Aug. 18, 2009
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
IOWA CITY, IA – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team will meet Texas in the semifinals of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic on Nov. 23 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
Pittsburgh and Wichita State will square off in the other half of the bracket. Monday’s semifinal doubleheader starts at 6:30 p.m., while Tuesday’s action will begin at 6:45 p.m. Television information for this event will be announced in the near future.
Additionally, Iowa will host two CBE Classic preliminary round games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena prior to traveling to Kansas City. The two teams and competition dates have not yet been finalized.
“Going to Kansas City and playing Texas and either Pittsburgh or Wichita State, will be good for this team,” said Iowa Head Coach Todd Lickliter. This tournament will help us prepare for a demanding Big Ten season. Texas is an excellent basketball team that is well-coached.”
Texas posted a 23-12 record a year ago, advancing to the NCAA second round before a 74-69 loss to Duke. The Longhorns tied with three other teams for fourth in the Big 12 last year with a 9-7 league mark. Coach Rick Barnes is in his 12th season with the Longhorns, taking Texas to the NCAA Tournament 11 straight years.
Iowa and Texas have met three times, with Iowa winning twice. The Hawkeyes and Longhorns last met on Nov. 22, 2005 in the championship game of the Guardians Classic, in Kansas City, with Texas winning 68-59. Iowa also played the Longhorns on Nov. 23, 2004, with the Hawkeyes winning 82-80 at the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. The Black and Gold first met Texas in 1992, topping the Longhorns 98-92 in Greensboro, NC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Pittsburgh recorded a 31-5 overall record last season under Coach Jaime Dixon. The Panthers were bounced by Villanova in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last March. Pittsburgh tied Connecticut for second in the Big East standings with a 15-3 conference mark. Pittsburgh holds a 5-2 series advantage over Iowa. The teams last met on Dec. 30, 1976, with the Hawkeyes winning 103-80 in Albuquerque, NM, at the Lobo Classic.
Wichita State and Iowa last met on March 15, 1981, when the Shockers recorded a 60-56 triumph over the Hawkeyes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Iowa owns a 4-3 series edge over Wichita State. Coach Gregg Marshall enters his third season on the Wichita State sidelines. Wichita State tied for fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, posting an 8-10 league record and a 17-17 overall mark. The Shockers lost to Stanford, 70-56, in the quarterfinals of the College Basketball Invitational last March.
Tickets to the Kansas City event are currently on sale and can be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster.com or calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000.
Iowa’s Big Ten men’s basketball schedule is expected to be released tomorrow.