Hawkeyes Close Home Season Saturday

Feb. 29, 2008

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THE SETTING
Iowa (12-17, 5-11) closes its home season against Illinois (11-17, 3-12) Saturday, March 1 in the only meeting of the regular season with the Fighting Illini. Game time is 5:05 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). A limited number of single tickets remain. Iowa lost to Penn State 65-64 Wednesday in State College. Illinois has been idle since a 49-43 loss at Michigan on Feb. 23.

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). Roget Twibell and Tim McCormick will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,437 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,450-987 (.595). That includes a 912-315 (.743) record in home games, a 538-672 (.445) record in games away from Iowa City, a 689-676 (.505) mark in Big Ten games and a 318-89 (.781) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 318-89 (.781) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 151-72 (.677) in Big Ten games and 167-17 (.908) in non-Big Ten games.

IOWA SENIORS BID FAREWELL
Five members of the Iowa basketball program, including three Hawkeye players, will take part in their final home game against Illinois. They are center Seth Gorney, guard Justin Johnson and center Kurt Looby, along with senior manager Stephen Tjaden and graduate assistant athletic trainer Brad Floy. Those five members will be recognized in pre-game ceremonies.

FINAL CONTEST IS TUESDAY
Iowa’s final game of the regular season, at Northwestern, will be played Tuesday, March 4. The Big Ten Network will televise that contest, with an 8 p.m. start time.

Cyrus Tate NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Iowa forward Cyrus Tate was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Week for his efforts in Iowa’s two games last week. Iowa defeated Northwestern 53-51 in Iowa City and dropped a 66-52 decision at 17th-ranked Michigan State. Tate scored a career high 26 points in the loss at Michigan State, making 10-13 field goal attempts and 6-7 free throws. He also led Iowa with nine rebounds. Tate recorded the third scoring and rebounding double-double of his career in the win over Northwestern, collecting 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tate hit 7-9 field goal attempts and 4-8 free throws against the Wildcats, while also matching a career-best with three steals. Tate scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half as Iowa rallied from a 14-point deficit for the win. Tate is averaging eight points and five rebounds in all games, shooting 68.8% from the field. In league games, Tate is averaging 10.8 points and seven rebounds. He leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.723) for league games only and is fourth in rebounds. Tate scored 11 points in the loss at Penn State, while playing just 19 minutes due to foul problems. Tate (6-8, 240), is a junior who is in his second year at Iowa after attending Northeast (Neb.) Community College for one season. This is the first Player of the Week honor for Tate and the first for an Iowa player this season.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE CHANGES
The Big Ten Conference has announced starting times and television coverage for all games in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The event will take place March 13-16 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Three games will be played Thursday, March 13, at 11 a.m. and 1:30 and 4 p.m., CT. The Big Ten Network will televise the opening game, while games two and three will air on ESPN2. Friday’s action includes four games. Those times are 11 a.m. and 1:30, 5:30 and 8 p.m., CT. The first two games on Friday will air on ESPN, while the two evening games will be on the Big Ten Network. The semi-final games on Saturday will start at 12:40 and 3 p.m., CT. Sunday’s title game is set for 2:30 p.m., CT. CBS will televise both semi-final games and the championship contest. A complete tournament bracket is included with this release. Tournament pairings will be released Sunday, March 9, following the completion of all regular season games.

CLOSING THE HOME SEASON
Iowa has posted a 23-2 record in its final home game of the season over the past 25 seasons, with the losses coming to Michigan State in 1984 (44-51) and Wisconsin in 2001 (57-59). The Hawkeyes defeated Illinois 60-53 in the home finale a year ago. Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter posted a perfect 6-0 record in the final home game of the season during his tenure at Butler.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa has played a ranked opponent in six of its Big Ten games, while Ohio State (first meeting) and Purdue (second meeting) were also listed among teams receiving votes in both major polls. Michigan State was ranked sixth in both the Associated Press rankings and the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll at the time of the first meeting and No. 17/19 last week. Indiana was No. 11/12 and No. 7/8 and Wisconsin was No. 24/25 and No. 8/8.

LICKLITER VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter holds a 7-10 record when coaching against nationally ranked opponents, including a 1-5 mark at Iowa and a 6-5 record in six seasons at Butler. This season, Iowa defeated sixth-ranked Michigan State (43-36), while dropping decisions to 11th-ranked Indiana (76-79), 24th-ranked Wisconsin (51-64), seventh-ranked Indiana (65-43), eighth-ranked Wisconsin (54-60) and 17th-ranked Michigan State (52-66). Lickliter’s Butler teams defeated ranked opponents Louisville (14th), Maryland (18th), Mississippi State (20th), Ball State (21st), Tennessee (22nd) and Gonzaga (23rd). His teams are 0-3 vs. top five opponents, including losses to third-ranked Oklahoma in 2003, third-ranked Florida in 2007 and fifth-ranked Duke in 2003.

HAWKEYES IN NATIONAL STATS
In NCAA statistical rankings, Iowa ranks fifth in scoring defense (58.0) and 36th in field goal defense (40.6%). Senior guard Justin Johnson ranks 44th nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.0).

IOWA TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 42 of its last 51 games (.824) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the start of the 2004-05 season, including win streaks of 21-straight overall wins and 12-straight Big Ten Conference wins. Iowa has won 10 of its last 13 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.

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). Five current Big Ten Conference head coaches have earned national Coach of the Year honors.

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, in his seventh season as a college head coach, holds a career mark of 143-78 (.647), including a 12-17 record in his first season at Iowa. Lickliter posted a 131-61 (.682) record as Butler’s head coach. 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 Illinois or Illini Coach Bruce Weber.

ILLINOIS COACH BRUCE WEBER
Bruce Weber is in his fifth season as the head coach at Illinois, but he is no stranger to Big Ten basketball. Weber was an assistant coach at Purdue from 1981-98 before taking over as the head coach at Southern Illinois prior to the 1998-99 season. Weber is in his 10th year as a head coach and his career mark stands at 226-99, including a 123-45 record at Illinois and a 103-54 mark in his five seasons at Southern Illinois. Weber also served as an assistant coach for one season at Western Kentucky (under Gene Keady) before his stint at Purdue. Weber guided Illinois to the Big Ten regular season title in his first year at Champaign in 2004. Illinois swept the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in 2005 while advancing to the NCAA championship game, concluding the year with a 37-2 record. Weber led Southern Illinois to three post-season appearances in his five years, including NCAA Tournament invitations in 2002 and 2003. The Salukis earned Missouri Valley Conference titles in both 2002 and 2003 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002. Weber is 6-2 against Iowa. He has not coached against Hawkeye Coach Todd Lickliter.

THE SERIES
Illinois holds a 74-66 advantage in the series that began with a 46-36 Iowa win in 1908. Illinois won the first meeting last season 74-70 Jan. 10 in Champaign before Iowa won 60-53 March 3 in Iowa City. Iowa won 63-48 in 2006 in Iowa City before Illinois won 71-59 in Champaign. The Fighting Illini won both meetings in 2005 and 2004 and have won 10 of the last 14 meetings. The teams met just once in 2002 and 2003, with Illinois winning at home in 2002 and Iowa winning at home in 2003. Prior to 2001-02, Iowa and Illinois had met at least twice in every season since 1974. Illinois has been ranked in the top 25 in 11 of the last 13 meetings, including No. 1 for both meetings in 2005. Illinois was ranked in the top 10 at the time of both games in 2006. Iowa holds a 52-17 advantage in games played in Iowa City, including a 17-7 margin in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

GAME NOTES

• Iowa and Illinois are two of four Big Ten Conference teams to have posted a winning record in each of the last seven seasons. Michigan State and Wisconsin have each clinched an eighth straight winning campaign.
• In Big Ten games only, Iowa’s Cyrus Tate (.723) and Illinois’ Shaun Pruitt (.630) rank first and second, respectively, in field goal percentage.
• Iowa’s roster includes two players from Illinois, juniors Tony Freeman (Maywood) and Cyrus Tate (Chicago). In addition, freshman Jake Kelly attended Marshall, IL HS before playing his final two seasons at Carmel, IN HS.
• Iowa sophomore guard Tony Freeman and Illinois’ Brian Carlwell are both from Maywood, IL. Freeman attended St. Joseph’s while Carlwell attended Proviso East. Illinois freshman Demetri McCamey is from Bellwood, IL, but like Freeman, attended St. Joseph’s High School.
• Illinois is the only team Iowa has not played at least once in the Big Ten Conference post-season tournament.
• Iowa and Illinois are two of the three Big Ten teams that have won more than one Big Ten Conference Tournament. Iowa claimed the title in 2001 and 2006, and lost in the title game in 2002. Illinois earned the title in 2003 and Illinois. The fighting Illini were also in the title game in 1999, 2000 and 2004.
• Illinois (18-8, .692) and Iowa (13-8, .619) hold the two best overall records in the Big Ten tournament.

THEY SPLIT LAST SEASON
Iowa and Illinois each won at home last season, with Illinois taking a 74-70 decision Jan. 10 in Champaign and Iowa closing the home season with a 60-53 win March 3. In the first meeting, Illinois used a 19-3 scoring run over a 12 minute span in the second half and held off a late Iowa rally. Iowa trailed by 11 points in the early going (18-7) before taking the lead late in the first half. A three-point basket by Justin Johnson in the final seconds gave the Hawkeyes a 31-29 advantage at the break. Iowa built the lead to six points (45-39) in the early portion of the second half before Illinois rallied. Iowa trailed by as many as 13 points in the late going, facing a 67-54 deficit with 4:07 remaining. The Hawkeyes rallied, closing the margin to a single point (71-70) on a three-point basket by Adam Haluska with 32 seconds remaining. Iowa had a chance to tie after two Illinois free throws, but a final turnover with 18 seconds to play ended its chances. Iowa shot 43.8% from the field, including 53.8% from three-point range, and the Hawkeyes added 21-27 (77.8%) free throws. Illinois shot 50.9% from the field and won the rebounding battle 33-28. Haluska led Iowa with 25 points. Tyler Smith added 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists and Johnson scored 11. Warren Carter, Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt each scored 16 points for Illinois, while Randle added six rebounds and six assists.

Iowa used an 11-4 scoring run over the final four minutes to earn the win in Iowa City in the regular season finale. The win allowed the Hawkeyes to earn a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten. The score was tied for the 11th and final time at 49 when Tony Freeman connected on a three-point basket to give Iowa the lead with 3:30 remaining. Freeman added another three-pointer with 2:13 to play to give Iowa its biggest lead. Illinois hit four free throws to close the margin to 55-53 with 59 seconds to play when senior Mike Henderson took control. Henderson scored on a drive to the basket with 31 seconds remaining and added a free throw to make it a three-point play. He added two more free throws with 16 seconds remaining to seal the win. Illinois led by as many as six points in the early going before the first half ended with the Illini holding a 28-27 advantage. Neither team led by more than four until Henderson’s final free throws ended the scoring. Iowa shot 42.2% from the field and held Illinois to 36.4% shooting, but Illinois won the rebounding battle, 39-29. Haluska, who led the Big Ten Conference in scoring, led the Hawkeyes with 21 points. Freeman added 13 points and five assists and Henderson scored 11. Kurt Looby had seven rebounds and matched his season-high with five blocked shots. Pruitt had 20 points and nine rebounds to lead Illinois, while Carter added 12 points.

PENN STATE RALLIES PAST IOWA
Penn State converted a three-point play with 18 seconds remaining to score a 65-64 win over Iowa in State College. PSU’s David Jackson rebounded a missed three-point attempt and scored, then converted the free throw after the foul to give Penn State its first lead since the opening seconds of the second half. Iowa had several opportunities in the final seconds. A shot in traffic from the lane rimmed out and two attempted tip-in shots also failed to fall. Iowa was awarded the ball under its own basket with 1.2 seconds remaining, but Justin Johnson was stripped of the ball before he could get a shot. The loss spoiled Iowa’s best shooting night of the season. The Hawkeyes shot 57.5% from the field, 54.5% (12-22) from three-point range and 85.7% (6-7) from the foul line. The rebounding was even (21-21), but Iowa was guilty of 17 turnovers. Penn State also had a 14-6 advantage in made free throws. Iowa scored the final five points of the first half to pull within one, 31-30, at the break, shooting 63.2% from the field in the opening half. The Hawkeyes added the first 12 points of the second half to build a 42-31 advantage. Iowa led by as many as 12 in the second half, the last time at 45-33 with 15 minutes left. The Hawkeyes led by seven with 2:40 to play, but failed to score from there. Dan Bohall hit four straight free throws to provide that margin (64-57) before Penn State took advantage of two Hawkeye turnovers in the final minute. Jake Kelly led Iowa’s balanced scoring attack with 17 points. Tony Freeman added 14, Johnson scored 12 and Cyrus Tate 11. Seth Gorney and Freeman each had five rebounds and Freeman added five assists.

MICHIGAN GETS PAST ILLINOIS
Michigan held Illinois to 19 points in the second half in taking a 49-43 win Feb. 23 in Ann Arbor. Illinois led 24-22 at halftime, but Michigan controlled the second half. The Wolverines forced 16 Illinois turnovers in the game and held a 17-6 scoring advantage in points off turnovers. Michigan also had a 43-36 rebounding advantage. Illinois shot just 32% from the field and 55.6% from the foul line. Calvin Brock led Illinois with 12 points, Trent Meacham scored 11 and Chester Frazier added nine. Demetri McCamey led Illinois with eight rebounds and five assists and Brock added seven rebounds.

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 had surgery Friday, Jan. 4. Cole is a 6-7, 250-pound forward who played in Iowa’s first 13 games, with six starts. He averaged 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. 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. 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.

IOWA GETS BIG TURNAROUND
Iowa’s 53-48 win over Ohio State marked a 36-point turnaround from the first meeting, a 79-48 Buckeye win on Jan. 9. The point differential is the most for Iowa against an opponent since the 2002 season. Indiana defeated the Hawkeyes 79-51 in Bloomington on Feb. 5, 2002 before the Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers 62-60 March 9 in the semi-finals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. The Hoosiers would later advance to the NCAA title game, in 2002, before falling to Maryland.

IOWA GAME NOTES

• Iowa made a season-high 12 three-point field goals in the loss at Penn State. Iowa’s 54.5% (12-22) shooting from three-point range and 57,5% field goal shooting overall, are also season bests.
• Iowa had four players score in double figures in the loss at Penn State, marking the fourth game this season Iowa has had four score 10 or more. Iowa is 2-2 in those games, which includes the home win over Penn State.
• Iowa’s 57.5% (23-40) field goal shooting at Penn State is the best percentage for Iowa in a road game since a win at Minnesota last season. Iowa shot 58.2% (32-55) in the 91-78 win in Minneapolis.
• Despite the loss at Michigan State, Iowa played well in certain aspects. MSU entered the game as the top team in the league in field goal percentage at over 49% for the season and over 50% in home games. The Hawkeyes held the Spartans to 39.1% shooting, including 4-16 (25%) three-point attempts.
• Iowa’s win over Northwestern marked just the second time in 14 games Iowa has rallied to win after trailing at halftime.
• The 14-point deficit vs. Northwestern matches the largest Iowa has overcome this season to win. Iowa also trailed Southeastern Louisiana by 14 points before earning a 57-50 win.
• Iowa had 10 turnovers in the win over Northwestern, including just two in the second half. Iowa has had less than 10 turnovers in just two of 27 games.
• Iowa had a season-low 23 rebounds in the loss at Minnesota. The 31-23 rebounding deficit is Iowa’s biggest in Big Ten play and second largest of the season.
• Iowa shot 52.8% (19-36) from the field in a loss at Purdue, its best shooting performance of the season. The 36 field goal attempts marked a season low as Iowa was guilty of 20 or more turnovers for the sixth time this season.
• Iowa had just 27 rebounds at Purdue, but the Hawkeyes still maintained a 27-21 rebounding edge over the Boilermakers.
• Iowa has won eight of its last 10 meetings against Penn State, including the last six in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• In a home win over Penn State, Iowa featured four players with 10 or more points for just the third time this season. The Hawkeyes also hit 19-22 (86.4%) free throws, surpassing 80% for just the third time. Jeff Peterson led the Hawkeyes at the line, hitting all nine of his attempts.
• Iowa’s win at Michigan marked its third straight win in Ann Arbor, the first time Iowa has won more than two consecutive games there.
• Iowa’s victory at Michigan was keyed by four players who reached career-bests in three different categories. Tony Freeman (28) and Cyrus Tate (21) had scoring highs, Seth Gorney (12) and Tate (11) had rebounding bests and Jeff Peterson matched his career best with nine assists.
• In defeating Michigan State 43-36, Iowa won a game while scoring less than 50 points for the first time since Nov. 30, 2005 when the Hawkeyes defeated North Carolina State, also in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• The 36 points scored by Michigan State in Iowa’s 43-36 win are the fewest scored by an Iowa opponent since the Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 65-38 in Iowa City on March 1, 2006. The last time an Iowa opponent scored less than 36 points occurred Dec. 4, 1992 when Iowa defeated Texas-Pan American, 85-29.
• The 36 points scored by Michigan State match the second lowest total an opponent has scored against a Todd Lickliter team in his seven seasons as a college head coach. Butler allowed 34 points to Birmingham Southern in a 70-34 win on Dec. 1, 2001 and the Bulldogs defeated Detroit 56-36 Feb. 24, 2007.
• Iowa is allowing just 58 points per game, as nine opponents have been held to 50 points or less and only 11 have scored over 60.
• Iowa opponents are shooting 40.6% from the field as 14 opponents have shot less than 40%. Iowa opponents are shooting 33% from three-point range as 11 opponents have shot less than 30% from beyond the arc.
• Iowa holds a +2.1 rebounding advantage while collecting more rebounds than the opponent in 13 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 four games.

JOHNSON AMONG SINGLE GAME LEADERS
Senior guard Justin Johnson has made 86 three-point field goals. The 86 treys tie for fourth best in a single season and his 241 attempts ranks third. Johnson has made eight treys in two home games (Indiana and Ohio State). The eight three-pointers are the third most in a single game in Iowa history. Chris Kingsbury twice had nine treys during the 1994-95 season. Johnson’s eight treys are the most by a Hawkeye against Big Ten opponents and tie for ninth place in the Big Ten Conference. Johnson also made seven treys in two games (Idaho State and Eastern Illinois) this season. Johnson scored 12 points in the loss at Penn State, connecting on 4-5 three-point attempts. He connected on six straight three-point shots in the final two minutes at home against Indiana, and even converted one of the attempts into a four-point play after being fouled. Johnson scored a career-best 29 points against Indiana, 19 of those in the final two minutes. He made his first two three-point shots at Wisconsin, giving him eight straight over two games. 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 is averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He had 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the win over Ohio State and 15 points in a loss at Minnesota. He contributed nine rebounds and six assists in the win over Northwestern. Johnson ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (3.0) and fourth in minutes played (35.4).

FREEMAN HITS SCORING BEST
Junior guard Tony Freeman scored a career-high 28 points in Iowa’s win at Michigan, hitting a career-best six three-point field goals and adding 6-9 free throws. He scored 19 or more in four straight games before adding 14 points at Indiana. Freeman scored 18 points in a home loss to Wisconsin and added 14 points in a win over Northwestern. Freeman suffered a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in his left foot during Iowa’s exhibition win over Simpson College Nov. 1. He 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. Freeman scored 21 points in Iowa’s loss at Ohio State and added 22 and four steals in the win over Michigan State. He had 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in the loss at Penn State. He is averaging 13.7 points and 3.3 assists in 19 games. He ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (3.0) in league games only and is seventh in scoring (13.8).

TATE STEPPING UP
Junior Cyrus Tate has improved his numbers while stepping in and playing more minutes due to Jarryd Cole’s injury. Tate scored a career-high 26 points in a loss at Michigan State, hitting 10-13 field goal attempts and 6-7 free throws, while also grabbing nine rebounds. He had 21 points (8-10 FGs) and 11 rebounds in a win at Michigan. He added his third career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in a home win over Northwestern. Tate improved on his rebounding best with 13 in the win over Penn State. He added 11 points in the loss at Penn State, despite playing just 19 minutes due to foul problems. Tate has started all of Iowa’s Big Ten games, averaging 10.8 points and seven rebounds per game, while shooting 72.3% from the field. He leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage in league games only and ranks fourth in rebounding. Tate had eight points and five rebounds at Indiana, 10 points at Ohio State and 10 points and five rebounds against Purdue (at home). He led Iowa with eight rebounds at Wisconsin and seven against Indiana. He collected nine points and seven rebounds in a win over Michigan State, added 15 points and eight rebounds in a home loss to Wisconsin and had 10 points and six rebounds in the second game with Michigan. For the season he is averaging eight points and five rebounds while shooting 68.8% from the field.

GORNEY GETS REBOUND BEST
Senior Seth Gorney led Iowa’s rebounding efforts in the win at Michigan with a career-best 12 rebounds. He added four points and two assists in the road win before playing one of the best all-around games of his career in a win over Ohio State. Gorney, an Ohio native, had 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-best four assists against the Buckeyes. He is averaging 4.4 points and 5.2 rebounds after collecting six points and eight boards in the loss at Michigan State. Gorney contributed a season-best 11 points and eight rebounds in a win over Penn State, including the first three-point basket of his career. He added 10 points and four rebounds in a home loss to Wisconsin and had nine points and 10 rebounds at Minnesota. He had nine points and eight rebounds, along with matching a career-best with three steals, in the home loss to Michigan. Gorney’s numbers have improved in conference action, where he is averaging 5.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.

LOOBY IN THE PAINT
Kurt Looby has played well in the paint during his senior season. Looby is averaging 4.9 rebounds and scoring 3.8 points a game while shooting 65.8% (48-73) from the field. Looby, who had a career-best 12 rebounds against Louisiana-Monroe, also leads Iowa with 40 blocked shots. Looby has 93 career blocks, moving into seventh on Iowa’s career list. He matched his career-high for the sixth time with six blocked shots against Purdue (at home). His 93 blocks are the most by any two-year player at Iowa. Looby 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 and had nine points and eight rebounds in a win over Michigan State. Looby ranks fifth in the Big Ten in blocked shots for the season and he is eighth in Big Ten games.

KELLY SHARING THE BALL
Freshman guard Jake Kelly moved into the starting line-up in Iowa’s last 22 games and has led the team in assists four times. He played just five minutes against Indiana after suffering an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the game, but he was back in the starting line-up three days later. Kelly played a key role in a home win over Northwestern, contributing 12 points (7-8 FTs) and five assists. He added nine points at Michigan State and had 17 points and four assists in a loss at Penn State. He scored 12 points in a home loss to Purdue and added six points, including two free throws in the final minutes, in the win at Michigan. Kelly scored 11 points (3-4 treys) in the win over Penn State. At Purdue, he contributed a three-point play to tie the score with five seconds left in the game. He led Iowa with 12 points in a loss to Michigan, along with five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. He scored 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 6.8 points and two assists per game.

PETERSON WAS PERFECT
Freshman guard Jeff Peterson was perfect in his shooting while scoring 19 points in Iowa’s win over Penn State. On the eve of his 19th birthday, Peterson made all four of his field goal attempts (2-2 three-pointers) and all nine free throws. He added five assists, three rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes and made both of his field goal attempts (both treys) in a loss at Penn State. Peterson made 14 straight free throws before a miss at Purdue and is shooting 85.7% (24-28) from the line in Big Ten games. Peterson did not play in the win over Northwestern due to a virus. He has started 11 games and ranks third in minutes played. He 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. Peterson matched his career-high with nine assists in the win at Michigan and added a pair of key free throws in the closing minutes. He is averaging 5.7 points and 3.3 assists per game and has 18 steals.

COLE HAD BEST NIGHT AT ISU
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.

TWO AMONG FRESHMAN LEADERS
Iowa rookies Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson rank among Iowa’s top freshmen in several statistical categories with two games remaining in the regular season. Kelly’s three-point field goal percentage (.410) currently ranks first and his 78% shooting from the free throw line ranks second. Peterson is shooting 73.3% from the line, which would rank fifth among Iowa’s top freshmen, and his 90 assists ranks seventh.

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 due to injury. Kelly has started 22 games and Peterson 11. The three have combined for 39 starts. 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.

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.

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 17 home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 3.8 margin, shooting 41.7% from the field while holding its opponent to 38.3% shooting. Iowa holds a 34.1-31.3 rebounding advantage. In 12 games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena (including two neutral site games), Iowa has been outscored 63.8-54.4. The Hawkeyes are shooting 43.7% from the field while opponents are also shooting 43.7%. Iowa holds a 30.5-29.3 rebounding margin.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves are averaging 13.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, compared to 14 points and 8.1 rebounds by the opponent reserves. Iowa is 8-6 when the reserves outscore the opponent’s reserves, 4-10 when the opponent reserves score more points and 0-1 when reserve scoring is even. Iowa is 6-7 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 6-9 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 earn a victory is 14 points. Iowa trailed by 14 in the first half of a 57-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana and by 14 in the second half of a 53-51 win over Northwestern, with both of those games in Iowa City. The biggest deficit overcome by an Iowa opponent is 16. Louisiana-Monroe rallied for a 72-67 overtime win and Michigan won 60-52, both in Iowa City.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has been outscored 736-781 in the first half, but holds an 885-884 advantage in the second half. The Hawkeyes have been outscored 17-12 in their only overtime period. Iowa has led at halftime in 13 games and has outscored its opponent in the second half in 12 games. The first half scoring was even in a home loss to Indiana and the second half scoring was even in four games.

IOWA FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa has made at least 80% of its free throws in five games and at least 70% of its free throws in 11 games, with a season-best 88.9% (8-9) at Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes shot 86.4% (19-22) from the line in their win over Penn State. Iowa has posted a 5-6 record when shooting at least 70% from the free throw line.

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS
Iowa is 58-90 (.644) from the free throw line in the final four minutes of its 16 games that have been decided by 10 points or less. Iowa’s opponents in those games have made 62-89 (.697) free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Those figures include all free throw attempts in Iowa’s single overtime game. Iowa is 6-10 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, 5-4 when scoring between 60-70 points and 7-12 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa is 11-4 when holding its opponent to less than 60 points, 1-10 when holding its opponent between 60-70 points and 0-3 when the opponent scores over 70 points.
• Iowa is 7-7 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 5-10 when the opponent has more assists and 0-0 when assists were even.
• Iowa is 4-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 8-16 when the opponent has fewer turnovers and 0-1 when turnovers are equal.
• Iowa is 4-1 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 8-14 when the opponent had more steals and 0-2 when steals are equal.
• Iowa is 0-0 when five reach double figures, 2-2 when four reach double figures; 2-3 when three score in double figures, 6-6 when two players score in double figures and 2-6 when one scores in double figures.
• Iowa is 10-3 when leading at halftime, 2-13 when trailing at intermission and 0-1 when tied at halftime.
• Iowa is 9-7 when controlling the opening tip and 3-10 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 6-10 in games decided by 10 points or less, including a 2-8 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 POSTS SEVEN STRAIGHT WINNERS
Iowa concluded the 2006-07 season with a 17-14 record, posting its seventh straight winning season. That streak ties 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). 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.

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, 2007 when second-ranked Wisconsin won in Iowa City. Following the loss to Wisconsin the Hawkeyes concluded the 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. 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 TUBE
All but one Iowa game throughout the 2007-08 season will be televised, with the only exception being the final round of the South Padre Island Invitational against Utah State. The majority of Iowa’s non-conference games appeared on the Big Ten Network. Iowa’s home game with Wake Forest was televised on ESPN2. The contest at Northern Iowa was on FOX 28 and the game at Iowa State appeared on ESPNU. Iowa games at Michigan State and Minnesota, along with the home contest vs. Michigan, aired on ESPN. Iowa’ final two games will appear on the Big Ten Network.

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 1,450) 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 TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session and single session tickets for the 2008 Big Ten Conference men’s basketball tournament are currently on sale. 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 in 2006-07, while North Carolina won the event in 2007-08. 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.

NO THREE-POINTERS
Since the three-point shot became part of the college game, Iowa has played 14 games in which it has failed to make a three-point attempt. Iowa had made at least one three-point basket in 53 straight games before missing all five attempts in a 71-61 home win over Purdue in 2004. Iowa’s current streak includes at least one three-point basket in 147 straight games.

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 March 3 and 10.

AFTER THIS
The Hawkeyes close the regular season Tuesday, March 4 at Northwestern (8:05 p.m., BTN). The Big Ten Tournament will be held in Indianapolis March 13-16. Tournament pairings will be announced Sunday, March 9 following the conclusion of all regular season games.

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