Men's Hoops Hosts Purdue on Wednesday

Feb. 25, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
Iowa (17-10, 6-8) returns home for three of its last four regular season games. The Hawkeyes entertain Purdue (13-14, 6-8) Wednesday at 7:36 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Tickets are $22 for adults, and $10 for UI students and youth. The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a FREE Fran McCaffery Bobblehead (Beach Fran).

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.
Television: Wednesday night’s game will be televised on BTN (BTN2GO). Eric Collins and Shon Morris will call the action.

GAME #28 STORYLINES
? Six of Iowa’s eight Big Ten losses have come by margins of four points or less, including three by three points or less. Two of those three defeats came in overtime (one in double overtime).
? Iowa is the first team since Penn State in 1998-99 to play six Big Ten games decided by six points or less.
? Iowa is 13-2 when scoring 70 points or more; 15-1 when having a higher field goal percentage than its opponents; 14-3 when recording more rebounds than its opponents.
? Aaron White is one of only four Big Ten players to average 13.5 points and six or more rebounds. The other three are Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo of Indiana and Deshaun Thomas of Ohio State.
? After scoring a combined two points at Minnesota and Wisconsin, Roy Devyn Marble has rebounded the last four contests, scoring 76 combined points (19.0 avg.).
? The Hawkeyes are 8-1 when Aaron White scores 16 points or more.
? The last three seasons, Iowa is 16-2 when scoring 80 points or more and 24-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 60 points.
? Fran McCaffery is three wins from career victory No. 300.

NEBRASKA RALLIES TO UPEND IOWA IN LINCOLN
? Iowa led by as many as 19 points in the first half, but Nebraska closed the game on a 42-19 run spanning halves to post a 64-60 win in Lincoln.
? Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Roy Devyn Marble (18), Aaron White (15), and Eric May (10). May reached double figures for only the third time this season and second straight game of scoring 10 points. The senior also collected a game and season-high three steals.
? Aaron White corralled a game and career-high 13 rebounds to go along with his 15 points. The 13 rebounds is the most by a Hawkeye this season and the double-double is his team-leading third of the season and seventh of his career.
? After holding Nebraska to 34 percent (11-of-32) shooting from the field the first 20 minutes, the Huskers caught fire in the second half shooting 62.5 percent (15-of-24).
? Freshman Mike Gesell dished out all six of his assists in the first half and finished the game with six points. The six helpers are the most by the rookie in a Big Ten game and most since being credited with eight against South Carolina State on Dec. 19, 2012.
? Iowa shot 86.7 percent (13-of-15) from the free throw line, a season best in conference play. The 86.7 percent is its second-best percentage from the charity stripe this season (.895 vs. South Dakota). Iowa has shot better 80 percent or better from the foul line in three of its last four contests.
? Iowa’s bench outscored Nebraska’s reserves 19-0.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Purdue holds an 86-71 advantage in the series. Purdue had won eight straight over Iowa, before Iowa recorded a 67-65 victory in the regular-season finale on March 5, 2010, in Iowa City. The Boilermakers have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including three straight after escaping with a 65-62 overtime win over the Hawkeyes in West Lafayette on Jan. 27 earlier this season. Iowa holds a 48-27 advantage in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won eight of the last 14 meetings in Iowa City and hold a 14-12 edge in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

SCOUTING PURDUE
? Purdue enters Wednesday’s game with a 13-14 overall mark and 6-8 league record, which ties the Boilermakers for seventh in the Big Ten with Iowa and Minnesota. Purdue has lost five of its last seven games. The Boilermakers are 3-6 in true road contests, including 2-5 in Big Ten play away from West Lafayette.
? Purdue snapped a three-game losing skid with a 74-43 triumph over Northwestern on Sunday in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers dominated the glass, outrebounding the Wildcats by 25 (48-23). Purdue shot 53 percent (27-of-51) from the field.
? Purdue ranks first in the Big Ten in rebounding (39.7); second in blocked shots (5.0); and fifth in rebounding margin (+5.1) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.320). Freshman A.J. Hammons ranks first in the league in blocks (2.1) and 10th in rebounding (6.4).
? Junior Terone Johnson leads the team in scoring (13.2). Freshman A.J. Hammons ranks second in team scoring (10.9), and leads the squad in rebounding (6.4) and blocks (56). Senior sharp-shooter D.J. Byrd leads the team in 3-point shooting (59-of-166, .355). Byrd (59) and Terone Johnson (31) are the only Boilermakers with double-digit triples.
? Purdue’s roster is comprised of two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen (one redshirt). Ten of the 14 players hail from the state of Indiana.
? Purdue posted a 4-3 record vs. Iowa during the playing career of Boilermaker Coach Matt Painter (1990-93).
? Fran McCaffery’s last game as head coach at Siena was against Purdue in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers beat the Saints (72-64) in the first round at Spokane, Wash.

PURDUE BEAT IOWA IN OVERTIME IN LAST MEETING
? Iowa rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to send the game into overtime, but Purdue ultimately escaped with a 65-62 win over the Hawkeyes in Mackey Arena on Jan. 27, 2012.
? Iowa had four players score 12 points or more; Mike Gesell (18), Aaron White (12), Roy Devyn Marble (12) and Melsahn Basabe (12).
? Mike Gesell scored a game-high 18 points, his most in a Big Ten game this season. The freshman played a season-high 39 minutes.
? Sophomore Roy Devyn Marble netted eight of his 12 points at the free throw stripe.
? Iowa recorded eight blocks, matching its second-highest total the last three seasons.
? In addition scoring 12 points, Melsahn Basabe grabbed a team-high eight boards and rejected three shots. The three blocks are the most by the sophomore since Nov. 20.
? The Hawkeyes outscored the Boilermakers 19-12 at the foul line.
? Iowa played in overtime for the first time since Feb. 19, 2011 (vs. Michigan). It was Iowa’s first overtime game against Purdue since 2003.

MARBLE IN THE ZONE
After scoring only one basket in two three-point losses at Minnesota and Wisconsin, including one in double overtime, Roy Devyn Marble has regained his form. Iowa has won three of its last four games and during that streak, Marble led or shared the team lead in scoring in each of the four games averaging 19 points. During the stretch, Marble is shooting 50 percent (24-of-48) from the field and 88 percent (22-of-25) from the free throw line.

CLOSE CALLS
Iowa has lost six Big Ten games by four points or less for the first time since 1984. Four of the six defeats (MSU, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) have come with the Hawkeyes having a late with under two minutes left. Iowa is the first team since Penn State in 1998-99 to play six Big Ten games decided by six points or less. In total, Iowa has played a Big Ten-leading eight games decided by four points or less (2-6).

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
? Iowa concludes the regular season playing 3-of-4 at home. Iowa and Ohio State are the only Big Ten teams finishing out with 3-of-4 at home.
? Iowa has won 18 of its last 21 home games, including 13-of-15 this season, dating back to Feb. 1, 2012. The Hawkeyes’ two losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams (Indiana and Michigan State).
? The Hawkeyes have won each of their last 26 games when holding opponents to 61 or fewer points, the longest active streak in the Big Ten.
? Iowa rallied from a 16-point deficit (21-5) in its last home game vs. Minnesota on Feb. 17, but allowed Nebraska to overcome a 19-point deficit (41-22) in its last road contest on Feb. 23.
? Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 35th in the country.
? Iowa ranks sixth in the country in free throws made (17.6) and 10th in attempts (24.4).
? Hawkeye reserves are averaging 25.1 points per game, an average that ranks 23rd in the country. The Hawkeyes have played 10 players or more in 26 of their 27 games. The only contest in which they did not play 10 players was Iowa State (nine players).
? Roy Devyn Marble averages 15.4 points in Hawkeye wins this year and 10.8 in losses.
? For the second time in the last two decades, the men’s basketball team has nine players logging 16 minutes or more per game, and 10 players averaging 9.4 minutes or more. Iowa’s 1998-99 team, that advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, had 10 players average 17 minutes or more.
? Co-captain Eric May has posted his best offensive rebound average, assist rate, turnover rate, and free throw percentage of his career this season.
? Mike Gesell has the same number of rebounds (79) and assists (79).
? Seven of the 12 Big Ten teams enter this week’s with eight or more losses in league play. The Big Ten is the No. 1 rated conference by the RPI.
? Last season, Iowa had eight different players post double digits in one game or more. This year, 11 different players have scored double figures for the Hawkeyes.
? Iowa has made (476) more free throws than its foes have attempted (469), which is a staple of Fran McCaffery-coached teams.
? 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.

BASABE… SPICY!
Melsahn Basabe’s play has been so good the last month that he was moved to the starting lineup in Iowa’s vs. Penn State (Jan. 31). The junior has averaged 7.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in his last 11 games. Basabe posted his first double-double of the season in Iowa’s win over Penn State (10 points and 10 rebounds) on Jan. 31. Overall, Basabe ranks fourth in team scoring (7.1), first in blocks (1.2) and third in rebounding (4.4). He is only two rebounds away from grabbing career board No. 500.

DISHING THE ROCK
The Hawkeyes have assisted on 64.1 percent of their field goal makes (422 assists on 658 field goals), a rate that is 13th-best in the country.

WHITE HOT!
Aaron White has averaged 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds the last eight games. He scored a career-high 27 points against Penn State (Jan. 31), moving to the small forward position. The sophomore is one of just four Big Ten players to average 13.5 points and six rebounds this season, with the other three being Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo of Indiana and Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas. White has scored 37.9 percent (138/364) of his points from the free throw line, which ranks third best in the country. White leads the team in rebounding and is seeking to become the first Hawkeye to lead the team in rebounding both his freshman and sophomore seasons since Michael Payne in 1981-82 (7.4 rpg) and 1982-83 (7.5 rpg). White led Iowa last season (5.7 rpg) and ranks first this year (6.1 rpg). Additionally, Iowa is 8-1 this season when White scores 16 points or more.

FANS FLOCKING TO CHA
Iowa has had an attendance figure of 10,500 fans or greater in all 15 home contests, including sellouts of 15,400 against Indiana on Dec. 31, Wisconsin on Jan. 19, and Minnesota on Feb. 17. Iowa averages 13,330 fans this season, which is its best average attendance figure since the 2002-03 season (13,235). Iowa has three remaining home contests to boast its average.

DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT
Last year, Iowa allowed opponents 72.5 points per contest. Through 27 games in 2012-13, Iowa is yielding 63.7 points. 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 39 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 5.4 percent this season compared to last. That improvement is tops in the Big Ten.

ALL-AROUND SKILLS
Mike Gesell is one of only three Hawkeye freshmen to total 240 points, 75 rebounds and 75 assists in a single season.

IN NATIONAL STATISTICS…
Iowa ranks 11th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.291); 24th in assists (15.6); 33rd in field goal percentage defense (.392); and 34th in assist/turnover ratio (1.2).

FREEBIES
Iowa has attempted 25 or more free throws seven times during Big Ten play and 15 times total this season. The Hawkeyes rank sixth in the country in free throws made (17.6) and 10th in attempts (24.4). Aaron White, who ranks 25th in the country and second in the Big Ten in free throw attempts (7.04), has attempted double-digit foul shots in six games this season. White is 138-of-190 (.726) from the foul line, which is the most makes and attempts by a Hawkeye sophomore in school history.

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.

HAWKEYES ARE TOUGH AT HOME
Iowa has won 97 of its 136 games (.723) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400) 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, 8-8 in 2011 and 13-6 in 2012.

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.

“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 Monday (Feb. 25) 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.

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.

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. Iowa also overcame a 16-point first-half deficit on Sunday to Minnesota and ultimately won by 21 points — a 37-point swing!

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa hits the road on Saturday for its final regular season road game when it travels to Bloomington, Ind., to challenge top-ranked Indiana. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Assembly Hall.