Hawkeyes Resume Action Thursday at Penn State

Feb. 14, 2012

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Iowa Game Notes

TIP-OFF
? Thursday will be Iowa’s second game in 12 days. The Hawkeyes finish the regular season with six contests in 16 days.
? Iowa enters this week in a four-way tie for seventh place with Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota in the Big Ten standings.
? Iowa is the only team in the country with eight players with 130 field goal attempts or more.
? Iowa owns a +3.5 rebounding advantage in its four Big Ten victories, while it has been outrebounded by 5.4 boards in its seven conference losses.
? Iowa has collected 10 steals or more in 10 games. The 10 games with 10 or more steals lead the Big Ten. Iowa ranks first in the Big Ten in steals (8.0).
? Iowa has won four games over top 65 RPI teams, two of which have come on the road.
? Iowa’s scoring average of 73.8 is its highest since the 1997-98 season (80.2).
? Bryce Cartwright has 393 career steals; he is seven from reaching 400 at the Division I level (one year at Fresno State and two at Iowa).
? Iowa is 9-1 when scoring 80 points or more, under McCaffery, the last two seasons. Furthermore, the Hawkeyes are 13-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.

HAWKEYES FALL AT NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern snapped Iowa’s two-game winning streak with an 83-64 victory over the Hawkeyes on Feb. 9 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The Wildcats forced 18 turnovers and converted those Hawkeye miscues into 20 points. Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field and 3-point range; Northwestern shot 56 percent (27-of-48) from the floor and 52 percent (13-of-25) from 3-point territory, while Iowa shot 51 percent (23-of-45) from the field and 50 percent (7-of-14) from long distance. Iowa had four players reach double figures in scoring: Aaron White (17), Matt Gatens (15), Melsahn Basabe (13) and Roy Devyn Marble (10). White also snagged a personal-best 12 rebounds to notch his second double-double of his collegiate career. Bryce Cartwright distributed five assists, marking the sixth time in eight contests that the senior point guard dished out five assists or more. Eighty of Northwestern’s 83 points came from its starting five, led by freshman Dave Sobolewski’s game-high 23 points.

IOWA, NORTHWESTERN TIP-INS
? Sophomore Melsahn Basabe came off the bench to net 13 points, his second highest scoring output in conference play (14 versus Purdue on Dec. 28 and at Wisconsin on Dec. 31, the first two games of league play). It marked the first time in seven games Basabe reached double figures in scoring.
? Aaron White was white-hot from the field, making 7-of-10 field goal attempts, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
? Iowa outrebounded Northwestern by eight (29-21), its highest positive rebounding margin since grabbing nine more boards than Michigan on Jan. 14.

MARBLE DUNK VERSUS MINNESOTA NOMINATED FOR GEICO PLAY OF THE YEAR
Roy Devyn Marble’s emphatic one-handed slam vs. Minnesota on Feb. 1 is nominated for the GEICO Play of the Year. Each week, four incredible college basketball plays will be nominated as the GEICO Play of the Year. Each week’s winner will be determined by fan voting through the official Facebook page (facebook.com/BestofCollegeBasketball). The eight finalists will compete in a week-long competition to determine the GEICO Play of the Year. Fans can share their vote and cast their vote once per day until voting ends on Monday, Feb. 20, at 11:59 a.m. (ET).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Iowa holds a 23-12 advantage in the series that began with an 82-53 Iowa win in 1955. The two teams have split the last eight games, but Iowa has won three of the last four, including this season’s earlier meeting, 77-64, in Iowa City on Feb. 4. Iowa has won 15 of the last 21, 16 of the last 23 and 18 of the last 26 meetings. Penn State holds a 9-6 advantage in games played at University Park, including winning the last four in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Hawkeyes’ last victory (80-76) at Penn State came on Jan. 14, 2006. Iowa, on Jan. 4, 1997, was the first visiting team to win (67-59) in Penn State’s new arena. Iowa’s win snapped the longest home winning streak in the nation at the time. Three of the 34 meetings in the series have been in postseason action. The first meeting in 1955 was in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Evanston, Ill., with Iowa winning 82-53 on its way to the Final Four. Penn State won 67-64 in Iowa City in 1995 in the quarterfinals of the NIT, earning a trip to New York City. Iowa won in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in 2001 and went on to win that event, as both teams earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s 67-48 win in 1962 took place in the first round of the Quaker City Tournament in Philadelphia, Pa.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
? Penn State enters Thursday’s game with a 11-15 overall record and 3-10 mark in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions have lost eight of their last 10 games. Two of the losses came at home by a margin of six points (Indiana and Wisconsin). ? Penn State is 9-5 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions have won two of their last three home contests (Illinois, 54-52 on Jan. 19; Nebraska 67-51 on Feb. 11). Penn State finishes the regular season with 3-of-5 at home. ? The Nittany Lions snapped a five-game losing skid with a 67-51 triumph over Nebraska on Saturday in University Park. The Nittany Lions shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded the Huskers by nine (30-21). ? In Saturday’s win over Nebraska, Tim Frazier poured in a game-high 23 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and was credited with nine assists. The junior point guard nearly turned in the first triple-double by a Nittany Lion since 1998. ? After Saturday’s win over Nebraska, sophomore forward Billy Oliver announced that he is discontinuing his playing career due to on-going symptoms stemming from his history of concussions and migraine headaches. Oliver, in his fourth-year with the program, plans to stay with the team through the year and return with the team next year in a non-playing capacity as he completes a second degree in economics. Oliver averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games, 20 of which were starts. ? Penn State ranks fourth in Big Ten rebounding margin (+3.0); sixth in 3-pointers (6.6); and seventh in turnover margin (+1.4) and steals (6.7). ? Tim Frazier leads the team in a number of statistical categories: scoring (18.5), rebounding (5.0), assists (6.4), free throws (138-of-179, .771) and steals (2.2). His scoring average and steals are second best in the league, while his 6.4 assists are tops in the conference and ninth best nationally. Additionally, he averages 37 minutes played, which is first among Big Ten student-athletes. ? Redshirt freshman Jermaine Marshall is the only other Nittany Lion averaging double figures in scoring (10.4). Marshall is also averaging 3.8 rebounds. ? Penn State has three active players who have made 20 or more 3-pointers: Cammeron Woodyard (37), Jermaine Marshall (33) and Tim Frazier (20).

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 (10.2) and first in rebounding (5.3).

IOWA, PENN STATE TIP-INS
? Nine of Iowa’s 12 losses have come to teams ranked in the RPI top 60, including eight of the last nine.
? Iowa’s second (Roy Devyn Marble, 11.1), third (Aaron White, 10.2), fourth (Melsahn Basabe, 8.4) and fifth (Zach McCabe, 8.1) leading scorers are all underclassmen.
? The Hawkeyes rank first in the Big Ten in steals (8.0); and third in scoring offense (73.8) and free throw percentage (72.3 percent).
? Iowa ranks 48th in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.2); 49th in steals (8.0); and 57th in assists (14.5). Individually, Matt Gatens is 41st in free throw percentage (.856), while Roy Devyn Marble is 43rd in assist/turnover ratio (2.3).
? Matt Gatens sank his 200th career triple in the second half in Iowa’s win over Penn State on Feb. 4. Gatens enters Thursday’s game with 204 treys. He is only eight triples from matching Adam Haluska (2005-07) for fourth on Iowa’s all-time list.
? Penn State’s roster is comprised of 15 student-athletes. The roster consists of one senior, three juniors, four sophomores and seven freshmen (two redshirt). Five players hail from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and one each from Ohio, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey and Serbia.

IOWA BEAT PENN STATE IN LAST MEETING
Iowa scored 16 of the game’s first 18 points in the first seven minutes and never looked back in a 77-64 win over Penn State on Feb. 4 in Iowa City. Iowa led by as many as 26 points in the second half. Four Hawkeyes posted double digits, led by senior Matt Gatens’ 18. Aaron White and Bryce Cartwright each contributed 17 points, while Zach McCabe had 10. White also snagged a game-high nine rebounds and posted career bests in assists (four), blocks (three) and steals (two). Roy Devyn Marble matched a career high with eight rebounds. Penn State was whistled for 27 fouls, which allowed Iowa to shoot a season-high 34 free throws. Iowa outscored the Nittany Lions 29-4 at the foul line. The Nittany Lions also had four players score in double figures. Junior guard Tim Frazier tallied a game-high 23 points on 23 shot attempts. Iowa wore gold throwback jerseys for the game in honor of Lettermen’s Day. Additionally, the UI recognized the 1986-87 Iowa men’s basketball team prior to the game.

CARTWRIGHT SHINES IN BIG TEN PLAY
The past two seasons, point guard Bryce Cartwright’s numbers have been better in conference play, than non-league action. In 30 Big Ten games the last two seasons, Cartwright has averaged 9.6 points and 5.8 assists. In 25 non-conference contests, the native of Compton, Calif., has averaged 8.3 points and 4.3 assists. Since being reinserted into the starting lineup (last four games), Cartwright has averaged 8.3 points, 5.5 assists and four rebounds. Cartwright did not become the starter until six games into the 2010-11 season, and he was hampered by a couple injuries during most of non-league play in 2011-12. Cartwright (53), who led the conference in assists during league play a year ago, is 19 assists behind leader Tim Frazier (74) of Penn State for first this season.

REBOUNDING KEY IN OUTCOMES
In Iowa’s five Big Ten wins, it has posted a +4.2 rebounding margin advantage. However, in their seven conference losses, Iowa has been outrebounded by 5.4 boards. Overall, Iowa is 10-2 in games this season when having the edge on the glass. The two losses when the Hawkeyes had a positive rebounding margin came on the road at Iowa State and Northwestern.

GATENS ABOUT TO MAKE HISTORY
Senior Matt Gatens will likely become the first Hawkeye to lead the team in free throw percentage four consecutive seasons. Also, he is on pace to become only the seventh Hawkeye since 1939, and the first to do so since Acie Earl (1991-93), to lead the team in scoring three straight seasons. Other former Hawkeyes leading the squad in scoring three consecutive years include: Dick Ives (1944-46); Bill Logan (1954-56); Dave Gunther (1957-59); Don Nelson (1960-62); Greg Stokes (1983-85); Acie Earl (1991-93).

GATENS CLIMBING CHARTS
Matt Gatens ranks 13th on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart. The senior is 50 points from tying Jeff Horner (2003-06) for 12th place. Gatens’ 12 points against Nebraska (Jan. 26) helped him surpass Ed Horton (1986-89) for 13th on the chart. He has amassed 1,452 points entering Thursday’s contest at Penn State. The senior was 3-of-5 from 3-point territory in Iowa’s last game at Northwestern and now has 204 career triples, which is fifth best in school history. Additionally, he ranks third in career 3-point attempts with 582. Gatens is only 11 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.

STAT SHEET STUFFER
Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar the last 20 games. The sophomore has averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists during that span. Also, he is shooting 46 percent from the field and 72 percent from the foul line during the 20-game stretch. He has amassed a solid assist-to-turnover ratio this season. He has 82 assists to only 36 turnovers, ranking fifth in the Big Ten (2.3) and 43rd nationally. Marble has been credited with four assists or more 12 times this season. Last season, 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, 3.8 rebounds, and has collected 82 assists and 36 steals. He has started the last 17. From the foul line this season, the sophomore has seen significant improvement, shooting 72.9 percent (78-of-107).

IOWA POSTING BIG WINS
Iowa has posted four wins against teams ranked in the top 65 of the RPI, including two inside the top 25. The Hawkeyes have registered victories over Michigan (14), Wisconsin (24) and two wins over Minnesota (61).

WHITE-HOT
Aaron White was Iowa’s most productive player off the bench the first 21 games, but has started the last four. The freshman averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, the last 14 games. White earned his first career start at No. 16 Indiana on Jan. 31 He totaled nine points against the Hoosiers. He had nine points and seven rebounds in Iowa’s win over Minnesota on Feb. 1 and stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the Black and Gold’s triumph over Penn State on Feb. 4. His efforts earned him Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week accolades, which is the third time (Nov. 14, Dec. 26 and Feb. 6) he has earned the weekly distinction. White had another stellar performance on Feb. 9 at Northwestern, scoring 17 points and corralling a personal-best 12 boards. He shot 7-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind the 3-point arc. White has scored in double digits 11 times, including 10 of the last 15 games. White has led the team in rebounding three of the last five contests. The 6-foot-8 wing player has scored 15 points or more seven times, which is the third most by a Big Ten rookie this season. The rookie nearly posted double-doubles versus Nebraska (Jan. 26), finishing with 11 points and a team-best nine rebounds and versus Penn State (Feb. 4), registering 17 points and a team-best nine boards. 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 a personal-best 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.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 4.7
Iowa has had four players average 4.7 rebounds or better the last three contests: Aaron White (9.3), Roy Devyn Marble (5.0), and Bryce Cartwright (4.7) and Melsahn Basabe (4.7).

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.

Matt Gatens AMONG SELECT GROUP
Matt Gatens is one of five active Division I players with 1,450+ points, 420+ rebounds and 200+ made 3-pointers in a career.

IMPROVED SHOOTING
Iowa has three players shooting over 50 percent from the floor during league play. Aaron White has made 53.1 percent of his shots, which ranks ninth best in the Big Ten. Zach McCabe ranks 11th making 52.8 percent of his attempts. Melsahn Basabe has made 52.4 percent of his field goal tries.

McCABE BOLSTERING HAWKEYE FRONTCOURT
Sophomore Zach McCabe has been a solid contributor to Iowa’s front court this season. McCabe ranks fifth in team scoring (8.1) and third in rebounding (4.6). His scoring has increased during league play, averaging nine points. McCabe has scored in double figures in four of the last seven 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. He netted 10 points and had five boards in Iowa’s last win over Penn State on Feb. 4. After getting to the foul line only 21 times the first 15 games, McCabe has done a better job attacking the basket. The sophomore has earned 30 trips to the foul line the last 10 contests. McCabe has pulled down seven rebounds or more seven times, including a personal-best 10 versus Minnesota on Feb. 1. He has led the team in rebounding six times this season.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
Freshmen Aaron White and Josh Oglesby have combined for 10 games of scoring 15 or more points this season. White has scored in double figures in 10 of the last 15 contests, including netting 15 points or more in seven of those outings.

HAWKEYE BIG TEN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGES
In Iowa’s five Big Ten victories, opponents were just 35-of-130 (.269) from long distance and 115-of-292 (.394) overall from the field. Iowa made 120-of-267 (.449) from the field and 19-of-57 (.333) from the 3-point range in those wins. Conversely, Hawkeye opponents shot 52.5 percent (217-of-413) from the field and 51-of-128 (.398) from 3-point territory, compared to 46 percent (172-of-374) from the field and 37 percent (36-of-97) from long distance for Iowa, in the Hawkeyes’ seven conference defeats.

OGLESBY HAS CAREER GAME
Freshman Josh Oglesby was locked in when Iowa played at No. 16 Indiana on Jan. 29, 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 31 triples this season, which are the fourth most by a Hawkeye freshman in a single season at Iowa. Matt Gatens holds the record with 52 (2009). Oglesby is shooting 37.3 percent beyond the arc, which currently ranks as the fifth best percentage in a season by an Iowa rookie. Fifty-nine percent of Oglesby’s scoring production has come from 3-point territory (93-of-156 points), which ranks fourth amongst Big Ten players. Oglesby has led the team in scoring four times (Northern Illinois, Creighton, Clemson and Indiana).

SINKING THE FREEBEES
Last year, Iowa’s free throw percentage was 67.6 percent. This season, the Hawkeyes have improved in that area, shooting 72.3 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 27 free throws (101-of-128, .789) in the final five minutes of games. Additionally, the Hawkeyes have missed only 11 free throws (33-of-44, .750) in the final minute. Iowa has attempted 20 free throws or more 16 times this season, seven of which have come during league play, including five of the last seven 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 6.6 more points this year compared to last season.

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.

HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? The Big Ten is the No. 1 ranked conference in the RPI and Sagarin ratings.
? For the second straight year, Iowa has won its first two games in the month of February. Last year, the Hawkeyes beat Michigan State (Feb. 2) and Indiana (Feb. 5); this season Iowa topped Minnesota (Feb. 1) and Penn State (Feb. 4).
? Iowa averages 81.2 points in its wins, compared to 65.8 points in its defeats, a differential of 15.4 points. The Hawkeyes own a +18.7 point differential in their scoring defense, and +10.6 rebounding and +7.8 assists margins in wins compared to losses.
? 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 16 home games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 11,378.
? 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 18 of Iowa’s 25 contests. Iowa’s bench averages 26.5 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 2,650 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,590-1,060 (.600). That includes a 953-352 (.730) record in home games, a 547-718 (.432) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 708-725 (.494) mark in Big Ten games and a 359-116 (.756) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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 Round of Eight, semifinals and finals will take place this month. 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 for a pair of contests against nationally-ranked opponents. The Hawkeyes will host Indiana on Sunday (5 p.m., BTN) and then Wisconsin on Thursday, Feb. 23 (8 p.m., ESPN/2).