Nov. 21, 2009
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 Season)
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
Complete Release in PDF Format
THE SETTING
The Iowa Hawkeyes return to action Monday and Tuesday in the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City, MO. Iowa (1-2) will face No. 3 Texas (2-0) Monday at 8:45 p.m. The two-day tournament will be Iowa’s first games away from Iowa City this season. Tuesday’s consolation game will be played at 6:45 p.m., while the championship contest will air at 9 p.m. All games will be played at the Sprint Center.
TICKETS INFORMATION
Iowa has a limited number of tickets available for its appearance in the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City, MO. The tickets are $130, which covers both nights of competition and two games per night. Seats are in section 115, rows 1-12. Call the UI Athletic Ticket Office (1-800-IA-HAWKS) to order tickets.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show.
Television: ESPN2 will televise Monday night’s contest to a national cable audience. Terry Gannon (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) will call the action. Tuesday’s consolation game will be televised to a national cable audience on ESPNU, while the championship contest will air on ESPN2.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,475 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Overall Iowa’s record is 1,467-1,008 (.593). That includes a 926-322 (.742) record in home games, a 541-686 (.441) record in games away from Iowa City, a 695-690 (.502) mark in Big Ten games and a 332-96 (.776) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 332-96 (.776) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 156-77 (.670) in Big Ten games and 176-19 (.903) in non-Big Ten games.
HAWKEYES CRUISE TO VICTORY OVER BOWLING GREEN FRIDAY NIGHT
Iowa cruised to a 68-46 win over Bowling Green Friday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa, who struggled from long distance in its first two games, made half of its field goals from 3-point range against the Falcons. The Black and Gold went 12-of-25 (48%) from behind the arc, with Eric May sinking all four 3-point attempts. The freshman led all scorers with 16 points. Also leading the way for Iowa was sophomore Anthony Tucker, sophomore Matt Gatens and freshman Brennan Cougill. Tucker contributed 13 points and dished out a game and career-high nine assists. Gatens netted 14 points and hauled in six boards. Cougill, who started his first career game, had eight points and a game and personal-high eight rebounds.
SEASON OPENER FAST BREAKS
? Iowa outscored Bowling Green 8-1 at the free throw line and 22-11 in bench points.
? The Hawkeyes amassed a season-best 18 assists and had a season-low 12 turnovers.
? Matt Gatens remained perfect at the free throw line this year, sinking all six attempts against Bowling Green. The sophomore is 13-13 from the charity stripe, after three games.
? Iowa shot a season-best 47% (24-of-51) from the field, including 48% (12-of-25) from 3-point range.
? Jarryd Cole made his first career trey Friday night against Bowling Green. The attempt was only his second of his career.
LICKLITER AFTER THE BOWLING GREEN GAME
“It was a great win for the guys, they’ve worked hard they are good guys and they care. They executed last game (Duquesne), they fought back, and a kid makes a really tough shot to win so that didn’t affect them tonight. They came back out and went about the game plan and worked. I think this a group that is just going to keep getting better every time they play. I thought we defended, again, for the third time in a row; the difference this time was we were able to make shots. This is a very unselfish team, they pass it. I think we played much better basketball, we played much better because we were fairly poised and had good spacing. Obviously we shot closer to the way I expect us to shoot it this year.”
HAWKEYES ARE TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 56 of its 71 games (.789) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) over the last five seasons, including win streaks of 21 straight overall and 12 straight Big Ten Conference wins. Iowa has won 10 of its last 16 home games against ranked opponents and was 13-4 at home in 2008-09. Three of Iowa’s four home losses last year were to ranked opponents and by four points or less. Iowa was a perfect 17-0 at home in 2006, 14-2 in 2007, 10-8 in 2008 and 13-4 a year ago. Iowa has compiled a 24-10 Big Ten Conference record in that time.
BUSY START FOR HAWKEYES
The Iowa Hawkeyes will be a busy team the first couple weeks of the season. The Black and Gold will play five games in 10 days, including playing three in six days to start the year.
ARCHIE SIDELINED AFTER SUSTAINING INJURY IN PRACTICE
Junior transfer Devon Archie is expected to be sidelined four-to-seven weeks after sustaining an injury to his left shoulder during Iowa’s second practice, Oct. 17. The 6-9, 215-pounder is expected to bolster the Hawkeye front court after playing the last two seasons at Vincennes Community College. A two-time team captain at Vincennes, he averaged 6.8 points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots, starting 19 of 30 games last season as a sophomore.
FRESHMEN MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Freshmen Brennan Cougill, Eric May and Cully Payne have made an immediate impact on the Hawkeyes. In his first significant action of the season, Cougill played 15 solid minutes off the bench against Duquesne. The native of Sioux City, IA, netted eight points, including a clutch 3-point play late in the contest to give Iowa a one-point lead. He followed up that performance with his first career start, amassing eight points and a game and personal-high eight rebounds in Friday night’s win vs. Bowling Green. May averages 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and two steals after three contests. May tallied a team-high 13 points against UTSA, a game-high 16 points vs. Bowling Green and blocked a team-high two shots vs. Duquesne. The native of Dubuque, IA, made all four 3-point attempts in Iowa’s 22-point triumph over Bowling Green Friday night. Payne, who is Iowa’s first lefty point guard since Dean Oliver, scored 12 points vs. UTSA and dished out a game-high six assists against Duquesne. He also collected four assists against Bowling Green.
THE RETURNING CAST
Iowa returns four starters and six lettermen from a year ago. The returning starters include senior guard Devan Bawinkel (6-5, 210), junior center Jarryd Cole (6-7, 250), sophomore forward Aaron Fuller (6-6, 210) and sophomore guard Matt Gatens (6-5, 215). Bawinkel started nine games as a junior, averaging 4.8 points and 1.6 rebounds. Cole also started nine games, averaging 3.7 points and 3.0 rebounds. Gatens started all 32 outings, averaging 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, shooting at a 40% clip from 3-point range. Additionally, Gatens was a Big Ten all-Freshman and collegehoops.net fourth team Freshman all-America honoree a year ago. Fuller started 19 games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.7 rebounds. The additional lettermen returning are sophomore guard Anthony Tucker (6-4, 200) and sophomore forward Andrew Brommer (6-9, 235). Tucker averaged 10.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14 games, while Brommer played in 20 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds. Iowa’s returning players, last season, played 43.2% of all minutes in 32 games, scoring 41.3% of Iowa’s points and grabbing 35.6% of Iowa’s rebounds. The group also had 33.6% of the steals and 39.8% of the assists last season. They combined to shoot 40.3% from the field, 37.8% from 3-point range and 70.4% from the free throw line.
SCOUTING TEXAS
Texas is ranked third nationally after starting the season with home victories over UC Irvine (89-42) and Western Carolina (73-41) in preliminary games of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. The Longhorns boast a 17.0 rebounding and 39.5 scoring margin, and average 55% shooting from the field after two contests. Texas is led by a trio of players who average in double figures. Senior Damion James averages a double-double (19.5 ppg and 11.0 rpg), while senior Dexter Pittman averages 15 points and 6.5 rebounds and freshman J’Covan Brown averages 11.5 points. Additionally, James has earned 16 trips to the free throw line, making 13 (.813) and Pittman has missed only three field-goal attempts (14-17, .813). In its last game, Texas outrebounded Western Carolina by 15 (47-32) and shot 53.2% from the field. James led all scorers with 18 points against the Catamounts. In the season opener vs. UC Irvine, James posted a double-double (21 points, 15 rebounds). Rick Barnes is his 12th season at Texas and his 23rd as a college head coach. Barnes has posted a 272-105 (.721) mark with the Longhorns. His career record stands at 474-239 (.665).
ALL-TIME SERIES — VS. TEXAS
Monday’s contest will be just the fourth meeting between Iowa and Texas, with Iowa leading the series, 2-1. Iowa won the first two games against the Longhorns, 98-92, on March 19, 1992 in Greensboro, NC and 82-80, on Nov. 22, 2004 in Maui, HI. Texas won the last meeting, 68-59, in the championship game of the Guardians Classic in Kansas City, MO. The Hawkeyes are 90-48 (.652) all-time against teams from the Big 12 Conference.
IOWA, TEXAS TIP-INS
? Iowa is 5-1 all-time in games played on Nov. 23 and 4-2 in contests played on Nov. 24.
? Iowa competed in the inaugural CBE Classic, which was called the Guardians Classic, in 2001.
? Syracuse defeated Kansas in overtime in the championship game of the tournament a year ago, while UCLA won the event in 2007. Iowa reached the championship game in the 2005 and 2001 tournaments. The Hawkeyes beat Kentucky before falling to Texas in the championship game.
? Texas and Pittsburgh participated in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, while Wichita State competed in the College Basketball Invitational.
? The Sporting News lists Iowa sophomore guard Matt Gatens as the Big Ten’s best shooter in its college basketball preview issue.
? Iowa is shooting only 27-43 (.628) from the charity stripe through three games. However, sophomore Matt Gatens is perfect from the foul line, sinking all 13 attempts.
? Iowa started four underclassmen in its first three games: sophomores Anthony Tucker, Matt Gatens and freshman Cully Payne started all three contests. Sophomore Aaron Fuller started two (UTSA and Duquesne), while freshman Brennan Cougill one (Bowling Green).
? Texas’ 16-player roster consists of student-athletes from seven different states, including eight who hail from Texas, and two international players.
? Five of Iowa’s first seven games will be played on the ESPN family of networks.
SCOUTING WICHITA STATE
Wichita State, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, opened its season with victories over Fairleigh Dickinson (80-64) and Arkansas-Monticello (79-50). Five players scored in double figures in the Shockers’ win over Fairleigh Dickinson. Wichita State had only eight turnovers and forced 25 in its win over Arkansas-Monticello. Wichita State owns a staggering 2.1 assist/turnover ratio, boast a 22.5 scoring margin and 6.0 rebounding margin after two games. Sophomore guard Toure Murry averages a team-best 15.5 points and 7.0 assists per game. Redshirt junior forward JT Durley averages 15 points and 3.5 rebounds, while sophomore guard David Kyles averages 11 points and 4.5 rebounds. The Shockers finished fifth in the Valley last season, posting a 17-17 overall record and an 8-10 league mark. Wichita State played in the College Basketball Invitational last March. They return three starters from last year’s squad. Gregg Marshall is in his third season as the head coach at Wichita State and his 12th as a college head coach. Marshall has posted a 30-37 (.447) mark with the Shockers. His career record stands at 224-120 (.671).
SCOUTING PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh opened its season with home wins over Wofford (63-60), Binghamton (71-46) and Eastern Kentucky (71-60). The Panthers tied for second in the Big East last season, boasting a 31-5 overall record and 15-3 league mark. Pittsburgh returns only one starter from last year’s team that advanced to the Elite Eight. The one returning starter, Jermaine Dixon, fractured his right foot in September. He is still rehabbing and has not seen game action yet this season. Sophomore guard Ashton Gibbs averages a team-best 16.7 points, shooting 8-20 (.400) from behind the 3-point arc. Junior guard Brad Wanamaker averages 12 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds. Sophomore forward Nasir Robinson averages 10.3 points and six rebounds. Pittsburgh averages a +13 scoring margin and +9.3 rebounding margin. The Panthers are shooting 49% (77-157) from the field and 58% (32-55) from the foul line. And like Wichita State, Pittsburgh has taken care of the basketball, boasting a 2.0 assist/turnover ratio. Jamie Dixon is his seventh season as a college head coach, all at Pittsburgh. Dixon’s record stands at 166-45 (.787).
ALL-TIME SERIES — VS. PITTSBURGH AND WICHITA STATE
Pittsburgh owns a 5-2 series advantage over Iowa, while the Hawkeyes have a 4-3 edge in the all-time series vs. Wichita State. Pittsburgh won the first five games against Iowa, but the Hawkeyes have won the last two. The last meeting between the two programs was a 103-80 Iowa victory on Dec. 30, 1976 in Albuquerque, NM. The Hawkeyes are 33-36 (.478) all-time against teams from the Big East Conference. If Iowa should play Wichita State Tuesday, it will mark the first time the two programs will have met since March 15, 1981. Tuesday would be the first contest between Iowa and Wichita State on a neutral floor. The Hawkeyes are 118-38 (.756) all-time against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference.
A YOUNG SQUAD
Iowa’s roster of 12 players includes four freshmen, one redshirt freshman, four sophomores, two juniors and one senior. The freshmen are forward Brennan Cougill (6-9, 260), guard/forward Eric May (6-5, 225), guard Nick Neari (6-2, 185) and guard Cully Payne (6-1, 190). The redshirt freshman is John Lickliter. The sophomores are Andrew Brommer, Aaron Fuller, Matt Gatens and Anthony Tucker. In addition, junior forward Devan Archie (6-9, 215) is in his first year at Iowa after attending a junior college in Indianapolis.
YOUTHFUL HAWKEYES
Amongst Big Ten teams, the Iowa Hawkeyes have the fewest number of overall and conference game experience with its returning lettermen. Furthermore, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State have the second-most underclassmen (9) on their rosters, behind Purdue (11).
FIVE STATE CHAMPS
Iowa’s roster of 12 players includes five players who won state titles. Matt Gatens and John Lickliter won a state title for Iowa City HS in 2008. Eric May won a state title for Dubuque Wahlert HS in 2008. Brennan Cougill’s Bishop Heelan HS captured the state title in 2009, while Anthony Tucker won a state title his senior year at Minnetonka HS.
HAWKEYE SCHEDULE NOTES
? Iowa’s schedule includes 18 regular season home games.
? Thirteen of Iowa’s first 18 games will be played in the friendly confines of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, with two other contests being played on a neutral floor.
? The Black and Gold will play two of its three in-state rivalry games on the road, visiting Iowa State and Northern Iowa, while playing Drake at home. The Hawkeyes will also host a Big Ten/ACC Challenge game this season, facing Virginia Tech in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? Within the Big Ten, the Hawkeyes play two games against four of the top six teams in the league a year ago. Iowa meets Penn State (home) and Wisconsin (away) just once. Iowa opens Big Ten play with four of five games at home, while it concludes the conference slate with three of four on the road. The Big Ten Tournament is held in Indianapolis.
? Iowa’s Big Ten opener vs. Purdue (Dec. 29) is its earliest conference opener since the 1952 season. That year the Hawkeyes opened with Michigan Dec. 13 in an 18-game league schedule.
? Iowa’s Big Ten slate includes four weekend home dates and five games during the week.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
Iowa’s schedule in 2009-10 includes a minimum of 31 games, with 18 of those games slated for Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes opened the regular season by hosting UTSA (Nov. 15). The home schedule also includes dates with Virginia Tech (Dec. 1) and Drake (Dec. 19).
HAWKEYES IN ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Iowa will host Virginia Tech Dec. 1 (8:35 p.m. CT, ESPN2) as part of the 2009 ACC/Big Ten Challenge. All 11 games in the Challenge will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. Iowa is 2-6 in the Challenge after a narrow 57-55 defeat at Boston College last season. Iowa lost to Maryland, in Baltimore, in 2000, defeated Georgia Tech in 2001 in Iowa City, lost at Florida State in 2003 and lost to Duke, in Chicago, in 2002. Iowa did not take part in 2003-04 and 2004-05. The Hawkeyes beat NC State in 2005-06. Virginia Tech won the only previous meeting between the two programs, claiming a 69-65 victory in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge played in Blacksburg, VA on Nov. 29, 2006. Virginia Tech posted a 19-15 record in 2008, including a 7-9 mark in league play. The Hokies advanced to the second round of the NIT, ending the season with a loss to Baylor. Virginia Tech is coached by Seth Greenberg, who has posted a 107-85 record in six years at the school.
NO THREE-POINTERS
Since the 3-point shot became part of the college game, Iowa has played 14 games in which it has failed to make a 3-point attempt. Iowa had made at least one 3-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 3-point basket in 185 straight games.
POST-SEASON OPPONENTS
Twenty-two of Iowa’s 31 games during the regular season are against teams that advanced to post-season play last season. That includes 15 games, and possibly 16, against teams that participated in the NCAA Tournament. During the non-conference portion of the schedule Iowa will meet teams from the Big 12, ACC and Missouri Valley, along with a possible Big East opponent. Iowa will participate in the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, challenging Texas and either Pittsburgh or Wichita State, in Kansas City. Iowa, in 2008-09, played 22 of 32 games against teams that advanced to post-season play. That included 10 teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament (3-12), three opponents who competed in the NIT (2-2) and three opponents who participated in the CBI Tournament (2-1).
IOWA ON THE BIG TEN NETWORK
The majority of Iowa games can be seen on the Big Ten Network, a national cable television network that now reaches over 70 million homes in its third year. The Big Ten Network is available on Mediacom, which provides cable service to over 400,000 customers throughout Iowa and the Midwest. The Big Ten Network has agreements with more than 250 affiliates, including DirectTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS.
IOWA ON THE TUBE
All 31 Iowa regular-season games this season are slated to be televised. The Hawkeyes will appear on the ESPN family of networks six times, 20 times on the Big Ten Network, three times on Mediacom Connections, and the Cyclone Television Network and Panther Sports Network once.
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. Four current Big Ten Conference head coaches have earned national Coach of the Year honors.
STRENGTH OF THE BIG TEN
The Big Ten Conference has a league-best six teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25 and ranks second with five squads ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. In the AP, Michigan State is ranked second, followed by Purdue (7), Michigan (15), Ohio State (16), Illinois (23) and Minnesota (25). In the Coaches poll, Michigan State ranks second, followed by Purdue (7), Michigan (15), Ohio State (17) and Minnesota (18).
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.
IOWA IN TOURNAMENT PLAY
Iowa has fared well while taking part in regular-season tournaments over the past 27 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.
TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2009-10
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. Season tickets are available for 2009-10, including general public ($278), UI faculty and staff ($238) and UI students ($80, includes two games free). General public single-game tickets are also on sale ranging from $12, $20, or $25 depending on the game desired. UI student single-game tickets are $15 the day of the game only (if available). The “Weekday” package includes Iowa’s games against Virginia Tech (Dec. 1) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Purdue (Dec. 29), Ohio State (Jan. 27), Illinois (Feb. 3), Northwestern (Feb. 10) and Michigan (Feb. 16). The cost of this package per ticket is $90 and includes the choice of a free ticket to Iowa’s game against Duquesne (Nov. 17) or South Carolina State (Dec. 21). The “Weekend” package includes the Hawkeyes’ games with Drake (Dec. 19), Minnesota (Jan. 2), Michigan State (Jan. 9), Penn State (Jan. 16) and Indiana (Feb. 18). That package costs $120 per ticket and includes a free ticket to the Hawkeyes’ game with Texas-San Antonio (Nov. 15), North Carolina Central (Nov. 28) or Prairie View A&M (Dec. 5). Discounted tickets to select home games, earmarked for purchase by groups of 20 or more, are also available for purchase. For more information about group ticket packages, fans should call the UI Sports Marketing Office at (319) 335-9431.
“HAWK TALK WITH Todd Lickliter”
University of Iowa basketball fans may join Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter and radio announcer Gary Dolphin 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 Cafe in Iowa City from 7-8:30 p.m. The tentative dates are: Nov. 30, Dec. 9, Dec. 14, Dec. 28, Jan. 6, Jan. 11, Jan. 18, Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 8, Feb. 15, Feb. 22, March 1 and March 8.
GAME DAY BLOG
The Iowa Sports Information staff will conduct live blogs for the following November Iowa basketball games: Pittsburgh/Wichita State (Nov. 24). The service gives Hawkeye fans the chance to be interactive by logging onto hawkeyesports.com. Fans will have the opportunity to submit questions and/or comments, answer quick polls and get up-to-the-minute information about the game and Hawkeyes.
FORMER UI STANDOUT GIVES $100,000 FOR CHA RENOVATION
Ronnie Lester, former All-American basketball player at the University of Iowa, has made a $100,000 gift to the UI Foundation to support the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Enhancements Campaign. The assistant general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, Lester is a member of the committee that is leading the fundraising effort to upgrade the 26-year-old facility. At the request of Lester, the UI Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will name the training room at the remodeled Carver-Hawkeye Arena in honor of longtime UI athletic trainer John Streif. Streif, of Iowa City, and Lester, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., have been close friends since Lester’s playing days as an Iowa Hawkeye, beginning in the mid-1970s. “John Streif has been a terrific friend to me for more than 30 years. He has worked tirelessly to support me and numerous other athletes for over four decades now,” said Lester, a 1981 UI graduate who was a member of the Hawkeye men’s basketball team from 1977 to 1980. “His dedication to the Hawkeyes is legendary, and I’m honored to name the training room for him. “As a member of the Carver-Hawkeye Arena campaign committee, I am pleased to step forward to make this gift,” Lester continued. “Coach Lickliter has the program moving in the right direction, and I want to do my part to help this important project.” The goal of the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Enhancements Campaign is to raise at least $20 million to modernize the current facility, according to UI Director of Athletics Gary Barta. No state funding will be used for the project. “We are thrilled to receive this gift from Ronnie Lester. He is one of the all-time great basketball players at Iowa,” said Barta. “It’s always special to see former student-athletes reach back and support the Hawks. On top of his generosity, it is terrific that Ronnie has chosen to honor John Streif. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.”
ALL-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE NOW
All-session tickets for the 2010 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament is on sale to the general public. Tickets can be purchased at the UI Athletic Ticket Office, Conseco Fieldhouse box office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis is the site of the men’s tournament from March 11-14. For the men’s basketball tournament, all-session tickets for the lower and club level are available for $275 through the 11 Big Ten universities only. All-session tickets for the upper level are available for $220 or $165 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the Conseco Fieldhouse box office only. Orders will be limited to 12 all-session tickets. In addition, the men’s basketball tournament for the first time will also feature a special discounted rate of $50 for all-session tickets available only to students of the 11 Big Ten universities. Student section seating will be available in eight balcony sections and orders will be limited to four all-session tickets. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will call Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse home through 2012. The 2010 tournament marks the sixth time Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa returns to action next Saturday when it hosts North Carolina Central. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Saturday’s contest will be Iowa’s first appearance of the year on the Big Ten Network.`