Iowa Travels to Oregon for Second Round NIT Contest

March 15, 2012

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Iowa Game Notes

SECOND ROUND NIT TIP-OFF
? Iowa (18-16) will travel to Oregon (23-9) Sunday at 4:05 p.m. (CT) in the second round of the NIT. The Hawkeyes are the seven seed, while the Ducks are a three seed. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU (HD).
? Iowa’s 84-75 win over Dayton Tuesday night was its first postseason win since 2003.
? Sunday will be Iowa’s first trip to the West Coast since the Hawkeyes lost at Cal-Irvine (86-78) on Dec. 29, 1993.
? Iowa has posted four wins over RPI top 25 teams (Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin twice). Only Michigan State (seven), Ohio State (six) and Michigan (five) have more in the Big Ten.
? Iowa’s eight Big Ten wins are the most in a single season since collecting nine during the 2006-07 campaign.
? Aaron White, who was named to the All-Big Ten freshman team, is averaging 14.8 points while shooting 60 percent (21-of-35) from the field the last four games.
? Matt Gatens is one of only two Hawkeyes to ever amass over 1,600+ points, 450+ rebounds, 250+ assists and 125+ steals. Roy Marble is the only other Hawkeye to accomplish the feat.
? Iowa is 9-1 when scoring 80 points or more, the last two seasons. The Hawkeyes are 14-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points, the last two years.

IOWA IN THE NIT
This year marks Iowa’s sixth appearance in the NIT and first since 2004. Iowa also appeared in the 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004 tournaments. The Hawkeyes best finish in the NIT was in 1995 when Iowa advanced to the quarterfinals. Sunday will be only Iowa’s second ever true road game in the NIT. Iowa beat Iowa State, 54-53, in Ames in 2003. The Hawkeyes beat DePaul, 96-87, in the Quad Cities in 1995 and lost to Saint Louis, 70-69, in St. Charles, Mo. on neutral courts. The Hawkeyes have played 10 games all-time in the NIT and hold a record of 5-5. Iowa’s 10 NIT games have all been decided by nine points or less; its five NIT losses have come by a total of 14 points and the five victories have come by a total of 25 points. Iowa has had two wins by nine points (DePaul in 1995 and Dayton in 2012; one by four points (Ohio in 1995), one by two points (Valparaiso in 2003); and one by one points (Iowa State in 2003).

NIT FAST BREAKS
? Tickets for Sunday’s game are $13 and $21 (depending on seat location).
? Sunday will mark Iowa’s 35th game of the season, equaling the most games any Iowa team has played in a single season (1986-87, 2000-01 and 2001-02).
? Iowa’s win over Dayton Tuesday was Iowa’s first postseason win since beating Iowa State (54-53) on March 21, 2003 in the NIT first round.
? The winner of the Iowa-Oregon second round game will meet Washington or Northwestern in the quarterfinals. The date, time and TV information will be released at a later date. If Iowa beat Oregon, it would be the road team in the quarterfinals.
? Iowa, as the seventh seed, was the lowest seed to host a 2012 first round NIT game. Dayton was unable to host due to it hosting the NCAA First Four.
? Iowa and Oregon have played one common opponent this season: Nebraska. Oregon beat the Huskers, 83-76, in Lincoln, Neb. on Nov. 23. Iowa split a pair of games against Nebraska, losing at home, 79-73, on Jan. 26. but winning in Lincoln, 62-53, on Feb. 29.
? This marks the seventh time Iowa coach Fran McCaffery has taken a team to the postseason as a head coach, including the second time in the NIT. McCaffery’s UNC Greensboro squad in 2002 lost in the NIT first round at Memphis. McCaffery took his 1988 Lehigh team, 2001 Greensboro squad, and 2008, 2009 and 2010 Siena teams to the NCAA Tournament. He also was an assistant coach at Notre Dame when the Irish advanced to the NIT finals in 1992.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Iowa has played Oregon five times before, winning all five. Sunday will be Iowa’s first game against Oregon since 1962. The Hawkeyes won that game 62-48 on Dec. 27 in Pullman, Wa., in the Far West Classic. Iowa is 3-0 in games played in Eugene. The Hawkeyes beat the Ducks, 86-57, on Dec. 26, 1952 in their last visit to Eugene. Iowa and Oregon have played one overtime contest before. The Hawkeyes edged the Ducks, 70-69, in overtime on Dec. 30, 1949 in Eugene. Iowa’s last matchup against a Pac-12 opponent came during the 2006-07 season. Iowa was defeated at Arizona State, 67-64, on Nov. 25, 2006. Iowa is 41-28 (.594) all-time against current members of the Pac-12.

SCOUTING OREGON
? Oregon enters Sunday’s game against the Hawkeyes with a 23-9 overall record and 13-5 mark in the Pac-12. The Ducks tied California for second in their league.
? Oregon did not lose two straight games all season. All nine of their losses were scattered throughout the season. The Ducks won four consecutive games four times this season.
? The Ducks have won 12 of their last 16 games. Oregon was edged by Colorado, 63-62, in the Pac-12 Tournament.
? Oregon has played a number of close games this season. The Ducks are 12-4 in games decided by 10 points or fewer. The four losses were all by five points or less.
? Oregon is 16-3 in home games this season, winning its last five. The Ducks’ last home loss came to rival Oregon State, 76-71, on Jan. 29. Oregon’s other two losses came to California, 77-60, on Jan. 8 and Virginia, 67-54, on Dec. 18.
? Oregon averages 7,694 fans in its 19 home games this season. The Ducks announced a paid attendance of 5,158 for its NIT first round game against LSU.
? Oregon beat LSU, 96-76, Tuesday night in Eugene. The Ducks shot 57.6 percent (34-of-59) from the field and collected 10 steals en route to victory over the Tigers. Six Ducks scored in double figures, led by senior Devoe Joseph’s 25 points. Garrett Sim had 15 points, while Tony Woods contributed 14 points.
? Senior Devoe Joseph averages a team-best 17 points per game, junior E.J. Singler averages 13 points, while senior Garrett Sim averages 12.3 points. Singler also leads the team in rebounding (5.4) and free throw percentage (.909).
? Oregon has posted 20+ wins in back-to-back seasons (2011 and 2012). It marks the 13th time in school history that Oregon has won 20+ contests.
? Oregon is coached by Dana Altman, who is in his second year at Oregon. Prior to coaching the Ducks, he spent 11 seasons as head coach at Creighton. Altman is 2-1 all-time against Iowa as a head coach. Altman and the Creighton Bluejays beat Iowa in 1998 in Iowa City (75-73) and 1999 in Omaha (85-76). Iowa beat Altman and Creighton, 69-56, in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in Long Island, N.Y.

IOWA, OREGON TIP-INS
? Both Iowa and Oregon average better than 72 points per game. The Ducks average 72.9 points, while Iowa averages 72.3.
? Neither Iowa or Oregon have played an overtime contest this season.
? Iowa has gone 7-5 since Feb. 1, including notching wins over No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 18 Indiana. The Hawkeyes have alternated wins and losses their last seven games.
? Sunday marks coach McCaffery’s fourth game on the West Coast as a head coach. His 2009-10 Siena team lost to 10th-ranked Purdue in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wa. His 2006-07 Siena squad lost at Stanford to open the regular season. His 2000-01 UNC Greensboro team also lost to second-ranked Stanford in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in San Diego, Calif. McCaffery also visited the West Coast numerous times as an assistant coach on Notre Dame from 1988-99.
? Iowa assistant coach Sherman Dillard spent three years on the West Coast as an assistant coach at California (1985-88).
? Iowa has one player on its roster, who hails from the West Coast: Bryce Cartwright. Cartwright is a senior transfer and hails from Compton, Calif.
? Matt Gatens, a second team All-Big Ten honoree for the Hawkeyes, has scored 155 points the last eight games (19.4 ppg).
? Senior Devoe Joseph played three years at Minnesota before transferring to Oregon. Joseph played three games against the Hawkeyes while wearing a Gopher uniform. In 2009, he played scored no points in 11 minutes of action. He had 12 points and five assists on Jan. 2, 2010 in Iowa City and netted 17 points on March 7, 2010 in Minneapolis.
? Senior Olu Ashaolu transferred to Oregon to play his final season after playing his first three seasons at Louisiana Tech. Ashaolu posted a double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds, in a 77-58 loss to the Hawkeyes on Dec. 21, 2010.
? Iowa’s attendance numbers are up again this season, after a 20 percent bump a year ago. Last season, Iowa averaged 11,096 fans. Hosting 20 home games this season, the Hawkeyes averaged 11,908.
? Oregon has one of the nation’s top free throw shooters on the roster. E.J. Singler has made 100-of-110 free throws (.909), which is the second best in the country.
? Iowa had six regular-season wins over teams that reached the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The six wins ties Michigan as the fourth most in the league. Michigan State had 10, while Indiana and Ohio State had seven. Wisconsin had five, while Purdue had four and Minnesota only had one.
? Iowa ranks first in the Big Ten in steals (7.5); third in scoring offense (72.3); fourth in 3-point field goal accuracy (.369); and fifth in free throw percentage (.718).
? Iowa ranks 36th in assist/turnover ratio (1.2); 44th in the country in assists (14.8);52nd in fewest turnovers (16.6); and 69th in steals (7.5). Individually, Matt Gatens is 41st in free throw percentage (.854), Roy Devyn Marble is 83rd in assist/turnover ratio (2.0), while Bryce Cartwright is 83rd in assists (4.6).
? Iowa won five games in February, the most since the 1997-98 season (5).
? Iowa is 10-1 when scoring 80 points or more, the last two seasons. The Hawkeyes are 14-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points, the last two years.
? Iowa is the only Big Ten team with two players with 45+ steals (Roy Devyn Marble — 53 and Matt Gatens — 48). As a team, the Hawkeyes have amassed 256 steals, which are the most by an Iowa team since collecting 268 during the 1998-99 season.
? Iowa was 4-4 against ranked Big Ten teams and 5-7 versus unranked conference foes.
? Iowa’s second (Roy Devyn Marble, 10.9), third (Aaron White, 10.8), fourth (Melsahn Basabe, 7.9), fifth (Zach McCabe, 7.8) and sixth (Josh Oglesby 6.8) leading scorers are all underclassmen.
? Freshman Aaron White has netted 367 points this season, which ranks fifth best by an Iowa rookie.
? Matt Gatens’ 1,254 career field goal attempts rank fifth most by a Hawkeye. Acie Earl (1990-93) ranks fourth with 1,265 attempts.

HAWKEYES GROUND FLYERS IN NIT FIRST ROUND
The Iowa Hawkeyes beat Dayton, 84-75, Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa, a seventh seed, played at home against the No. 2 Dayton due to the Flyers hosting the NCAA First Four. Iowa played in front of 13,190 fans, the most of any first round NIT site Tuesday or Wednesday. Freshman Aaron White, and sophomores Zach McCabe and Melsahn Basabe combined to score 60 of Iowa’s 84 points. White netted a career-high 25 points to go along with a game-high 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. McCabe tallied 20 points, bolstered by a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line. Basabe contributed 15 points (6-of-9 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line) off the bench. Iowa shot 57 percent from the field (33-of-58) and had assists on 23 of 33 field goals. The Hawkeyes have shot 50 percent of better nine times this season (5-4 record in those contests), including two of the last four games (.550 vs. Northwestern on March 3). Both teams shot the ball extremely well from the free throw line. Iowa made 80 percent (12-of-15), while Dayton drained 78 percent (14-of-18) of their free throws. Iowa made 24 baskets in the paint, scoring 48 paint points, which is the second most this season for the Hawkeyes (64 vs. Central Arkansas).

IOWA, DAYTON TIP-INS
? Bryce Cartwright’s 11 assists is a school record for most assists by a Hawkeye in an NIT game.
? Aaron White’s 11 rebounds ties Ryan Bowen for the most boards by an Iowa player in an NIT game. Bowen had 11 boards vs. Georgia on March 11, 1998.
? Iowa’s 56.9 percent shooting is a school record for best percentage in an NIT contest.
? Aaron White, Melsahn Basabe and Zach McCabe combined to shoot 25-of-33 (.758) from the field against the Flyers.
? Zach McCabe had the second 9-for-9 performance by a Big Ten player this season. Illinois’ Joseph Bertrand accomplished the feat vs. Missouri on Dec. 22, 2011.
? Aaron White’s double-double against Dayton (25 points and 11 rebounds) marks the fifth double-double by a Hawkeye in an NIT game. Andre Woolridge had 10 assists and 17 points vs. DePaul (1995), Jess Settles had 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. Ohio (1995); Ryan Bowen had 24 points and 11 boards vs. Georgia (1998); and Jared Reiner had 11 points and 10 rebounds against Valparaiso (2003).

IOWA, BIG TEN TOURNAMENT WRAP-UP
? Iowa’s 10 triples against Michigan State in the quarterfinals is a school record for most 3-pointers in a Big Ten Tournament game.
? Iowa’s 64-61 win over Illinois on March 8 snapped a five-game losing streak in Big Ten Tournament games. The Hawkeyes’ previous last victory in a conference tournament game was against Ohio State in the 2006 title game.
? Bryce Cartwright amassed 19 assists in three career tournament games (2011 and 2012), which are the fourth most by a Hawkeye in Big Ten Tournament career action.
? Iowa’s 75 points against Michigan State tie for the fourth most by an Iowa team in a Big Ten Tournament game. Iowa also scored 75 against Ohio State on March 9, 2001.
? Matt Gatens scored a game-high 20 points vs. Illinois, marking the ninth time this year and 18th time in his career that the Iowa City native posted 20 points or more.
? Iowa’s 16 offensive rebounds versus Illinois in the first round are the second most by a Hawkeye team in a Big Ten Tournament game.
? The seven blocks by the Hawkeyes against the Spartans tie as the second most by an Iowa team in a conference tournament contest.
? Matt Gatens’ 20 points versus Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament first round is the most by a Hawkeye in a Big Ten Tournament game since Cully Payne had 25 against Michigan in 2010.
? Aaron White tied a career high with three steals against Illinois on March 8. White also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds against the Illini, marking the first time a freshman led Iowa in rebounding at a Big Ten Tournament game since Tyler Smith had seven in 2007 vs. Purdue.
? Iowa trailed with 14:14 in the Illinois game (44-37) and went on an 18-4 spurt to lead the Illini by seven (55-48) with 9:42 left and never looked back.

IOWA POSTING BIG WINS
Iowa has posted eight wins against teams ranked in the top 100 of the RPI, including four inside the top 25. The Hawkeyes have registered victories over Michigan (13), Indiana (17), Dayton (81) and two wins each over Wisconsin (23) and Minnesota (90). The Hawkeyes have four wins over top 25 teams; only Michigan State (seven), Ohio State (six) and Michigan (five) have more. Overall, Iowa has won seven of its 12 games, including four over top 100 teams, two of which are ranked in the top 25 (No. 16 Indiana and No. 22 Wisconsin).

GATENS MAKES HISTORY
Senior Matt Gatens becomes the first Hawkeye to lead the team in free throw percentage four consecutive seasons. Also, he becomes 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 AND WHITE HONORED BY BIG TEN
Senior Matt Gatens and freshman Aaron White earned postseason all-conference recognition by the Big Ten. Gatens was named to the second team by the media voting panel and was a third team pick by the coaches. He was also named Iowa men’s basketball’s Sportsmanship Award honoree. White was named to the coaches’ all-Freshman team and earned honorable mention recognition by the media. Gatens becomes the first Hawkeye since Tony Freeman earned third team honors in 2008 to be named to a first, second or third team. Adam Haluska was a first team selection in 2007. The all-Big Ten honor was the first of Gatens’ career. He was honorable mention in 2010 and was named to the all-Freshman team in 2009. White becomes the fourth Hawkeye to be named to the all-Freshman team the last four years (Gatens in 2009; Eric May in 2010; Melsahn Basabe in 2011; and White in 2012). Gatens leads the team in scoring (15.7), 3-pointers (72), free throws (110); ranks second in steals (48); and third in assists (62). White ranks first in team rebounding (5.5); second in blocks (23); and third in scoring (10.4) and steals (30).

REBOUNDING KEY IN OUTCOMES
In Iowa’s nine wins over Big Ten competition, it posted a +3.6 rebounding margin advantage. However, in its 11 losses against Big Ten competition, Iowa was outrebounded by 5.1 boards. Overall, Iowa is 13-3 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, and in the home finale against Northwestern.

HAWKEYES POSTING IMPRESSIVE POSTSEASON NUMBERS
Five Hawkeyes are averaging double figures in scoring the last three games (two Big Ten Tournament games and one NIT game). Aaron White averages 15 points and 7.7 rebounds the last three games, followed by Zach McCabe (12.7 points and 6.7 rebounds), Matt Gatens (12.3 points), Josh Oglesby (10.3 points) and Melsahn Basabe (10.0 points). Bryce Cartwright is only averaging 3.3 points, but averaging a staggering eight assists the last three games.

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 (10.8) and first in rebounding (5.6). All three were named to the all-Big Ten Freshman team. Zeller was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the league coaches, while Burke earned the award by the conference’s media panel.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
Freshmen Aaron White and Josh Oglesby have combined for 13 games of scoring 15 or more points this season. White has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 24 contests, including netting 15 points or more in nine of those outings.

HAWKEYES SURGED IN FEBRUARY
Iowa won five of its eight February games, including winning two of the last four against ranked opponents (No. 18 Indiana and No. 15 Wisconsin). The five victories in February marked the most by a Hawkeye team since the 1997-98 campaign. Iowa held seven of its eight February opponents to fewer than 70 points and four of those below 40 percent from the field. The previous six teams the Hawkeyes faced averaged 81.2 points and 50.4 percent shooting. In eight February games, Matt Gatens averaged 21.6 points, bolstered by 34-of-58 (.586) shooting from long distance. The 21.6 February scoring average ranks third behind Northwestern’s John Shurna (22.8) and Tim Frazier (21.8) of Penn State. Aaron White averaged 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds, while Roy Devyn Marble averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

GATENS DELIVERS SECOND HALF OUTBURSTS
Matt Gatens put up big numbers in the second half in eight of the last 10 games against Big Ten competition. Gatens scored in bunches down the stretch to help Iowa post some big victories in the month of February. The senior scored 22 points in the second half vs. Indiana; 19 at Penn State; 15 vs. Wisconsin; 11 at Nebraska; 10 vs. Northwestern; and 11 vs. Illinois.

IMPROVED 3-POINT SHOOTING
Thanks in large part to Matt Gatens’ 3-point shooting accuracy as of late, the Hawkeyes saw better 3-point shooting percentages during the month of February. Iowa made 40.9 percent of its 3-point attempts in the month of February, the third best mark in the Big Ten behind Purdue (.413) and Northwestern (.412).

CLEANING THE GLASS
Aaron White has seen his rebounding numbers increase in Big Ten play. The freshman averaged 4.8 boards in nonconference action and has crashed the boards even more in conference play, averaging a team-best 5.9. White has led the Hawkeyes in rebounding eight of the last 11 games, including a streak of five straight, which was the longest by a Hawkeye this season and the longest streak since Aaron Fuller led the team in six consecutive contests in 2010. White is averaging 7.3 rebounds over his last 12 games, including four games with 10+ rebounds. He ranks fifth in Big Ten rebounding since Feb. 1.

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 fifth 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 46 free throws (143-of-189, .757) in the final five minutes of games. Iowa has attempted 20 free throws or more 20 times this season (12-8 record in those games), 11 of which have come against Big Ten competition, including nine of the last 16 games.

GATENS CLIMBING CHARTS
Matt Gatens’ recent scoring surge (155 points the last eight games) has vaulted him past Jeff Horner, Greg Brunner, Don Nelson, Andre Woolridge, Adam Haluska and Jess Settles and into sixth place on Iowa’s career scoring chart. Gatens enters Sunday’s NIT game at Oregon with 1,628 career points. Additionally, his five triples at Illinois moved him past Chris Kingsbury (1994-96) and into second place on Iowa’s all-time 3-pointers made chart. Gatens enters Sunday’s game at Oregon with 238 treys. Jeff Horner (2003-06) is the record holder with 262. Gatens, who was voted by the league’s media panel second team all-Big Ten, is one of only two players in school history to have 1,600+ points, 450+ rebounds, 250+ assists and 125+ steals. The senior has 1,628 points, 454 rebounds, 295 assists and 141 thefts. Roy Marble (1986-89) had 2,116 points, 668 rebounds, 288 assists and 183 steals. Gatens is only three steals from cracking the top 10 in career thefts at Iowa. He will finish his career in the top 15 in scoring and steals and top five in free throw percentage and 3-pointers.

Matt Gatens AMONG SELECT GROUP
Matt Gatens is one of four active Division I players with 1,600+ points, 450+ rebounds and 225+ made 3-pointers in a career.

NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 14
Iowa posted 14 home wins this season (14-6), the most since collecting 14 home victories in 2007. Five of the Hawkeyes’ 14 victories came in league play.

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.

NOTING Matt Gatens…
? Named second team all-Big Ten by the media voting panel and third team by the league coaches.
? Is one of only two Hawkeyes (Roy Marble) to amass 1,600+ points, 450+ rebounds, 250+ assists and 125+ steals.
? Led Iowa in scoring in seven of the last nine games, including a streak of seven straight (Feb. 16-March 8). The last Hawkeye to lead the team in scoring seven consecutive games against Big Ten competition was Andre Woolridge in 1996-97 (Jan. 7-Feb. 4).
? Scored 55 points in two games the week of Feb. 20 (27.5 ppg.), earning co-Big Ten Player of the Week and NetScout Basketball’s Big Ten Player of the Week accolades. He has earned NetScout Basketball’s weekly honor the last two weeks. Additionally, America voted the senior the “Capital One Cup Impact Performer of the Week” on ESPN.com.
? Averaged 19.4 points per game the last eight contests.
? Has made 42 percent (74-of-176) of his 3-point attempts this season. That is the best percentage by a Hawkeye, with a minimum of 125 attempts, since Kent McCausland made 52 percent (70-of-134) during the 1996-97 season.
? Made a school-record 12 consecutive triples spanning the Indiana (Feb. 19) and Wisconsin (Feb. 23) contests.
? Scored 85 points in a span of three games (Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois). The last time a Hawkeye netted 85 points or more in three straight games against conference competition was Roy Marble (86) in 1989. Marble scored 30 at Michigan, 37 at Illinois and 19 vs. Indiana.
? Averaged 21.6 points per game in February, which ranked third in the Big Ten behind Northwestern’s John Shurna (22.8) and Tim Frazier of Penn State (21.8).
? Became the first Big Ten player to score 30+ versus two teams (Indiana and Wisconsin) ranked in the top 25 since 1996-97.
? Became the fourth Big Ten player in the last 10 seasons to score 30+ points in back-to-back games vs. league opponents.
? The 33 points against Wisconsin are the second-most by a Big Ten player in conference play this season (Illinois’ Brandon Paul had 43 versus Ohio State).
? Became the first Hawkeye since Adam Haluska in 2007 to score 30 points in consecutive games. Haluska netted 33 vs. Indiana and 34 at Minnesota. Gatens is one of five players to score 30+ points in consecutive Big Ten games since 2000-01 (Marcus Taylor of Michigan State in 2002; Minnesota’s Vincent Grier in 2005; Evan Turner of Ohio State in 2010; Iowa’s Adam Haluska in 2007).
? His 155 points the last eight games pushed the senior past Greg Brunner, Don Nelson, Andre Woolridge, Dean Oliver, Adam Haluska and Jess Settles. He enters Sunday’s game at Oregon with 1,628 points and is 47 points from equaling Ronnie Lester for fifth on the scoring chart.
? His five 3-pointers at Illinois (Feb. 26) moved him past Chris Kingsbury (1994-96) and into second place on Iowa’s all-time 3-pointers made list. He enters Sunday’s game at Oregon with 238 career triples.
? Surpassed the 20-point plateau four consecutive games (Penn State, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois). The last time a Hawkeye netted 20+ points in four straight games against Big Ten competition was Andre Woolridge in 1997. Woolridge tallied 20 at Purdue, 21 vs. Wisconsin, 27 vs. Ohio State and 25 at Michigan.
? Made 40-of-113 (.354) from 3-point range the first 25 games of the season. Gatens has made 55.2 percent (32-of-58) from long distance the last eight outings.
? The 33 points scored against the Badgers are the second-most scored by a Wisconsin opponent in the last four years. Gatens and Kansas State’s Jacob Pullen (38 points against the Badgers in the 2011 NCAA Tournament) were the two highest scoring outputs since Davidson’s Stephen Curry tallied 33 points in the 2008 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 on March 28, 2008.
? Made 14 triples against Indiana and Wisconsin, which is the most ever by a Hawkeye in a two-game span. He sank a combined 19 treys spanning three contests (Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois), the most ever by a Hawkeye over a span of three games.
? Is averaging 15.4 points, the highest scoring average by a Hawkeye since Adam Haluska averaged 20.5 points in 2007.
? Is only the third player to hit seven+ 3-pointers in back-to-back Big Ten games (versus Indiana and Wisconsin) since 1996-97.
? Has made a personal single-season best 74 triples, besting 58 he sank his sophomore campaign. He is shooting at a 42 percent clip from long distance this season, which is also a single-season best. He shot 40 percent from 3-point range as a freshman.
? His 74 treys tie Kent McCausland (1998) for sixth for most 3-pointers in a single season at Iowa. Jeff Horner (2005) ranks fifth with 86.

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 4.7 more points this year compared to last season.

CARTWRIGHT PICKING UP HIS PLAY
Bryce Cartwright has really stepped up his play since recovering from an ankle sprain he suffered in a practice prior to Iowa’s game at Penn State (Feb. 16). The last five games, the Hawkeye point guard is averaging 7.4 assists, 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds. He scored 11 points at Nebraska (Feb. 29), averaged 6.5 assists in Iowa’s two Big Ten Tournament games, and distributed an Iowa NIT-record 11 assists in its victory over Dayton on Tuesday night. Iowa is 6-0 this season when the Hawkeye point guard scores in double figures and has fewer than five turnovers.

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa played eight games against ranked competition this season (4-4), winning two of the last three. The four wins are the most Iowa has collected in a season since winning nine during the 2005-06 campaign. The Hawkeyes beat No. 11 Wisconsin (72-65) on Dec. 31 in Madison and No. 15 Wisconsin (67-66) on Feb. 23 in Iowa City, 13th-ranked Michigan (75-59) on Jan. 14 in Iowa City and 18th-ranked Indiana (78-66) on Feb. 19 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, No. 16 Indiana (103-89) on Jan. 29 in Bloomington and No. 8 Michigan State (92-75) on March 9 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

HAWKEYE BIG TEN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGES
In Iowa’s nine victories over Big Ten opposition, opponents were just 58-of-212 (.274) from long distance and 210-of-516 (.407) overall from the field. Iowa made 216-of-486 (.444) from the field and 52-of-132 (.394) from the 3-point range in those wins. Conversely, Hawkeye opponents shot 49 percent (284-of-575) from the field and 67-of-180 (.372) from 3-point territory, compared to 45 percent (232-of-512) from the field and 36 percent (53-of-148) from long distance for Iowa, in the Hawkeyes’ 10 conference defeats.

WHITE EARNS STARTING SPOT
Aaron White, who has been named to the coaches’ all-Big Ten Freshman team, was Iowa’s most productive player off the bench the first 21 games, but has started the last 13. As a starter, he is averaging 12.5 points and 6.8 rebounds. White earned his first career start at No. 16 Indiana on Jan. 31. He stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in Iowa’s triumph over Penn State (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 earned the weekly distinction. White has scored in double digits 16 times, including 15 of the last 24 games. White has led the team in rebounding nine of the last 14 contests. For the season he has amassed a team-best 191 boards, which are the fourth most by an Iowa freshman in a single season. He is 10 boards from matching Michael Payne (1981-82) for fifth with 201. Overall, White is averaging 10.8 points in 34 games. The 367 points that he has scored rank as the fifth most by a Hawkeye rookie. His 23 blocks tie Michael Payne (1981-82) and Kenyon Murray (1992-93) for eighth by an Iowa freshman. White’s numbers the last 10 games have been impressive, averaging 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds. He posted consecutive doubles at Northwestern (Feb. 9) and Penn State (Feb. 16). The rookie scored 17 points (7-of-10 FG, 2-of-3 3-pt FG) and corralled a personal-best 12 boards against the Wildcats. White totaled 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with career-best three rejections at Penn State. He notched his fourth double-double of the year Tuesday night against Dayton when he scored a career-high 25 points (10-of-15 FG and 4-of-4 FT) to go along with 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 wing player has scored 15 points or more nine times, which is the third most by a Big Ten rookie this season. 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.

OGLESBY HAS CAREER GAME
Freshman Josh Oglesby had three of his best games of the season against ranked opposition: two against Indiana and the other versus Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament. Oglesby came off the bench to score a career-best 24 points at Indiana on Jan. 29. He made six triples, which tie for the 15th-most in a single game for the Hawkeyes. In the return game against the Hoosiers (Feb. 19), Oglesby netted 11 points. On March 9 against Michigan State, Oglesby tallied a team-best 20 points, bolstered by 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 from long distance. Oglesby started his first career game at Penn State (Feb. 16). He tallied nine second-half points at Illinois (Feb. 26), netted eight points in Iowa’s victory at Nebraska (Feb. 29) and had five points, four rebounds and three assists in the regular season finale versus Northwestern (March 3). He contributed eight points and four rebounds in Iowa’s win over Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament (March 8). The native of Cedar Rapids is averaging 6.6 points in 34 games. Oglesby has made 45 triples, which ranks third by a Hawkeye freshman at Iowa. Matt Gatens holds the record with 52 (2009). Oglesby is shooting 37 percent beyond the arc, which currently ranks as the sixth best percentage in a season by an Iowa rookie. Sixty percent of Oglesby’s scoring production has come from 3-point territory (135-of-223 points), which ranks third amongst Big Ten players. Oglesby has led the team in scoring five times (Northern Illinois, Creighton, Clemson, Indiana and Michigan State).

STAT SHEET STUFFER
Since landing a spot in the starting rotation on Dec. 6 at Northern Iowa, Roy Devyn Marble’s level of play has been stellar. The sophomore has averaged 12 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a starter the last 26 games. Also, he is shooting 43 percent from the field and 71 percent from the foul line during the 26-game stretch. He has amassed a solid assist-to-turnover ratio this season. He has 121 assists to only 61 turnovers, ranking fifth in the Big Ten (2.0) and 83rd nationally. Marble has been credited with four assists or more 16 times this season, including collecting six or more four of the last nine games (six at Penn State, seven vs. Indiana; a career-best eight against Wisconsin and six at Illinois). 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 games of 2010-11. Also, he shot 53 percent from the free throw line (35-of-66). This year, Marble has seen improved numbers, averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, and has collected 121 assists and a team-best 53 steals. He has started the last 26 contests. From the foul line this season, the sophomore has seen significant improvement, shooting 71.5 percent (98-of-137).

HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? The Big Ten is the No. 1 ranked conference in the RPI and Sagarin ratings. Iowa’s Sagarin rating is 84 and a strength of schedule of 25. Iowa’s RPI rating is 130, while its schedule strength is 70.
? Iowa is 8-5 in games decided by nine points or fewer and 10-10 in games decided by 10 or more points. Furthermore, Iowa is 3-1 in games decided by three points or less. The Hawkeyes have not played an overtime game this season. Iowa’s last overtime game was played on Feb. 19 in a 75-72 loss to Michigan in Iowa City.
? Iowa’s scoring average of 72.3 is its highest since the 2004-05 season (72.9).
? Iowa’s field goal percentage of .454 is its best since 2004-05 when it made .459 of its field goals.
? Iowa swept Wisconsin and Minnesota this season, marking the first time it swept both teams in the same season since the 1991-92 campaign.
? Iowa averages 78.3 points in its wins, compared to 65.5 points in its defeats, a differential of 12.8 points. The Hawkeyes own a +16.4 point differential in their scoring defense, and +9.6 rebounding and +5.6 assists margins in wins compared to losses.
? Iowa is 6-0 this season when Bryce Cartwright scores in double figures and has less than five turnovers.
? Iowa has made 537 free throws this season, the most it has sank in a single-season since 2005-06. Iowa made 589 free throws in 2001-02.
? Iowa’s field goal percentage this season is 45.4 percent, its best since shooting 45.9 percent during the 2004-05 campaign.
? The Hawkeyes were ranked ninth (.352) in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (overall games) in mid-January. Iowa has since vaulted to fourth (.369).
? Ten of Iowa’s 16 losses have come to teams ranked in the RPI top 75.
? Iowa’s 32 assists against Central Arkansas (Dec. 19) tie for the second most in a single-game in school history.
? 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 22 of Iowa’s 34 games.
? 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).

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.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,659 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,595-1,064 (.600). That includes a 956-353 (.730) record in home games, a 549-721 (.432) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 711-728 (.494) mark in Big Ten games and a 362-117 (.756) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ON THE HORIZON
The winner of the Iowa-Oregon game will play the winner of Northwestern-Washington on March 20.