Hawkeyes Back in Action at Wisconsin Saturday

Jan. 3, 2008

THE SETTING
Iowa (7-7, 0-1) faces its second consecutive ranked opponent as it travels to No. 25/24 Wisconsin (11-2, 1-0) Saturday, Jan. 5. Game time is 11:05 a.m. at The Kohl Center (17,142). The game is sold out. Iowa began Big Ten Conference action with a 79-76 loss to Indiana Wednesday night in Iowa City. Wisconsin opened conference play with its fifth straight win, taking a 70-54 decision at Michigan.

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). Wayne Larrivee and Trent Tucker will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,422 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,445-977 (.597). That includes a 908-312 (.744) record in home games, a 537-665 (.447) record in games away from Iowa City, a 684-666 (.507) mark in Big Ten games and a 314-86 (.785) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IN THE RANKINGS
Wisconsin is ranked 25th by the Associated Press and 24th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. Wisconsin is the second ranked opponent the Hawkeyes have faced this season, as Iowa dropped a 79-76 decision to No. 11/12 Indiana Wednesday night in Iowa City.

COLE TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON
Iowa freshman Jarryd Cole suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Iowa’s 57-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana Dec. 29 and will miss the remainder of the season. He will undergo surgery Friday, Jan. 4. Cole is a 6-7, 250-pound forward who played in Iowa’s first 13 games, with six starts. The native of Kansas City, MO (Winnetonka HS) is averaging 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting .667 from the field. He had season-bests of 15 points and nine rebounds against Iowa State. “I feel badly for Jarryd,” said Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter. “Injuries such as this are something you don’t anticipate or prepare for. I know he will attack his rehabilitation as aggressively as he has basketball and academics through the first semester of his college career.” Cole underwent surgery Friday, Jan. 4. Cole was in the starting line-up in Iowa’s final non-conference win, contributing four points and four rebounds. His dunk with 11:55 remaining gave Iowa a 32-31 advantage. The injury occurred just after his basket. “His presence has had an effect on our team,” added Lickliter. “While we are going to miss not having him on the court, our concern is for him personally. He’s in great hands with our medical staff. With time, we look forward to Jarryd’s complete recovery.” The injury to Cole is the second major injury suffered by a member of the Hawkeye program this season. Junior guard Tony Freeman played in just three of Iowa’s 13 non-conference games after suffering a foot injury during Iowa’s pre-season exhibition game.

KELLY THE LATEST ON INJURED LIST
Freshman guard Jake Kelly became the latest Hawkeye to miss game time with an injury, as he suffered a sprained ankle in Wednesday’s loss to Indiana. Kelly left the game after starting and playing the first five minutes, and did not return. X-rays were taken on Kelly’s right ankle Thursday and he is listed as day to day.

JOHNSON AMONG SINGLE GAME LEADERS
Senior guard Justin Johnson has made 51 three-point field goals through 14 games, shooting 38.9% from behind the arc. He connected on six straight three-point shots in the final two minutes against Indiana, and even converted one of the attempts into a four-point play after being fouled. Johnson made 8-13 three-point attempts against Indiana while scoring a career-best 29 points, 19 of those in the final two minutes. The eight three-pointers are the third most in a single game in Iowa history, as Chris Kingsbury twice had nine treys during the 1994-95 season. Johnson’s eight treys are the most by a Hawkeye in a Big Ten game and tie for ninth place in the Big Ten Conference. Johnson has also made seven treys in two games (Idaho State and Eastern Illinois) this season. Johnson set a Hawkeye Challenge record with 13 three-point baskets in two games. He had 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 15.7 scoring average while collecting 4.9 rebounds per game. He leads the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (3.6) and is second in minutes played (35.7).

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 (Dec. 14) in which the Hawkeyes failed to record a free throw attempt. Drake was guilty of 10 fouls in the game, 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.

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). Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan was also recognized at the conclusion of the 2007 season. Ryan received the Clair Bee Coach of the Year award and the Rupp Cup as Coach of the Year after leading the Badgers to a 30-6 overall record.

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 138-68 (.670) after posting a 131-61 (.682) record as Butler’s head coach and beginning his first season at Iowa with a 7-7 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. Lickliter has not coached against Wisconsin or Badger Coach Bo Ryan.

WISCONSIN COACH BO RYAN
Bo Ryan is in his seventh season at Wisconsin after leading the Badgers to back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles in 2002 and 2003. The Badgers won the Big Ten Tournament title in 2004. He was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2004. Ryan has posted a 143-55 record with the Badgers. Ryan is in his 23rd season as a college head coach, with a career record of 526-158. Ryan moved to Madison after posting a 30-27 record in two seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ryan’s UW-Milwaukee team posted a 15-13 record in 2001, including a narrow 83-79 loss to Iowa in Iowa City. Ryan was the head coach at Wisconsin-Platteville for 15 seasons, leading that school to four NCAA Division III national titles (1991, 1995, 1998 & 1999) and eight conference titles. Overall his record at Platteville was 353-76. Ryan has been named national Coach of the Year four times. He is the winningest coach in Division III history and was the winningest coach in the NCAA (all divisions) in the 1990’s. He served as an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning USA team at the 1995 World University Games and an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning North team at the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival. Ryan previously was an assistant at Wisconsin for eight seasons (1977-84), working under Bill Cofield and Steve Yoder. Ryan is 9-4 vs. Iowa (9-3 while at Wisconsin) and has not coached against Hawkeye Coach Todd Lickliter.

NOT AS THE HEAD COACH
While Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter has not faced the Badgers as a head coach, he has been a part of several games involving both Wisconsin and current Badger Coach Bo Ryan. Lickliter was an assistant coach at Butler in 1988-89 when Wisconsin won 63-53 at Butler and in 2000-01 when Butler won 58-44 at Wisconsin. Lickliter was also an assistant at Butler during the two seasons in which Ryan was the head coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-01). Butler defeated UW-Milwaukee three times during the 1999-00 season and twice during the 2000-01 campaign.

THE SERIES
Iowa holds a 76-71 advantage in the series that began with a 30-9 Wisconsin win in 1909. Wisconsin won both meetings last season (57-46 in Iowa City and 74-62 in Madison) and has won eight of the last nine. The teams split games in 2006, Wisconsin winning 66-52 in Madison and Iowa winning 59-44 in Iowa City. The Badgers won both meetings in 2005 by three points, 72-69 in Madison during the regular season and 59-56 in the Big Ten Conference Tournament semi-finals. Iowa won two of three meetings in 2002, the only time the teams have ever met three times in the same season. In 2002, the Hawkeyes won in Iowa City and lost in Madison before defeating the Badgers in the quarter-finals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Iowa and Wisconsin have met three times at the Big Ten Tournament, with the Badgers winning twice. Wisconsin won in Chicago in 1999 and 2005 and Iowa won in Indianapolis in 2002. Wisconsin holds a 46-27 advantage in games played in Madison and the Badgers have won the last six meetings there. Iowa is 2-6 at the Kohl Center, winning there in 2000 (61-55) and 1998 (79-76).

IOWA, BADGER NOTES

  • Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring defense and 12th in the nation (57.0), while the Badgers lead the Big Ten and rank third nationally (54.1). Iowa also ranks 29th in field goal defense (39%) and Wisconsin is 11th (37.5%).
  • Iowa is 5-5 in its first conference road game of the season over the past 10 years.
  • Iowa assistants LaVall Jordan and Joel Cornette played against Wisconsin during their college careers at Butler, helping the Bulldogs post a 58-44 win in Madison on Jan. 30, 2001. Jordan contributed seven points and five rebounds in 35 minutes, while Cornette added seven points and six rebounds in 29 minutes.
  • Wisconsin Assistant Coach Gary Close was an assistant coach at Iowa for 13 seasons (1987-99) under Tom Davis. He later was the head boys basketball coach at Regina High School in Iowa City for three years, leading his team to the state tournament his last two seasons.
  • Wisconsin’s Jason Bohannon is a native of Marion, IA. His father, Gordy, played quarterback for the Hawkeye football team.
  • Matt Ryan, Wisconsin’s video coordinator, is the youngest son of Badger Coach Bo Ryan.

WISCONSIN WON BOTH A YEAR AGO
Wisconsin pulled away in the second half of both games last season in taking two wins over the Hawkeyes. The second-ranked Badgers won 57-46 in Iowa City Jan. 28 and later, while ranked fourth, defeated Iowa 74-62 Feb. 10 in Madison. Wisconsin used an 8-0 scoring run over three-and-a-half minutes late in the second half to pull away in Iowa City, ending Iowa’s 12-game home winning streak in Big Ten Conference play. The first half featured scoring runs by both teams. Iowa scored 10 straight points to take a 12-9 advantage early in the contest before Wisconsin answered with 14 straight to take a 23-12 lead. Iowa’s 10-3 spurt in the final minutes left the Badgers with a 26-22 halftime advantage. Iowa closed its deficit to 45-41 with 7:40 remaining in the game. But Wisconsin gained control from there as Iowa did not score again until 3:33 remained. Iowa was unable to close the gap to less than nine the remainder of the game. The Badgers shot 55% from the field in the second half. Iowa held a 40-33 rebounding advantage and forcing 12 Badger turnovers. Iowa had nine turnovers, including just three in the second half. Adam Haluska led Iowa with 16 points and Tyler Smith added eight. Cyrus Tate led Iowa’s rebounding effort with a career-high 10 rebounds and Haluska added seven rebounds and four assists. Alando Tucker led Wisconsin with 27 points, while Brian Butch added 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Wisconsin used a strong second half rally for a 74-62 win in Madison. The Hawkeyes led 35-31 at halftime and played well through the first 30 minutes. A three-point play by freshman Tyler Smith gave the Hawkeyes a 50-49 advantage with 12:20 remaining. The Badgers used a 13-1 scoring run over the next four minutes to build an 11-point advantage. Iowa fought back, closing to within five points, 67-62 on a basket by Adam Haluska. Marcus Landry then delivered the knockout punch for the Badgers, hitting a three-pointer as the shot clock was winding down for a 70-62 advantage with just two minutes to play. Wisconsin shot 53.3% from the field in the second half after shooting just 35.7% in the first half. Iowa, after shooting 47.1% in the first half, shot just 36.7% over the final 20 minutes. Wisconsin also held a 42-33 rebounding advantage, getting several baskets in the paint following 13 offensive rebounds. Haluska led Iowa with 16 points and six rebounds. Smith had eight points, six rebounds and five steals. Tony Freeman and Seth Gorney each added eight points and Freeman collected five assists. Tucker led the Badgers with 21 points, while Brian Butch added 15 points and seven rebounds.

INDIANA HOLDS OFF IOWA RALLY
Iowa rallied in the final two minutes after trailing by 13 points, but time ran out as No. 11/12 Indiana left Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 79-76 win. The Hoosiers used an 11-1 scoring run to take a 70-57 advantage with 2:10 remaining before Iowa senior Justin Johnson went on a three-point spree that nearly carried Iowa to an upset victory. Johnson hit six three-point baskets in the final 1:55, and even added a free throw after being fouled on one of the attempts for a four-point play. His final trey came from roughly 40-feet with four seconds to play to cut the deficit to 78-76. Indiana’s Lance Stemler then hit one of two free throws and Iowa was unable to get a final shot attempt as time expired. Johnson ended the game with a career-high 29 points (10-15 FG, 8-13 treys). He also collected six rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots. Tony Freeman added 12 points and nine assists and Seth Gorney had eight seven points and 10 rebounds. The Hoosiers led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Iowa rallied late in the period and the score was knotted at 34 at intermission. Iowa rallied from an eight point deficit in the second half and trailed 59-56 with 6:50 remaining before Indiana regained control with its scoring run over the next five minutes. Iowa shot 43.1% from the field, compared to 49.1% for Indiana. The Hoosiers connected on 71.9% from the foul line (23-32), compared to 60% (15-25) for Iowa. The rebounding was even.

BADGERS WIN AT MICHIGAN
Freshman Jon Leuer came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points as Wisconsin defeated Michigan 70-54 in Ann Arbor for its fifth straight win. Leuer connected on 8-9 field goal attempts, including all five of his three-point shots. He also had five rebounds and two steals. Wisconsin held the Wolverines to 27% shooting in the first half in building a 34-18 halftime advantage. Wisconsin increased the advantage to as many as 20 points in the early portion of the second half. The Badgers shot 44.4% in the opening 20 minutes and 55.6% in the second half. Wisconsin also made 7-12 (58.3%) three-point attempts and 19-25 (76%) free throws and held a 35-25 rebounding advantage. Junior Marcus Landry added 15 points and six rebounds for the Badgers and Jason Bohannon contributed 10 points.

HAWKEYES FEATURE YOUNG LINE-UP
Iowa’s starting line-up in four games included freshmen Jarryd Cole, Jeff Peterson and Jake Kelly. Cole is now out of action for the remainder of the season. 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.

IOWA GAME NOTES

  • Iowa is allowing just 57 points per game, as six opponents have been held to 50 points or less and only four have scored over 60.
  • Iowa opponents are shooting 39% from the field as eight opponents have shot less than 40%.
  • Iowa opponents are shooting 31.9% from three-point range as six opponents have shot less than 30% from beyond the arc.
  • Iowa holds a +3.9 rebounding advantage while collecting more rebounds than the opponent in eight 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 15.7 points per game. He has scored 19 or more points in six games and has scored 21 or more points in four games, with a career-best 29 against Indiana.
  • Senior forward Kurt Looby leads Iowa in rebounding (6.9), field goal percentage (.673) and blocked shots (1.7). He has 10 or more rebounds in three games, with a career-best 12 against Louisiana-Monroe.

LOOBY IN THE PAINT
Senior Kurt Looby has played well in the paint through Iowa’s first 14 games. Looby is averaging a team-best 6.9 rebounds and is scoring 5.4 points a game while shooting 67.3% (33-49) from the field. Looby, who had a career-best 12 rebounds against Louisiana-Monroe, also leads Iowa with 24 blocked shots. Looby has 77 career blocks, just four 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 fourth in the Big Ten in blocked shots and ninth in rebounds.

FREEMAN BACK IN ACTION
Junior guard Tony Freeman saw his first action of the season in Iowa’s 62-55 win at Northern Iowa (Dec. 5). Freeman played 24 minutes against Northern Iowa, collecting 15 points, three assists and one rebound. After missing the Iowa State game, he returned to play 22 minutes in the loss to Drake, contributing nine points. He added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 34 minutes in Iowa’s win over Southeastern Louisiana and added 12 points and nine assists against Indiana. He is averaging 12.8 points and four assists in four games. He suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during Iowa’s exhibition win over Simpson College Nov. 1.

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 averaged 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7% from the field in 13 games. He will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn left ACL in a win over Southeastern Louisiana.

KELLY SHARING THE BALL
Freshman guard Jake Kelly moved into the starting line-up in Iowa’s last six games and led the team in assists three times. He played just five minutes in Iowa’s most recent outing after suffering an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the game. 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 6.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and is shooting 48.1% from three-point range.

PETERSON STEPS RIGHT IN
Freshman guard Jeff Peterson has started 11 games 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 contributed six points and four assists vs. Indiana and is averaging 6.6 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per game, while sharing the team lead with 13 steals.

BOHALL GETS SCORING BEST
Sophomore guard Dan Bohall set a career scoring high with 14 points in the win over Northern Colorado. He made 3-6 field goals and 7-8 free throws and also collected six rebounds. He had a career-best six assists in a win over Idaho State and added eight points, four rebounds and four assists in a win over Florida Gulf Coast. Bohall added 10 points and five assists in a win over Maryland Eastern Shore. Bohall is averaging 4.9 points and 2.7 assists and is shooting 80% from the free throw line.

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.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its nine 10 games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 5.4 margin, shooting 43.5% from the field while holding its opponent to 37.9% shooting. Iowa holds a 35.2-31.3 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 18.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, compared to 12.1 points and 7.6 rebounds by the opponent reserves. Iowa is 6-5 when the reserves outscore the opponent’s reserves and 1-2 when the opponent reserves score more points. Iowa is 5-4 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 2-2 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 14 points, that in a 57-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana. The Hawkeyes trailed by seven at halftime. 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 375-367 in the first half and holds a 447-406 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 eight games. The first half scoring was even in the loss to Indiana and the second half scoring was even in the win over Idaho State.

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS
Iowa is 26-42 (.619) from the free throw line in the final four minutes of its seven games that have been decided by 10 points or less. Iowa’s opponents in those games have made 32-54 (.593) free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Those figures include all free throw attempts in Iowa’s single overtime game. Iowa is 2-5 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, 0-1 when scoring between 70-80 points, 3-2 when scoring between 60-70 points and 4-4 when scoring less than 60 points.
  • Iowa is 7-3 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 0-2 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 0-2 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
  • Iowa is 4-5 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 3-2 when the opponent has more assists and 0-0 when assists were even.
  • Iowa is 2-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 5-6 when the opponent has fewer turnovers and 0-1 when turnovers are equal.
  • Iowa is 3-0 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 4-6 when the opponent had more steals and 0-1 when steals are equal.
  • Iowa is 0-0 when five reach double figures, 1-0 when four reach double figures; 1-2 when three score in double figures, 4-2 when two players score in double figures and 1-3 when one scores in double figures.
  • Iowa is 6-1 when leading at halftime, 1-5 when trailing at intermission and 0-1 when tied at halftime.
  • Iowa is 6-6 when controlling the opening tip and 1-1 when not controlling the tip.
  • Iowa is 2-5 in games decided by 10 points or less, including a 0-3 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.

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.

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.

IOWA PROGRAM REACHES 1,400 WINS
The Iowa basketball program reached 1,400 wins (now at 1,445) 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 Wednesday, hosting Indiana. 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 Iowa’s home game 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.
  • 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 TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iowa has fared well while taking part in regular-season tournaments over the past 25 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.

HAWKEYE SCHEDULE NOTES

  • Iowa’s schedule includes 19 home games. This marks the third straight season Iowa has opened with an exhibition contest against a member of the Iowa Conference.
  • 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’s Big Ten schedule includes four weekend home dates and five games during the week. Iowa plays at home on Saturday, Jan. 12, Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and either Saturday or Sunday, March 1 or 2.

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.

IOWA INFORMATION ON THE WEB
Iowa basketball information is available on the University of Iowa’s web site, hawkeyesports.com. Once you have entered the web site, you may obtain biographical information on Iowa players and coaches, game notes, game stories and box scores from all games throughout the season, plus team and individual cumulative stats and a pdf version of Iowa’s History and Record book. Members of the media who wish to have this information forwarded via e-mail throughout the season may do so by contacting the Iowa Sports Information office with your e-mail address.

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 HITS THE ROAD
Iowa remains on the road for a contest at Ohio State, Wednesday, Jan. 9 (6:05 p.m. CT, BTN). The Hawkeyes return home to host Michigan State Saturday, Jan 12 (7:35 p.m., BTN).

Complete Release in PDF Format

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