Hawkeyes Back on the Road at Penn State Saturday

Jan. 22, 2009

• Iowa and the Big Ten Network

Complete Release in PDF Format

THE SETTING
Iowa (12-7, 2-4) is on the road for the third time in four games, traveling to Penn State (15-5, 4-3) Saturday, Jan. 24. Game time is 5:05 p.m. CT at the Bryce Jordan Center (15,261). Iowa stopped a three-game losing streak with a 73-69 overtime win over Wisconsin Wednesday in Iowa City. Two of Iowa’s four conference losses have been by three points (65-68 at Ohio State and 49-52 vs. Minnesota). Penn State scored a 73-58 home win over Michigan Tuesday night.

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). Tom Hamilton and Greg Kelser will call the action.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,459 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,463-996 (.595). That includes a 922-317 (.744) record in home games, a 541-679 (.443) record in games away from Iowa City, a 692-681 (.504) mark in Big Ten games and a 328-91 (.783) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 328-91 (.783) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 153-74 (.674) in Big Ten games and 175-17 (.911) in non-Big Ten games.

TATE OUT WITH INJURY 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 has not played in Iowa’s last three games. 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.

TUCKER TO MISS SECOND SEMESTER
Freshman guard Anthony Tucker will miss the second semester due to being ruled ineligible in accordance with Big Ten Conference academic requirements. Tucker (6-4, 200) joined the Iowa program after a prep career at Minnetonka, MN HS. He started eight of the 14 games he played. Tucker averaged 10.4 points and three rebounds per game, shooting 43.8% from the field, including 42.7% from three-point range. Tucker scored a career-high 24 points in a loss to West Virginia and recorded his only double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Southeast Missouri State. He scored in double figures in eight games.

HAWKEYES WORK OVERTIME
Iowa defeated Wisconsin Wednesday at home in its first overtime game of the season. The victory gives Iowa a 47-51 record in all overtime games, including a 38-38 record in single overtime games. Iowa had not played an overtime game since a loss in single overtime to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 30, 2007. Iowa is now 1-1 in overtime under Coach Todd Lickliter, collecting its first overtime win since a 76-72 triple overtime win over Minnesota on Jan. 18, 2006.

IOWA IN NCAA STATS
Iowa ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (57.8). The Hawkeyes are 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.399), 15th in free throw percentage (.746) and 18th in three-point field goals per game (8.6). Individually, Matt Gatens is seventh in free throw percentage (.911) and Jeff Peterson is 21st. Gatens had made 26 straight free throws, eight shy of Iowa’s school record (34, Chris Street, 1993), before a miss against Wisconsin.

WELCOME TO CONFERENCE ACTION
Iowa played 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 last weekend and defeated Wisconsin 73-69 in overtime in its last outing. 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).

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 156-87 (.642). He is 25-26 (.490) at Iowa, including 8-16 (.333) 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 1-1 against Penn State and PSU Coach Ed DeChellis.

PSU COACH ED DECHELLIS
Ed DeChellis is in his sixth season as Penn State’s head coach and his 13th year as a college head coach. DeChellis is 72-97 at Penn State and his career mark stands at 177-190. He posted a 105-93 record in seven years as the head coach at East Tennessee State. A Penn State graduate, DeChellis led East Tennessee State to the Southern Conference Tournament championship in 2003, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. East Tennessee State then lost to No. two seed Wake Forest by a 76-73 margin. DeChellis began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Penn State, and later was an assistant coach at Salem College in West Virginia. He returned to Penn State as an assistant coach for 10 seasons before taking over at East Tennessee State. As a PSU assistant, DeChellis helped the Nittany Lions advance to post-season play in four straight seasons (1989-92), while posting an 87-40 record in that time. DeChellis was named the National Coaches vs. Cancer Man of the Year in 2006. DeChellis is 2-6 against Iowa and 1-1 vs. Hawkeye Coach Todd Lickliter.

DECHELLIS AS AN ASSISTANT
Penn State Coach Ed DeChellis served as a Nittany Lion assistant coach from 1986-96, during the time Penn State moved from the Atlantic 10 Conference to the Big Ten. During his last two seasons as an assistant there, PSU posted a 42-18 record, advancing to the NIT in 1995 and the NCAA Tournament in 1996. During his time as a Penn State assistant DeChellis helped PSU post a 4-3 record against Iowa.

HAWKEYE, LION NOTES

• Iowa (.399) and Penn State (.393) rank first and second, respectively, for three-point percentage in all games. In league games, Iowa is third (.390) and Penn State is fifth (.378). In all games, Penn State is second in three-point defense (.302) and Iowa is ninth (.346). Iowa is second in three-point field goals per game (8.6) and Penn State fourth (7.8).
• Iowa and Penn State have played well at home this season. Iowa is 10-1 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with the only setback being a 52-49 loss to Minnesota. Penn State is 11-2 at home, falling to Temple and Michigan State.
• When the Hawkeyes won at Penn State in 1997 it marked PSU’s first defeat in the Bryce Jordan Center and ended the longest home court winning streak in the nation at the time.
• Penn State assistant Kurt Kanaskie is no stranger to the Iowa basketball program, as he served as the head coach at Drake University in Des Moines for seven seasons. He held a 0-7 record vs. Iowa.
• Penn State assistant Dan Earl is a former Nittany Lion player. Earl began his playing career in 1993-94 and ended his career in 1998-99. He missed the 1996-97 season due to a back injury and missed all but five games in 1997-98 due to a knee injury, earning a medical hardship and a sixth season. In the games he played, Earl helped Penn State post a 4-2 record vs. Iowa, including a 67-64 win in Iowa City in the quarter-finals of the 1995 NIT.
• PSU Assistant Coach Lewis Preston was an assistant coach at Florida in 2006-07 when the Gators defeated Butler, coached by current Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter, in the NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. Florida went on to win the national title.

THE SERIES
Iowa holds a 20-10 advantage in the series that began with an 82-53 Iowa win in 1955. The teams split last season, with Iowa winning 64-49 in Iowa City and Penn State winning 65-64 in State College. The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last 10 meetings. Iowa has won 12 of the last 16, 13 of the last 18 and 15 of the last 21 meetings. Iowa won both meetings in 2006 and single games in 2004 and 2005. Three of the 30 meetings in the series have been in post-season action. The first meeting in 1955 was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Evanston, IL, with Iowa winning 82-53 on its way to the Final Four. Penn State won 67-64 in Iowa City in 1995 in the semi-finals of the NIT, earning a trip to New York City. Iowa won in the Big Ten Tournament semi-finals in 2001 and went on to win that event, as both teams earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s 67-48 win in 1962 took place in the first round of the Quaker City Tournament in Philadelphia, PA. Penn State holds a 7-5 advantage in games played at Penn State, but Iowa has won five of 10 games played at the Bryce Jordan Center. Iowa, on Jan. 4, 1997, was the first visiting team to win (67-59) in Penn State’s new arena. Iowa’s win snapped the longest home winning streak in the nation at the time. Iowa holds an 11-3 advantage in games played in Iowa City, with all 14 meetings taking place in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have won nine of the last 10 meetings in Iowa City.

THEY SPLIT LAST SEASON
Iowa and Penn State each won at home a year ago, with the Hawkeyes taking a 64-49 decision Jan. 26 in Iowa City and PSU winning 65-64 at home on Feb. 27. Iowa scored the first five points of the game and never trailed in winning the first meeting. Iowa led by as many as 18 points in the first half as the Nittany Lions scored just nine points in the first 15 minutes. Penn State rallied at the end of the half and trailed 29-17 at intermission. Iowa shot 52.6% from the field in the opening half, while holding the visitors to 29.2%. Penn State made just one of its six three-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes. Penn State closed its deficit to nine points twice in the second half, the last at 40-31 with 12:29 remaining. Iowa responded with five straight points and led by 11 or more the rest of the way. Iowa ended the game shooting 47.4% from the field, including 36% from three-point range. Iowa also connected on 19-22 free throws (86.4) and held a 34-22 rebounding advantage. Freshman guard Jeff Peterson came off the bench to lead Iowa’s attack. On the eve of his 19th birthday, Peterson scored 19 points by connecting on all four of his field goal attempts (2-2 three-pointers) and 9-9 free throws. He added five assists and three rebounds. Seth Gorney, Justin Johnson and Jake Kelly all added 11 points. Cyrus Tate led Iowa with a career-best 13 rebounds and Gorney added eight. Stanley Pringle led Penn State with 17 points. Jamelle Cornley added 15 points and five rebounds and Talor Battle scored 11. Both Pringle and Battle had four steals.

Penn State converted a three-point play with 18 seconds remaining to score a 65-64 win over Iowa in the second meeting. 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 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 and Penn State 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. Iowa 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 had five rebounds. Jamelle Cornley led Penn State with 22 points and seven rebounds. Danny Morrissey added 14 points.

IOWA STOPS WISCONSIN IN OT
Iowa controlled the action in overtime and defeated Wisconsin 73-69 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes outscored the visitors 13-9 in the extra session after the Badgers had tied the score with a long three-point basket at the buzzer. Jeff Peterson gave Iowa the advantage with the first basket in overtime. He later broke the final tie of the game with a three-point basket with 1:42 to play. Peterson earned an assist on a three-point basket by Devan Bawinkel with 1:01 to play, giving Iowa a 70-64 advantage. Peterson added one free throw and Matt Gatens hit a pair of free shots with seven seconds remaining to secure the win. The teams traded baskets in the first half, with Iowa leading 20-18 on a David Palmer basket with 7:24 remaining. Iowa did not score again as the Badgers built a 24-20 advantage at the break. Peterson connected on two free throws with 15:32 to play to give Iowa a 28-26 advantage, but Wisconsin used a 9-0 run to take a 35-28 lead with 12 minutes remaining. Iowa battled back to a 37-37 tie and finally regained the lead on two Peterson free throws with 2:38 to play. Iowa twice led by five points, the last at 58-53 with 26 seconds left. Peterson added one of two free shots with seven seconds left in regulation for a 60-57 advantage before Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor connected from long range to force the overtime. Iowa shot 46.5% from the field, including hitting all three of its field goals and 5-6 free throws in the overtime. The Hawkeyes added 74.3% from the free throw line. Iowa also had just nine turnovers, while Wisconsin held a 32-28 rebounding advantage. Palmer led Iowa for the second straight game, collecting a career-high 21 points (8-12 FG’s) and seven rebounds. Peterson added 16 points and seven assists and Gatens had 14 points and five rebounds. Jake Kelly added 12 points, all in the final 15 minutes of play.

PENN STATE STOPS MICHIGAN
Hot shooting by the home team and cold shooting by the visitors was the difference as Penn State defeated Michigan 73-58 Tuesday night at State College. The Nittany Lions shot 58% from the field, including 52.9% (9-17) from three-point range in improving their home record to 11-2. Michigan had trouble finding its shooting touch, connecting on just 39.3% from the field, including 5-30 (16.7%) from three-point range. Michigan led by as many as five points in the early going before Penn State built a 29-22 halftime advantage. The Nittany Lions then shot 64% from the field in the second half, leading by as many as 26 points late in the game. Michigan improved its shooting to 50% in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to catch Penn State. The Nittany Lions also held a 37-26 rebounding advantage and earned the win despite shooting just 37.5% (6-16) from the free throw line. Jamelle Cornley led the Nittany Lions with 17 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 8-10 field goal attempts. Talor Battle added 15 points and six assists, Stanley Pringle added 12 points and four steals and Danny Morrissey added 11 points.

GATENS AMONG TOP BIG TEN FRESHMEN
Iowa freshman Matt Gatens ranks among Big Ten freshman leaders in several categories. Gatens is first in three-point percentage (.523) and minutes played (32.1), three-point field goals per game (1.8) and second in scoring (10.9) and third in field goal percentage (.504).

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 19 games. Iowa leads the Big Ten in three-point field goal percentage (.399) and is second in three-point field goals per game (8.6). 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 a loss 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 sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing 57.8 points per game. Iowa opponents are shooting 41.8% from the field, including 34.6% 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 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 most of the season. 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 just 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 51 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. In Iowa’s overtime win over Wisconsin, the Badgers shot 51.9% (14-27) in the second half, but just 33.3% (3-9) in the overtime period.

TAKING CARE OF TURNOVERS
During the non-conference portion of the schedule, Iowa averaged 11.5 turnovers in 13 games. In six Big Ten Conference games, Iowa is averaging 14.5 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 74.6% 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, 90% (9-10) in a loss at Michigan and 74.3% (26-35) in an overtime win over Wisconsin. 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 91.1% (41-45) to lead all players in the Big Ten. Gatens made 26 straight free throws over a 16-game span, from a win over Texas-San Antonio on Nov. 17 to missing his first attempt against Wisconsin on Jan. 21. Jeff Peterson (fourth, .853) and Cyrus Tate (11th, .744) rank among the Big Ten Conference leaders in free throw percentage. 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 four games. Seven different players have led the team in scoring and four are averaging more than 9.3 points per game. Senior Cyrus Tate is shooting 68.3% from the field, followed by guards Matt Gatens (49.3%) and Jeff Peterson (47.1%). Tate shot 66.7% from the field last season, including 70.2% in Big Ten games. 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.

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.

HAWKEYE GAMES NOTES

• Iowa is 8-3 when controlling the opening tip and 4-4 when not controlling the tip.
• Iowa is 3-1 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, seven in wins over Charleston Southern and SE Missouri State and nine in an overtime win over Wisconsin. 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. 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 5-0 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, 4-3 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 11-3 when collecting more assists than the opponent, 0-3 when the opponent has more assists and 1-1 when assists are even.
• Iowa is 8-0 when having fewer turnovers than its opponent, 2-5 when the opponent has fewer turnovers and 2-2 when turnovers are even.
• Iowa is 9-1 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 2-6 when trailing at halftime.
• Iowa is 5-3 in games decided by 10 points or less, including 3-3 in games decided by five points or less and 1-0 in overtime.

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 has not played in Iowa’s last three games.
• Jeff Peterson leads Iowa is assists at 4.2 per game. Peterson scored a season-high 18 points in wins over Kansas State and Northern Iowa and is averaging 10.1 points per game. He added 16 points and seven assists in a win over Wisconsin. He is shooting 47.1% from the field and leads the team in free throws (64) and attempts (75), shooting 85.3%. Peterson led Iowa in assists (3.1) last season as a true freshman.
• True freshman Matt Gatens has scored in double figures in 13 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 (47) and leads the Big Ten in free throw percentage (91.1%, 41-45) and three-point percentage (.523). He made 26 straight free throws over 16 games before missing his first attempt in a win over Wisconsin.
• 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 19 games, 68 of his 70 field goal attempts are three-point attempts. He also has not attempted a free throw and has committed just three 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.
• 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 23 steals, is second with 51 assists and is averaging 9.3 points. Kelly scored 12 points, all in the last 15 minutes of action, in a win over Wisconsin.
• 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 and he had five points, two rebounds and two steals in a win over Wisconsin.
• Junior forward David Palmer started for the first time in his career at Purdue and responded with 19 points and eight rebounds. He added 21 points (8-12 FG’s) and seven rebounds in a win over Wisconsin. He is shooting 54.3% from the field, 46.2% from three-point range and 76.5% from the free throw line.

VALUABLE POSSESSIONS
Iowa is averaging 12.7 assists and 12.5 turnovers per game. Through 19 games last season those averages were 12.3 assists and 16.7 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. In its last two games Iowa’s line-up has included two freshmen, two sophomores 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 freshmen this season have earned 37 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 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 10.9 points per game.

HOME, AWAY COMPARISONS
In its 11 home games, Iowa has outscored its opponents by a 13.6 point margin, shooting 48.7% from the field while holding its opponent to 38.4% shooting. Iowa holds a 31.1-27.3 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 19 games, including three different line-ups in six 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 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, compared to 13.6 points and 7.6 rebounds by the opponent reserves. Iowa is 6-4 when the reserves outscore the opponent reserves, 6-2 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, 6-4 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 trailed 22-15 in the first half of a 65-46 win over Northern Iowa and the Hawkeyes trailed Wisconsin by seven points with 12 minutes left in the game Jan. 21 before winning in overtime. 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 523-507 in the first half, 658-582 in the second half and 13-9 in one overtime period. Iowa has led at halftime in 11 games, and has outscored its opponent in the second half 12 times.

IOWA FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa has made over 70% of its free throws in 13 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 9-5 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 50-61 (.820) from the free throw line in the final four minutes and overtime of its eight games that have been decided by 10 points or less. Iowa’s opponents in those games have made 21-29 (.724) free throw attempts in the final four minutes. Iowa is 5-3 in games decided by 10 points or less, 3-3 in games decided by five points or less and 1-0 in overtime.

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 19 games this season, Iowa is averaging 8.6 made three-point field goals and 21.5 attempts.

IOWA IN TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iowa has fared well while taking part in regular-season tournaments over the past 22 years. In that time Iowa has won the Great Alaska Shootout (1986-87), the Cal-Irvine Anteater Classic (1986-87), the Maui Classic (1987-88), the San Juan Thanksgiving Shootout (1992-93), the San Juan Christmas Shootout (1997-98), the Big Ten Conference Tournament in 2001 and 2006 and its own invitational 24 times. In addition, Iowa was runner-up in the 1985-86 Far West Classic, the 1987-88 All-College Tournament, the 1988-89 Chaminade Classic, the 1991-92 Tampa Tribune Holiday Invitational, the 1994-95 Rainbow Classic, the 1995-96 Great Alaska Shootout, the 1999-00 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the 2001-02 Guardians Classic, the 2005-06 Guardians Classic, the 2002 Big Ten Conference Tournament and the 2004 Maui Invitational.

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 against Wisconsin was its second and final 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.

POST-SEASON OPPONENTS
Fifteen of Iowa’s 31 games during the regular season are against teams that advanced to post-season play last season. That includes 11 games against teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa will play eight games against four Big Ten opponents that appeared in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, along with a single game at Drake and games against West Virginia and Kansas State. During the non-conference portion of the schedule Iowa will face teams from the Big East (West Virginia), Atlantic Coast (Boston College), Big 12 (Iowa State and Kansas State) and Missouri Valley (Drake and Northern Iowa) conferences. Iowa, in 2007-08, played 14 of 32 games against teams that advanced to post-season play. That included five teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament (1-8), three opponents who competed in the NIT (1-3) and one opponent who participated in the initial College Basketball Invitational (0-1).

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

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 host Michigan State Thursday, Jan. 29 (6:05 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2). The Hawkeyes travel to Illinois Sunday, Feb. 1 (1:05 p.m., BTN) and visit Indiana Wednesday, Feb. 4 (5:35 p.m., CT, BTN).