Hawkeyes Travel to Iowa State Friday

Dec. 8, 2011

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Iowa will play the second of three consecutive in-state games Friday at Iowa State. Iowa lost at UNI Tuesday night (80-60). The Hawkeyes have nine Iowans on their roster.
? Roy Devyn Marble started at point guard at UNI, filling in for injured Bryce Cartwright. Marble netted 14 points and had four assists while playing a career-high 37 minutes.
? Roy Devyn Marble averaged 11.2 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals the last five outings.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in five of its nine games. The Hawkeyes are averaging 9.4 thefts per contest, which ranks 12th best in the country.
? Melsahn Basabe has led the team in rebounding the last two outings.
? Seven Hawkeyes average 7.4 points 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.
? Andrew Brommer has missed only two field goals this season (10-of-12, .833).
? Iowa State leads the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, 11-4. Four points will be up for grabs Friday night when Iowa and Iowa State compete in men’s hoops and women’s swimming in Ames.
? Iowa is 16-5 in games played on Dec. 9.

TELEVISION/ONLINE DETAILS
Television affiliates for the Cyclone Television Network include: WOI (Des Moines/Ames), KCRG (Cedar Rapids/Waterloo/Dubuque/Iowa City), WHBF (Quad Cities), KCAU (Sioux City) and Mediacom Connections (only Mason City, Ottumwa and Keokuk). Fans can also watch the game online at ESPN3.com.

IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES
Iowa State leads the annual series, 11-4, in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The Cyclones posted wins in volleyball, football, women’s basketball and men and women’s cross country. Iowa notched victories in women’s soccer and wrestling. In addition to the men’s basketball game, the schools will face each other in women’s swimming Friday night in Ames.

HAWKEYES FALL AT NORTHERN IOWA
Northern Iowa went on a 21-2 surge during a six-minute span midway through the second half to propel the Panthers to an 80-60 victory over the Hawkeyes. Fifteen of the 21 points were scored at the foul line. Iowa raced out to a 10-0 advantage, making its first five field goal attempts. Northern Iowa chipped away at the Hawkeyes’ early lead and finished the first half on a 7-2 run to take a five-point advantage (32-27) into halftime. Roy Devyn Marble and Eric May led Iowa offensively, scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively. Marble, who replaced an injured Bryce Cartwright at point guard, played a career high 37 minutes and matched season bests in scoring (14) and assists (4).

IOWA, NORTHERN IOWA TIP-INS
? Melsahn Basabe grabbed a team-high six boards. The sophomore has led Iowa in rebounding the last two games. ? Bryce Cartwright missed the game due to an injured hamstring. His status for Friday’s game at Iowa State is questionable. ? Iowa outrebounded Northern Iowa, 33-27. The Hawkeyes collected eight offensive rebounds and turned the second chance opportunities into 10 points. ? Northern Iowa converted 29-of-33 (.879) free throws, including 23-of-24 (.958) in the second half. Iowa was 3-of-9 (.333) from the foul line.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
? Iowa State has four players averaging in double figures in scoring: Royce White (14.8), Chris Allen (13.4), Chris Babb (11.3) and Tyrus McGee (10.3).
? Iowa State is 4-1 at home this season, with Northern Iowa handing the Cyclones their only home setback. The Panthers beat Iowa State 69-62 on Nov. 30.
? Transfer Royce White leads the team in three statistical categories: scoring (14.8), rebounding (9.9) and assists (4.2).
? Iowa State won its last game, 84-59, over Prairie View A&M Tuesday night in Ames. The Cyclones outscored the Panthers 24-5 at the free throw line. Iowa State shot 52 percent from the field, while holding Prairie View A&M to 39 percent.
? The Cyclones have made 84 three-pointers (9.3 per game).
? Iowa State boasts a +7.2 rebounding margin.
? Senior guard Scott Christopherson has yet to miss a free throw (19-of-19) this season.
? Iowa State has already played one Big Ten opponent: Michigan. The Cyclones lost at Michigan (76-66) on Dec. 3.

LAST MEETING
Iowa State used a 30-12 run to start the second half to lift the Cyclones past Iowa, 75-72, a year ago in Iowa City. The win was the first for Iowa State, in Iowa City, since 2002. The Hawkeyes took a 40-31 lead into halftime after closing the half on an 8-1 run. Matt Gatens made his first four field goal attempts, including three triples, while Melsahn Basabe flirted with a first-half triple double (8 points, 10 rebounds, 7 blocks). Iowa held Iowa State scoring leader Diante Garrett to just two first-half points on 1-of-14 shooting. He finished the contest with 10 points. The story of the second half was Cyclone shooting guard Scott Christopherson. Christopherson netted 24 of his game and career-high 30 points in the final 20 minutes. Christopherson drained five of his game-high seven 3-pointers in the second stanza, including two in the final five minutes. Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Matt Gatens (15), Zach McCabe (13), Andrew Brommer (12) and Melsahn Basabe (12). Basabe finished with 14 boards and seven blocks. The seven blocks equaled the third most by a Hawkeye in a single game. Brommer scored his 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field in 16 minutes off the bench.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Iowa holds a 42-22 advantage in the series that began with a 30-27 Hawkeye win in 1910. Iowa State has won the last two meetings: 81-71 in Ames (2009) and 75-72 in Iowa City (2010). The two teams have split the last 12 meetings. The home team won seven straight in the series before the Cyclones recorded a three-point win in Iowa City a year ago. The teams split games during the 2003-04 campaign. That marked the first time since 1921 that the teams met twice in the same season and it was the first time the teams met in postseason action. Just eight of the last 22 games have had a final margin of eight points or less. The series is tied, 16-16, in games played at Ames. Iowa State has won the last four meetings in Hilton Coliseum. The Hawkeyes’ last victory in Ames came on March 21, 2003 (54-53) in the postseason NIT. Iowa’s last regular season victory in Hilton was Dec. 8, 2001 (78-53).

IOWA, IOWA STATE TIP-INS
? Entering this week, Iowa ranks eighth in the nation in turnover margin (5.3), 11th in steals (9.4) and 32nd in assist/turnover ratio (1.2). Individually, Matt Gatens ranks 24th in free throw percentage (.914).
? Iowa State ranks eighth in the country in 3-pointers per game (9.3) and 27th in rebounding margin (7.2). Individually, Chris Babb ranks 18th in 3-pointers per game (3.0) and 43rd in 3-pointers percentage (.422). Royce White is 16th in rebounding (9.9).
? Matt Gatens had a solid performance at Iowa State in 2009. The shooting guard tallied 20 points, bolstered by 4-8 shooting from 3-point range, at Hilton Coliseum.
? Both Iowa and Iowa State own a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio.

BALANCED SCORING
Iowa has seven players averaging 7.4 points or more. Matt Gatens is first on the team (13.8), followed by Eric May (8.7), Roy Devyn Marble (8.2), Josh Oglesby (7.8), Zach McCabe (7.7), Aaron White (7.4) and Melsahn Basabe (7.4).

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa is averaging 9.4 steals this season, collecting 10 steals or more in five of the nine games. Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged 6.7 thefts. The 9.4 steals rank second in the Big Ten and 12th in the country.

MARBLE STEPS UP
Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar the last five games. The sophomore averaged 11.2 points, 3.0 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals the last five outings. Marble played a career high 37 minutes, starting at point guard, in Iowa’s last game at Northern Iowa. Marble led Iowa in scoring for the first time this season, netting 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. He has amassed 27 assists to only six turnovers, ranking second in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (4.5). Marble has registered four assists five times this season.

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 23-of-46 (.500) the last seven 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. The Hawkeyes have missed only six free throws in the final five minutes of games. Iowa is 32-of-39 (.821) in crunch time at the foul line.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in steals (9.4), fourth in turnover margin (+5.3), fifth in scoring (74.6) and rebounding (36.7) and free throw percentage (.717), and sixth in assists (15.0) and assist/turnover ratio (1.2).

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
? Iowa has not had a game decided by fewer than 10 points this season. The average margin of victory in the Hawkeyes’ five victories is 24.6 points, while the margin of defeat is 18.7 points.
? Roy Devyn Marble has 27 assists to only six turnovers this season. His 4.5 assist/turnover ratio ranks second in the Big Ten.
? 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 nine games. Also, Iowa’s bench averages 32.2 points in its nine 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 three points from tying Kenyon Murray (1993-96) and 21 from Jeff Moe (1985-88). Gatens has 1,227 points entering Friday’s contest at Iowa State.
? Ohio State, Illinois and Indiana are the only Big Ten teams remaining without at least one loss. Minnesota and Northwestern each have one defeat.
? 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.

SPERAW TAKING PART IN “SHOTS FROM THE HEART”
Iowa men’s basketball assistant coach Kirk Speraw is one of 256 collegiate basketball coaches taking part in the second annual “Shots from the Heart”, which is an event created by Angela Lento and Joe Dwyer of collegeinsider.com to increase awareness for the growing problem of Heart Disease and raise money to benefit the Skip Prosser Foundation. Speraw posted a victory over Old Dominion’s Jim Corrigan in the first round of the tournament. He moves on to round two to face Saddi Washington of Oakland University. Speraw shot his free throws, sinking all 25. The second round will take place in December, while the Sweet 16 and Round of Eight will occur in January, and the semifinals and finals are scheduled for February. To view the brackets and/or learn how you can contribute to the Skip Prosser Foundation” visit: collegeinsider.com.

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
Iowa will take a break next week to concentrate on final exams before returning to the court for its next game. The Hawkeyes will host Drake Saturday, Dec. 17 (8 p.m., BTN) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.