Iowa to Travel to UNI Tuesday

Dec. 5, 2011

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Iowa will play the first of three consecutive in-state games Tuesday at Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes have nine Iowans on their roster.
? Tuesday is the first true road game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes lost to Creighton in Des Moines on a neutral court Nov. 20.
? Iowa has won three of the last four against Northern Iowa.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in five of its eight games. The Hawkeyes are averaging 10 thefts per contest, which ranks 12th best in the country.
? Matt Gatens and Josh Oglesby have led the team in scoring a team-best three times.
? Seven Hawkeyes average 7.4 points or more, while four have 17 assists or more.
? Iowa is 6-0 when scoring 80 points or more, under McCaffery, the last two seasons. Furthermore, the Hawkeyes are 11-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.
? Iowa has nearly made as many free throws (134) as its opponents have attempted (137).
? Tuesday will be the second of three games against Missouri Valley opponents for Iowa. The Hawkeyes lost to Creighton on Nov. 20 in Des Moines and will host Drake Dec. 17.
? Iowa is 14-5 in games played on Dec. 6.

RMHC CLASSIC
Tuesday’s game will be the “RMHC Classic presented by Eastern Iowa Elite Chevy Dealers.” The goal is to raise awareness, funding and donations for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa (RMHC of Eastern Iowa) and its cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City. During the months of November and December fans can pledge $5 to RMHC of Eastern Iowa by texting “Family” to 80088 and replying “Yes” to the return message (message and data rates may apply). Fans can also bring basic household items to the game and drop them off at one of two tables RMHC of Eastern Iowa staff and volunteers will man. Top items needed include: paper towels, toilet paper, toilet bowl cleaner, Swiffer Wet-Jet products, facial tissue, high-efficiency laundry detergent, and multi-surface product cleaners. For more information, contact Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa at (319) 356-3939 or visit rmhc-easterniowa.org.

HAWKEYES BEAT BROWN SATURDAY
Nine players scored for the Hawkeyes en route to a 75-54 victory Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. Iowa started the game with a 21-6 spurt and never looked back. Sophomores Melsahn Basabe and Roy Devyn Marble scored 14 and 11 points, respectively, to pace the Black and Gold. Basabe also controlled 10 boards to give him his eighth career double-double and second of the season. Marble also tied career highs in rebounds (7), assists (4) and steals (3). Zach McCabe, Aaron White, Andrew Brommer and Matt Gatens all netted nine points each. The Hawkeyes outrebounded the Bears by 19 (56-37). The 56 rebounds, 21 of which were offensive, are both season highs for Iowa. Iowa’s defense held Brown to only 35 percent (21-of-60) shooting from the field, including 18 percent (4-of-22) from 3-point range. The home team did good job possessing the ball, registering only 10 turnovers. Iowa has 10 turnovers or fewer in five of its eight games so far.

SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA
? Northern Iowa, who ranks fourth in RPI, enters Tuesday’s game with a 7-1 mark, including winning all three of its home games. The Panthers’ only loss came at St. Mary’s (57-41) in the early morning hours of ESPN’s “College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon” on Nov. 14. UNI won at Iowa State last week (69-62).
? Two Panthers average double figures in scoring: Anthony James (14.0) and Jake Koch (10.1).
? Northern Iowa won its last game over Colorado State (83-77) Saturday in Cedar Falls. James poured in a game-high 28 points, bolstered by 11-of-18 shooting from the field. Both teams shot 50 percent or better from the field: UNI (50 percent, 25-of-42); Colorado State (51 percent, 28-of-55).
? Five players have 11 assists or more, with Koch leading the team with 22.
? The Panthers average 67 points and hold opponents to 59 points per contest.

LAST MEETING
Iowa beat in-state rival Northern Iowa, 51-39, last season in Iowa City. Iowa held the Panthers to their lowest scoring output since falling 80-39 at Bradley in 2000. Iowa’s defensive pressure and improved shooting in the second half propelled the Black and Gold to victory. The Hawkeyes held UNI to just 16 points and 18% (5-28) shooting the final 20 minutes. Furthermore, Iowa held the Panthers to one field goal (1-15, .067) the last 11:25 of the game. While Iowa’s defensive intensity picked it up a notch in the second half, so did its shooting touch. Iowa made 55% (11-20) of its field goals in the second stanza. Iowa was paced by a pair of frontcourt players, Jarryd Cole and Melsahn Basabe. The duo helped the Hawkeyes outscore the Panthers 26-8 in the paint. Cole posted his fourth career double-double, netting 10 points and grabbing a game and career-high 15 rebounds. Basabe scored 14 points, bolstered by 6-8 (.750) shooting from the floor, to go along with seven boards.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Iowa holds a 33-8 advantage in the series with UNI that began with a 51-9 Iowa win in 1906. Iowa beat the Panthers 51-38 last season in Iowa City. Iowa has two of the last three in the series. The teams have split the last 10 meetings. Northern Iowa won 67-63, in overtime, in Cedar Falls in 2005-06, marking the first overtime game ever between the two teams. Northern Iowa’s win in 2006-07 was its first ever in Iowa City. The teams did not meet between 1917-1980. Iowa holds a 19-7 advantage since the series resumed. Iowa holds an 11-7 edge in games played at Cedar Falls. The Hawkeyes’ last victory in Cedar Falls came on Dec. 5, 2007 (62-55).

NORTHERN IOWA COACH BEN JACOBSON
Ben Jacobson is in his sixth season as the UNI head coach. It is Jacobson’s first head coaching position at the college level. Jacobson led the Panthers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010 and a CIT appearance a year ago. In 2010, UNI posted a 32-8 record, won the Missouri Valley Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, registering victories over UNLV and top-seeded Kansas. Jacobson’s career record stands at 116-58 (.667). With Jacobson serving as Northern Iowa’s top assistant from 2001-06, the Panthers won 20 or more games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons. Jacobson has 12 years of experience as a college assistant, serving one season at North Dakota State before moving to Northern Iowa. He was an assistant at North Dakota (1996-2000) after serving as both a student assistant and graduate assistant on the North Dakota staff. Jacobson was a two-year starter and four-year letterman at North Dakota, concluding his career as UND’s career assist leader. He was a two-year team captain and led his team to two conference titles.

IOWA, UNI TIP-INS
? Matt Gatens tallied 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from distance the last time he played the Panthers at the McLeod Center. The junior has shot a combined 9-17 (.529) from 3-point range against the Panthers.
? After Iowa’s loss to the Panthers in 2009, the Hawkeyes were stranded in Cedar Falls for an additional 24 hours due to a massive winter storm that hit Eastern Iowa.
? Coach McCaffery took his Siena team to Northern Iowa on Dec. 12, 2009. The Panthers topped Siena, 82-65.

BALANCED SCORING
Iowa has eight players averaging 7.4 points or more. Matt Gatens is first on the team (14.8), followed by Eric May (8.5), Zach McCabe (8.4), Josh Oglesby (7.9), Aaron White (7.5), Roy Devyn Marble (7.5) and Melsahn Basabe (7.4).

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa is averaging 10 steals this season, collecting 10 steals or more in five of the eight games. Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged 6.7 thefts. The 10 steals rank second in the Big Ten and 12th in the country.

HOT SHOT
Freshman Josh Oglesby led Iowa in scoring in three games: Northern Illinois (16) Creighton (14) and Clemson (15). Oglesby and Matt Gatens have led the team in scoring a team-best three times. Oglesby becomes the first Hawkeye reserve to lead the team in scoring, in back-to-back games, since Ricky Davis paced Iowa with 25 and 18 on the road at Wisconsin (Feb. 3) and Michigan State (Feb. 7), respectively, in 1998. Like Oglesby, Davis accomplished the feat as a freshman. After shooting 1-of-9 (.111) from the field the first two games, the Cedar Rapids native shot 20-of-40 (.500) the last six outings.

DIALING UP LONG DISTANCE
Iowa made a combined 31 triples its first three games. The 31 treys are the most by a Hawkeye team to start the season. Iowa made 30 triples to start the 1994-95 campaign, making seven against Morgan State, 14 versus Drake and nine against Pepperdine.

IMPROVEMENT UNDER McCAFFERY IN SECOND YEAR OF PROGRAM
Fran McCaffery-coached teams have posted improved win totals from their first year to second with McCaffery as a head coach. At Lehigh, his team improved by two wins (13 in 1986 to 15 in 1987). His UNC Greensboro team had four more victories from 2000 (15) and 2001 (19). At Siena his team improved by five victories, registering 15 in 2006 to 20 in 2007.

SINKING THE FREEBEES
Starters Matt Gatens (32-of-35), Melsahn Basabe (23-of-29) and Bryce Cartwright (14-of-17) are a combined 69-of-81 (.852) from the free throw line. Gatens was 8-of-9 from the charity stripe against IPFW and 6-of-7 versus Clemson. The senior ranks third in Big Ten career free throw percentage. Iowa has nearly made as made free throws (134) as its opponents have attempted (137). As a team, the Hawkeyes rank fourth in free throw percentage (.736). The Hawkeyes have missed only three free throws in the final five minutes of games. Iowa is 29-of-32 (.906) in crunch time at the foul line.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in steals (10.0), third in turnover margin (+6.3), fourth in scoring (76.4), free throw percentage (.736) and rebounding (37.1), and fifth in assists (15.6) and assist/turnover ratio (1.3).

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.

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).

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

HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? The average margin of victory in the Hawkeyes’ five victories is 24.6 points.
? Roy Devyn Marble has 23 assists to only four turnovers this season. His 5.75 assist/turnover ratio ranks 10th in the nation.
? Seven of Iowa’s first eight contests were played at home, with the non-home game during the stretch being played on a neutral floor in Des Moines versus Creighton.
? Coach McCaffery has played at least 10 players in each of Iowa’s eight games. Also, Iowa’s bench averages 33.8 points in its eight outings.
? Iowa’s 61.9 percent (13-of-21) 3-point percentage and 26 assists against Northern Illinois are the best of any Big Ten team this season.
? Iowa had five players score 12 points or more in its win over North Carolina A&T on Nov. 14. It marked only the fourth time the Hawkeyes had five players tally 12 points or more in a game (UW-Green Bay in 2003, Michigan in 2004, SIU-Edwardsville in 2010 and North Carolina A&T in 2011).
? Matt Gatens’ 22 points versus IPFW propelled him past Bill Logan (1954-56), Dave Gunther (1957-59) and Kevin Boyle (1979-82) into 18th place on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart. The senior is only nine points from tying Kenyon Murray (1993-96) and 27 from Jeff Moe (1985-88). Gatens has 1,221 points entering Tuesday’s contest at UNI.
? Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana are the only Big Ten teams remaining without at least one loss. Minnesota and Northwestern each have one defeat entering this week’s competition.
? 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 year, an increase of 20%. Iowa averaged 9,550 fans two years ago, compared to 11,635 last year.

WHITE TABBED BIG TEN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Iowa freshmen Aaron White was named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week after his performance in Iowa’s season opening victory over Chicago State (Nov. 11). White shared the weekly honor with Indiana’s Cody Zeller. White shined in his Hawkeye debut, leading all scorers and rebounders with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes of action. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, shot 50 percent (6-of-12) from the field and sank all five free throw attempts. The 19 points are the most by an Iowa freshman in a season opener, equaling Dick Ives’ 19 scored against Nebraska in his debut on Dec. 10, 1943. Furthermore, White’s performance marked the first time a Hawkeye posted a double-double, in a season opener, since Dean Oliver had 10 points and 12 assists in a victory over Chicago State in 1997. It was the first time a Hawkeye freshman had a double-double, points and rebounds, since Jess Settles had 13 points and 11 rebounds versus Drake in 1993.

HAWKEYEBASKETBALL.COM
Check out the Iowa basketball team’s new website, HawkeyeBasketball.com, devoted to everything on-and-off-the-court surrounding the program. HawkeyeBasketball.com, allows fans a chance to go behind the scenes with the Hawkeye basketball program on and off the court. The site is complete with exclusive videos, photo galleries and content featuring the basketball program. HawkeyeBasketball.com will be updated throughout the year with exclusive videos, including game highlights and player features, along with news stories and other content.

“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.

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.

ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes will visit Ames Friday and compete against Iowa State (7 p.m.). Iowa will return home Dec. 17 and entertain Drake (8 p.m., BTN).