Iowa Men Host Southeastern Louisiana Dec. 29

Dec. 21, 2007

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THE SETTING
Iowa (6-6) plays its final non-conference game of the season Saturday, Dec. 29 when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana (7-4). Game time is 8:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Iowa dropped a 56-51 decision to Drake Dec. 14 in Iowa City in its last outing. Southeastern Louisiana has been idle since a 76-67 loss at Texas-El Paso Dec. 19.

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: The Big Ten Network will carry the game to a national cable audience. The game can also be viewed on DIRECTV (channel 220) and the DISH Network (channel 439). Larry Morgan and Trent Tucker will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,420 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,444-976 (.597). That includes a 907-311 (.745) record in home games, a 537-665 (.447) record in games away from Iowa City, a 684-665 (.507) mark in Big Ten games and a 313-85 (.786) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 313-85 (.786) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 147-68 (.684) in Big Ten games and 166-17 (.907) in non-Big Ten games.

TIME CHANGES DURING WINTER BREAK
Due to changes in practice time for the men’s basketball team during the winter break, times for press conferences and tele-conferences with Coach Todd Lickliter between Dec. 17 and Jan. 21 will also change. Press conferences scheduled for Jan. 7th and 14th will begin at 1 p.m., with practice slated to begin at 2 p.m. on those days. Tele-conferences will begin at 11 a.m. on the following dates: Dec. 27th and 31st; and Jan. 4th, 11th and 18th.

NEVER SAY NEVER . . .
It may have happened before 1920, but historical records of Iowa basketball do not show a game prior to Iowa’s 56-51 loss to Drake in which the Hawkeyes failed to record a free throw attempt. Drake was guilty of 10 fouls in the win over Iowa, four in the first half. The Bulldogs were called for six fouls in the second half, the last at the 7:52 mark with Iowa holding a 39-38 advantage. Prior to the 1920-21 season, Iowa’s records do not show free throw attempts by game. From the beginning of the 1921-22 season, until the Dec. 14 contest vs. Drake, Iowa had made at least one free throw attempt in 2,147 consecutive games. Prior to the contest vs. Drake, Iowa’s lowest output from the free throw line, in recent history, occurred during a 61-53 loss to Michigan (March 1, 1979 in Iowa City) when the Hawkeyes made one of two free throw attempts.

IOWA OFFERS FAMILY FOUR PACK
University of Iowa men’s basketball fans can take advantage of the “Family Four Pack” at upcoming games. The family pack includes four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks. The cost of the “Family Four Pack” is $65 and the special pricing is available for Iowa’s final non-conference home game against Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 29 and the Big Ten Conference game against Northwestern on February 19. Tickets may be purchased in person at the UI Athletic Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena or by calling 1-800-IAHAWKS.

NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter was named the 2007 Division I national Coach of the Year by the National Basketball Coaches (NABC) after leading Butler to 29 wins and a spot in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. With Iowa football Coach Kirk Ferentz earning national Coach of the Year in 2002, Iowa is one of three Division I institutions to have a former football and men’s basketball national Coach of the Year currently coaching their respective team. The others are Florida (Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan) and Tennessee (Phillip Fulmer and Bruce Pearl).

HEAD COACH Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter is in his first season as the head basketball coach at the University of Iowa. Lickliter spent the last six seasons as the head coach at Butler University. Lickliter holds a career mark of 137-67 (.672) after posting a 131-61 (.682) record as Butler’s head coach and beginning his first season at Iowa with a 6-6 record. He led Butler to four post-season tournament berths, including trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2003 and 2007. Lickliter was named the 2006-07 Division I Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and was recognized as the High-Major Coach of the Year by collegehoops.net. He was also named 2007 Horizon League Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year after guiding the Bulldogs to a school and league-record 29 victories. He led Butler to the regular season co-championship in the Horizon League in 2007. The Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Florida (65-57). Butler during the 2006-07 season won three games over top 25 opponents (Tennessee, Gonzaga, Maryland) and recorded eight victories over teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament. Butler averaged 22 wins per year under Lickliter, winning league titles in 2002, 2003 and 2007 while winning at least 20 games in four of six seasons. Lickliter led the Bulldogs to an unbeaten home record (12-0) in 2002-03, and mentored Butler to a 70-12 (.854) home mark in his six seasons. His Bulldog teams were 6-5 against teams ranked in the “Top 25” and compiled four of the top 10 winning streaks in Butler history. In his first season as Butler’s head coach, Lickliter guided the Bulldogs to a then school-record 26 victories and a third consecutive Horizon League regular season title. Lickliter guided the 2003 Bulldogs to an even more impressive season in his second year as head coach. He led Butler to a 27-6 record, breaking the single-season mark for victories for a second consecutive year. Lickliter served as an assistant coach at Butler and Eastern Michigan and was a high school head coach in Indianapolis and Danville, IL. In his final two seasons as a Butler assistant coach, the Bulldogs compiled a 47-16 record, including “Top 25” wins over 10th-ranked Wisconsin and 23rd-ranked Wake Forest. The win over the Demon Deacons in the 2001 NCAA Tournament was Butler’s first NCAA Tournament victory in 39 years. Lickliter played his final two collegiate seasons at Butler, where he earned a B.S degree in secondary education in 1979. Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter has not coached against Southeastern Louisiana or Lion Coach Jim Yarbrough.

SLU COACH JIM YARBROUGH
Jim Yarbrough is in his third season as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana and his seventh year overall as a college head coach. He holds a 39-30 record with the Lions and his career mark stands at 136-72. Yarbrough posted a 97-42 record in five seasons as the head coach at Valdosta State, leading his team to two conference titles and two appearances in the Division II NCAA Tournament. Yarbrough served as an assistant coach at the College of Charleston for six seasons (1994-2000). With Yarbrough on the coaching staff, College of Charleston posted a 153-28 record, earning three NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the NIT. He was also an assistant coach at West Florida for one season after coaching in the prep ranks for six seasons. Yarbrough has not coached against Iowa or Hawkeye Coach Todd Lickliter.

THE SERIES
Iowa and Southeastern Louisiana are meeting for the first time.

IOWA, SLU GAME NOTES

• Iowa holds a 3-1 record against current members of the Southland Conference, with single wins over McNeese State, Texas State and Texas-San Antonio and a loss to Northwestern State.
• The Hawkeyes are 10-5 against seven different teams from the state of Louisiana, including an overtime loss earlier this season to Louisiana-Monroe.
• Southeastern Louisiana is 1-2 against the Big Ten Conference, with a win over Penn State and losses to Minnesota and Purdue.
• Iowa and Southeastern Louisiana played two common opponents last season. Southeastern LA won at Penn State and lost at Minnesota. Iowa swept two games from the Golden Gophers and split games with Penn State, winning at home and losing on the road.
• SLU assistant Larry Cordaro was a student assistant coach at Louisiana State when LSU defeated Iowa 63-61 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the first round of the 2002 NIT post-season tournament.

FREEMAN RETURNS TO ACTION
Junior guard Tony Freeman saw his first action of the season in Iowa’s 62-55 win at Northern Iowa. He did not play Dec. 8 in the loss at Iowa State, but returned to play 22 minutes in the loss to Drake, contributing nine points. He missed Iowa’s first nine games after suffering a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during Iowa’s exhibition win over Simpson College Nov. 1. Freeman played 24 minutes against Northern Iowa, collecting 15 points, three assists and one rebound. He hit 5-7 field goal attempts, including all three three-point shots. He also made both of his free throw attempts.

IOWA FALLS TO DRAKE
Iowa rallied from an eight point halftime deficit to lead by as many as five points in the second half, but the Hawkeyes were unable to hold on as Drake scored a 56-51 win in Iowa City. Iowa connected on seven of its first 10 field goal attempts of the second half, turning a 29-21 deficit into a 39-34 advantage with 11:58 to play. The Hawkeyes went cold from there, failing to score for over six minutes as Drake rallied for a 40-39 advantage at the 7:03 mark. A basket by Jarryd Cole gave Iowa a 41-40 advantage with 5:22 left before Drake scored eight straight points to gain control. Iowa cut the deficit to 48-46 with 1:45 remaining on a driving basket by Jeff Peterson, but Drake responded with a three-point basket at the 1:14 mark to secure its advantage. Both teams started slow, with Iowa holding a 14-13 lead after the first 10 minutes. Drake took control with a 14-2 scoring run to lead by as many as 11 before settling for an eight point margin at the break. Iowa shot 34.8% in the first half and Drake 33.3%. Iowa improved to 48.1% in the second half and 42% for the game, while the Hawkeye defense held the Bulldogs to just 34.6% overall. Iowa held the advantage in made field goals (21-18) and three-pointers (9-8), while the rebounding was even. Drake, however, connected on 12-17 free throws, while Iowa, in what is believed to be the first time ever, did not attempt a free throw. The Bulldogs were not whistled for a foul after collecting their sixth team foul with 7:52 remaining. Cole led Iowa with 12 points, while Tony Freeman added nine and Justin Johnson and Jake Kelly each added eight. Kurt Looby collected seven rebounds, while Cole and Peterson each had five. Peterson added a team-best five assists.

SOUTHEASTERN LA FALLS AT UTEP
A 14-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome for Southeastern Louisiana as the Lions dropped a 76-67 decision at Texas-El Paso Dec. 19. The Lions trailed 42-28 att halftime before outscoring the home team 39-34 over the final 20 minutes. UTEP collected 11 steals while forcing 22 SLU turnovers and the Minors scored 23 points following those turnovers. Southeastern Louisiana shot 50% in the second half and held UTEP to 35.3% shooting in the final 20 minutes. The Lions shot 48% from the field overall, but could not overcome the difference in turnovers. The Lions had a balanced scoring attack as four players scored in double figures. Forward Warrell Span led the Lions with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Dekyron Nicks added 13 points, Tavaris Nance added 11 and Patrick Sullivan contributed 12 points and 20 rebounds. The Lions held a 41-30 rebounding advantage.

HAWKEYES FEATURE YOUNG LINE-UP
Iowa’s starting line-up in three games has included freshmen Jarryd Cole, Jeff Peterson and Jake Kelly. Iowa had not started three freshmen in a game since the 2000-01 season. That season, Brody Boyd, Jared Reiner and Glen Worley started in a game at Illinois. Boyd, Worley and Sean Sonderleiter started in a game at Michigan State and Boyd, Worley and Cortney Scott started in a game at Michigan.

HAWKEYES HIT THE BOARDS
In a 62-55 win at Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes held a 37-16 rebounding advantage. No Northern Iowa player had more than five rebounds and only four of the nine Panthers who played had any rebounds. Kurt Looby led Iowa with seven rebounds, while six Hawkeyes had at least four. The plus 21 rebounding advantage is the largest for Iowa since the second game of the 2006-07 season when the Hawkeyes held a 51-30 rebounding advantage in a 78-65 win over Toledo in the Paradise Jam.

IOWA GAME NOTES

• Iowa is allowing just 55.8 points per game, as five opponents have been held under 50 points and only three have scored over 60.
• Iowa opponents are shooting 37.8% from the field as eight opponents have shot less than 40%.
• Iowa opponents are shooting 31.8% from three-point range as six opponents have shot less than 30% from three-point range.
• Iowa holds a +5.3 rebounding advantage while collecting more rebounds than the opponent in eight of 12 games. In a 62-55 win at Northern Iowa, the Hawkeyes made their final eight free throw attempts of the game. After missing the first attempt and making 1-2 in the first half, Iowa made all seven attempts in the final 20 minutes for a season-best 88.9% accuracy. Iowa has been over 80% from the foul line in three games.
• Senior guard Justin Johnson leads Iowa in scoring at 15.1 points per game. He has scored 19 or more points in five games and has scored 21 or more points in three games, with a career-best 26 against Louisiana-Monroe.
• Senior forward Kurt Looby leads Iowa in rebounding (7.6), field goal percentage (.674) and blocked shots (1.7). He has 10 or more rebounds in three games, with a career-best 12 against Louisiana-Monroe.

JOHNSON AMONG SINGLE GAME LEADERS
Senior guard Justin Johnson has made 41 three-point field goals through 12 games, shooting 36.9% from behind the arc. Johnson has made seven treys in two games (Idaho State and Eastern Illinois), a figure that ranks third best for a single game at Iowa. Chris Kingsbury holds the Iowa record, hitting nine treys in two different games. Johnson joins Kingsbury (three times), Jeff Horner and Jeff Moe with seven three-pointers in a game. Johnson set a Hawkeye Challenge record with 13 three-point baskets in two games. He had a career-high 26 points vs. Louisiana-Monroe and added 25 points vs. Eastern Illinois in earning a spot on the all-tournament team. Johnson was also named to the all-tournament squad at the South Padre Island Invitational. He recorded his first career double-double against Louisiana-Monroe with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Johnson leads Iowa with a 15.1 scoring average while collecting 4.8 rebounds per game.

LOOBY IN THE PAINT
Senior Kurt Looby has played well in the paint through Iowa’s first 12 games. Looby is averaging a team-best 7.6 rebounds and is scoring 5.3 points a game while shooting 67.4% (29-43) from the field. Looby, who had a career-best 12 rebounds against Louisiana-Monroe, also leads Iowa with 20 blocked shots. Looby has 73 career blocks, just eight shy of ranking in Iowa’s career top 10. He had 12 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Bradley and 10 points and eight rebounds vs. Utah State. He has 10 or more rebounds in three games. Looby ranks sixth in the Big Ten in blocked shots and eighth in rebounds.

COLE HAS BEST NIGHT
Freshman forward Jarryd Cole had the best game of his young college career in Iowa’s loss at Iowa State. Cole connected on 7-10 field goal attempts, scoring 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds, both season-bests. He made all six of his field goal attempts while scoring 12 points and collecting five rebounds against Drake. In an earlier loss to Wake Forest he came off the bench to score 14 points (7-10 FGs) and grab seven rebounds in 33 minutes. Cole, who started for the first time against Louisiana-Monroe, added 10 points and four rebounds in a win over Eastern Illinois. He is averaging 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 65.4% from the field.

NEAR THE TOP, ALMOST . . .
Iowa senior Kurt Looby and freshman Jarryd Cole almost rank among Big Ten Conference leaders in field goal percentage. The problem is, neither Looby nor Cole have made enough field goals to qualify for the rankings. A minimum of three made field goals per game is required, leaving Cole two shy of qualifying and Looby seven off the mark. Looby is shooting 67.4% and Cole 65.4%.

KELLY SHARING THE BALL
Freshman guard Jake Kelly moved into the starting line-up in Iowa’s last five games and led the team in assists three times. He scored a career-high 19 points in a win at Northern Iowa, hitting 6-13 field goal attempts and 3-5 treys while collecting two steals. Kelly had six assists against Louisiana-Monroe and four assists in the win over Eastern Illinois. At Iowa State he contributed 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. Kelly is averaging 7.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and ranks among Big Ten leaders in three-point field goal percentage (50%).

PETERSON STEPS RIGHT IN
Freshman guard Jeff Peterson has stepped into the starting line-up and ranks second in minutes played. Peterson had 12 points, nine assists and no turnovers in his first college game. He added 20 points in a win over Northern Colorado and added nine points and four assists against Florida Gulf Coast. He is averaging 7.2 points and a team-best 3.9 assists per game, while sharing the team lead with 11 steals.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its eight home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 6.3 margin, shooting 44.3% from the field while holding its opponent to 35.9% shooting. Iowa holds a 36.0-30.0 rebounding advantage. In four games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena (including two neutral site games), Iowa has been outscored 65.2-55.8 The Hawkeyes are shooting 40.6% from the field while opponents are shooting 41.2%. Iowa holds a 36.4-33.8 rebounding margin.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves are averaging 17.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, compared to 11.6 points and 7.3 rebounds by the opponent reserves. Iowa is 5-5 when the reserves outscore the opponent’s reserves and 1-1 when the opponent reserves score more points. Iowa is 4-4 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 2-1 when the opponent reserves have more rebounds and 0-1 when rebounding by the reserves is even.

OVERCOMING DEFICITS
The biggest deficit Iowa has overcome to get a victory is seven points, that in a 65-48 win over Maryland Eastern Shore. The biggest deficit overcome by an Iowa opponent is 16, that by Louisiana-Monroe in a 72-67 overtime win at Iowa.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has been outscored 316-315 in the first half and holds a 366-336 advantage in the second half. The Hawkeyes have been outscored 17-12 in their only overtime period. Iowa has led at halftime in seven games and has outscored its opponent in the second half in seven games. The second half scoring was even in the win over Idaho State.

IOWA FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa has made at least 80% of its free throws in three games and at least 70% of its free throws in four games, with a season-best 88.9% (8-9) at Northern Iowa. Iowa has posted a 4-1 record when shooting at least 70% from the free throw line.

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS
Iowa is 15-29 (.517) from the free throw line in the final four minutes of its five games that have been decided by 10 points or less. Iowa’s opponents in those games have made 19-33 free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Those figures include all free throw attempts in Iowa’s single overtime game. Iowa is 1-4 in games decided by 10 points or less, including one overtime loss.

HAWKEYE GAME NOTES & TRENDS

• Iowa is 0-0 when scoring 80 points or more, 0-0 when scoring between 70-80 points, 3-2 when scoring between 60-70 points and 3-4 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa is 6-3 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 0-2 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 0-1 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
• Iowa is 4-4 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 2-2 when the opponent has more assists and 0-0 when assists were even.
• Iowa is 1-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 5-5 when the opponent has fewer turnovers and 0-1 when turnovers are equal.
• Iowa is 2-0 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 4-5 when the opponent had more steals and 0-1 when steals are equal.
• Iowa is 0-0 when five reach double figures, 0-0 when four reach double figures; 1-2 when three score in double figures, 4-1 when two players score in double figures and 1-3 when one scores in double figures.
• Iowa is 6-1 when leading at halftime, 0-5 when trailing at intermission and 0-0 when tied at halftime.
• Iowa is 5-5 when controlling the opening tip and 1-0 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 1-4 in games decided by 10 points or less, including a 0-2 record in games decided by five points or less and a 0-1 mark in overtime.
• Iowa is 0-2 in neutral site games, dropping contests to Bradley and Utah State at the South Padre Island Invitational in late November.

IOWA TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 37 of its last 42 games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including win streaks of 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 (losses to Northern Iowa and Wisconsin) after a perfect 17-0 mark in 2006.

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 67 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.

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 is currently out of action due to injury. 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 1,444) 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.

BIG TEN SINGLE GAME TICKETS ON SALE
Single game tickets for Iowa’s nine Big Ten Conference home games are now on sale. Tickets may be purchased online at www.hawkeyesports.com, by calling the UI Athletics Ticket office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa opens Big Ten action by hosting Indiana Jan. 2. Iowa also hosts Michigan State (Jan. 12), Purdue (Jan. 16), Penn State (Jan. 26), Ohio State (Feb. 2), Wisconsin (Feb. 6), Michigan (Feb. 14), Northwestern (Feb. 19) and Illinois (Mar. 1 or 2).

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).
• Single game tickets for Big Ten Conference games are now on sale.
• 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).
• “Family Four Pack” tickets are available for home games Dec. 29 vs. Southeastern Louisiana and Feb. 19 vs. Northwestern. The “Family Four Pack” includes four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for a cost of $65.
• Single game tickets are available for $20 for all games except Big Ten Conference weekend games and the Wisconsin game. 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 the final non-conference game vs. Southeastern Louisiana Dec. 29.
• 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.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session and single session tickets for the 2008 Big Ten Conference men’s basketball tournament go on sale to the general public at 9 a.m. CT Saturday, Dec. 8. Tickets are available at all 11 Big Ten university ticket offices, the Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at (317) 239-5151. The 11th annual Big Ten Tournament will be held March 13-16, 2008 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All session tickets are on sale for $150 or $275, depending on seat location. Single-session tickets range from $30 to $85, based on seat location and session. Orders are limited to 12 all-session tickets or 12 single-session tickets.

IOWA IN LAS VEGAS NEXT SEASON
Iowa will take part in the Las Vegas Invitational during the early portion of the 2008-09 season. The 2008 event will take place Nov. 28-29, 2008 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Iowa’s bracket of opponents in Las Vegas will include Kentucky, Kansas State and West Virginia. Similar to the South Padre Island Invitational this season, Iowa will have two home games in the event before traveling to Las Vegas for two games. Possible first and second round opponents include Southeast Missouri State, Oakland University, Delaware State and Longwood University. Kansas defeated eventual national champion Florida in the championship game of the tournament a year ago, while North Carolina and Louisville highlight the field this year. Participating schools will each have their share of tickets available to sell after this season in completed. The general public will have a chance to purchase a limited number of tickets for the final rounds in Las Vegas beginning Saturday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. EST at the Orleans Arena. For ticket information, please contact the Orleans Arena at (702) 284-7777 or on the web at www.orleansarena.com.

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 four games against teams that were in the NIT a year ago (Michigan twice, Bradley, Utah State).

IOWA VS. THE FIELD
Iowa posted a 6-10 record while playing 11 teams that advanced to post-season play last season. That included a 4-9 record against eight teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament and a 2-1 record against three teams that were in the NIT.

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 Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18 and 25; and Mar. 3 and 10.

IOWA HEADS TO BIG TEN CONFERENCE ACTION
Iowa begins Big Ten Conference action at home, hosting Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 2 (8:05 p.m., BTN). The Hawkeyes play at Wisconsin Jan. 5 (11:05 a.m., BTN) and visit Ohio State Jan. 9 (6:05 p.m. CT, BTN).

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