Hawkeyes Entertain Minnesota Wednesday

Jan. 30, 2012

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Wednesday is “Fran McCaffery Bobblehead Night”; 2,000 will be distributed to fans.
? UI students earn FREE admission to Wednesday’s contest versus Minnesota.
? Iowa is in the middle of a stretch of playing three games in seven days, playing at Indiana on Sunday, followed by home games against Minnesota (Wednesday) and Penn State (Saturday).
? Iowa is the only team in the country with eight players with 120 field goal attempts or more.
? Freshman Josh Oglesby posted personal bests in scoring (24) and 3-pointers made (6) in Sunday’s loss at Indiana. Oglesby now ranks fourth in triples made by a Hawkeye rookie.
? Senior Matt Gatens leads the team in scoring (12.9), rebounding (4.8) and steals (16) during Big Ten action.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in nine games. The nine games with 10 or more steals lead the Big Ten and are the fifth most in the country.
? Iowa has one of the deepest benches in the Big Ten, averaging 28.3 points per game.
? Iowa’s scoring average of 74.5 is its highest since the 1997-98 season (80.2).
? Iowa is 9-1 when scoring 80 points or more, under McCaffery, the last two seasons. Furthermore, the Hawkeyes are 12-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.

UI STUDENTS EARN FREE ADMISSION TO WEDNESDAY’S GAME VS. MINNESOTA
The men’s basketball team will host UI Student Night Wednesday when Iowa hosts Minnesota. UI students can cheer on the Black and Gold for free by picking up their ticket at the UI Ticket Office or the IMU Box Office. Below is a list of giveaways Wednesday.

? FREE Fran McCaffery bobbleheads will be distributed to the first 2,000 fans
? The first 500 UI students will receive a FREE black and gold wig
? The first 250 UI students will receive a FREE pizza and rally towel, courtesy of UISG
? FREE Big Ten Network t-shirts will be given to the first 250 UI students.

Cambus will run additional basketball shuttles utilizing the Red and Blue Routes for Wednesday’s game for the final free student night. The additional buses will begin at 6:30 p.m., and will allow for, at a minimum, a bus every 10 minutes at every dorm to take students to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

HAWKEYES FALL AT INDIANA
Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak to the Hawkeyes with a 103-89 win Sunday night at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The loss was Iowa’s first under McCaffery, the last two seasons, when scoring 80 points or more (9-1). Indiana turned a one-point game (32-31) into a 17-point halftime advantage (54-37) with a 22-6 surge the last seven minutes of the half. Iowa shot a season-best 63 percent (34-of-54) from the field, including a blistering 79 percent (19-of-24) in the second stanza. The last time an Iowa team shot better than 60 percent was in a game versus Michigan (.653, 32-of-44) on Feb. 4, 2006. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures, led by Josh Oglesby. The freshman scored a personal-best 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. Senior Matt Gatens tallied 20 points, while Roy Devyn Marble had 13 points to go along with five assists and zero turnovers.

IOWA, INDIANA TIP-INS
? Matt Gatens topped 20 points for the fourth time this year and the 13th time in his career. He also collected four steals, marking the sixth time this season and the 15th time in his career that he was credited with three thefts or more in a game.
? Iowa’s 63 percent field goal percentage ties for the second-most allowed by Indiana since 1996-97 (Kentucky shot 68.9 percent in 2000 and Ohio State shot 63 percent in 2009).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Minnesota holds a 100-89 advantage in the series that began with a 47-10 Gopher win in 1902. The Gophers have won six of the last seven meetings. Iowa holds a 52-40 advantage in games played in Iowa City and a 17-9 advantage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won seven of the last 11 meetings in Iowa City, including four of the last seven. 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
? Minnesota enters Wednesday’s game with a 16-6 overall record and 4-5 mark in Big Ten play. After losing their first four conference games, the Gophers have won four of five, including two by five points or less.
? Minnesota is 2-3 in true road contests in Big Ten play, winning at Indiana and Penn State, but falling at Michigan State, Illinois and Michigan.
? Minnesota rallied to tie Illinois with four seconds left in regulation and ultimately won in overtime, 77-72, Saturday night in Minneapolis. Four Gophers scored in double figures, led by Austin Hollins (14) and Chip Armelin (14).
? Minnesota is 6-2 in games decided by seven points or less, including losing 64-62 to Iowa on Jan. 4 in Minneapolis.
? The Gophers have two active players who average in double figures: Rodney Williams (10.6) and Julian Welch (10.1). Senior Trevor Mbakwe averaged 14 points before suffering a season-ending knee injury in late November.
? Minnesota shoots 47.6 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line. The Gophers pull down 2.9 more rebounds than their opponents and average 8.3 steals and 5.4 blocks.
? Minnesota ranks first in Big Ten steals (8.4) and blocked shots (5.5), fourth in field goal percentage (.476), fifth in field goal percentage defense (.415) and sixth in scoring offense (69.7).
? Julian Welch ranks fourth in the conference in free throw accuracy (.825).

IOWA, MINNESOTA TIP-INS
? Wednesday features two of the Big Ten’s best teams in steals. Minnesota ranks first in the conference (8.4), while the Hawkeyes ranks third (8.1).
? Eight of Iowa’s 11 losses have come to teams ranked in the RPI top 55, including seven of the last eight.
? Iowa’s second (Roy Devyn Marble, 11.3), third (Aaron White, 9.7), fourth (Zach McCabe, 8.7) and fifth (Melsahn Basabe, 8.2) leading scorers are all underclassmen.
? Iowa ranks 40th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.2), 44th in steals (8.1), 54th in fewest turnovers (12.4) and 61st in assists (14.5). Individually, Roy Devyn Marble is 18th in assist/turnover ratio (2.7).
? Minnesota ranks 19th in the country in blocked shots (5.5), 26th in assists (15.8), 36th in field goal percentage (.476) and 38th in steals (8.4).
? Matt Gatens is only three 3-pointers from sinking his 200th career triple. Gatens enters Wednesday’s game with 197 treys.
? 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 110, while the Gophers have sank 107.
? 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.

IOWA WON THE LAST MEETING
Iowa won its second consecutive road game with a 64-62 victory, at Minnesota, in Williams Arena on Jan. 4. The loss was the Golden Gophers first of the season at home. Matt Gatens, Zach McCabe and Aaron White led the visitors. Gatens led all scorers with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. McCabe had 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds, while White added 10 points and six boards. Iowa trailed 32-21 late in the first half, but closed the half on a 10-0 spurt to cut the deficit to one (32-31) and take momentum into the locker room. The Hawkeyes carried that energy into the second stanza building on an eight-point advantage late in the game before holding on for the two-point victory. Iowa outscored Minnesota 14-6 at the foul line. Additionally, the Hawkeyes attempted 24 free throws to only 10 for the Golden Gophers.

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 96-59 (.619) record and his career mark stands at 483-204 (.703). 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 7-2 vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes.

IOWA TO HONOR 1987 TEAM AND LETTERMEN’S DAY SATURDAY
There will be more than a basketball game on Saturday when Penn State visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It will be a special afternoon as the UI men’s basketball program will honor the 1986-87 Hawkeyes. Former UI head coach Tom Davis, and a majority of players and staff from the 1987 team will reunite in Iowa City. Additionally, for “Lettermen’s Day”, the team will wear special throwback jerseys. Fans will have an opportunity to meet this illustrious group before the game. There will be an autograph session of selected players from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on the concourse. Following autographs there will be a pregame ceremony recognizing the team. That team, which was the top-ranked team in the country for a number of weeks during the year, set the program’s single-season record for wins (30) and was one game from the earning the program’s fourth Final Four appearance. Eight players ultimately went on to get drafted in the NBA, while others played professionally overseas.

OGLESBY HAS CAREER GAME
Freshman Josh Oglesby was locked in Sunday, coming off the bench to score a career-best 24 points. The native of Cedar Rapids missed only four of his 12 field-goal attempts. His previous high was 16 points against Northern Illinois on Nov. 17. The six triples tie for the 14th-most in a single game for the Hawkeyes. Additionally, the 24 points are the most by a Hawkeye freshman in a game since Melsahn Basabe posted 25 at Michigan, almost a year to the day, on Jan. 30, 2011. Oglesby has made 30 triples this season, which ties Jake Kelley (30-of-69) for the fourth most by a Hawkeye freshman in a single season at Iowa. Matt Gatens holds the record with 52 (2009). Oglesby is shooting 39 percent beyond the arc, which currently ranks as the third best percentage in a season by an Iowa rookie; Jake Kelly made 43.5 percent (30-of-69) of his attempts, while Matt Gatens sank 40.3 percent (52-of-129). Sixty percent of Oglesby’s scoring production has come from 3-point territory (90-of-149 points), which ranks fourth amongst Big Ten players. Oglesby has led the team in scoring four times (Northern Illinois, Creighton, Clemson and Indiana).

ESPN.COM RANKS NATION’S TOP FRESHMEN
ESPN.com released a midseason report on the nation’s top freshmen. Included in the list is Iowa’s Aaron White. White is ranked No. 15. Indiana’s Cody Zeller is second and Trey Burke of Michigan is seventh. White ranks third in Iowa scoring (9.7) and second in rebounding (4.7).

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa has played five games (2-3) against ranked competition. The Hawkeyes beat No. 11 Wisconsin (72-65) on Dec. 31 in Madison, and 13th-ranked Michigan (75-59) on Jan. 14 in Iowa City. Iowa fell to No. 6 Ohio State (76-47) on Jan. 7 in Iowa City, No. 6 Michigan State (95-61) on Jan. 10 in East Lansing and No. 16 Indiana (103-89) on Jan. 29 in Bloomington.

HAWKEYES PUSHING THE TEMPO
An even more increased tempo by the Iowa Hawkeyes has led to 7.3 more points per game compared to last season, an increase that ranks second best in the Big Ten.

STAT SHEET STUFFER
Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar the last 18 games. The sophomore has averaged 12.9 points and 3.5 assists during that span. Also, he is shooting 45 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line during the 18-game stretch. Since moving to the starting point guard spot, Marble is averaging a team-best 13.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He has amassed a solid assist/turnover ratio this season. He has 75 assists to only 28 turnovers, ranking third in the Big Ten (2.7) and 18th in the country. Marble has been credited with four assists or more 12 times this season.

IOWA IN CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa has compiled a 357-116 (.755) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena since the facility opened in January, 1983. Iowa is 163-92 (.639) in Big Ten games and 194-24 (.890) in non-Big Ten contests.

WHITE LEADS BIG TEN RESERVES IN REBOUNDING
Aaron White leads Big Ten reserves in rebounding. The Iowa freshman has pulled down 104 rebounds. Michigan State’s Derrick Nix ranks second (81), Austin Thornton of Michigan State is third (70), while Purdue’s Terone Johnson is fourth (67).

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, 3.6 rebounds, and has collected 75 assists and 33 steals. He has started the last 14. From the foul line this season, the sophomore has seen significant improvement, shooting 72.3 percent (73-of-101). The 101 attempts are the fifth most among Big Ten players.

GATENS CLIMBING CHARTS
Matt Gatens ranks 13th on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart. The senior is 101 points from tying Jeff Horner (2003-06) for 12th place. Gatens’ 12 points last week against Nebraska helped him surpass Ed Horton (1986-89) for 13th on the chart. He has amassed 1,401 points entering Wednesday’s contest versus Minnesota. The senior was 1-of-4 from 3-point territory in Iowa’s last game at No. 16 Indiana and now has 197 career triples, which is fifth best in school history. Additionally, he ranks fourth in career 3-point attempts with 565. Gatens is only 14 steals from cracking the top 10 chart in career thefts at Iowa. The native of Iowa City will finish his career in the top 15 in scoring and steals and top five in free throw percentage and 3-pointers made.

VOTE FOR FRAN IN “INFINITI COACHES’ CHARITY CHALLENGE”
As part of its ongoing corporate partnership with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the NCAA and ESPN, Infiniti has announced an expanded “Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge” with a $100,000 donation to the winning coach’s designated charity. Iowa’s Fran McCaffery is one of 48 NABC coaches taking part in this charity challenge. Fan participation will determine the ultimate winner over an eight-week period by registering and voting at ESPN.com/Infiniti. For the first six weeks, four brackets of 12 coaches will be paired against each other, with the winners from each group moving onto the next round in week seven and the final round in week eight. Fans can vote for up to four coaches per day. The winning coach will be announced March 9. The total Infiniti contribution will be more than $300,000. All 48 coaches’ charities are guaranteed at least $5,000 from Infiniti.

McCABE BOLSTERING HAWKEYE FRONTCOURT
Sophomore Zach McCabe has been a solid contributor to Iowa’s front court this season. McCabe ranks fourth in team scoring (8.4) and third in rebounding (4.5). His scoring has increased during league play, averaging 10 points. McCabe has scored in double figures in three of the last four games. He tallied 11 points and chased down seven boards in Iowa’s win over Michigan (Jan. 14). He posted 20 points, a career high, in consecutive games at Purdue and versus Nebraska. The last time a Hawkeye netted 20 points or more in back-to-back games was Matt Gatens, who had 22 and 21 against Louisiana Tech and Illinois, respectively, in 2010. McCabe has been white-hot from the field, making 21 of his last 32 field goal attempts (.656) the last four games. Against Nebraska (Jan. 26), McCabe was 9-of-11 (.818) from the floor, including 2-of-3 (.667) from long distance. After getting to the free throw line only 21 times the first 15 games, McCabe has done a better job attacking the basket. The sophomore has earned 22 trips to the foul line the last seven contests. McCabe has pulled down seven rebounds or more six times, including a personal-best eight versus Central Arkansas. He has led the team in rebounding five times this season.

HAWKEYES ARE TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 81 of its 116 games (.698) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500) over the last eight 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 in 2011.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,647 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,588-1,059 (.600). That includes a 951-352 (.730) record in home games, a 547-717 (.433) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 706-724 (.494) mark in Big Ten games and a 357-116 (.755) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
Freshmen Aaron White and Josh Oglesby have combined for eight games of scoring 15 or more points this season. White has scored in double figures in eight of the last 12 contests, including netting 15 points or more in four of those outings.

HAWKEYE BIG TEN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGES
In Iowa’s three Big Ten victories, opponents were just 15-of-82 (.183) from long distance and 70-of-179 (.391) overall from the field. Iowa made 77-of-163 (.472) from the field and 11-of-30 (.367) from the 3-point range in those wins. Conversely, Hawkeye opponents shot 52.1 percent (190-of-365) from the field and 38-of-103 (.369) from 3-point territory, compared to 45.3 percent (149-of-329) from the field and 34.9 percent (29-of-83) from long distance for Iowa, in the Hawkeyes’ six conference defeats.

IMPROVED SHOOTING
Iowa has three players shooting over 50 percent from the floor during league play. Zach McCabe has made 56.9 percent of his shots, which ranks seventh best in the Big Ten. Aaron White ranks 11th making 52.7 percent of his attempts. Melsahn Basabe has made 53.5 percent of his field goal tries.

SINKING THE FREEBEES
Last year, Iowa’s free throw percentage was 67.6 percent. This season, the Hawkeyes have improved in that area, shooting 71.8 percent, which ranks third best in the Big Ten. Twenty-two percent of Iowa’s offense this year has come from the foul line. The Hawkeyes have missed only 23 free throws (86-of-109, .789) in the final five minutes of games. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have missed only 11 free throws (29-of-40, .725) in the final minute. Iowa has attempted 20 free throws or more 14 times this season, five of which have come during league play, including three of the last four 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 7.3 more points this year compared to last season.

WHITE OUT
Aaron White has been contributing solid numbers off the bench. The freshman, who leads all Big Ten reserves in rebounding (4.7), averaged 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, the last 11 games. White earned his first career start in Iowa’s last game at No. 16 Indiana. He totaled nine points against the Hoosiers. White has scored in double digits nine times, including eight of the last 12 games. The last 12 games, White has averaged 11.6 points, shooting at a 59 percent clip (47-of-80) from the field. The 6-foot-8 wing player has scored 15 points or more five times, which is the third most by a Big Ten rookie this season. The rookie almost posted his second double-double versus Nebraska (Jan. 26), posting 11 points and grabbing a team-best nine rebounds. White netted eight of his 12 points from the charity stripe in the Hawkeyes’ victory over No. 13 Michigan. White drained 7-of-8 free-throw attempts in the last three minutes of the game to help maintain a double-digit advantage over the Wolverines. White was named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week after his performance in Iowa’s 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 boards. 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 averages 83.2 points in its wins, compared to 65.9 points in its defeats, a differential of 17.3 points. The Hawkeyes own a +18.2 point differential in their scoring defense, and +10.9 rebounding and +7.7 assists margins in wins compared to losses.
? Roy Devyn Marble has 75 assists to only 28 turnovers. His 2.7 assist/turnover ratio ranks third in the Big Ten.
? Iowa’s attendance numbers are up again this season, after a 20 percent bump a year ago. Last season, Iowa averaged 11,096 fans. Through 14 home games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 11,236.
? 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.
? After winning at No. 11 Wisconsin on Dec. 31 (72-65) and on the road at Minnesota (64-62) on Jan. 4, Iowa won two-straight Big Ten road games for the first time since 2007. The Hawkeyes won at Michigan on Jan. 31, 2007 (69-62) and at Minnesota on Feb. 7 (91-78). Iowa beat Indiana at home on Feb. 3 (81-75) in between those two road victories. The last time Iowa won consecutive road games in back-to-back games was 1998, beating Ohio State (61-46) on Jan. 14 and Minnesota (82-69) on Jan. 18.
? At least 10 players have seen action in 17 of Iowa’s 22 contests. Iowa’s bench averages 28.3 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).

Matt Gatens AMONG SELECT GROUP
Matt Gatens is one of five active Division I players with 1,400+ points, 410+ rebounds and 195+ made 3-pointers in a career.

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. Additionally, Iowa’s new video coordinator, Al Seibert, has 18 years of collegiate coaching experience.

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 then advanced to the Sweet 16 with a win over Saddi Washington of Oakland University. In both rounds, Speraw sank all 25 of his free throws. Speraw’s next opponent is Derrick Jones of Louisiana Tech. The Sweet 16 and Round of Eight will occur in January, while 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 Monday nights 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 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
The Hawkeyes remain home this weekend when they entertain Penn State on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPNU). Next week, Iowa hits the road for its first meeting for the year against Northwestern in Evanston. The game is scheduled for Thurs., Feb. 9 (8 p.m., ESPNU).