Hawkeyes Play at Minnesota Wednesday

Jan. 3, 2012

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Iowa has won its last two games against ranked competition (No. 6 Purdue 67-65 on March 5, 2011 and No. 11 Wisconsin 72-65 on Dec. 31, 2011).
? Iowa’s win over 11th-ranked Wisconsin marked the Hawkeyes’ first road win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 21 Indiana in Bloomington on Feb. 11, 2006 (70-67).
? The Hawkeyes vaulted 50 RPI points (193-143) according to realtimerpi.com after Saturday’s road victory at No. 11 Wisconsin.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in seven games. The Hawkeyes own the third-largest steal differential in the country (+62).
? Roy Devyn Marble has done a tremendous job attacking the basket, drawing contact and going to the free throw line. His 66 attempts are third-best in the Big Ten (49-of-66, .742).
? Melsahn Basabe has scored 14 points in each of his last four 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 is 6-0 this season when holding opponents to 68 points or less.
? After blocking 22 shots its first 11 games, Iowa has swatted 23 the last four outings.

HAWKEYES STUN NO. 11 WISCONSIN IN MADISON
Aaron White, Bryce Cartwright and Melsahn Basabe combined to score 49 points in a 72-65 victory at No. 11 Wisconsin Saturday afternoon. The win was only Iowa’s third victory at the Kohl Center and first since 2000. Iowa becomes the second unranked Big Ten team to beat Wisconsin at home under Badger coach Bo Ryan. White and Cartwright came off the bench to lead the Hawkeyes in the second half. White scored 16 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes. Cartwright netted 10 of his season-high 17 points in the second stanza. He also had a game-high five assists. Iowa’s defense held the Badgers to a season-low 11 percent shooting from 3-point territory as Wisconsin made just three of its 28 attempts. The Hawkeyes pushed the ball, outscoring Wisconsin 14-2 in fastbreak points.

IOWA, WISCONSIN TIP-INS
? Iowa made six of its last seven field goals and five of its last six free throws in the final 6:23 to preserve the victory.
? Iowa became only the second unranked team to score at least 72 points at Wisconsin under Bo Ryan (Minnesota had 74 in Feb `06).
? The 72 points are the most Wisconsin, who leads the country in scoring defense, has allowed this season. The previous high was 61 against Marquette.
? Iowa did a good job possessing the ball, turning the ball over only 10 times for the second straight game.
? Iowa shot 58 percent (15-of-26) from the field in the second half.
? Matt Gatens grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds and matched a personal best with two blocks.

BIG TEN RANKINGS
Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.746); third in scoring (77.5) and steals (8.3); fourth in rebounding (37.0), and fifth in assists (15.6), turnover margin (+3.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4). Individually, Roy Devyn Marble ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (4.2); ninth in steals (1.5) and assists (3.7). Matt Gatens ranks first in free throw (.909); 13th in steals (1.4) and 15th in scoring (13.3). Melsahn Basabe ranks seventh in rebounding (6.3), while Bryce Cartwright ranks sixth in assists (4.1) and fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.3).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota holds a 100-88 advantage in the series that began with a 47-10 Gopher win in 1902. The Gophers have won the last six meetings. The Gophers hold a 60-33 advantage in games played at Minnesota. Minnesota has won five of the last six meetings in Williams Arena, including three straight. Iowa’s last victory over the Golden Gophers came on Feb. 7, 2007 (91-78) in Minneapolis. The teams have met twice in the Big Ten Tournament. Along with a 2006 win in Indianapolis, Iowa defeated the Gophers 81-78 in the 2000 event at the United Center in Chicago. Iowa also defeated the Gophers at a neutral site (Los Angeles) early in the 1964-65 season.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
? Wednesday will be Minnesota’s conference home opener after losing its first two games on the road by narrow margins. The Golden Gophers lost at Illinois (81-72) in two overtimes on Dec. 27, and most recently fell at nationally-ranked Michigan (61-56) on Jan. 1.
? Minnesota’s last home game was Dec. 22 against North Dakota State, which was a 63-59 victory. The Gophers are a perfect 10-0 at home this season, averaging 10,957 fans at Williams Arena.
? Rodney Williams and Julian Welch led Minnesota at Michigan on Sunday, each scoring 11 points. Ralph Sampson III grabbed a team-high 10 boards. Minnesota yielded 15 offensive rebounds and 19 Wolverine second-chance points in the five-point loss.
? Forward Trevor Mbakwe, last season’s rebounding leader in the Big Ten, will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season with a torn ACL. Mbakwe suffered the injury in the second half of Minnesota’s loss to Dayton in the Old Spice Classic title game in Orlando on Nov. 27. Mbakwe, who was a second team All-Big Ten selection in 2011, averaged 14 points and 9.1 rebounds in seven games this season.
? Minnesota ranks first in the Big Ten in blocks (5.7), second in rebounds allowed (30.3) and steals (8.8), and fourth in assists (15.9) and field goal percentage (.479).
? Rodney Williams ranks second in the Big Ten in blocked shots (1.5), third in steals (1.9), fourth in field goal percentage (.604). He averages 9.7 points and 4.9 rebounds. Julian Welch is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 10.3 points, and assists leader (2.5).

IOWA, MINNESOTA TIP-INS
? Minnesota’s roster is comprised of 15 student-athletes. The roster consists of two seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen. Five players hail from Minnesota, two from Tennessee and California, and one each from Louisiana, Nebraska, Georgia, Missouri, Latvia and Canada.
? Iowa’s roster includes one player from the state of Minnesota: senior Andrew Brommer (Rosemount).
? Iowa and Minnesota have made the fewest 3-pointers amongst Big Ten teams. The Hawkeyes have made 75, while the Gophers have sank 72.
? Minnesota Associate Head Coach Ron Jirsa was head coach at Georgia in 1998 when the Bulldogs scored a 100-93 win over Iowa in the first round of the NIT in Iowa City.
? Minnesota Assistant Coach Vince Taylor previously served as an assistant Coach at Louisville (1999-05). During that time Iowa defeated the Cardinals on two occasions. Iowa won 70-69 in overtime in the John Wooden Tradition in Indianapolis in 2003-04. The following season the Hawkeyes defeated Louisville 76-71 in the first round of the Maui Classic. Iowa placed second in that event, falling in the final to eventual national champion North Carolina.
? Minnesota Assistant Coach Saul Smith played for his father, Tubby, at Kentucky during his college career. Smith was a member of the 2001 Wildcat team that defeated Iowa 92-79 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Long Island, N.Y. Smith contributed eight points, five assists and three rebounds in 35 minutes of action.

MINNESOTA WON THE PREVIOUS MEETING
Cold shooting doomed Iowa in a 62-45 loss to No. 25 Minnesota on Feb. 13, 2011, in Iowa City. The 45 points were the lowest point total the Hawkeyes posted last season. Iowa jumped out to a 14-6 advantage the first 10 minutes, but Minnesota closed the half on a 24-6 surge to lead 30-20 at halftime. The Hawkeyes sank three 3-pointers the first 10 minutes, but were only able to make three more the rest of the game against Minnesota’s zone defense. Bryce Cartwright was the only Hawkeye to post double figures in scoring, netting 11. The junior also was credited with a game-high seven assists. Iowa did a good job on Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe the first half, allowing the junior only two points and two rebounds. However, Mbakwe got loose in the second stanza finishing with 24 points and five boards.

MINNESOTA COACH TUBBY SMITH
Tubby Smith is in his fifth year at Minnesota and his 21st season as a college head coach. Smith has led Minnesota to a 92-56 (.622) record and his career mark stands at 479-201 (.704). Smith posted a 79-43 mark in four seasons at Tulsa (1991-95), a 45-19 mark in two seasons at Georgia (1995-97) and a 263-83 record in 10 years at Kentucky (1997-07). He has also served as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth, South Carolina and Kentucky. Smith led the Gophers to a 21-14 finish in 2010 and a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. Also, Minnesota, as a six seed, advanced to the 2010 Big Ten Tournament championship game before falling to champion Ohio State. Smith guided Minnesota to a 22-11 finish and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009. He led his first Minnesota team to an appearance in the 2008 NIT, after coaching his team in the NCAA Tournament for 14 consecutive years while at Kentucky and Georgia. He is one of four active Division I coaches to take three different teams to the Sweet 16. He was national Coach of the Year in 1998, 2003 and 2005. His Kentucky teams won five SEC regular season titles and five SEC Tournament championships. Smith boasts a 29-13 record in the NCAA Tournament. Smith is 7-1 vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.

CARTWRIGHT RECOGNIZED BY WEBSITE
Point guard Bryce Cartwright was recognized Monday by the website College Sports Madness for his performances last week. The website named the Iowa senior its Big Ten Player of the Week, which marks the second consecutive week a Hawkeye has been honored (Roy Devyn Marble). Cartwright helped lead Iowa to victory at Wisconsin. The senior scored 10 of is season-high 17 pts in the second half to help give distance between Iowa and the Badgers down the stretch. He also had five assists and only one turnover in 31 minutes off the bench against Wisconsin. For the week he shot 50 percent from the field and had nine assists to only two turnovers.

BALANCED SCORING
Iowa has six players averaging 7.1 points or more. Matt Gatens is first on the team (13.3), followed by Roy Devyn Marble (11.1), Melsahn Basabe (10.1), Aaron White (9.6), Eric May (7.3) and Zach McCabe (7.1).

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 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and has collected 55 assists and 23 steals in 15 contests. He has started the last seven. From the foul line this season, the sophomore has seen significant improvement, shooting 74 percent (49-of-66). The 66 free throw attempts are the third most by a Big Ten student-athlete this season.

LAST THREE GAMES…
Iowa has four players averaging double figures over the last three games: Aaron White (14.3), Melsahn Basabe (14.0), Roy Devyn Marble (14.0) and Matt Gatens (11.0). Basabe has averaged 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, while Marble averaged 4.0 assists. White also shot 73.7 percent from the field (14-of-19) and 86.7 percent from the foul line (13-of-15) during that stretch.

PAIR OF HAWKEYES EARN WEEKLY BIG TEN HONORS
A pair of Iowa basketball players earned weekly recognition on Dec. 26. 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). 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.

GATENS, CARTWRIGHT AND ELIASON REUNITE
Iowa’s Matt Gatens and Bryce Cartwright, along with Minnesota’s Elliott Eliason traveled overseas together last summer playing for the East Coast All-Stars. The team played in four games in Estonia. Purdue’s Anthony Johnson and Mike Bruesewitz of Wisconsin were also on the squad.

STAT SHEET STUFFER
Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar the last 11 games. The sophomore has averaged a team-best 13.5 points and 3.9 assists during that span. Also, he is shooting 49 percent from the field and 74 percent from the foul line during the 11-game stretch. Since moving to the starting point guard spot, Marble has led Iowa in scoring five of the last seven games. As a starter this season, he is averaging 15.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He has amassed a staggering assist/turnover ratio this season. He has 55 assists to only 13 turnovers, ranking second in the Big Ten (4.2). He has posted 18 assists to only three turnovers the last four games. Marble has been credited with four assists or more 10 times this season, including five or more in five of the last six contests.

HAWKEYES PUSHING THE TEMPO
An even more increased tempo by the Iowa Hawkeyes has led to 10.3 more points per game compared to last season, an increase that ranks second best in the Big Ten.

WHITE LEADS BIG TEN RESERVES IN REBOUNDING
Aaron White leads Big Ten reserves in rebounding. The Iowa freshman has pulled down 69 rebounds. Michigan State’s Derrick Nix ranks second (61), Austin Thornton of Michigan State is third (46), while Purdue’s Terone Johnson is fourth (45).

IMPROVED DECEMBER STATS FOR BASABE
After a sluggish start to the season, sophomore Melsahn Basabe’s numbers in December were solid. Basabe has averaged 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds Iowa’s eight games in December. He shot 44-of-76 (.579) 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 eight contests. For the season, he ranks seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding (6.3). 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.

WHITE OUT
Aaron White has been sensational coming off the bench. The freshman, who leads all Big Ten reserves in rebounding (4.6), averaged 14.3 points and 4.3 rebounds the last three games. White has scored in double digits five times, including four of the last five games. The last five games, White has averaged 14 points, shooting at a 72 percent clip (26-of-36) 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.

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa is averaging 8.3 steals this season, collecting 10 steals or more in seven times. Last season, the Hawkeyes averaged 6.7 thefts. The 8.3 steals rank third in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes have recorded 62 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 five active Division I players with 1,300+ points, 380+ rebounds and 185+ made 3-pointers in a career.

SINKING THE FREEBEES
Last year, Iowa’s free throw percentage was 67.6 percent. This season, the Hawkeyes have improved in that area, shooting 74.6 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 (50-of-55, .909), Melsahn Basabe (37-of-52, .712) and Roy Devyn Marble (49-of-66, .742) are a combined 136-of-173 (.786) from the free throw line this year. Gatens ranks third in Big Ten career free throw percentage (.874). Iowa has been aggressive to the basket the last six games, attempting an average of 25 free throws during that span. The Hawkeyes have made 119-of-152 (.783) from the charity stripe the last six games. The Hawkeyes have missed only 10 free throws (59-of-69, .855) in the final five minutes of games. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have missed only one free throw (20-of-21, .952) in the final minute.

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 10.3 more points this year compared to last season.

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 three games were decided by nine points (81-72 win over Boise State on Dec. 22), three points (79-76 loss to Purdue on Dec. 28) and seven points (72-65 win at No. 11 Wisconsin).
? Iowa averages 86.2 points in its wins, compared to 64.5 points in its defeats, a differential of 21.7 points. The Hawkeyes own a +14.5 point differential in their scoring defense, and +11.4 rebounding and +8.8 assists margins in wins compared to losses.
? Roy Devyn Marble has 55 assists to only 13 turnovers. His 4.2 assist/turnover ratio ranks first in the Big Ten and eighth nationally.
? Sophomore Zach McCabe is shooting at a 59 percent clip (27-of-46) from the field over the last nine games.
? Matt Gatens ranks 16th on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart. The senior is 41 points from tying James Moses (1989-92) for 15th place. Gatens has amassed 1,302 points entering Wednesday’s contest at Minnesota.
? 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 11 of Iowa’s 15 contests. Iowa’s bench averages 30.8 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 2,640 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,586-1,054 (.601). That includes a 950-350 (.731) record in home games, a 546-714 (.433) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 704-719 (.495) 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 returns home Saturday to face No. 6 Ohio State (2 p.m., BTN). Saturday will be the only regular season meeting between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes in 2012.