Hawkeyes to Entertain Chicago State Friday

Nov. 9, 2011

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Iowa Game Notes

FRIDAY TIP-OFF
? Tickets can be purchased at the UI Ticket Office. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for youths and students. $5 tickets are also available for veterans and fans that show their Iowa-Michigan State football ticket.
? Get live game updates on Twitter (@IowaHoops)
? Iowa’s game against Chicago State is the first of three Dale Howard Classic preliminary games. The Hawkeyes will also face North Carolina AT&T (Nov. 14) and Campbell (Nov. 23).
? Iowa returns 87.1% of its offensive production this year, including its top three scorers. The Hawkeyes also return 81.4% of their rebounding and 91.5% of their assists.
? Iowa had won 31 straight season openers, dating back to 1978, before losing the last two. Iowa lost to San Antonio (62-50) in 2009 and South Dakota State (79-69) a year ago. Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery is 8-7 in season openers, including a 5-1 mark in home openers.
? Iowa and Chicago State last met almost 14 years ago to the day. The Hawkeyes beat the Cougars, 105-60, on Nov. 14, 1997 in their last meeting.
? Iowa’s 13 nonconference games are all in the state of Iowa. The Hawkeyes will play their first three contests on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

SEASON TICKETS AND MINI PACKAGES ON SALE
Hawkeye fans can purchase a season ticket for $296 that includes 19 regular season home games. UI Faculty and staff can purchase tickets for $252, while the price is only $85 for UI students. In addition, a $6 postage and handling fee will be added to each order. There are also four different mini packages that range from a seven to 11-game plan. Call the UI Ticket Office (1-800-IA-HAWKS) for more information on a ticket plan that best fits your needs.

2010-11 IOWA SEASON REVIEW
Iowa ended its 2010-11 season with an 11-20 record and a 4-14 mark in conference play. Melsahn Basabe and Bryce Cartwright earned all-Big Ten recognition. Basabe was named to the coaches’ all-freshman team and earned honorable mention all-conference laurels from both the media and coaches. Cartwright was tabbed honorable mention all-Big Ten by the media voters. Last year marked the third straight year Iowa had a student-athlete named to the coaches’ all-freshman squad. In 2009, Matt Gatens was honored, while Eric May was recognized in 2010. Iowa’s schedule, again, proved to be demanding, ranking 49th in the nation in strength. Nineteen of Iowa’s 31 games were against teams that advanced to postseason play, including 14 contests against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa recorded Big Ten victories over sixth-ranked Purdue (67-65), Michigan State (72-52) and Indiana twice (91-77 and 64-63). The sweep of Indiana marked the first time the Hawkeyes swept the Hoosiers, in two games, in back-to-back seasons since 1944-45. Gatens led the team in scoring (12.6) and steals (1.3). Gatens has led the Hawkeyes in scoring the last two seasons. Basabe led the team in rebounding (6.8) and blocks (1.3), while Cartwright had the most assists (5.8). Basabe and Cole were the only two Hawkeyes to start all 31 games.

BROMMER TO MISS TIME DUE TO INJURY
Andrew Brommer sustained an injury on Oct. 13 towards the end of a team workout. The senior center suffered a right sprained knee and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

SCOUTING CHICAGO STATE
? Chicago State is led by second-year head coach Tracy Dildy (6-26).
? Chicago State won its first exhibition game 79-59 over visiting Roosevelt on Nov. 5. The score is the identical score that the Hawkeyes won their exhibition game over NW Missouri State. Lee Fisher and Jeremy Robinson each scored 20 points to lead the Cougars in their 20-point exhibition win over Roosevelt. Robinson also blocked five shots and had five steals.
? The Cougars played a second exhibition Monday night, beating St. Ambrose 76-65 in Chicago. Fisher posted a double-double (19 points and 16 rebounds) to pace the Cougars.
? The Cougars posted a 6-26 record a year ago and a 3-9 mark in the newly created Great West Conference.
? The Cougars lost 10 lettermen from last year’s squad and return only three. Senior guard Jamill Harris is Chicago State’s top returning scorer (3.3 ppg).
? Chicago State will play games in 13 states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas and Utah), in four time zones, this season.
? Chicago State has two players who played junior college basketball in the state of Iowa: senior guard Ardarius Simmons (Southeastern CC) and junior forward Jeremy Robinson (Iowa Western CC).

IOWA WINS EXHIBITION
Iowa improved to 18-1 in exhibition contests, since the 1999-00 season, with a 79-59 triumph over NW Missouri State last Sunday in Iowa City. Eleven of Iowa’s 12 players, who saw action, scored. Seniors Matt Gatens and Bryce Cartwright led the way for the Hawkeyes. Gatens led all scorers with 17 points while Cartwright netted 13. Junior Eric May contributed nine points, a game-high seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Freshman Aaron White rejected a game-high four shots to go along with eight points and five rebounds. Iowa’s bench chipped in 28 points. Iowa had the edge in nearly every statistical category. The Hawkeyes outscored the Bearcats 25-12 at the free throw line, sinking 80.6 percent of their attempts. Iowa also owned a +6 advantage on the glass.

EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT
Iowa has the most experienced starting backcourt duo in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes are the only league team with two starting senior guards, Bryce Cartwright and Matt Gatens.

IOWA INVOLVED IN CLOSE GAMES
Iowa was 2-7 in games decided by five points or less in 2011, with five of the defeats coming by three points. Three of those losses came in the last five Big Ten games. Iowa stunned sixth-ranked Purdue (67-65) in the regular season finale at Iowa City on March 5 and clipped Indiana (64-63), in Bloomington, on Feb. 5 for its two narrow victories. The Hawkeyes also had possession with an opportunity to tie (Northwestern) or win (Wisconsin and Michigan), but ultimately fell short in those contests.

DALE HOWARD CLASSIC TICKETS IN DES MOINES
Fans can purchase tickets to the Dale Howard Classic in Des Moines that pits Iowa against Creighton (Nov. 20), a number of ways. Fans can buy tickets at the Wells Fargo ticket office, online at www.dahltickets.com, calling 1-866-55-DAHLS or at any of the 13 Des Moines and Ames area Dahl’s Food Stores. Fans planning on attending are encouraged to buy tickets in advance to avoid long lines the day of the game.

GATENS RANKS AMONG BIG TEN’S BEST FT SHOOTERS
Senior Matt Gatens has converted 86.7% (235-271) of his free throw attempts. He currently is tied with Purdue’s Jerry Sichting (.867, 273-315) for sixth in Big Ten career free throw percentage (minimum 200 made) behind Indiana’s Steve Alford (.898, 535-596), Penn State’s Joe Crispin (.885, 448-506), Wisconsin’s Rick Olson (.870, 260-299) Penn State’s Pete Lisicky (.868, 223-257) and Ohio State’s Jamar Butler (.868, 231-266).

A YEAR AGO
Iowa lost its season opener last season, 79-69, to South Dakota State in Iowa City. Eric May posted a career-high 20 points, while Zach McCabe netted 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Melsahn Basabe snagged a game-high nine boards.

BASABE RANKS HIGH ON HAWKEYE ROOKIE CHARTS
Melsahn Basabe had a stellar rookie campaign in 2011 and ranks among some of the best Iowa freshmen of all-time in a number of statistical categories. Basabe scored 342 points (11.0 avg.), pulled down 210 rebounds (6.8 avg.) and blocked 41 shots (1.3 avg.). Also, he was 131-229 (.572) from the field and 80-112 (.714) from the foul line.

BASABE ETCHED HIS NAME IN HAWKEYE RECORD BOOKS
Melsahn Basabe is the only Hawkeye rookie to ever amass over 340 points, 200 rebounds and 40 blocks. The native of Glen Cove, NY, finished his rookie campaign with 342 points, 210 rebounds and 41 blocks. In fact, he is the first Iowa player — regardless of class — to accomplish the feat since Ryan Bowen totaled 447 points, 271 rebounds and 41 blocks his senior season in 1997-98.

HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? Iowa has only once before played a game on Nov. 11. Iowa upset top-ranked Connecticut 70-68 in New York in 1999.
? Nine of 12 Big Ten teams, including Iowa, will be in action for the first time Friday.
? Matt Gatens is nine points from equaling Kenny Arnold (1979-82) for 29th place and 15 from matching Michael Payne (1982-95) and Chris Kingsbury (1994-96) for 27th on Iowa’s career scoring chart. He is also three 3-point attempts from tying Kent MacCausland (1996-99) for fifth on Iowa’s all-time 3-point attempts list.
? Iowa saw an increase in its attendance numbers in 2010-11. Compared to 2009-10, last year’s Hawkeyes averaged 2,085 more fans than the previous season, an increase of 20%. Iowa averaged 9,550 fans two years ago, compared to 11,635 last year.
? Bryce Cartwright ranked first in Big Ten assists (6.83) and 18th nationally a year ago. He became the first Hawkeye since Dean Oliver (5.2 avg.) in 2001 to lead the Big Ten in assists, in conference play.
? Iowa’s five freshmen, in 2011, averaged a combined 22.9 points per game, an average that ranked third in the Big Ten behind Ohio State (34.0) and Michigan (31.7). Two of Michigan’s freshmen are redshirts.
? Roy Devyn Marble started six games, including the final five. As a starter, he is averaging five points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

NO 3-POINTERS
Since the 3-point shot became part of the college game, Iowa has played 15 games in which it has failed to make a 3-point attempt. Iowa had made at least one 3-point basket in 239-straight games before missing all 12 attempts in an 85-66 road loss at Michigan State on March 2, 2011.

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has assembled one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. Assistant coaches Kirk Speraw, Sherman Dillard and Andrew Francis have over six decades of combined coaching experience. Furthermore, the entire coaching staff combines for 47 years of head coaching experience. Director of Basketball Operations Jerry Strom is in his 31st season as a member of the Iowa basketball staff. Also, former Hawkeye standout and professional basketball player Ryan Bowen is the video coordinator. Bowen was on four NBA rosters (Denver, Houston, New Orleans and Oklahoma City).

CARTWRIGHT JOINS SELECT GROUP
Point guard Bryce Cartwright dished out 123 assists, during Big Ten play, becoming only the sixth Hawkeye since 1975 to lead the league in assists. Cartwright finished with 10 more assists than second place Darius Morris of Michigan (113). Cartwright’s 6.83 assists average is the highest by an Iowa player since Cal Wulfsberg’s 7.7 average in 1975. Cartwright, who averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 assists in 2011, is one of only two Iowa players to ever average better than 10.5 points and 5.8 assists in a single-season. Andre Woolridge is the other Hawkeye to accomplish the feat. Woolridge averaged 20.2 points and six assists in 1997; 13.1 points and six assists in 1996 and 14 points and 5.8 assists in 1995.

HAWKEYES ARE TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 72 of its 102 games (.706) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) over the last seven seasons, including win streaks of 21 straight overall and 12 straight Big Ten Conference wins. Iowa has won 10 of its last 20 home games against ranked opponents. Iowa was a perfect 17-0 at home in 2006, 14-2 in 2007, 10-8 in 2008, 13-4 in 2009, 9-9 in 2010 and 8-8 this season.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 348-111 (.758) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 162-89 (.645) in Big Ten games and 186-22 (.894) in non-Big Ten contests.

WELCOME NEW HAWKEYES
Iowa has five new faces on the team this season: Gabriel Olaseni, Josh Oglesby, Aaron White, Steven McCarty and Kyle Denning. Olaseni, Oglesby and White are on scholarship, while Denning and McCarty are walk-ons.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,625 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,577-1,048 (.601). That includes a 942-347 (.731) record in home games, a 545-711 (.434) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 703-718 (.495) mark in Big Ten games and a 348-111 (.758) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ALL-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets for the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament are on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. For more information regarding how to purchase tickets within Iowa’s block, contact the UI Athletic Ticket Office. Conseco Fieldhouse is the site of the men’s tournament from March 8-11, featuring 22 games over eight days. Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament all-session tickets for the lower and club levels are available for $325 through Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets for the upper levels are available for $240 or $175 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the Conseco Fieldhouse Box Office only. Orders will be limited to eight all-session tickets. In addition, the men’s tournament will continue to feature a special discounted rate of $50 for all-session tickets available only to students of Big Ten universities. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating will be available in eight balcony sections and orders will be limited to one all-session ticket. Details on the student ticket program will be sent to the university ticket offices for distribution directly to students. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will call Indianapolis and Conseco Fieldhouse home this March and again in 2014 and 2016. The 2012 tournament marks the eighth time Indianapolis has hosted the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“HAWK TALK WITH Fran McCaffery”
University of Iowa basketball fans may join Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery and radio announcer Gary Dolphin during the season for the “Hawk Talk with Fran McCaffery” radio call-in show. The show takes place at Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe in Iowa City from 7-8:30 p.m. Fans can call in and ask the coach a question by calling 1-877-464-2957.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa opens the season with three consecutive homes games. After Friday’s opener against Chicago State the Hawkeyes will entertain North Carolina AT&T (Nov. 14) and Northern Illinois (Nov. 17).