Men's Hoops Travels to Ohio State

Jan. 21, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
Iowa (13-5, 2-3) hits the road Tuesday for its only regular season meeting against nationally-ranked Ohio State (13-4, 3-2). Tip-off is set for 5:31 p.m. (CT) from Value City Arena.

ON THE AIR
Radio: All Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show. Fans can also listen to the broadcast on satellite radio: Sirius (123) and XM (190).
Television: Tuesday night’s game will be televised on BTN (BTN2GO). Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson will call the action.

GAME #19 QUICK HITTERS
? Sophomore Aaron White is Iowa’s lone Hawkeye on the current roster from the state of Ohio, hailing from Strongsville, which is a Cleveland suburb. Tuesday will be White’s first college game in the state of Ohio; Iowa did not play in Columbus his freshman season.
? Iowa has scored 70 points in back-to-back games, both resulted in victories (Northwestern and Wisconsin).
? Aaron White leads the team in rebounding (6.2), free throws made (88) and attempted (117), and ranks second in scoring (13.5).
? Iowa is 16-2 when scoring 80 points or more, the last three seasons. The Hawkeyes are 22-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points, the last three years.
? Iowa’s three Big Ten losses have come to Michigan, Indiana and Michigan State. Those three teams have a combined conference record of 13-3.
? With three freshmen in the starting lineup, Iowa’s freshman class has totaled 47 starts, a total that ranks first in the Big Ten and sixth nationally.
? Iowa and Longwood are the only Division I teams that feature two different freshmen with 50+ assists ( Anthony Clemmons 74, Mike Gesell 55).

HAWKEYES HAND WISCONSIN FIRST BIG TEN LOSS
? Iowa built a 20-point advantage in the first half and never looked back en route to a 70-66 victory over first-place Wisconsin Saturday at a sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? Saturday was Chris Street Memorial Night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? Iowa has now won three in a row over Wisconsin dating back to last year, its first three-game winning streak against the Badgers since January 29, 1992 to March 10, 1993.
? Iowa committed only seven turnovers, equaling a season low (Michigan). Wisconsin had zero steals and no blocks, which are season lows for a Hawkeye opponent this year.
? Iowa ended Wisconsin’s nation-leading streak of 11-straight games of holding their opponents to 60 or fewer points.
? Aaron White led Iowa with 17 points, his fifth-highest point output of the year. Roy Devyn Marble netted 13 points, marking the 16th time this year he reached double digits.
? Iowa’s starting backcourt had 10 points or more; Mike Gesell had 11 while Anthony Clemmons chipped in 10 points.
? The Hawkeyes outscored the Badgers 24-8 at the foul line. Iowa attempted 29 free throws compared to 12 for Wisconsin. The Black and Gold made 10-of-12 from the charity stripe the last 1:14 of ther contest to help preserve the victory. White netted 13 of his 17 points at the foul line. The 13 free throws mark the second most by a Hawkeye the last three seasons.

ALL-TIME SERIES
The Iowa and Ohio State series is tied, 75-75. Tuesday will be the only regular season meeting between Iowa and Ohio State in 2013. Ohio State has won seven straight and nine of the last 10 meetings. Iowa’s last victory over the Buckeyes came on Feb. 2, 2008 (53-48) in Iowa City. Eighteen of the last 27 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, with 12 decisions by five points or less. Ohio State holds a 46-26 advantage in games played in Columbus. The Buckeyes have won the last six meetings in Columbus, with Iowa’s last victory in Value City Arena coming on Feb. 18, 2004. Iowa was the first opponent to win at the Value City Arena, taking a 71-68 win in 1999. Ohio State has won three of five neutral site meetings, with the teams splitting four meetings in the Big Ten Conference Tournament. The Buckeyes won a conference playoff game at the conclusion of the 1968 season at West Lafayette, Ind.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
? Ohio State ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring defense (57.9), field goal percentage defense (.382) and turnover margin (+3.4), third in scoring margin (+15.6), and fourth in 3-point accuracy (.369).
? Junior Deshaun Thomas is the league’s scoring leader, averaging 20.8 points per outing. He also ranks eighth in rebounding (6.6), fifth in free throw percentage (.800) and first in 3-pointers made (2.8). Junior Aaron Craft ranks third in the conference in assists (4.7) and steals (1.9). Sophomore Shannon Scott ranks first in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (3.9).
? Ohio State’s last two games have been decided by three points, beating Michigan (56-53) at home, but falling at Michigan State (59-56). The Buckeyes are 1-3 in games decided by eight points or fewer.
? Ohio State lost its last game 59-56 at Michigan State. Deshaun Thomas was the only Buckeye in double figures, pouring in a game-high 28 points. Ten of Ohio State’s 19 field goals were 3-pointers. Michigan State outrebounded the Buckeyes by nine (34-25).
? Ohio State’s roster is comprised of one freshman, six sophomores, five juniors and one senior.
? Between Dec. 1 and Jan. 2, the Buckeyes played eight consecutive home games. Ohio State is 10-1 in home contests, with the lone setback coming to Kansas (74-66) on Dec. 22.
? Coach McCaffery coached against Ohio State twice before taking over as head coach at Iowa. Coach McCaffery took his UNC Greensboro team to Columbus in 2001, falling 85-54. Three seasons ago, Coach McCaffery’s Siena team edged the Buckeyes (74-72) in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

OHIO STATE BEAT IOWA IN LAST MEETING
In the only regular-season meeting a year ago, the sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Iowa, 76-47, on Jan. 7, 2012, in Iowa City. Ohio State center Jared Sullinger led all scorers with 28 points and was credited with a game-high four steals. The Buckeyes shot 52 percent from the field, including 65 percent in the second half. Hawkeye Eric May led the team in scoring (9) and rebounding (6). It marked the first time in May’s career that he led the team in scoring and rebounding in the same game. Iowa forced 15 Ohio State turnovers and collected 10 steals.

BASABE… SPICY!
Melsahn Basabe played spectacular off the bench in Iowa’s last three games (Michigan State, Northwestern and Wisconsin), which resulted in two victories. The junior averaged 10.7 points and three rebounds in the three-game span. Basabe shot 12-of-15 (.800) from the field and 8-of-10 (.800) from the foul line. The native of Glen Cove. N.Y., ranks first in the league in field goal percentage (14-of-19, .737) after five Big Ten contests. Overall, Basabe ranks fourth in team scoring (7.0) and second in blocks (1.05).

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
? Four of Iowa’s next five games away from Iowa City.
? The Hawkeye bench averages 25.8 points per game after 18 games.
? Iowa has won 15 of its last 18 home games, including 10 of 12 this season, dating back to Feb. 1, 2012. The Hawkeyes’ two losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams (Indiana and Michigan State).
? Aaron White ranks 43rd in the nation in free throw attempts per game (6.5).
? Iowa has Sunday road games four of the first five weekends of conference play.
? Iowa has made 39-of-110 (.354) 3-pointers in six games away from home, while the Hawkeyes are 59-of-215 (.274) from long range in 12 home contests.
? Iowa ranks 13th in the country in free throw makes (17.3) and 19th in attempts (24.2).
? The Hawkeyes have played 10 players or more in 17 of their 18 games. The only contest in which they did not play 10 players was Iowa State (nine players). Iowa has nine players who average 16 minutes or more of action.
? Freshman Adam Woodbury averaged a team-best 6.4 rebounds the last seven games. He has grabbed seven or more boards five times, including four of the last seven games. Woodbury equaled a personal best with nine at Northwestern.
? Iowa has made (311) more free throws than its opponents have attempted (302), which is a staple of Fran McCaffery-coached teams.
? Iowa has had an attendance figure of 10,500 fans or greater in all 12 home contests, including sellouts of 15,400 against Indiana on Dec. 31 and Wisconsin on Jan. 19.
? Iowa’s 12 triples vs. UNI are the second most by a Fran McCaffery-coached Iowa team. Roy Devyn Marble’s 30 points and 14 free throws made rank third and first, respectively, the last three seasons under Fran McCaffery.
? Iowa started three freshmen in its last 11 outings: Anthony Clemmons, Mike Gesell and Adam Woodbury. The last time the Hawkeyes started three rookies (Aaron Fuller, Matt Gatens and Anthony Tucker) was on Dec. 2, 2008, at Boston College.
? Co-captain Eric May started for the first time this year vs. Michigan State (Jan. 10), replacing the injured Roy Devyn Marble. The senior grabbed a season-high seven boards against the Spartans. It marked May’s first start since Jan. 26, 2012, vs. Nebraska. May has posted his best offensive rebound average, assist rate, turnover rate and free throw percentage of his career this season.

HEATING UP
Roy Devyn Marble’s game has soared as of late before injuring his ankle, rising to eighth in Big Ten scoring (14.9 ppg). He has scored in double digits in all but two games played this season (Iowa State and Northwestern). In his last seven games played, the junior averaged 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. During that seven-game stretch, Marble is shooting 80 percent from the free throw line (41-of-51). The native of Southfield, Mich., did not play vs. Michigan State.

`TIS THE SEASON FOR GIVING
Iowa has done an outstanding job sharing the basketball this season. The Hawkeyes have assisted on 64 percent of their field goal makes (297 assists on 461 field goals), a rate that is 13th best in the country. Iowa has assisted on 67 percent of its field goal makes the last eight contests (138 assists on 205 field goals).

CLEMMONS PROVIDING SPARK
Since Anthony Clemmons was first inserted into the Hawkeye starting lineup (Dec. 1), he has provided a spark. The native of Lansing, Mich., is averaging 5.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds while averaging 22 minutes per game as a starter. Clemmons has registered a 2.65 assist-to-turnover ratio in his 11 starts. For the season, his 2.5 ratio ranks sixth in the Big Ten. Clemmons’ 4.1 assist average currently ranks third-best by a Hawkeye freshman all-time behind Jeff Horner (4.5 average in 2002-03) and Dean Oliver (4.2 in 1997-98).

IN NATIONAL STATISTICS…
Iowa ranks 17th in the country in assists (16.5), 21st in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.287); 29th in field goal percentage defense (.384); and 33rd in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).

DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT
Last year, Iowa allowed opponents 72.5 points per contest. Through 18 games in 2012-13, Iowa is yielding 63.2 points. Iowa held Howard to 36 points on Nov. 15, which were the fewest points a Hawkeye team allowed since a 61-36 win over Bryant on Dec. 5, 2008. Also, the Black and Gold limited Northwestern to 50 points, its fewest output against Iowa since scoring 48 in Iowa’s 65-48 victory on Feb. 23, 1999 in Iowa City. Also, Iowa is holding its opponents to a much lower field goal percentage this season, compared to a year ago. Hawkeye opponents are shooting at a 38 percent clip this season, compared to 46 percent last season.

DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT, PART 2
Iowa has improved its 3-point field goal percentage defense by .058 this season compared to last. That improvement is tops in the Big Ten.

GESELL HELPING HAWKEYES IN MULTIPLE AREAS
Mike Gesell is one of only five freshmen in the country this season who have 17+ triples, 50+ rebounds and 55+ assists.

WELCOME FRESHMEN
Iowa welcomes five newcomers to the fold for 2012-13. The newest Hawkeyes include guards Anthony Clemmons, Pat Ingram and Mike Gesell; forward Kyle Meyer and center Adam Woodbury. The class ranks 25th in the nation by ESPN.com.

IOWA POSTS LARGEST COMEBACK IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Iowa trailed Gardner-Webb by 23 points (38-15) with 13 seconds left in the first half on Nov. 17 in Iowa City. Sophomore Josh Oglesby drained three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with one second remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 20 (38-18) at halftime. The Hawkeyes rallied in the second half and ultimately won by nine points (65-56), which is a 32-point swing. The comeback is believed to be the largest in school history. The last team in the country to overcome a 20+ halftime deficit was Harvard, which trailed Brown by 22 points (53-31) and won 85-78 on Feb. 12, 2011. The last Big Ten team to overcome a 20+ halftime deficit was Illinois, which trailed at Clemson by 20 points (47-27) and won 76-74 on Dec. 2, 2009.

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 48 years of head coaching experience. Director of basketball operations Jerry Strom is in his 32nd season as a member of the Iowa basketball staff. Additionally, Iowa’s video coordinator, Al Seibert, has 18 years of collegiate coaching experience.

WHITE, WOODBURY RECEIVE PRESEASON RECOGNITION
Sophomore Aaron White has been named preseason third team All-Big Ten by the website College Sports Madness, while Adam Woodbury was named by CBSSports.com as a top 30 freshman to make an impact. White, who was named to the 2012 Kyle Macy Freshman All-America team, averaged 11.1 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds a year ago. Woodbury, is a three-time all-state honoree, and was tabbed MVP of the NBA Top 100 Camp in 2011. The 7-foot-1 center topped 1,000 career points and rebounds in his prep career for Sioux City East High School.

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 and game highlights, 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 for the “Hawk Talk with Fran McCaffery” radio call-in show. The next show will take place Wednesday (Jan. 23) 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa remains on the road when it travels to West Lafayette for a game at Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 27 (2:36 p.m. CT). The Hawkeyes return to Iowa on Wednesday, Jan. 31 when then entertain Penn State (7 p.m. CT).