five rebounds in a loss at Drake and 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and twe steals in a win over Georgia State. Smith was named to the Paradise Jam all-tournament team and the Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team. He is averaging 14.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

FREEMAN SOLID AT THE POINT
Guard Tony Freeman had a solid first season with the Hawkeyes a year ago and had a career high 11 assists and six rebounds in the opening game this season. He added a career-best eight rebounds in the win over Toledo and added 16 points, four rebounds and three assists against Alabama. He led Iowa with five assists vs. Villanova and added 11 points (4-5 FGs, 2-2 FTs) against Virginia Tech. Freeman collected 10 points and five assists in the win over Texas-Pan American and six points and five assists vs. Coppin State. He scored 11 points and added four rebounds and four assists vs. Northern Iowa. Freeman led Iowa with three steals in the win over Iowa State and he added 11 points and five assists. He scored 12 points (3-4 treys) in a win over Georgia State. He is averaging 8.3 points and 4.2 assists per game.

JOHNSON LEADS FROM LONG RANGE
Junior guard Justin Johnson is making his mark in his first season with the Hawkeye program, as he currently ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage. Johnson has started six games, averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 52% (26-50) from three-point range. He made 4-5 three-point shots in the loss at Drake, including three straight in a one-minute span in the second half. Johnson added eight points, six rebounds and four assists in the win over Georgia State. Johnson contributed nine points and six rebounds at Virginia Tech and he led the team with 14 points and five rebounds in a win over Texas-Pan American. Johnson added 13 points, five rebounds and four assists in Iowa’s win over Coppin State and was named to the Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team.

A STITCH IN TIME
Junior Justin Johnson has taken over the team lead in stitches. Johnson was cut above the right eye in the late stages of the game at Drake and had to get three stitches. Freshman Tyler Smith had two stitches after suffering a cut during Iowa’s win over Coppin State in the Hawkeye Challenge.

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. After playing just two minutes in the first half against Toledo, he ended the game with 13 points and nine rebounds, all in the second half. Looby added 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Villanova and he added six points, four rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Virginia Tech. Looby had 12 rebounds to go with six points, four blocked shots and two steals in the win over Georgia State. He led the team with six rebounds in a win over Iowa State and added five points and two steals. Looby leads Iowa in rebounding (5.3) and blocked shots (1.9) and is scoring 4.9 points per game. He is a native of St. John’s Antigua. His mother, Olivet, was able to visit the Virgin Islands to attend the Paradise Jam, seeing her son play college basketball for the first time.

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. Gorney added 10 points (4-6 FGs) and five rebounds vs. Toledo and he had 10 points and three assists in the loss to Alabama. He added eight points and four rebounds in a win over Texas-Pan American and added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds vs. Northern Iowa. Gorney added six points and four rebounds in the win over Iowa State, he had five rebounds vs. Drake and eight points and five rebounds in a win over Georgia State. He is averaging six points and four rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field and 85.7% from the free throw line.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves scored 32 points and had 25 rebounds against Georgia State, compared to 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Panther reserves. Iowa is 4-3 when the reserves outscore the opponent’s reserves, 2-3 when the opponent reserves score more points and 0-0 when the reserve scoring is even. Iowa is 4-4 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 2-2 when the opponent reserves have more rebounds and 0-0 when the reserve rebounding is even.

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 PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,427) 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 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 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.
• Posted 10 wins in 14 games against top 25 teams. Iowa was 3-2 against top 10 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.
• 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 last 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.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its six home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 75.5-56.8 margin, shooting 45.7% from the field while holding its opponent to 37.7% shooting. Iowa holds a 36.8-36.2 rebounding advantage. In six games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena (three neutral site games), Iowa has been outscored 72.8-64.3. The Hawkeyes are shooting 41.7% from the field while opponents are shooting 47.7%. The opponents hold a 33.8-32.2 rebounding margin.

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 24 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 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.

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:

• Elementary, junior high and high school fans of Iowa’s men’s basketball teams can gain free admission to Saturday’s Texas Southern game by presenting a copy of their report card to receive a free game ticket. Elementary students must present a copy of their most recent report card or “progress report.” Junior high and high school students must present their most recent report card with at least one “A” grade. The cards must be presented at any of the athletic ticket office windows Saturday, or at the ticket office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena prior to Saturday. The students must be accompanied by an adult, who must purchase a full-priced ticket. Those students who present a progress report or report card will also have their name included in a drawing for a home computer system from Best Buy. The drawing for the computer system will be held during the UI women’s basketball game Jan. 14 vs. Michigan State.
• 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.
• “Youth Basketball Nights” have been set for games vs. 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.

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.

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: January 8, 17, 22 and 29; February 5, 12, 19 and 28; March 5 and 12.

COMING UP NEXT
Iowa closes its non-conference schedule by hosting Cornell University on Saturday, Dec. 30 (12:05 p.m.). The Hawkeyes host Michigan State Thursday, Jan. 4 (8:05 p.m., ESPN) to begin Big Ten Conference play.