Hawkeyes Travel to Wisconsin Saturday

Dec. 29, 2011

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Saturday is Iowa’s first visit to Madison since March 3, 2010. Iowa did not play at Wisconsin a year ago. Only seniors Matt Gatens and Andrew Brommer, and junior Eric May have played at the Kohl Center.
? Two of the last five meetings between Iowa and Wisconsin have gone to overtime (1-1).
? Saturday will be Iowa’s first game against a nationally-ranked opponent this year.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in seven games. The Hawkeyes own the second-largest steal differential in the country (+68).
? Roy Devyn Marble has done a tremendous job attacking the basket, drawing contact and going to the free throw line. His 63 attempts are third-best in the Big Ten (48-of-63, .762).
? Melsahn Basabe has averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds in December (seven games).
? Iowa is 9-0 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 been aggressive to the basket the last five games, attempting an average of 27 free throws during that span (107-of-135, .793).
? After blocking 22 shots its first 11 games, Iowa has swatted 19 the last three outings.

PURDUE BEATS IOWA IN BIG TEN OPENER
Purdue beat Iowa 79-76 Wednesday night in the Big Ten opener in Iowa City. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Roy Devyn Marble (17), Melsahn Basabe (14) and Matt Gatens (11). Marble also equaled a career high with six assists. Basabe grabbed a team-best eight boards. He has led the team in rebounding in six of the last seven games. Gatens matched season highs with six boards and five assists. Iowa outscored Purdue 21-7 at the charity stripe, but the Boilermakers (6) sank three more 3-pointers than the Hawkeyes (3) and shot 50 percent (33-of-66) from the field. Robbie Hummel had a double-double (16 points and 11 rebounds) to lead Purdue.

IOWA, PURDUE TIP-INS
? Matt Gatens, Roy Devyn Marble and Bryce Cartwright combined for 15 assists and only one turnover.
? The three-point margin is the smallest Iowa result this season. The previous smallest differential was nine points (81-72 win over Boise State on Dec. 22).
? Roy Devyn Marble and Melsahn Basabe combined to score more than half (20) of Iowa’s 39 first-half points.
? An Iowa season-best crowd of 13,314 watched Wednesday’s Big Ten season opener.
? Josh Oglesby sank a 3-pointer for the sixth straight game off the bench. The freshman has made at least one triple in 12-of-14 contests.
? Eric May scored all nine of his points and snagged all six of his rebounds in the second half against Purdue.
? All 19 players that saw action for both teams scored.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.748); third in scoring (77.9); steals (8.7); fourth in rebounding (36.7) and assists (16.0), and fifth in turnover margin (+4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4). Individually, Roy Devyn Marble ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (4.5); sixth in steals (1.6); ninth in assists (3.9) and 12th in free throw percentage (.762). Matt Gatens ranks first in free throw (.906); 10th in steals (1.5) and 14th in scoring (13.8). Melsahn Basabe ranks ninth in rebounding (6.1), while Bryce Cartwright ranks seventh in assists (4.1) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.2).

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
? Wisconsin enters Saturday’s contest riding a six-game winning streak, matching its longest streak of the season.
? The Badgers are 8-1 at the Kohl Center, with their only defeat coming to nationally-ranked Marquette (61-54).
? Wisconsin overwhelmed Nebraska Tuesday night in Lincoln, 64-40. It marked the Badgers’ ninth-straight conference opening victory under Bo Ryan.
? Ryan Evans scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbed six rebounds in Wisconsin’s triumph over the Huskers Tuesday.
? Wisconsin made 11 triples to Nebraska’s three Tuesday night. Also, the Badgers scored 21 points off only nine Husker turnovers.
? Wisconsin held Nebraska’s leading scorer, Bo Spencer, to only five points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field.
? The Badgers have held nine of their 14 opponents to 45 points or less this year.
? Jordan Taylor leads Wisconsin in scoring (12.4) and assists (5.0). Taylor was an All-American point guard a year ago and is a preseason All-American this season.
? Four Badgers average in double figures in scoring: Jordan Taylor (12.4), Jared Berggren (12.1), Ryan Evans (10.8) and Ben Brust (10.6).
? Four Badgers have made 19 triples or more: Ben Brust (33), Jared Berggren (20), Jordan Taylor (19) and Josh Gasser (19).

IOWA, WISCONSIN TIP-INS
? After playing four straight home games, the Hawkeyes hit the road for their next two games. Iowa plays at Wisconsin on Saturday and Minnesota the following Wednesday.
? Iowa ranks 11th in the nation in turnover margin (4.3); 21st in steals (8.7); 35th in free throw percentage (.748) and 36th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4). Individually, Roy Devyn Marble ranks eighth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (4.5), while Matt Gatens ranks 36th in free throw percentage (.906).
? Wisconsin ranks first in the country in fewest turnovers per game (8.5), scoring defense (44.4) and fewest fouls per contest (12.6); second in field goal percentage defense (.333); third in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.241); fourth in scoring margin (+23.5) and assist/turnover ratio (1.6), and 14th in turnover margin (+4.5). Individually, Jordan Taylor ranks 13th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (3.3) and Ben Brust ranks 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (.446).
? Iowa’s series against Wisconsin and Ohio State are the closest among other Big Ten teams. Wisconsin holds a 77-76 advantage in 153 games played. The Hawkeyes own a slim 75-74 edge in 149 contests played against the Buckeyes.
? Both head coaches, Bo Ryan and Fran McCaffery, were raised in the Philadelphia area. McCaffery is a Philadelphia native, who attended La Salle High School, while Ryan was raised in Chester, Pa., and attended Chester High School.
? Wisconsin’s Ben Brust scores 66.4 percent of his points (99-of-149) from 3-point territory, a percentage that ranks fourth in the conference. Iowa’s Josh Oglesby scores 61.7 percent of his points (63-of-102) from distance, which ranks fourth.
? Wisconsin’s roster is comprised of 17 student-athletes. The roster consists of two seniors, six juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. Five players hail from Illinois, four from Minnesota, three from Wisconsin, two from Ohio and Iowa, and one from Arizona.
? The two Iowans on the Badgers’ roster are Jarrod Uthoff (Cedar Rapids) and Zach Bohannon (Marion).
? Wisconsin freshman Traevon Jackson is the son of BTN color analyst Jim Jackson. Jim will be calling Saturday’s game for the network.
? Wisconsin Assistant Coach Gary Close was an assistant coach at Iowa for 13 seasons (1987-99) under Tom Davis. He later was the head boys basketball coach at Regina High School in Iowa City for three years, leading his team to the state tournament his last two seasons.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wisconsin holds a slim 77-76 advantage in the series that began with a 30-9 Wisconsin win in 1909. Wisconsin has won the last three and 13 of the last 15 meetings. The Hawkeyes and Badgers played only once each of the last two seasons. Iowa’s last win over Wisconsin came on Jan. 21, 2009, in Iowa City (73-69 in overtime). Two of the last five meetings have gone to overtime, with both of those contests occurring in Iowa City, and each team winning one. Iowa won two of three meetings in 2002, the only time the teams have ever met three times in one season. In 2002, the Hawkeyes won in Iowa City and lost in Madison before defeating the Badgers in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. Wisconsin holds a 49-27 advantage in games played in Madison and the Badgers have won the last nine meetings. Iowa is 2-9 at the Kohl Center, winning there in 2000 (61-55) and 1998 (79-76). Iowa and Wisconsin have met three times at the Big Ten Tournament, with the Badgers winning twice. Wisconsin won in Chicago in 1999 and 2005 and Iowa won in Indianapolis in 2002.

WISCONSIN WON THE PREVIOUS MEETING
Iowa put a scare into the then-13th-ranked team, but Wisconsin escaped Iowa City with a 62-59 overtime victory on Feb. 9, 2011, in the only regular season meeting between the two teams. The Badgers outscored the Hawkeyes 10-4 the last 7:14 of regulation. Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor drained a 17-footer at the top of the key with 29 seconds left to tie the game, 53-53. Iowa’s Bryce Cartwright had an opportunity to win the game on the final possession of regulation, but his 14 foot baseline jumper rimmed out at the buzzer. A 3-pointer by Tim Jarmusz gave Wisconsin a 59-57 advantage with 1:34 left in overtime and the Badgers would ultimately hold on for the victory. Senior Jarryd Cole (10 points and 12 rebounds) and freshman Melsahn Basabe (13 points and 11 rebounds) both posted double-doubles, marking the first time a pair of Hawkeyes accomplished the feat since Cyrus Tate and Cole both registered double-doubles vs. Penn State on March 7, 2009 (double overtime). Jon Leuer (19), Jordan Taylor (16) and Keaton Nankivil (10) combined for 45 of Wisconsin’s 62 points.

WISCONSIN COACH BO RYAN
Bo Ryan is in his 11th season at Wisconsin after leading the Badgers to back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles in 2002 and 2003. Ryan guided Wisconsin to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2009 and 2010, and the Sweet 16 in 2011. A year ago, the Badgers finished with a record of 25-9 and third place in the Big Ten. The Badgers won the Big Ten Tournament title in 2004. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year in both 2003 and 2004. Ryan has posted a 254-93 (.732) record with the Badgers. Ryan is in his 28th season as a college head coach, with a career record of 637-196 (.765). Ryan moved to Madison after posting a 30-27 record in two seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ryan’s UW-Milwaukee team posted a 15-13 record in 2001, including a narrow 83-79 loss to Iowa in Iowa City. Ryan was the head coach at Wisconsin-Platteville for 15 seasons, leading that school to four NCAA Division III national titles (1991, 1995, 1998 & 1999) and eight conference titles. Overall his record at Platteville was 353-76. Ryan has been named national Coach of the Year four times. He is the winningest coach in Division III history and was the winningest coach in the NCAA (all divisions) in the 1990’s. He served as an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning USA team at the 1995 World University Games and an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning North team at the 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival. Ryan previously was an assistant at Wisconsin for eight seasons (1977-84), working under Bill Cofield and Steve Yoder. Ryan is 14-5 vs. Iowa (14-4 while at Wisconsin).

GREAT GAMES IN THE TOURNAMENT
Iowa and Wisconsin have met three times in the Big Ten Tournament, and two of those would qualify as “Instant Classics”. The Badgers have won two of three, beginning with a 77-64 win in the quarterfinals of the 1999 tournament in Chicago. The teams met again in 2002, with ninth seeded Iowa winning 58-56 over the top-seeded Badgers in Indianapolis. Iowa tied the game on a three-point play by Duez Henderson with 41 seconds remaining and regained possession following a Wisconsin turnover with eight seconds remaining. Luke Recker scored the winning basket on a jump shot from the lane with two seconds on the clock. Iowa advanced to the title game before falling to Ohio State. The Badgers were the second-seed in 2005 when Wisconsin and Iowa met in the semi-finals at the United Center. Iowa, the seventh seed, tied the score with 3.7 seconds remaining on a tip-in basket by Greg Brunner. Following a timeout, Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker hit a running jump shot from approximately 35 feet to lift the Badgers to a 59-56 win. Wisconsin was defeated in the title game by Illinois.

PAIR OF HAWKEYES EARN WEEKLY BIG TEN HONORS
A pair of Iowa basketball players earned weekly recognition Monday. Forward Aaron White was tabbed the Big Ten Freshman of the Week by the conference office, while guard Roy Devyn Marble was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the website College Sports Madness. White came off the bench and averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in Iowa’s victories over Central Arkansas (105-64) and Boise State (81-72) last week. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, shot 66.7 percent from the field and 85.7 percent from the foul line. This marks the second time White has earned the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award. The 6-foot-8 wing player was recipient of the award on Nov. 14, 2011, after his performance in Iowa’s season opener. Marble led Iowa in scoring in wins over Central Arkansas (19) and Boise State (18). He averaged 18.5 points, shooting 55.6% from the field and 85% from the foul line, and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per contest. The Southfield, Mich., native dished out 11 assists to only 2 turnovers in Iowa’s two wins last week. Marble was credited with a personal-best six assists versus Central Arkansas. His three steals, eight rebounds and three blocks against Boise State were also career highs.

IMPROVED NUMBERS FOR MARBLE
Last season, Roy Devyn Marble averaged 5.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and was credited with 41 assists and 21 steals in 31 contests. He started the last six of 2010-11. Also, he shot 53 percent from the free throw line (35-of-66). This year, Marble has seen improved numbers, averaging 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and has collected 54 assists and 23 steals in 14 contests. He has started the last six. From the foul line this season, the sophomore has seen significant improvement, shooting 76 percent (48-of-63). The 63 free throw attempts tie Michigan State’s Keith Appling for third most by a Big Ten student-athlete.

GATENS, CARTWRIGHT AND BRUESEWITZ REUNITE
Iowa’s Matt Gatens and Bryce Cartwright, along with Wisconsin’s Mike Bruesewitz traveled overseas together this past summer playing for the East Coast All-Stars. The team played in four games in Estonia.

LAST THREE GAMES…
Iowa has four players averaging double figures over the last three games: Roy Devyn Marble (18.0), Melsahn Basabe (14.0), Aaron White (14.0) and Matt Gatens (12.7). Basabe has averaged 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, while Marble averaged 5.7 assists. Marble also shot 78.6 percent from the foul line (22-of-28).

BALANCED SCORING
Iowa has seven players averaging 7.1 points or more. Matt Gatens is first on the team (13.8), followed by Roy Devyn Marble (11.4), Melsahn Basabe (9.8), Aaron White (9.0), Eric May (7.7), Josh Oglesby (7.3) and Zach McCabe (7.1).

STAT SHEET STUFFER
Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar the last 10 games. The sophomore has averaged a team-best 14.1 points and 4.2 assists during that span. Also, he is shooting 49 percent from the field and 76 percent from the foul line during the 10-game stretch. Since moving to the starting point guard spot, Marble has led Iowa in scoring five of the last six games. As a starter this season, he is averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds. He has amassed a staggering assist/turnover ratio this season. He has 54 assists to only 12 turnovers, ranking first in the Big Ten (4.5) and eighth in the country. He has posted 17 assists to only two turnovers the last three games. Marble has been credited with four assists or more 10 times this season, including five or more in each of the last five contests.

HAWKEYES PUSHING THE TEMPO
An even more increased tempo by the Iowa Hawkeyes has led to 10.7 more points per game compared to last season, an increase that ranks second best in the Big Ten.

IMPROVED DECEMBER STATS FOR BASABE
After a sluggish start to the season, sophomore Melsahn Basabe’s numbers in December have been solid. Basabe has averaged 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds the last seven games. He shot 38-of-65 (.585) from the field in those contests. The previous seven contests, the native of Glen Cove, N.Y. averaged 6.4 points and four rebounds. Basabe has led the team in rebounding in six of the last seven contests. Basabe has three double-doubles this season (North Carolina A&T, Brown and Boise State). His latest double-double, and ninth of his career, was a 14 point and 11 rebound performance in the Hawkeyes’ win over Boise State on Dec. 22.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK – – 10
Iowa has won five of its last six games when Melsahn Basabe pulls down 10+ rebounds, including a 3-0 mark in 2011-12. His three games with 10 or more rebounds ranks fifth best in the conference this season. Basabe is one of four active Big Ten players with at least 10 games of 10+ rebounds since the beginning of last season. Basabe has accomplished the feat 11 times.

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa is averaging 8.7 steals this season, collecting 10 steals or more in seven times. Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged 6.7 thefts. The 8.7 steals rank third in the Big Ten and 21st in the country. The Hawkeyes have recorded 63 more steals than their opponents this season, which ranks as the third-largest differential in the nation.

Matt Gatens AMONG SELECT GROUP
Matt Gatens is one of six active Division I players with 1250+ points, 360+ rebounds and 185+ made 3-pointers in a career so far.

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Saturday will be Iowa’s first game against a ranked opponent in 2011-12. The Hawkeyes have played eight ranked foes in each of the last two seasons. Iowa snapped a 25-game losing streak to nationally-ranked opponents with a 67-65 victory over sixth-ranked Purdue in the regular season finale on March 5, 2010 in Iowa City.

SINKING THE FREEBEES
Last year, Iowa’s free throw percentage was 67.6 percent. This season, the Hawkeyes have improved in that area, shooting 74.8 percent, which ranks second best in the Big Ten. Twenty-two percent of Iowa’s offense this year has come from the foul line. Starters Matt Gatens (48-of-53, .906), Melsahn Basabe (35-of-47, .745) and Roy Devyn Marble (48-of-63, .762) are a combined 131-of-163 (.804) from the free throw line this year. Gatens ranks third in Big Ten career free throw percentage (.873). Marble has been on fire from the foul line the last five games, sinking a combined 36-of-44 (.818). Marble was a 53 percent free throw shooter a year ago. Iowa has been aggressive to the basket the last five games, attempting an average of 27 free throws during that span. The Hawkeyes have made 107-of-135 (.793) from the charity stripe the last five games; shooting 88 percent at Iowa State (22-of-25), 79 percent versus Drake (23-of-29), 76 percent against Central Arkansas (16-of-21), 80 percent versus Boise State (25-of-31) and 72 percent against Purdue (21-of-29). The Hawkeyes have missed only eight free throws (54-of-62, .871) in the final five minutes of games. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have missed only one free throw (18-of-19, .947) in the final minute of their 13 games.

IMPROVEMENT UNDER McCAFFERY IN SECOND YEAR
Fran McCaffery-coached teams have posted improved win totals and scoring output 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. His Lehigh team averaged 2.8 more points its second year compared to year one. His UNC Greensboro team had a +1.9 scoring increase and +1.8 at Siena. Currently, Iowa is averaging 10.9 more points this year compared to last season.

WHITE LEADS BIG TEN RESERVES IN REBOUNDING
Aaron White leads Big Ten reserves in rebounding. The freshman has pulled down 65 rebounds. Michigan State’s Derrick Nix ranks second (54), Purdue’s Terone Johnson and Austin Thornton of Michigan State are third (43), while Wisconsin’s Ben Brust is fourth (41).

WHITE OUT
Aaron White has been sensational coming off the bench as of late. The freshman, who leads all Big Ten reserves in rebounding (4.6), averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in Iowa’s two victories last week. White has scored in double digits four times, including three of the last four games. The last four games, White has averaged 13 points, shooting at a 69 percent clip (20-of-29) from the field. White was named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week after his performance in Iowa’s season opening victory over Chicago State (Nov. 11). The native of Strongsville, Ohio, shined in his Hawkeye debut, leading all scorers and rebounders with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 19 points are the most by an Iowa freshman in an 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.

HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? The Big Ten is the No. 1 ranked conference in the RPI and Sagarin ratings.
? Iowa did not have a game decided by 10 points or fewer its first 12 contests of the season. However, the Hawkeyes’ last two games were decided by nine points (81-72 win over Boise State on Dec. 22) and three points (79-76 loss to Purdue on Dec. 28). The average margin of victory in the Hawkeyes’ eight victories is 23.4 points, while the margin of defeat is 14.7 points.
? Iowa averages 88.0 points in its wins, compared to 64.5 points in its defeats, a differential of 23.5 points. The Hawkeyes own a +14.6 point differential in their scoring defense, and +11.4 rebounding and +10.0 assists margins in wins compared to losses.
? Roy Devyn Marble has 54 assists to only 12 turnovers. His 4.5 assist/turnover ratio ranks first in the Big Ten and eighth nationally.
? Sophomore Zach McCabe is shooting at a 58 percent clip (24-of-41) from the field over the last nine games.
? Matt Gatens ranks 16th on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart. The senior is 47 points from tying James Moses (1989-92) for 15th place. Gatens has amassed 1,296 points entering Saturday’s contest at No. 11 Wisconsin.
? Freshman Josh Oglesby became the first Hawkeye reserve to lead the team in scoring, in back-to-back games (Northern Illinois and Creighton), 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.
? At least 10 players have seen action in 10 of Iowa’s 14 contests. Iowa’s bench averages 30.3 points.
? Iowa has had five players score in double figures three times (North Carolina A&T, Drake and Central Arkansas). The Hawkeyes had five players score 12 points or more in its win over North Carolina A&T (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).

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,639 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,585-1,054 (.601). That includes a 950-350 (.731) record in home games, a 545-714 (.433) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 703-719 (.494) mark in Big Ten games and a 356-114 (.757) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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.

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.

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.

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 Bankers Life 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. Bankers Life 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 through Ticketmaster or the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office only. 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 Bankers Life 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 Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa remains on the road next week when it travels to Minneapolis to battle Minnesota on Wednesday, Jan. 4 (8 p.m., BTN). The Hawkeyes’ next home game will be on Saturday, Jan. 4 when they host nationally-ranked Ohio State (2 p.m., BTN). That game will be the only regular season meeting between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes in 2012.