Oct. 30, 2007
THE SETTING
Iowa plays its only exhibition game of the 2007-08 pre-season against Simpson College Thursday. Game time is 7:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Iowa begins the season under the direction of Coach Todd Lickliter, who is in his first season as the Hawkeye head coach. Lickliter posted a 131-61 record in six seasons as the head coach at Butler University, earning national Coach of the Year honors a year ago. Iowa posted a 17-14 record in 2007, its seventh straight winning season. The Hawkeyes earned a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten standings with a 9-7 league record. Simpson College posted an 18-9 record last season, including a 10-6 record in the Iowa Conference and a fourth place finish.
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: There will be no live television coverage for this exhibition game. Video action of the game is being streamed on the Big Ten Network website at BigTenNetwork.com and there is no charge for viewing. This is the only Iowa men’s game of the year that will be streamed on the Big Ten Network site.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,408 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,438-970 (.597). That includes a 902-308 (.745) record in home games, a 536-662 (.447) record in games away from Iowa City, a 684-665 (.507) mark in Big Ten games and a 308-82 (.790) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 308-82 (.790) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 147-68 (.684) in Big Ten games and 161-14 (.920) in non-Big Ten games.
IOWA SEEKS EIGHTH STRAIGHT
Iowa begins the 2007-08 season seeking its eighth straight winning campaign, which would establish a school record. Iowa’s current streak began with a 23-12 record in 2000-01 and includes three seasons of more than 20 wins and six post-seasons appearances (three NCAA, three NIT). Iowa also had seven straight winning seasons 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 seven seasons, joining Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin.
HEAD COACH Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national Coach of the Year in 2007, was named Iowa’s 21st head men’s basketball coach on April 3, 2007. Lickliter joined the Iowa program after serving as the head coach at Butler University for six seasons. He posted a 131-61 (.682) record at Butler, including a 29-7 mark in 2006-07, in his first position as a college head coach. Butler advanced to post-season play in four of six seasons under Lickliter’s direction, including two appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16. Butler was ranked in the national top 25 for 16 consecutive weeks during the 2006-07 season and became the first team in the history of the Horizon League to be ranked in the top ten. The Bulldogs won three games over top 25 opponents (Tennessee, Gonzaga, Maryland) and recorded eight victories over teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament. Lickliter played one season at Central Florida, earning his associate degree in 1977, and then transferred to Butler, where he played his final two collegiate seasons, 1977-79. He earned a B.S degree in secondary education from Butler in 1979.
THE STORM LAST SEASON
Simpson posted an 18-9 overall record a year ago, including a 10-6 record in the Iowa Conference. The Storm placed fourth in the Iowa Conference during the regular season. Simpson led the league in rebounding, field goal defense, steals and blocked shots per game. Returning starter David Ferezy led the Iowa Conference in blocked shots (2.5) and ranked 11th in the nation in that category while setting a Simpson College single season record.
SIMPSON COACH BRUCE WILSON
Bruce Wilson is in his 23rd season as the head basketball coach at Simpson. Wilson has posted a 321-250 (.562) career mark. He ranks among the top 50 active Division III men’s basketball coaches in career wins. Wilson has been named the Iowa Conference Coach of the Year three times (1992, 1995, 1998) and was the Div. III West Region Coach of the Year in 1992. Simpson won Iowa Conference titles in 1992 and 1995, advancing each time to the Division III NCAA Tournament. Wilson is a 1976 Simpson graduate. He earned all-conference and all-region honors as a player and was inducted into the Simpson College Hall of Fame in 1986. Wilson earned his master’s degree from Gonzaga University, where he served as an assistant coach for six seasons (including four seasons during the career of NBA all-star John Stockton).
THE SERIES
Simpson holds a 1-0 series advantage over Iowa, taking a 25-14 win during the 1912-13 season. The contest was the first basketball game played in Simpson’s Hopper Gymnasium, which is still in use as an auxiliary gym on the Simpson campus.
IOWA/SIMPSON NOTES
- Iowa is 34-7 all-time against current members of the Iowa Conference, with the most recent game taking place against Cornell College in 1924. That 34-7 mark does not include Iowa’s more recent exhibition wins over Wartburg and Buena Vista.
- Iowa assistant Chad Walthall served as the head basketball coach at Loras College the past seven seasons. Walthall led Loras to a 12-5 mark against Simpson from 2000-07.
BLACK SHIRTS WIN BLOWOUT
The Black Shirts scored a 51-49 win over the Gold squad in Iowa’s annual Black and Gold Blowout. A running clock was used in the event, which saw several Hawkeye players see action for both sides during Iowa’s first public appearance of the season. Junior guard Tony Freeman led the Black team with 18 points and five assists, while senior center Kurt Looby added eight points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Dan Bohall added nine points and freshman guard Jake Kelly led the Black squad with seven assists. The Gold team was led by senior guard Justin Johnson’s 17 points and five steals. Freshman guard Jeff Peterson added 11 points and four assists, while sophomore forward David Palmer led the Gold team with eight rebounds.
IOWA ON THE TUBE
Nearly every Iowa game throughout the 2007-08 season will be televised, with the only possible exception possibly being the final round of the South Padre Island Invitational in November. The majority of Iowa’s non-conference games are scheduled for the Big Ten Network. Iowa’s home game with Wake Forest will be televised on ESPN2. The contest at Northern Iowa will air on FOX, the game at Iowa State will appear on ESPNU and CSTV will televise the Bradley game in the South Padre Island tournament.
IOWA ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK
A majority of Iowa’s games throughout the 2007-08 season will appear on national cable television via the Big Ten Network. The Big Ten Network is available on the basic level of service offered by 64 locally-owned and locally-operated cable television systems across the state of Iowa. It is also available through the nation’s two satellite television companies, DirectTV and Dish Network. Currently, more than 50 percent of the homes in Iowa have access to the Big Ten Network, as do more than 30 million homes nationwide. The Big Ten Network is the fastest growing television network in television history, reaching 30 million homes in its first 30 days of existence.
IOWA IN EXHIBITIONS
Iowa is 14-1 in exhibition games since the 1999-00 season. The only setback was a 79-76 loss to the Harlem Globetrotters prior to the 2002 season. This marks the third straight season Iowa has met a team from the Iowa Conference. The Hawkeyes defeated Wartburg College 75-48 in 2006 and Buena Vista University 77-58 last season.
THE RETURNING CAST
Iowa returns three starters and six lettermen from 2007. The returning starters include senior center Kurt Looby, junior guard Tony Freeman and junior forward Cyrus Tate. Freeman started 17 of 31 games a year ago. He led the team in assists (3.7) and ranked third in scoring (7.5) and steals (1.1). Looby started 19 games, averaging 3.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. He led Iowa and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in blocked shots (1.7) per game. His 53 blocked shots rank eighth-best for a single season at Iowa. Tate started 22 games last season, averaging 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Along with the six returning lettermen, Iowa also returns sophomore guard Dan Bohall and sophomore forward David Palmer. Palmer sat out last season as a redshirt transfer. The Hawkeye roster includes three true freshmen.
With the seven returning players who saw action a year ago, Iowa returns 41.1% of its scoring, 55.3% of its rebounding, 44.1% of its assists and 47.7% of its steals. Iowa’s returning players shot 45.7% from the field, 40% from three-point range and 66.5% from the free throw line.
IOWA PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,438) with a 79-46 victory over Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 26, 2005. Iowa ranks 34th on the all-time list for victories and is one of 41 NCAA Division I programs with as many as 1,400 wins. Iowa’s basketball history includes 73 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.
THE HAWKEYE ROSTER
The Iowa roster includes 11 players. The squad includes three seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen. Along with Iowa native Dan Bohall, the roster includes two players from Illinois and Indiana and one from Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and St. John’s, Antigua.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2007-08
- Season tickets are available for 2007-08, including general public ($336), UI faculty and staff ($272) and UI students ($95).
- Tickets for the Nov. 1 exhibition contest against Simpson College are on sale for $10.
- Weekend package tickets for four Big Ten Conference home games are on sale for $100. The package includes games vs. Michigan State (Jan. 12), Penn State (Jan. 26), Ohio State (Feb. 2) and Illinois (Mar. 1-2).
- Single game tickets are available for $20 for all games except Big Ten Conference weekend games, Wisconsin, Drake and the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Wake Forest). Tickets for those games are $25. UI students can purchase single game tickets for $15 on the day of the game, when available.
- A $10 youth ticket (age 18 and below) is available for games vs. Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Florida Gulf Coast, Maryland Eastern Shore, Southeastern Louisiana and both nights of the Hawkeye Challenge.
- 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 SET ARENA RECORD
Iowa set a Carver-Hawkeye Arena (opened in 1983) record with 12 consecutive Big Ten Conference home wins over the course of the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The streak was snapped Jan. 28 when second-ranked Wisconsin won in Iowa City. Following the loss to Wisconsin the Hawkeyes concluded the 2007 season by winning their final four home games, improving to 15-1 in Big Ten games and 31-2 overall over the past two seasons in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Prior to the Badger loss, Iowa had not lost a Big Ten home game since a 75-65 loss to top-ranked Illinois on Feb. 19, 2005. 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.
TOP HOME PERCENTAGE
Iowa has posted a 44-5 (.898) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena over the last three seasons. That mark ranks as Iowa’s best home court winning percentage over any three year period in which Iowa won at least 40 games. Iowa’s winning percentage in Big Ten home games (20-4, .833) over the last three seasons is also the best percentage since the conference began playing more than 14 league games in 1974.
IOWA TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 32 of its last 34 games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa’s recent win streak included 21 straight overall wins and 12 straight Big Ten Conference wins. Iowa has won nine of its last 10 home games against ranked opponents. The Hawkeyes posted a 14-2 home record in 2006-07.
HAWKEYES TO HOST BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
Iowa will host Wake Forest on Monday, Nov. 26 as part of the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The game has a 6:05 p.m. start time and will be televised to a national cable audience on ESPN2 as the initial game in the 2007 series of games. Iowa holds a 2-4 record in the event, including a 2-0 home record and an 0-2 mark in road games and neutral site games. Iowa lost at Virginia Tech 69-65 a year ago. Iowa lost to Maryland in Baltimore in 2000 before defeating Georgia Tech in Iowa City in 2001. Iowa lost to Duke at the United Center in Chicago in 2002 and lost at Florida State in 2003. The Hawkeyes defeated North Carolina State in Iowa City in 2006 after not participating in the event in 2004 and 2005.
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND INVITATIONAL
Iowa will take part in the South Padre Invitational in November. The Hawkeyes will host preliminary round games against Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 18) and Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 20) before traveling to South Padre Island. Once on the island, Iowa will meet Bradley on Nov. 23 and either Vanderbilt or Utah State on Nov. 24.
HAWKEYES HOST CHALLENGE
Iowa will host the 26th annual Hawkeye Challenge Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Iowa will meet Louisiana-Monroe in the first round, while Rice will face Eastern Illinois in the opening game Friday evening. Rice participated in the event early in the 1997-98 season, while Louisiana-Monroe and Eastern Illinois will take part for the first time. Iowa was won four previous meetings with Eastern Illinois and all three meetings against Louisiana-Monroe when that school was named Northeast Louisiana. Iowa’s only meeting with Rice resulted in an 81-52 Hawkeye win in the Hawkeye Challenge.
HAWKEYE SCHEDULE NOTES
- Iowa’s schedule includes 19 home games, including the opening exhibition game on Nov. 1 against Simpson College. This will mark the third straight season Iowa has opened with an exhibition contest against a member of the Iowa Conference. Iowa defeated Wartburg in 2005-06 and Buena Vista a year ago.
- Iowa will open the regular season Nov. 9 by hosting Idaho State in the first regular season contest for Coach Todd Lickliter as the Hawkeye head coach. Idaho State is coached by Joe O’Brien, who is in his second year with the Bengals. O’Brien previously was the head coach at Southeastern Community College in Burlington, IA, coaching former Hawkeye Doug Thomas and Southeastern to the junior college national title.
- Iowa will host Florida Gulf Coast and Maryland Eastern Shore in preliminary round games of the South Padre Island Invitational. All teams advance to the final rounds on South Padre Island, where Iowa will meet Bradley University. The Braves are one of three teams from the Missouri Valley Conference on the Iowa schedule, joining in-state rivals Drake and Northern Iowa.
- For the first time since 1997, Iowa will host nine Big Ten Conference games, as the league has expanded the schedule to include 18 league games. Iowa does not play at Illinois this season, while Minnesota does not visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
- Iowa will host Wake Forest Nov. 26 as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Iowa is 2-4 while participating in the event, winning two home games while losing two road games and two neutral site games.
- Iowa will meet Louisiana-Monroe in the first round of the Hawkeye Challenge. The Hawkeyes own a 3-0 series advantage of the school that was previously known as Northeast Louisiana University. In the 1993 NCAA Tournament, Iowa played both Louisiana-Monroe (W, 82-69) and Wake Forest (L, 78-84).
POST-SEASON OPPONENTS
Iowa’s 2007-08 schedule includes 15 games against teams that advanced to post-season play a year ago. Iowa will play 11 games against six Big Ten opponents that appeared in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including two games with national runner-up Ohio State. The Hawkeyes have three games against teams that were in the NIT a year ago, including Michigan and Bradley. Iowa’s final game in the South Padre Invitational will be against either Vanderbilt (NCAA) or Utah State (NIT).
IOWA ATTENDANCE IMPROVES AGAIN
Iowa drew an average of 12,196 fans for its 16 home games during the 2006-07 season. That average ranks as an improvement over each of the last two seasons, as Iowa averaged 12,006 fans in 2006. Iowa annually ranks among the top teams in the nation in home attendance.
IOWA AT NEUTRAL SITES
Iowa was 1-3 in neutral site games a year ago, playing three games in the Paradise Jam in November and one game in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. Iowa’s schedule includes at least three neutral site games this season, including two games in the South Padre Island Invitational. Iowa could play between one and four neutral site games while taking part in the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Indianapolis, IN at the end of the season.
IOWA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Iowa made its 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2006. 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.
HALK TALK WITH Todd Lickliter
Fans of the University of Iowa basketball program may join Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter and radio announcer Gary Dolphin each week during the season for the “Hawk Talk with Todd Lickliter” radio call-in show. The show takes place each week at Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Café in Iowa City from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The dates are Nov. 19 and 27; Dec. 3, 10 and 17; Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25; and Mar. 3 and 10.
COMING UP NEXT
Iowa open the regular season Friday, November 9 when it hosts Idaho State. Game time is 8:05 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Click HERE for the Big Ten Network home page.