Hawkeyes Return Home to Host Wisconsin Wednesday

Jan. 20, 2009

• Iowa and the Big Ten Network

Complete Release in PDF Format

THE SETTING
Iowa (11-7, 1-4) returns home after two straight road games, hosting Wisconsin (12-5, 3-2) Wednesday, Jan. 21. Game time is 7:35 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). Iowa dropped a 75-53 decision at Purdue Sunday in its last outing. Two of Iowa’s four conference losses have been by three points (65-68 at Ohio State and 49-52 vs. Minnesota) Wisconsin has been idle since a 78-74 overtime loss to Minnesota Jan. 15 in Madison.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. 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. In its second year of operation, the Big Ten Network reaches over 70 million homes. The game can also be viewed on DIRECTV (channel 220) and the DISH Network (channel 439). Wayne Larrivee, Shon Morris and Mike Hall will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,458 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,462-996 (.595). That includes a 921-317 (.744) record in home games, a 541-679 (.443) record in games away from Iowa City, a 691-681 (.504) mark in Big Ten games and a 327-91 (.782) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 327-91 (.782) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 152-74 (.673) in Big Ten games and 175-17 (.911) in non-Big Ten games.

UI STUDENTS OFFERED FREE TICKET
University of Iowa students who are basketball season ticket holders can “Bring a friend for free” when the Hawkeyes host Wisconsin Wednesday. Game time is 7:35 p.m. and the game will be telecast on the Big Ten Network. UI students who have purchased season tickets should login to their account at hawkeyesports.com and print their free ticket for admission into the contest. Iowa’s next home game, Jan. 29 against Michigan State (6:05 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2) is one of two games on the home schedule in which Iowa students will be admitted free of charge. UI students who purchases season tickets were not charged for the upcoming game against the Spartans, or Iowa’s non-conference game against Northern Iowa, a 65-46 Hawkeye victory.

IOWA FEATURED IN 1989 SPECIAL
The University of Iowa basketball program is featured in The Greatest Seasons: 1989 Basketball, which will be featured on the Big Ten Network. The show will air Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. CT, following the Michigan at Penn State game and will air on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. CT. The feature includes Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan from that 1988-89 season. Iowa was ranked No. 1 by some prognosticators entering the season, Indiana won the Big Ten title, Michigan won the national title and Illinois joined the Wolverines in the Final Four. Five Big Ten teams posted a 15-4 record in the 1989 NCAA Tournament. The show features interviews with players and coaches from the teams, including former Hawkeye Coach Tom Davis and Roy Marble, Iowa’s all-time career scoring leader.

TATE OUT DUE TO INJURY
Senior forward Cyrus Tate suffered an injury with 12:08 left in the first half of the Jan. 8 loss to Minnesota and did not return to action. Tate also did not play in Iowa’s Jan. 11 loss at Michigan and the Jan. 18 contest at Purdue. Tate leads Iowa in rebounding (6.3) and is averaging 7.4 points per game. He is shooting 68.3% from the field and 74.4% from the foul line and led Iowa with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Indiana.

HAWKEYES ARE TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 51 of its last 62 games (.823) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) over the last three-plus seasons, including win streaks of 21 straight overall and 12 straight Big Ten Conference wins. Iowa has won 10 of its last 14 home games against ranked opponents and is 9-1 at home this season. Iowa was a perfect 17-0 at home in 2006 and 14-2 in 2007 before posting a 10-8 home record a year ago. Iowa has compiled a 19-7 Big Ten Conference record in that time.

IOWA IN NCAA STATS
Iowa ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (57.2). The Hawkeyes are 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.402), 15th in free throw percentage (.747), 18th in three-point field goals per game (8.7) and 38th in fewest turnovers per game (12.7). Individually, Jeff Peterson is 21st in free throw percentage (.873) and Anthony Tucker is 22nd in three-point field goal percentage (.427). Matt Gatens would rank as the national leader in free throw percentage (.970), but he is three attempts shy of the NCAA minimum. Gatens has made 26 straight free throws, eight shy of Iowa’s school record (34, Chris Street, 1993).

WELCOME TO CONFERENCE ACTION
Iowa plays five of its first six conference games against teams that were ranked at the start of conference play. Iowa opened conference play with a 68-65 loss at No. 23 Ohio State. Following a 65-60 win over Indiana, Iowa dropped a 52-49 decision to No. 19/22 Minnesota at home and a 64-49 decision at Michigan. Iowa lost 75-53 at No. 19/19 Purdue in its last outing. Iowa’s next opponent, Wisconsin, was ranked four consecutive weeks during the non-conference portion of the season. A year ago Iowa began Big Ten play with games against Indiana (11th), Wisconsin (24th), Ohio State (receiving votes) and Michigan State (6th).

LICKLITER VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter holds a 7-13 record when coaching against nationally ranked opponents, including a 1-8 mark at Iowa and a 6-5 record in six seasons at Butler. Iowa, this season, dropped a 68-65 contest at No. 23 Ohio State Dec. 31, lost a 52-49 decision to No. 19/22 Minnesota Jan. 8 in Iowa City and was defeated 75-53 Jan. 18 at No. 19/19 Purdue. In 2007-08, 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 (43-65), 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.

IOWA COACH Todd Lickliter
Todd Lickliter is in his second season as the head basketball coach at the University of Iowa and his eighth year overall as a college head coach. Lickliter spent six seasons (2001-07) as the head coach at Butler University. Lickliter holds a career mark of 155-87 (.640). He is 24-26 (.480) at Iowa, including 7-16 (.304) in Big Ten games. 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 won three games over top 25 opponents (Tennessee, Gonzaga, Maryland) in 2006-07 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 is 0-2 vs. Wisconsin and Badger Coach Bo Ryan.

WISCONSIN COACH BO RYAN
Bo Ryan is in his eighth 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 185-65 record with the Badgers. Ryan is in his 25th season as a college head coach, with a career record of 568-168. 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 11-4 vs. Iowa (11-3 while at Wisconsin) and 2-0 against Hawkeye Coach Todd Lickliter.

TWICE AS THE HEAD COACH
While Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter has faced the Badgers just twice 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 76-73 advantage in the series that began with a 30-9 Wisconsin win in 1909. Wisconsin won twice last season, 64-51 Jan. 5 in Madison and 60-54 Feb. 6 in Iowa City. The Badgers won both meetings in 2007 (57-46 in Iowa City and 74-62 in Madison) and have won 10 of the last 11. 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 one 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. Iowa holds a 48-24 advantage in Iowa City, including a 14-9 mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Wisconsin has won seven of the last nine meetings in Iowa City. Wisconsin holds a 47-27 advantage in games played in Madison and the Badgers have won the last seven meetings there. Iowa is 2-7 at the Kohl Center, winning there in 2000 (61-55) and 1998 (79-76).

GREAT GAMES IN THE TOURNAMENT
Iowa and Wisconsin have met three times in the Big Ten Tournament, and two of those would qualify as “Instant Classics”. The Badgers have won two of three, beginning with a 77-64 win in the quarter-finals of the 1999 tournament in Chicago. The teams met again in 2002, with ninth seeded Iowa winning 58-56 over the top-seeded Badgers in Indianapolis. Iowa tied the game on a three-point play by Duez Henderson with 41 seconds remaining and regained possession following a Wisconsin turnover with eight seconds remaining. Luke Recker scored the winning basket on a jump shot from the lane with two seconds on the clock. Iowa advanced to the title game before falling to Ohio State. The Badgers were the second-seed in 2005 when Wisconsin and Iowa met in the semi-finals at the United Center. Iowa, the seventh seed, tied the score with 3.7 seconds remaining on a tip-in basket by Greg Brunner. Following a timeout, Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker hit a running jump shot from approximately 35 feet to lift the Badgers to a 59-56 win. Wisconsin was defeated in the title game by Illinois.

IOWA, BADGER NOTES

• 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 junior Jason Bohannon is a native of Marion, IA. His father, Gordy, played quarterback for the Hawkeye football team.
• Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter and Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan each have a son as a member of their staff. Garrett Lickliter is a graduate manager for the Hawkeyes, while Matt Ryan serves as Wisconsin’s video coordinator.

WISCONSIN WON TWICE IN `08
Wisconsin defeated Iowa twice last season, winning 64-51 on Jan. 5 in Madison and 60-54 Feb. 6 in Iowa City. Wisconsin used a 17-4 scoring run over a nine minute period in the second half in winning at Madison. The Hawkeyes trailed by six, 28-22 at intermission, but scored the first six points of the second half to pull even. From there the Badgers held Iowa without a field goal for just under nine minutes. Iowa was able to cut the deficit to nine, 54-45, with just under five minutes remaining, but could get no closer. Iowa shot 52.9% from the field in the opening half, including 57.1% (4-7) from three-point range. Iowa was unable to maintain that accuracy in the second half, shooting just 35.7%. After shooting 31% in the first half, Wisconsin shot 55% in the second half and added 12-18 (66.7%) free throws after the break. Wisconsin won the rebounding battle 34-31 and collected seven steals while forcing 14 Iowa turnovers. Justin Johnson led Iowa with 13 points, while Cyrus Tate, Tony Freeman and Jeff Peterson each added eight. Tate led Iowa with eight rebounds. Brian Butch led Wisconsin with 22 points and seven rebounds. Joe Krabbenhoft added 12 points and seven rebounds.

Wisconsin outscored Iowa 16-10 over the last six minutes in the 60-54 win in Iowa City. The score was tied seven times and there were 13 lead changes, the last coming with 6:15 to play when Wisconsin’s Marcus Landry converted two free throws to give the Badgers a 45-44 advantage. Iowa’s Justin Johnson hit a three-point basket with 3:44 remaining to cut Iowa’s deficit to 48-47 before the Badgers connected on all 10 of their free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Cyrus Tate added a rebound basket for the Hawkeyes with 1:32 left to cut the margin to 54-51 and Jeff Peterson hit a three-pointer to move Iowa within two, 56-54, with 26 seconds remaining. Joe Krabbenhoft made it a four-point advantage for Wisconsin with 21 seconds left, and, after a missed three-point attempt by Iowa, Landry added two final free shots with 11 seconds to play. Iowa led by as many as five points in the first half and led 29-26 at the break. Iowa shot 35.4% for the game, compared to 43.5% for the Badgers, and the Hawkeyes held a 35-31 rebounding advantage. Tony Freeman led Iowa with 18 points, while Cyrus Tate added 15 and Seth Gorney scored 10. Tate led Iowa with eight rebounds and Johnson added six. Landry led Wisconsin with 16 points. Brian Butch added 12 and Krabbenhoft had eight rebounds.

IOWA FALLS AT PURDUE
Purdue hit four consecutive three-point baskets in a span of less than two minutes, breaking open a close game on the way to a 75-53 win over Iowa at West Lafayette. Iowa played its second straight game without the services of senior forward Cyrus Tate, who suffered an ankle injury early in the Jan. 8 loss to Minnesota. The Hawkeyes trailed by seven, 35-28, at the 16:04 mark of the second half after David Palmer converted a pair of free throws. The Boilermakers took over from there, as four different players connected on a three-point basket as the Purdue lead expanded to 49-28 before Iowa scored again at the 13:34 mark. Purdue shot 53.6% from the field in the second half, connecting on 7-9 (77.8%) three-point attempts and 9-10 free throws. The Boilermakers shot 49% overall, including 10-15 (66.7%) three-pointers and 15-18 (83.3%) from the free throw line. Iowa fell behind by six in the early going before scoring six straight to tie the game after six minutes. Iowa rallied again late in the first half, cutting a nine-point deficit to just four, 26-22, in the final minute of the period. Purdue closed the half with a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 29-22 advantage at the break. Purdue’s aggressive defense forced Iowa into 19 turnovers, which the Boilermakers turned in to 17 points. Iowa shot just 25% (8-25) from the field in the opening half before improving to 36% for the game. Iowa made 9-20 (45%) three-point shots and hit just 57.1% (8-14) from the foul line. Iowa was led by Palmer, who scored 19 points and added eight rebounds, both career highs for the junior forward. Palmer hit 7-14 field goals and 3-4 free throws while starting for the first time in his career. Freshman Matt Gatens added 11 points and five rebounds and Jeff Peterson contributed eight assists and two steals.

MINNESOTA RALLIES PAST WISCONSIN
Minnesota tied the score on a three-point basket with two seconds remaining in regulation and went on to post a 78-74 win at Wisconsin Jan. 15. Lawrence Westbrook hit the three-pointer to force overtime then added nine points in the extra period to lead the Gophers, who rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes. The Badgers controlled the game early, shooting 50% from the field in the first half in building a 33-22 halftime advantage. Wisconsin shot just 31.8% in the second half as Minnesota rallied. The Gophers forced 18 Wisconsin turnovers while collecting nine steals. Wisconsin held a 23-15 scoring advantage from the free throw line, while Minnesota held a narrow 35-34 rebounding edge. Minnesota shot 48.3% from the field, including 80% (4-5) from the field and 88.9% (8-9) from the free throw line in the overtime period. Wisconsin was led in scoring by Marcus Landry with 18 points. Jason Bohannon added 16, Jon Leuer 15 and Trevon Hughes 14. Leuer added eight rebounds and Hughes contributed five assists.

HAWKEYES AMONG TOP BIG TEN FRESHMEN
Iowa freshmen Matt Gatens and Anthony Tucker rank among Big Ten freshman leaders in several categories. Gatens is first in three-point percentage (.550) and minutes (31.4), second in three-point field goals per game (1.8) and third in scoring (10.7) and field goal percentage (.504). He would rank first in free throw percentage (.970), but is three shy of the minimum. Tucker is first in three-point field goals per game (2.7) and second in three-point percentage (.427) and scoring (10.4).

IOWA HITS 14 TREYS
Iowa made 14 three-point baskets in a 68-65 loss at Ohio State to open Big Ten play. The 14 three-point baskets tie as the second highest total in school history. Iowa has made 15 in two games, the most recent against Northwestern on Jan. 3, 1998. Iowa shot an even 50% (14-28) against the Buckeyes. The Hawkeyes made 14 three-point baskets in five games prior to this season.

IOWA SHOOTING ON TARGET
Iowa is shooting 46% from the field through 18 games. Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in three-point field goals per game (8.7) and three-point percentage (.402). Iowa matched its season-low with just five three-point baskets in wins over Western Illinois and Indiana, but connected on a season-high 14 in a Dec. 31 loss at Ohio State and had nine in the most recent outing at Purdue. Overall, the Hawkeyes have made at least 50% of their field goal attempts in six games. Iowa has single-game bests of 57.1% from the field in a win over Texas-San Antonio and 52% (13-25) from three-point range in a win at The Citadel. Iowa shot 52.3% from the field at Ohio State. Iowa has made 13 three-point field goals in two games (at The Citadel and vs. SE MO State). The 13 three-point field goals ties as the 10th most by an Iowa team in a single game. A year ago Iowa shot as well as 50% from the field in just four of 32 games, with a best of 57.5% at Penn State.

IOWA GETS DEFENSIVE
Iowa’s defensive play has been a constant throughout the season, as the Hawkeyes rank fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 57.2 points per game. Iowa opponents are shooting 41.4% from the field, including 35.4% from three-point range. Iowa held Bryant University to just 36 points in a 61-36 win and allowed Northern Iowa just 24 points in the second half of a 65-46 win. The 36 points by Bryant match the fewest allowed by Iowa under Coach Todd Lickliter. Iowa held Michigan State to just 36 points in a 43-36 win over the Spartans last season in Iowa City. Bryant shot just 29.7% from the field, including 33.3% from three-point range. The 14 points scored by Bryant in the first half mark the fewest Iowa has allowed under Lickliter as well. The Hawkeyes have held six opponents to less than 50 points. Iowa held No. 19/22 Minnesota to 52 points and 33.9% shooting from the field in a recent 52-49 loss. Iowa ranked fifth in the nation in scoring defense last season (58.0) and held opponents under 50 points in nine games. Iowa opponents shot 40.4% from the field.

SOLID IN THE SECOND HALF
Iowa’s defense has been solid in the second half. At Boston College, Iowa allowed just seven field goals in the second half of a two-point loss. Iowa held Bryant University to just six field goals and 22 points in the second half in expanding a 26-14 halftime advantage to a 61-36 win. Iowa led Northern Iowa 23-22 at halftime of a 65-46 win, limiting the Panthers to 10 field goals in the final 20 minutes. In a win over Iowa State, the Hawkeyes expanded a 34-32 halftime margin to a 73-57 win. Iowa led by as many as 26 points while holding the Cyclones to 10 field goals and 25 points in the second half. In a loss at Drake, Iowa held the Bulldogs to six field goals and 25 points in the second half. Iowa allowed Western Illinois to 20 points in the second half, as the Leathernecks made just seven field goals (25%) and 1-5 (20%) three-point attempts. In a conference win over Indiana, Iowa allowed the Hoosiers just nine field goals in the second half (9-24, 37.5%). The Hawkeyes held Michigan to 35.5% (11-31) shooting in the final 20 minutes. Iowa’s defense struggled in the second half at Purdue, as the 46 second half points by the Boilermakers rank as the most scored against Iowa in the second half in 50 games under Coach Todd Lickliter. Purdue shot 53.6% overall in the half, including 77.8% from three-point range, and added 90% from the free throw line.

TAKING CARE OF TURNOVERS
During the non-conference portion of the schedule, Iowa averaged 11.5 turnovers in 13 games. In five Big Ten Conference games, Iowa is averaging 15.6 turnovers per contest. A year ago, Iowa averaged 17.2 turnovers in its 13 non-conference games before reducing that number to 14.8 during the 18-game conference schedule.

NO TREYS FOR OPPONENT
Iowa held Southeast Missouri State without a three-point basket in a 75-41 win, as the Redhawks missed all 11 attempts from behind the arc. SE Missouri State became the first Iowa opponent in 125 games not to make at least one trey. The last time that happened was Dec. 10, 2004 when Iowa State missed all six three-point attempts in Iowa’s 70-63 win in Iowa City. Iowa allowed Kansas State just three treys in seven attempts in a 65-63 Hawkeye win. Boston College made just 2-10 three-point attempts in its 57-55 win over Iowa and Western Illinois was 2-7 in its 58-43 loss to the Hawkeyes.

HAWKEYES FROM THE LINE
Iowa is shooting 74.7% from the free throw line, including a perfect 8-8 in the win over Northern Iowa. Iowa made 20-22 free throw attempts (90.9%) in a win over Texas-San Antonio, including its last 14 attempts over the final 13 minutes of the game. The streak ended when the Hawkeyes missed their first free throw attempt at The Citadel. Iowa also shot 88.9% (8-9) in a loss at Boston College, 76.2% (16-21) in a win over Iowa State, 77.3% (17-22) in a win over Western Illinois, 74.1% (20-27) in a win over Indiana, 90.9% (10-11) in a loss to Minnesota and 90% (9-10) in a loss at Michigan. The perfect performance against Northern Iowa is the best for an Iowa team since Nov. 19, 2004 when the Hawkeyes established a school record by hitting all 20 of their free throw attempts in a win over Western Illinois. Iowa’s accuracy from the free throw line is led by freshman Matt Gatens, who is shooting 97% (32-33) to lead all players in the Big Ten. Gatens has made 26 straight free throws since his only miss occurred in a win over Texas-San Antonio in the second game of the season. Jeff Peterson (second, .873) and Cyrus Tate (eighth, .744) rank among the Big Ten Conference leaders in free throw percentage. Gatens would lead the Big Ten, but is three attempts shy of qualifying. Tate shot just 58.5% from the line a year ago. Jermain Davis led Iowa vs. UTSA, making all 10 of his attempts. He is the 24th Iowa player ever to shoot 100% from the free throw line in a game, with a minimum of 10 attempts. Davis is the seventh player (sixth Hawkeye) to make as many as 10 free throws in a game without a miss, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Jake Kelly added 9-10 free throws in a loss to West Virginia, Jeff Peterson made 11-12 free throws in a win over Kansas State and Tate made 10-11 against Indiana.

BALANCED SCORING LEADS IOWA
Iowa has featured a balanced scoring attack, with at least three players scoring in double figures in eight games and four reaching 10 points or more in three games. Seven different players have led the team in scoring and four are averaging more than 9.1 points per game. Senior Cyrus Tate is shooting 68.3% from the field, followed by guards Matt Gatens (50.4%) and Jeff Peterson (47.8%). Tate shot 66.7% from the field last season, including 70.2% in Big Ten games. Freshman Anthony Tucker led Iowa with 21 points in the win at The Citadel, as he hit 7-11 three-point shots. Tucker hit 8-12 field goals, including 6-9 three-pointers, in scoring 24 points in the loss to West Virginia. Tucker added 19 points vs. Oakland and 14 vs. SE Missouri State. Tucker is shooting 43.8% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range. The seven three-pointers by Tucker at The Citadel match the fifth best total in school history. Chris Kingsbury twice made nine treys, while Justin Johnson had eight three-pointers in two games.

HAWKEYE GAMES NOTES

• Iowa is 8-3 when controlling the opening tip and 3-4 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 2-1 when four players reach double figures, 6-2 when three score in double figures, 3-2 when two score 10 or more points and 0-2 with just one player in double figures. In 32 games last season, Iowa had more than three players score in double figures just four times.
• Iowa was guilty of five turnovers in a win over Northern Iowa, the fewest for the Hawkeyes under Coach Todd Lickliter. Iowa had six turnovers in a win at The Citadel and seven in wins over Charleston Southern and SE Missouri State. Iowa was guilty of 19 turnovers against Texas-San Antonio, 16 vs. Oakland and 21 vs. West Virginia, (including 17 in the first half). More recently, Iowa had 17 turnovers vs. Minnesota and Michigan and 19 at Purdue in its last three games. The Hawkeyes had less than 10 turnovers in just two of 32 games a year ago and had 20 or more turnovers in seven games.
• Iowa is 4-0 when scoring between 70-79 points, 6-2 when scoring between 60-69 points and 1-5 when scoring less than 60 points.
• Iowa is 6-0 when holding its opponent to less than 50 points, 2-2 when the opponent scores between 50-59 points, 3-3 when the opponent scores between 60-69 points, 0-1 when the opponent scores between 70-79 points and 0-1 when the opponent scores over 80 points.
• Iowa is 10-3 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 0-3 when the opponent has more assists and 1-1 when assists are even.
• Iowa is 7-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 2-5 when the opponent has fewer turnovers and 2-2 when turnovers are even.
• Iowa is 8-1 when collecting more steals than its opponent, 3-5 when the opponent has more steals and 0-1 when steals are even. Iowa allowed The Citadel no steals in taking the 70-48 road win.
• Iowa is 10-1 when leading at halftime and 1-6 when trailing at halftime.
• Iowa is 4-3 in games decided by 10 points or less, including 2-3 in games decided by five points or less.

HAWKEYE PLAYER NOTES

• Along with scoring the game winning basket vs. Kansas State, Cyrus Tate ended the game with 10 points and seven rebounds, just one night after failing to score in a loss to West Virginia. Tate turned in solid defensive performances in wins over Northern Iowa and Iowa State, adding 10 points and eight rebounds against the Cyclones. He leads Iowa in rebounding (6.3) and is scoring 7.4 points per game. He recorded the sixth double-double of his career with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Indiana. He played just eight minutes in the loss to Minnesota due to injury and did not play in Iowa’s most recent games vs. Michigan and Purdue.
• Jeff Peterson leads Iowa is assists at 4.1 per game. Peterson scored a season-high 18 points in wins over Kansas State and Northern Iowa and is averaging 9.8 points per game. He is shooting 47.8% from the field and leads the team in free throws (55) and attempts (63), shooting 87.3%. Peterson led Iowa in assists (3.1) last season as a true freshman.
• True freshman Matt Gatens has scored in double figures in 12 games. He recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a recent win over Western Illinois and added a season-best 22 points in the loss at Ohio State. He ranks third on the team in assists (46) and has missed just one free throw (32-33, 97%). He has made 26 straight free throws over the last 16 games. He is shooting 50.4% from the field and 55% from three-point range.
• Junior Devan Bawinkel had a season-best 15 points in a loss at Ohio State, hitting 5-8 three-pointers. He added 12 points against Boston College and Iowa State, connecting on 4-7 three-pointers at Boston College and 4-5 vs. Iowa State. Through 18 games, 66 of his 68 field goal attempts are three-point attempts. He also has not attempted a free throw and has committed just two turnovers.
• Junior Jermain Davis had his best game against Iowa State, recording season-bests in points (16), rebounds (six), assists (five) and steals (one). Davis had 10 points in the loss at Boston College and added 13 points and eight rebounds in a win over Western Illinois. He had nine points and eight rebounds in a win over Indiana and eight rebounds in a loss to Minnesota. Davis is averaging five rebounds in conference play.
• Sophomore Jake Kelly, still shaking off the effects of a broken middle finger on his shooting (right) hand, contributed 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over Northern Iowa. He added 13 points and four assists in a win over Western Illinois, 11 points at Ohio State and 10 points vs. Indiana. He leads the team with 22 steals, is second with 48 assists and is averaging 9.1 points. Kelly missed over a week of practice and Iowa’s exhibition game due to the injury.
• Anthony Tucker, a true freshman, scored in double figures in Iowa’s first six games. Tucker is scoring 10.4 points a game, reaching double figures in eight of 14 games he has played.
• True freshman Aaron Fuller had a season-best seven rebounds and seven points against Kansas State, and he added seven points in a win over Bryant and five points and three rebounds at Michigan. Fuller returned to the starting line-up at Purdue and contributed four points and two rebounds.
• Junior forward David Palmer started for the first time in his career at Purdue and responded with 19 points and eight rebounds. Palmer reached career-bests in points, rebounds, field goals and attempt, free throws and attempts and minutes played. In limited time he is shooting 47.8% from the field, 44.4% from three-point range and 83.3% from the free throw line.

VALUABLE POSSESSIONS
Iowa is averaging 12.7 assists and 12.7 turnovers per game. Through 18 games last season those averages were 12.4 assists and 16.4 turnovers per game.

HAWKEYES FEATURE YOUNG LINE-UP
Iowa’s starting line-up in its first eight games included three true freshmen, including forward Aaron Fuller and guards Matt Gatens and Anthony Tucker. Iowa then started one senior, one junior, two sophomores and one freshman in seven games before sophomore Jarryd Cole replaced senior Cyrus Tate in the starting line-up at Michigan. At Purdue, Iowa’s line-up included two freshmen, two sophomore and a junior. Iowa’s starting line-up in four games last season included freshmen Jarryd Cole, Jeff Peterson and Jake Kelly. Cole later missed the final 19 games due to injury. Kelly started 25 games and Peterson 11. The three combined for 42 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.

NEWCOMERS CONTRIBUTE
With seven new players on a 13-man roster, Iowa is relying on newcomers this season. Three newcomers, all freshmen, started Iowa’s first eight games. Four of the newcomers have led the team in scoring in at least one game. The Hawkeye newcomers have scored 40 or more points in six games, with a high of 48 vs. Texas-San Antonio. The first-year Hawkeyes had a season-best 23 rebounds in a win over SE Missouri State and 21 in a win over Western Illinois and a loss at Michigan. Freshman Matt Gatens led the newcomers with 15 points in the opening game and freshman Anthony Tucker has led Iowa’s scoring in five games. Gatens’ total matches the most points scored by a freshman in their first game since Jeff Horner had 15 points in the first game of the 2002-03 season. Tucker scored 24 points vs. West Virginia, 21 points at The Citadel and 19 vs. Oakland. Gatens leads Iowa in scoring at 10.7 points per game and Tucker is scoring 10.4.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its 10 home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 14.6 point margin, shooting 48.9% from the field while holding its opponent to 37.3% shooting. Iowa holds a 31.4-26.8 rebounding advantage. In eight games away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa has been outscored 65.2-58.5. The Hawkeyes are shooting 42.3% from the field while the opponents are shooting 46.5%. The opponents hold a 31.6-26.5 rebounding margin.

STARTING LINE-UPS
Iowa has used four starting line-ups in its 18 games, including three different line-ups in five conference games. Iowa used five different starting line-ups a year ago, but the same line-up in all 18 Big Ten games.

OFF THE BENCH
The Iowa reserves are averaging 16.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, compared to 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds by the opponent reserves. Iowa is 6-4 when the reserves outscore the opponent reserves, 5-2 when the opponent reserves score more points and 0-1 when bench scoring is even. Iowa is 6-2 when the Hawkeye reserves have more rebounds than the opponent reserves, 5-4 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 this season is seven points. In the season opening contest, Iowa trailed 7-0 before taking a 68-48 win over Charleston Southern. Iowa also trailed 22-15 in the first half of a 65-46 win over Northern Iowa. In Iowa’s losses, Minnesota trailed by 13 points in the first half before earning a 52-49 win. Last season Iowa rallied from a 14-point deficit in two games, while two opponents defeated Iowa after trailing by 16 points.

SCORING BY HALVES
Iowa has outscored its opponents 503-483 in the first half and 618-546 in the second half. Iowa has led at halftime in 11 games, and has outscored its opponent in the second half 11 times.

IOWA FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa has made over 70% of its free throws in 12 games, including 100% (8-8) vs. Northern Iowa, 90.9% (20-22) vs. Texas-San Antonio and Minnesota (10-11), 90% (9-10) at Michigan and 88.9% (8-9) at Boston College. Iowa made at least 70% of its free throws in 12 games last season, with a season-best 88.9% (8-9) at Northern Iowa. Iowa is 8-5 this season when shooting over 70% from the foul line. Four of Iowa’s opponents have shot less than 60% from the foul line.

CRUNCH TIME FREE THROWS
Iowa is 35-43 (.814) 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 17-24 (.708) free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Iowa is 4-3 in games decided by 10 points or less and 2-3 in games decided by five points or less.

AMONG SINGLE SEASON BESTS
Iowa made 222 three-point field goals while attempting 640 three-point shots a year ago, averaging 6.9 made treys and 20 three-point attempts. Both of those figures rank second best at Iowa for a single season. The Hawkeyes set single season records in 1995 when they made 274 of 743 three-point attempts. Through 18 games this season, Iowa is averaging 8.7 made three-point field goals and 21.6 attempts.

IOWA ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK
The majority of Iowa games throughout the 2008-09 season can be seen on the Big Ten Network, a national cable television network that now reaches over 70 million homes in its second year. The Big Ten Network is available on Mediacom, which provides cable service to over 400,000 customers throughout Iowa and the Midwest. Iowa games telecast on the Big Ten Network are also available through the nation’s two satellite television companies, DirectTV and Dish Network.

BTN CLASSIC GAMES INCLUDES IOWA
The Big Ten Network, for the second straight season, will televise a series of “Greatest Games” of the Big Ten Conference throughout the season. Iowa games featured include an overtime win over Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 of the 1987 NCAA Tournament and a double overtime win at Indiana during the 2003-04 season. The victory over Indiana will air at 7 p.m. CT on Feb. 3 and the win over Oklahoma can be seen at 7 p.m. on Feb. 24. An Iowa loss at Northwestern during the 2004-05 season can be seen again at 11 a.m. CT on Feb. 28.

TATE & COLE ARE IOWA CAPTAINS
Senior forward Cyrus Tate and sophomore forward Jarryd Cole are serving as Iowa’s captains. Tate averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a year ago while starting 19 of the 31 games he appeared in. Tate shot 66.7% from the field for the season and 70.2% in Big Ten games. He led the conference in field goal percentage and was third in rebounding in conference games. He has started every game this season and is averaging 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. Cole started six of the 13 games he played before a knee injury in Iowa’s final non-conference game forced him to miss the final 19 games. Cole averaged 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 66.7% from the field. He has played in all 11 games this season.

LICKLITER TO REDSHIRT
Freshman guard John Lickliter, who joined the Iowa program as a walk-on to play for his father, Coach Todd Lickliter, plans to use the 2008-09 season to redshirt. Lickliter started every game at year ago at Iowa City High, helping the Little Hawks claim the Class 4-A state title.

A YOUNG SQUAD
Iowa’s roster of 13 players includes five freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and two seniors. The sophomores are Jarryd Cole, Jake Kelly and Jeff Peterson. The freshmen include forward Andrew Brommer (6-9, 235), forward Aaron Fuller (6-6, 210), guard Matt Gatens (6-5, 215), guard John Lickliter (5-11, 175) and guard Anthony Tucker (6-4, 200). In addition, junior guards Devan Bawinkel (6-5, 210) and Jermain Davis (6-4, 200) are both in their first year at Iowa after attending junior colleges a year ago. Along with two players from the state of Iowa, the roster includes two players from Illinois and Indiana, three from Minnesota, two from Missouri and one from Arizona and Tennessee.

HAWKEYE SCHEDULE NOTES

• During the non-conference portion of the schedule, Iowa traveled roughly 7,640 miles during a 13-day stretch to play games in Charleston, SC (at The Citadel), Las Vegas (Las Vegas Inv.) and Boston (at Boston College). Iowa also played two home games during that stretch.
• Along with an opening win over Charleston Southern, Iowa traveled to The Citadel on Nov. 20. Both Charleston Southern and The Citadel are located in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Iowa’s schedule includes 17 home games, including nine Big Ten Conference games and home dates with in-state opponents Northern Iowa and Iowa State. In conference play, Iowa does not play at Illinois, while Minnesota does not visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa’s Big Ten schedule includes five weekend home dates and four games during the week. The Iowa schedule includes four straight weekend road games, concluding with the Feb. 1 contest at Illinois.
• After playing a number of games a year ago with a start time of 8 p.m., Iowa’s contest Wednesday against Wisconsin is the last home game this season with a start time as late as 7:30 p.m.
• Iowa’s schedule includes at least three neutral site games, including two games in the Las Vegas Invitational. Iowa defeated Kansas State to split its two games in Las Vegas as the Hawkeyes earned their first neutral site win since a 78-65 win over Toledo on Nov. 17, 2006 at the Paradise Jam.
• Iowa could play between one and four neutral site games while taking part in the Big Ten Conference Tournament in Indianapolis, IN at the end of the season.

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 seven 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, Florida State, Kansas, Maryland, SMU and Tennessee. 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. Four current Big Ten Conference head coaches have earned national Coach of the Year honors.

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 168 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 6 to 7:30 p.m. The dates are Jan. 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; and March 2 and 9.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2008-09
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. Single game tickets for Big Ten home games are on sale. Single game tickets cost $22 for weekday games and $27 for weekend games.

Additional ticket packages on sale include the following:

Big Ten Weekend-er ($135) – – includes a ticket to games vs. Northwestern (Feb. 7), Purdue (Feb. 14), Michigan (Feb. 22) and Penn State (Mar. 7).

Youngsters are Hawk Fans, Too ($10) – – includes a youth ticket to games vs. Michigan (Feb. 22) and Ohio State (Mar. 3-5).

University of Iowa students will be allowed into the Michigan State game on Jan. 29 at no charge. Students who purchased season tickets were not charged for the home games vs. Northern Iowa or Michigan State. Students with season tickets are allowed to bring a friend for free to Wednesday night’s game vs. Wisconsin.

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.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session and single session tickets for the 2009 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 12th annual Big Ten Tournament will be held March 12-15, 2009 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All session tickets are on sale for $175 or $275, depending on seat location. Orders are limited to 12 all-session tickets. The bracket for the 2009 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, along with information on tickets, travel, lodging, tournament history and more can be found at both www.bigten.org and www.indianasportscorp.com.

IOWA ON THE TUBE
All remaining games throughout the 2008-09 season are scheduled to be televised. The majority of Iowa games will appear on the Big Ten Network. The home game vs. Michigan State will appear on ESPN/ESPN2, the home game vs. Ohio State has yet to be determined and all games in the Big Ten post-season tournament will be televised.

AFTER THIS
Iowa will visit Penn State Saturday, Jan. 24 (5 p.m. CT, BTN) and host Michigan State Thursday, Jan. 29 (6:05 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2).