Hawkeyes Host Penn State Wednesday Night

Jan. 22, 2007

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THE SETTING
Iowa (10-9, 2-3) plays the first of two home games when it hosts Penn State (10-8, 1-4) Wednesday, Jan. 24. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Iowa lost to Ohio State 82-63 in Columbus Saturday evening. Penn State lost to Michigan State 91-64 Saturday in State College.

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, KGCW Quad Cities, Metro Sports, Kansas City, MO, and cable systems throughout the state of Iowa, including Council Bluffs-Omaha, Rochester-Mason City and Sioux City. Larry Morgan and Bill Mac McCausland will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,396 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,431-965 (.597). That includes an 897-307 (.745) record in home games, a 534-658 (.448) record in games away from Iowa City, a 677-661 (.506) mark in Big Ten games and a 303-81 (.789) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 303-81 (.789) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 142-67 (.679) in Big Ten games and 161-14 (.920) 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 95-26 (.785) home record under Coach Steve Alford, including a 58-5 (.920) mark in non-conference home games. Two of the five non-conference home losses came in the National Invitation Tournament. Iowa has won 27 of its last 28 home games and 11 straight Big Ten Conference home games. The Hawkeyes have also won eight straight home games against top 25 opponents.

HAWKEYES SET ARENA RECORD
With the 60-49 win over Minnesota, Iowa improved its home winning streak in Big Ten Conference games to 11 straight, the longest conference winning streak in the history of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983. Iowa has not lost a Big Ten home game since a 75-65 loss to Illinois on Feb. 19, 2005. Iowa won nine straight conference games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on two occasions, the last occurring during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons. Iowa’s record for consecutive home wins in league play is 14 straight. That mark was set during the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons when home games were played at the Iowa Field House.

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 301-178 (.628), including a 145-101 (.589) 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 301 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 54-63 (.462) in Big Ten games and led 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 10-3 vs. Penn State and 4-0 vs. PSU Coach Ed DeChellis.

ALFORD THIRD IN CAREER WINS
Coach Steve Alford has 301 career wins and 145 victories as Iowa’s head coach. 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). Iowa’s 62-60 win over 24th-ranked Michigan State was win No. 300 for the Hawkeye head coach. 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.

PSU COACH ED DECHELLIS
Ed DeChellis is in his fourth season as Penn State’s head coach and his 11th as a college head coach. DeChellis is 41-65 at Penn State and his career mark stands at 146-158. He posted a 105-93 record in seven years as the head coach at East Tennessee State. A Penn State graduate, DeChellis led East Tennessee State to the Southern Conference Tournament championship in 2003, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. East Tennessee State then lost to No. two seed Wake Forest by a narrow 76-73 margin. DeChellis began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Penn State, and later was an assistant coach at Salem College in West Virginia. He returned to Penn State as an assistant coach for 10 seasons before taking over at East Tennessee State. As a PSU assistant, DeChellis helped the Nittany Lions advance to post-season play in four straight seasons (1989-92), while posting an 87-40 record in that time. DeChellis is 0-4 vs. Iowa and Hawkeye Coach Steve Alford

DECHELLIS AS AN ASSISTANT
Penn State Coach Ed DeChellis served as a Nittany Lion assistant coach from 1986-96, during the time that Penn State moved from the Atlantic 10 Conference to the Big Ten. During his last two seasons as an assistant there, PSU posted a 42-18 record, advancing to the NIT in 1995 and the NCAA Tournament in 1996. During his time as a Penn State assistant DeChellis helped PSU post a 4-3 record against Iowa.

HAWKEYE, LION NOTES

• Both Iowa and Penn State lost to hot-shooting opponents in their last outing. Ohio State shot 58.5% from the field, including 68% in the second half, in defeating Iowa 82-63 in Columbus. Michigan State shot 67.9% from the field in a 91-64 win at Penn State.
• When the Hawkeyes won at Penn State in 1997 it marked PSU’s first defeat in the Bryce Jordan Center and ended the longest home court winning streak in the nation at the time.
• Penn State assistant Kurt Kanaskie is no stranger to the Iowa basketball program, as he served as the head coach at Drake University in Des Moines for seven seasons. He held an 0-7 record vs. Iowa and a 0-10 record vs. Iowa Coach Steve Alford.
• Penn State assistant Dan Earl is a former Nittany Lion player. Earl began his playing career in 1993-94 and ended his career in 1998-99. He missed the 1996-97 season due to a back injury and missed all but five games in 1997-98 due to a knee injury, earning a medical hardship and a sixth season. In the games he played, Earl helped Penn State post a 4-2 record vs. Iowa, including a 67-64 win in Iowa City in the quarter-finals of the 1995 NIT.

THE SERIES
Iowa holds an 18-8 advantage in the series that began with an 82-53 Iowa win in 1955. The Hawkeyes have won the last six meetings, 10 of the last 12, 11 of the last 14 and 13 of the last 17. Iowa won both meetings last season, defeating the Nittany Lions 80-76 in State College and 59-44 in Iowa City. Iowa also won single games in both 2004 and 2005. Iowa holds a 9-3 advantage in games played in Iowa City, with all 12 meetings taking place in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have won seven of the last eight meetings in Iowa City. Three of the 26 meetings in the series have been in post-season action. The first meeting in 1955 was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Evanston, IL, with Iowa winning 82-53 on its way to the Final Four. Penn State won 67-64 in Iowa City in 1995 in the semi-finals of the NIT, earning a trip to New York. Iowa won in the Big Ten Tournament semi-finals in 2001 and went on to win that event as both teams earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s 67-48 win in 1962 took place in the first round of the Quaker City Tournament in Philadelphia, PA.

IOWA WON TWICE LAST SEASON
Iowa won both meetings a year ago, 80-76 in State College and 65-38 in Iowa City. Iowa held the upper hand throughout most of the first meeting, but had to come from behind in the closing minutes to get the win. Iowa shot 51.9% from the field in the first half, leading by as many as 10 points before holding a 40-34 halftime advantage. Iowa maintained control in the early portion of the second half, holding a 66-59 advantage with six minutes to play. From there Penn State scored nine straight points to take a 68-66 advantage with 3:52 left. The teams traded baskets until Erek Hansen converted a rebound basket and added a free throw, giving Iowa a 72-70 advantage with 1:51 to play. Two free throws by Greg Brunner gave Iowa a 74-73 advantage with 48 seconds remaining and Jeff Horner added a pair of free shots after a Penn State turnover. Haluska ended the contest with 29 points, a career-best at the time, while surpassing 1,000 career points. He hit 6-10 treys and 5-6 free throws. Horner added 17 points and nine assists and Brunner had 13 points. Jamelle Cornley had 20 points to leads Penn State’s balanced attack. Travis Parker added 19, Mike Walker 14 and Geary Claxton 12. Parker also added 10 rebounds.

Iowa used a dominating defensive performance in scoring a 65-38 win over Penn State late in the season in Iowa City. The 38 points scored by Penn State marked the fewest points scored by a Big Ten opponent since the Hawkeyes defeated the Nittany Lions 58-38 on Feb. 24, 1993. Iowa held the Nittany Lions to 25.5% shooting from the field, including 18.5% in the first half. The Hawkeyes used a 15-0 scoring run late in the first half to take control, building a 30-17 halftime margin. Iowa then began the second half with an 11-0 scoring run to put the game away. Iowa shot 62.5% from the field in the final 20 minutes and ended the game with 21 assists on 25 field goals. Overall, Penn State made just 13-51 field goal attempts and 4-18 (22.2%) three-point attempts. Iowa won the rebounding battle by a 38-27 margin. Mike Henderson set the tone early for Iowa and led Iowa with 16 points. Erek Hansen contributed 15 points and Adam Haluska added 11. Greg Brunner led Iowa with 10 rebounds. Travis Parker, with 13 points, was the only Nittany Lion to reach double figures.

SMITH AMONG FRESHMAN LEADERS
Iowa’s Tyler Smith ranks high among freshmen in the Big Ten in nearly all statistical categories. He is first in scoring (15.4), second in assists (3.7), fourth in steals (1.3), fifth in rebounding (4.7), 13th in free throw percentage (.699) and three-point percentage (.300) and 14th in field goal percentage (.467).

HALUSKA A TOP SENIOR
Iowa senior guard Adam Haluska is one of 30 candidates for the 2007 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The award is presented annually to an NCAA Division I male and female basketball player who excel both on and off the court. A list of 10 finalists will be announced in February. Fans, coaches and media will have the opportunity to vote in the process, with the winners being announced during the men’s and women’s respective Final Four weekends. The CLASS Award is an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School. Conceived by sportscaster Dick Enberg, the award is based on areas of excellence in classroom, character and community, as well as performance on the court.

HENDERSON BACK IN 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 on Dec. 2. 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. He has helped the Hawkeyes to a 5-3 record since moving into the starting line-up. Henderson played a critical role in Iowa’s win over Michigan State, connecting on five of six free throw attempts in the final 40 seconds. Henderson’s two free throws with six seconds remaining gave Iowa a 62-57 advantage to seal the victory. 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 sixth in the nation in free throw percentage, making 76.6% (256-334) of its attempts. Individually, Adam Haluska is shooting 89.1% (90-101) from the line to rank 14th.
• 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 shot a season-best 89.2% (33-37) from the free throw line in a win over Texas Southern. The made free throws and the free throw attempts are the most for Iowa since the Hawkeyes converted 32-42 in a home loss to Michigan State on 2/5/05.
• Iowa, in non-conference action, played seven 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 117 games in his career, a streak that ranks as the longest in the nation among current players.
• 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 1,322 points to rank 15th on Iowa’s career list. His career total, including one season at Iowa State, stands at 1,606.
• 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.

HAWKEYE TIDBITS

• Six Hawkeye opponents (Alabama, Villanova, Arizona State, Drake, Illinois, Ohio State) 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 4-14 over the past four seasons when its opponent shoots 50% or better from the field.
• Iowa has held seven opponents to less than 40% shooting from the field, including a season low 33.9% by The Citadel and Minnesota. Iowa has won six of the seven games, with the only loss a two-point decision to Northern Iowa.
• Under Steve Alford, Iowa is 41-6 when shooting at least 50% from the field, including 8-0 over the past two seasons.
• Iowa is 29-36 vs. ranked teams under Coach Steve Alford. That includes a 14-9 home record, an 11-12 record at neutral sites and 4-15 mark in road games. Iowa is 1-2 vs. ranked opponents in 2006-07, with both losses to teams ranked in the top 10.
• Iowa is 3-0 when scoring 80 points or more, 3-1 when scoring between 70-80 points, 4-6 when scoring between 60-70 points and 0-2 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa is 6-1 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 4-2 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 0-6 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
• Iowa is 7-2 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 2-7 when the opponent has more assists and 1-0 when assists are even.
• Iowa is 9-4 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent and 1-5 when the opponent has fewer turnovers.
• Iowa is 6-4 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 2-5 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 12 games. Iowa is 1-0 when four reach double figures, 6-6 when three score in double figures and 2-4 with two players in double figures.
• Iowa is 10-3 when leading at halftime and 0-6 when trailing at intermission.
• Iowa is 6-4 when controlling the opening tip and 4-5 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 1-5 in games decided by 10 points, including a 1-4 record in games decided by five points or less.

LATE RUN LIFTS OSU PAST IOWA
Ohio State used a 21-2 scoring run during the final 11 minutes to pull away for an 82-63 win over Iowa in the only meeting between the two teams during the regular season. The Buckeyes started fast, taking advantage of four Iowa turnovers in the first three minutes to jump out to a 9-0 advantage. The Hawkeyes regained their composure and scored eight straight points before eventually tying the game at 11 with 14 minutes left in the half. OSU scored the final five points in the last 90 seconds of the half to take a 37-26 advantage at the break. Eleven of Iowa’s 13 turnovers came in the first half. Iowa’s Seth Gorney played well in the first half, collecting four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. He was injured in the final seconds of the half and did not return to action. Iowa used the strong second half scoring of freshman Tyler Smith to get back in the game. Smith scored all 21 of his points in the second half, taking over on offense with Iowa trailing 41-26. Iowa would cut the deficit to four points (54-50) on a three-point basket by Smith before OSU regained control. The Buckeyes scored 13 straight points over the next four minutes and were not threatened from there. Iowa shot 55.2% from the field in the second half and 48.2% for the game, and the rebounding was even at 27-27. Smith’s 21 points led Iowa and he added four rebounds and five assists. Adam Haluska added 15 points, Tony Freeman had five assists and Kurt Looby five rebounds. Ohio State shot 58.5% from the field, including 68% in the second half. The Buckeyes also shot 82.4% (14-17) from the foul line, compared to 33.3% (2-6) for Iowa. Center Greg Oden led OSU with 29 points (12-13 FGs) and 10 rebounds. Oden scored 18 points in the final 20 minutes.

MSU SHOOTS PAST PENN STATE
Michigan State started fast and never looked back in taking a 91-64 win at Penn State Saturday. The Spartans shot 67.9% (19-28) from the field in the opening half, racing to a 45-23 advantage at halftime. Incredibly, the Spartans improved their shooting to 68% in the second half and shot 67.9% (36-53) for the game. MSU shot 50% (6-12) from three-point range and made all of its free throw attempts (13-13). After shooting just 34.6% in the first half, Penn State improved to 48.1% in the second half. The Nittany Lions were also out-rebounded (33-19) and shot just 58.3% (14-24) from the foul line. Jamelle Cornley led Penn State with 21 points and six rebounds, while Geary Claxton added 11 points and five assists.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its 10 home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 73-56.3 margin, shooting 44.8% from the field while holding its opponent to 37.9% shooting. Iowa’s opponents hold a 36.4-34.7 rebounding advantage. In nine games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena (three neutral site games), Iowa has been outscored 73.8-64.8. The Hawkeyes are shooting 43.1% from the field while opponents are shooting 49.1%. The opponents hold a 32.8-31.2 rebounding margin.

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. He has scored 1,606 career points, including 1,322 with the Hawkeyes to rank 15th in career scoring. Haluska ranks fourth among players who played just three seasons at Iowa, trailing Andre Woolridge (1,525), Don Nelson (1,522) and Bruce King (1,361). 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 and he was named Big Ten Player of the Week after leading Iowa to wins over Georgia State and Texas Southern. Through 19 games Haluska ranks among Big Ten leaders in four statistical categories, including scoring (1st), free throw percentage (2nd), three-point field goals per game (1st) and steals (8th).

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.
• One of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior Class Award.
• 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.
• Named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 28.5 points per game in two Iowa wins. He shot 57.1% from the field, 50% from three-point range and 90% from the free throw line in wins over Georgia State and Texas Southern.

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 as a junior 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 VS. RANKED FOES
Steve Alford has posted a 29-36 record against ranked opponents as Iowa’s head coach, including a 1-2 record this season and a 10-4 mark in 2005-06. Iowa, this season, lost to 10th-ranked Alabama (72-60) on a neutral court, defeated 24th-ranked Michigan State (62-60) in Iowa City and lost to seventh-ranked Ohio State (82-63) in Columbus. Iowa has won eight straight home games against ranked opponents. Alford’s Hawkeye teams are 9-16 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 16 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 seventh-ranked (Ohio State, 2006-07), once to eighth-ranked (Illinois, 2005-06), once to ninth-ranked (Kentucky, 2000-01) and four times to 10th-ranked (Michigan State, 2000, Illinois, 2002, Michigan State, 2005 and Alabama, 2006-07). In the 65 games against ranked teams, Alford and his Iowa team are 14-9 in home games, 11-12 at neutral sites and 4-15 when playing ranked teams in their home arena.

HALUSKA OVER 1,000 POINTS
Senior guard Adam Haluska ranks 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 11 games this season, including three of five Big Ten games and seven of the last eight. He scored a career-high 36 points vs. Georgia State and 31 vs. Coppin State. He added 21 points in a win over Texas Southern to earn Big Ten Player of the Week recognition. He added 29 points against Cornell with the best shooting performance of his career. He connected on 10-13 field goal attempts, including 6-9 three-pointers. He made all seven of his field goal attempts in the second half and ended the game hitting nine straight overall, including his last five three-pointers. He also collected four steals and three rebounds. Haluska made his first attempt vs. Michigan State, extending his consecutive streak to 10 straight field goals (six three-pointers) before missing. Haluska had a solid all around game against the Spartans, collecting 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, with no turnovers in 37 minutes. He added 25 points against Illinois, including a career-best 12 free throws. Haluska had connected on 12 straight free throw attempts vs. Illinois (18 straight over two games) before missing his final attempt. He made 21 straight attempts earlier this season and is shooting 89.1% (90-101) to rank 14th in the nation in free throw percentage. He contributed 22 points (8-10 FTs) and four rebounds in a win over Minnesota, 21 points and four rebounds at Indiana and 15 points and four rebounds vs. Ohio State. Haluska has raised his career scoring total to 1,606, including 1,322 in three seasons at Iowa. He ranks 15th in career scoring and is fourth in career scoring among players who played just three seasons at Iowa. His 185 three-point field goals attempts last season rank sixth best at Iowa. He ranks fourth in career three-point attempts (486) and fifth in career three-point field goals (179). 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. Haluska has started all 117 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. Haluska currently leads the Big Ten in scoring (20.1) and three-point field goals per game (3.0). He is second in free throw percentage (.891) and eighth in steals (1.3).

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 missed the first seven games of this season with a hand injury before returning to see limited action in Iowa’s last 12 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 and Iowa has won five of eight games with Henderson in the starting line-up. He scored eight points while collecting a career-best nine assists in a season-best 30 minutes of action vs. Georgia State. He added nine points, nine assists and three steals in a win over Texas Southern and six points, four assists and two steals in a win over Cornell. Henderson played a solid defensive game in Iowa’s win over Michigan State and came up big at the end, connecting on 5-6 free throws in the final 40 seconds to secure Iowa’s victory. He hit 3-4 field goals in scoring seven points in a home win over Minnesota and added five points and four rebounds at Indiana. Henderson hit all four of his field goal attempts in scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds at Ohio State.

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. He 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 two steals in a win over Georgia State. He scored 25 points (4-5 treys, 5-5 FTs) and had five assists in a win over Texas Southern and added 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in a win over Cornell. In his first Big Ten Conference game, Smith contributed 10 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win over Michigan State. He added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the loss at Illinois. Smith had 15 points (7-7 FTs), three rebounds and three assists in a win over Minnesota. At Indiana he contributed 17 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Smith started slow vs. Ohio State, scoring all 21 of his points in the second half. He also had four rebounds and five assists against the Buckeyes. Smith was named to the Paradise Jam all-tournament team and the Hawkeye Challenge all-tournament team. He is averaging 15.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Smith had led Iowa in scoring in five games, in rebounding six times, in assists nine times and steals in 11 games.

FREEMAN SOLID IN GUARD COURT
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 eight rebounds in a 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 and added six points and seven assists in a win over Cornell. He had a solid floor game against Michigan State, contributing five assists and three steals, with just a single turnover. Freeman added a career-high nine rebounds and seven points in a home win over Minnesota. Freeman returned to the starting line-up at Ohio State and responded with six points and five assists. He is averaging 6.9 points and 3.9 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 fourth in the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage. Johnson has started seven games, averaging 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6% (31-68) from three-point range. He made 4-5 three-point shots in a 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 and nine points and two steals vs. Texas Southern. Johnson, who did not attempt a free throw in Iowa’s first 11 games, has made 12-14 (85.7%) of his attempts this season. He added six rebounds and three blocked shots in Iowa’s win over Cornell and scored 11 points (3-3 three-pointers) at Illinois. Johnson had a career-best eight rebounds in a home win over Minnesota. 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.

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 and he led the team with six rebounds and two blocks in a win over Texas Southern. 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 (4.8) and blocked shots (1.8) and is scoring 4.1 points per game. He had a career-best five blocked shots and five rebounds in a win over Cornell and had seven points and three rebounds vs. Michigan State. 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. 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. Gorney made his first four field goal attempts in the win over Texas Southern, improving his streak to eight straight made attempts over three games before missing a shot in the second half. He ended the contest with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals. He contributed six points at Illinois and had six points and four rebounds in a win over Minnesota. Gorney contributed a timely field goal and two key free throws in the final minutes of the win over the Gophers. At Indiana, Gorney scored a career-high 12 points (5-7 FGs) and grabbed five rebounds. He had four points and four rebounds in 14 minutes at Ohio State before leaving the game with an injury. He is averaging 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 55.9% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line.

TATE ON TARGET IN FIRST SEASON
Sophomore forward Cyrus Tate connected on 6-7 field goal attempts to score 13 points vs. The Citadel in his first action as a Hawkeye. It was more of the same in Iowa’s win over Toledo as Tate hit 3-5 field goals and 3-4 free throws, collecting nine points, seven rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes. Tate collected four points, seven rebounds and two assists at Virginia Tech and he had six points and season-best nine rebounds vs. Coppin State. Tate came up big in the first Big Ten game of his career in Iowa’s win over Michigan State. He scored a season-best 14 points (6-7 field goals) and matched his season-high with nine rebounds. Tate is averaging 4.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, shooting 46.9% from the field and 74.3% from the free throw line. Tate attended junior college one season before joining the Iowa program.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves scored nine points had seven rebounds against Ohio State, compared to 24 points and nine rebounds for the Buckeye reserves. Iowa is 5-4 when the reserves outscore the opponent’s reserves, 5-5 when the opponent reserves score more points and 0-0 when the reserve scoring is even. Iowa is 7-5 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 3-4 when the opponent reserves have more rebounds and 0-0 when the reserve rebounding is even.

IOWA PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,431) 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.

ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE
Playing five of its first six games on the road, Iowa again faces a demanding schedule in 2006-07. After opening the season at home, Iowa participated in the Paradise Jam, defeating Toledo before falling to Alabama and Villanova. Iowa also played at Arizona State and Virginia Tech in November. The in-state series included home dates with Northern Iowa and Iowa State and a visit to Drake. Alabama was ranked 10th at the time of its win over Iowa, while Villanova and Virginia Tech were listed among teams receiving votes in the early season rankings. Iowa will play 17 regular season games against teams that advanced to post-season play a year ago. That includes two games vs. Illinois (NCAA), Indiana (NCAA), Michigan State (NCAA) Wisconsin (NCAA), Penn State (NIT) and Minnesota (NIT) and single games vs. Northern Iowa (NCAA), Ohio State (NCAA) and Michigan (NIT) Alabama (NCAA) and Villanova (NCAA).

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.

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
Single game tickets remain for Iowa’s six remaining home games, although there is a very limited supply remaining for weekend home games vs. Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. Tickets are available for $20 and $25, depending on the game. UI students can purchase single game tickets for $15 on the day of the game, when available. The following options are also available:

• “Youth Basketball Nights” have been set for games vs. 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.

SHOOT AT CARVER FOLLOWING HOME GAMES
Young fans of the University of Iowa men’s basketball team who have longed for the opportunity to drop a free throw or make a lay-up on the playing floor of Carver-Hawkeye Arena will have that opportunity following upcoming home games. The UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will provide the opportunity for interested fans to experience the thrill of making a basket inside the UI’s award-winning facility after home games Jan. 28 against Wisconsin and Feb. 3 against Indiana. As soon as possible after the conclusion of each game, 20 minutes will count down on the game clock, providing fans the opportunity to line up to shoot a free throw or attempt a lay-up at the basket nearest the Hawks Nest. “I think this is a simple and fun way to provide an opportunity for our younger fans to be a little more engaged in our basketball program and to add to their experience of watching a game at Carver,” said UI Coach Steve Alford. “Who knows, eight, 10 or 12 years from now one of the boys or girls who take advantage of the opportunity might find themselves wearing the uniform of the Iowa Hawkeyes.” Fans will be required to wear either gym shoes or socks while on the playing floor. The allotted time of 20 minutes is a starting point that should strike a balance between the interest of the fans of the Hawkeyes and the UI’s need to have the facility emptied for clean-up and security.

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 22 and 29; February 5, 12, 19 and 28; March 5 and 12.

COMING UP NEXT
Iowa hosts Wisconsin Sunday, Jan. 28 (12:05 p.m., CBS) before closing out the month Jan. 31 at Michigan (7:05 p.m., ESPN Regional).