Men's Hoops Travels to Virginia for NIT Quarterfinals

March 25, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
Iowa (23-12), a No. 3 seed in the 2013 National Invitation Tournament, will travel to No. 1 seed Virginia (23-11) on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:03 p.m. (CT) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. Hawkeyes fans on the east coast looking for $10 tickets can call the UVA Ticket Office at 1-800-542-8821 or visit virginiasports.com.

ON THE AIR
Radio: All Iowa games in the NIT will be 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 NIT quarterfinal game will be televised on ESPN2 (WatchESPN). Carter Blackburn and Dan Dakich will call the action.

NIT QUARTERFINALS STORYLINES
? Iowa will face Virginia in the NIT quarterfinals on Wednesday for the right to advance to New York City and play the winner of Alabama/Maryland in the semifinals on Tuesday, April 2.
? Iowa has only advanced to the NIT quarterfinals once before; the Hawkeyes fell to Penn State (67-64) in Iowa City in 1995.
? Iowa is finishing the 2012-13 campaign strong, having won nine of its last 12 games.
? Both Iowa (18) and Virginia (20) have posted school records for home wins in a season. Virginia is 20-1 at John Paul Jones Arena, winning 19 straight since a loss to Delaware on Nov. 13.
? Roy Devyn Marble has led Iowa in scoring, averaging 26 points and 5.5 assists in two NIT games.
? Seven of Iowa’s eight losses to Big Ten competition came by margins of four points or less, including four by three points or less. Two of those four came in overtime (one in double overtime).
? Roy Devyn Marble (coaches) and Aaron White (media) are third team All-Big Ten honorees.
? Aaron White is one of four Big Ten players to average 13.1 points and six or more rebounds. The other three are Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo of Indiana and Deshaun Thomas of Ohio State.
? Aaron White is the first Hawkeye to ever post two double-doubles, in NIT games, in his career.
? Wednesday is Iowa’s second trip to the state of Virginia this season. Iowa played at Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Nov. 27, 2012.

HAWKEYES ADVANCE TO NIT QUARTERFINALS, UPEND STONY BROOK
? Iowa beat Stony Brook, 75-63, last Friday night in Iowa City advancing to the NIT quarterfinals for the first time since 1995. The Hawkeyes have never advanced to the NIT semifinals.
? Iowa set the school single-season record for home victories in a season (18) with the victory. Also, the win was Iowa’s 19th straight at home, dating back to last season, against an unranked opponent. That streak ranks third best in the Big Ten.
? The Hawkeyes had five blocks, giving them a single-season school record total of 175.
? Roy Devyn Marble scored a game-high 28 points, the third-highest point output in his career. Marble has 11 career 20+ scoring games, and has led Iowa in scoring 15 times this year.
? Aaron White netted 13 points and grabbed a game-high seven boards to go along with two blocks and two helpers.
? Iowa held the America East Player of the Year, Tommy Brenton, to five points, five rebounds and four assists.
? The Hawkeyes assisted on 20-of-26 field goals.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Wednesday will be only the second ever meeting between Iowa and Virginia. The Hawkeyes previously beat the Cavaliers in the 1997 NCAA Tournament first round, 73-60, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Iowa is 11-25 against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Hawkeyes dropped a 95-79 decision at Virginia Tech earlier this season on Nov. 27.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA
Virginia, who claimed NIT titles in 1980 and 1992, is playing in its 13th NIT and first under head coach Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers beat Norfolk State (67-56) in the first round and St. John’s (68-50) in the second round. Virginia averaged 6,623 fans its first two NIT home games, including 8,457 in Sunday’s second round contest against St. John’s. In their victory over St. John’s on Sunday, the Cavaliers attempted 14 more free throws and made nine more than St. John’s. Virginia assisted on 19 of its 24 field goals. Virginia tied NC State for fourth in the ACC standings with an 11-7 mark. The Cavaliers posted eight RPI top-100 regular season victories, including four in the top-50. Virginia won at Wisconsin (60-54) on Nov. 28 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Eight of Virginia’s 11 losses have been decided by an average of 3.3 points. Virginia, who has won three of its last four games dating back to a regular season final overtime win against Maryland, ranks fourth in the country in scoring defense (55.0); 15th in field goal percentage defense (.385); 17th in 3-point accuracy (.383); and 20th in fewest turnovers per contest (11.0). Akil Mitchell ranks 31st in the nation with 12 double-doubles. The junior was one rebound from notching his 13th double-double in Sunday’s 68-50 win over St. John’s (11 points and nine rebounds). Joe Harris, a first team all-ACC honoree, averages a team-best 16.4 points per game, which includes an 18.4 scoring average during conference play. Mitchell, a third team all-conference selection, leads all rebounders, averaging nine per outing, and ranking second in scoring (13.3).

HAWKEYES BOUNCED INDIANA STATE IN NIT FIRST ROUND
? Iowa advanced to the second round of the NIT for the second consecutive year with a 68-52 win over Indiana State in front of a sellout Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd. Iowa trailed by as many as eight in the first half, but rallied and dominated the second half.
? Roy Devyn Marble led Iowa in scoring with a game-high 24 points. Marble also added six assists, five rebounds and tied his career high with four steals.
? Aaron White posted his fourth double-double of the season and eighth of his career. He had a career-high 13 rebounds to go along with 11 points. The 13 boards are the most by an Iowa player in its 12 NIT games. It marked White’s second double-double in an NIT game; White registered 25 points and 11 boards vs. Dayton a year ago in the first round.
? Iowa grabbed 42 rebounds, which are the most by any Hawkeye team in an NIT game.

HAWKEYE FANS DOMINATE NIT ATTENDANCE
Iowa fans have turned out in mass numbers this postseason, selling out Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400) in its games vs. Indiana State and Stony Brook. Both are the largest attended NIT games since Creighton hosted Kentucky in the second round in 2009 (16,984).

DISHING THE ROCK
The Hawkeyes have assisted on 63.6 percent of their field goal makes (531 assists on 835 field goals), a rate that is 17th-best in the country.

CLOSE CALLS
Iowa lost seven games against Big Ten competition by four points or less for the first time since 1984. Iowa is the first team since Penn State in 1998-99 to have played six Big Ten regular season games decided by four points or less. In total, Iowa played a Big Ten-leading nine games decided by four points or less (2-7).

HAWKEYES EARN ALL-BIG TEN RECOGNITION
Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White earned postseason all-conference recognition by the Big Ten. Marble was named to the coaches’ third team, while White was voted to the media’s third team. Marble was a media honorable mention selection, while White made the coaches’ honorable mention list. The duo were also named to College Sports Madness’ third All-Big Ten team. The All-Big Ten honor is the first for Marble, while White was tabbed on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team a year ago. White leads the Hawkeyes in rebounding (6.1), free throws made (177) and attempted (240), and ranks second in scoring (13.1) and steals (37). The native of Strongsville, Ohio, is one of only four Big Ten players to average 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds or more. White has led the team in scoring a team-best 15 times, rebounds 13 times, and steals nine times. Marble is Iowa’s leading scorer, averaging 14.8 points, and has made the most 3-pointers (46). The native of Southfield, Mich., has netted double figures a team-best 26 times this season, including 20+ points nine times. Additionally, he has led the squad in assists a team-best 15 times.

MILESTONES REACHED IN 2013
? Fran McCaffery won his 300th career game as a head coach on March 9, when Iowa registered a 74-60 triumph over Nebraska in the regular season finale. McCaffery has posted season win improvements in each of his first three seasons the last four schools he has coaches (Lehigh, UNC-Greensboro, Siena, and Iowa).
? Iowa’s win over Nebraska on March 9 was its 20th of the season, marking the program’s first 20-win season since the 2005-06 campaign (25-9).
? Roy Devyn Marble became the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 200+ assists by his junior season. Marble netted his 1,000th career point in Iowa’s last game versus Nebraska. His father, Roy (1986-89) is Iowa’s all-time leading scorer (2,116); the duo became the first father/son duo to record 1,000+ points at the same school in the Big Ten.
? Iowa blocked a school-record 13 shots in Iowa’s 63-55 win over Illinois on March 5; nine of the 13 blocks came in the first half.
? Won a school-record 18 home games this season.
? Blocked a single-season record 175 shots this year.

HAWKEYE TIP-INS FROM THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
? Iowa’s 48 rebounds vs. Northwestern equaled the most rebounds a Hawkeye team has ever had in a Big Ten Tournament contest (48 vs. Penn State in 2001).
? Iowa averaged 7.5 blocks in its two tournament games.
? The Northwestern win was Fran McCaffery’s 50th victory at the University of Iowa.
? Junior Melsahn Basabe amassed 10 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in Iowa’s win over Northwestern. Basabe became just the second player in Big Ten history to amass 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in a game (D.J. White of Indiana in 2005).
? Senior Eric May’s thunder dunk against Northwestern was No. 4 on ESPN’s SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays of the Day.
? Freshman guard Mike Gesell returned to action after missing the last four games with a stress reaction in his right foot. Gesell averaged 11 points in Iowa’s two Big Ten Tournament games, starting both.

CLEANING THE GLASS
Iowa has done an excellent job on the glass, owning the rebounding advantage by double digits in three of its last five games. The Hawkeyes had 17 more rebounds than Nebraska and Northwestern, 15 more than Indiana State and four more than Stony Brook. The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin for the year (+4.9).

MARBLE IN THE ZONE
Roy Devyn Marble has led or shared the team lead in scoring 10 of Iowa’s last 12 games, averaging 18.3 points. He scored 20 points or more in six of those 12 contests. During the last 12 games, the junior is shooting 44.4 percent (67-of-151) from the field and 83.5 percent (66-of-79) from the free throw line. Marble, who is a third team All-Big Ten performer, became the 41st player in Iowa history to score 1,000+ points and 29th Hawkeye to accomplish the feat in three years or less. He currently ranks 34th in Hawkeye history in scoring. The native of Southfield, Mich., also became just the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000+ points, 300+ rebounds, and 200+ assists as a junior. Marble’s father, Roy (1986-89), is Iowa’s all-time leading scorer with 2,116 points. The Marbles are believed to become the first father-son duo to join the 1,000-point club in Big Ten history. The tandem have combined to score 3,199 career points.

ELEVATING HIS GAME
Roy Devyn Marble, who played in his 100th career game last week against Stony Brook, has elevated his play in the NIT the last two seasons. The native of Southfield, Mich., is averaging 23 points and shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from 3-point territory in four career NIT games. In two NIT games this season, Marble is averaging 26 points, 5.5 assists, 3.5 boards, and one turnover. Marble poured in a game-high 24 points and had five rebounds, six assists and four steals in Iowa’s win over Indiana State on March 20, and 28 points and five assists in the Hawkeyes’ victory over Stony Brook on March 22. Marble has three 20/5/5 games in his career with two of them coming in NIT action (also last year at Oregon).

FANS FLOCKED BACK TO CHA
Iowa has had an attendance figure of 10,500 fans or greater in all 20 home contests, including six sellouts of 15,400 against Indiana on Dec. 31, Wisconsin on Jan. 19, Minnesota on Feb. 17, Nebraska on March 9; Indiana State on March 20; and Stony Brook on March 22. Iowa averaged 13,625 fans this season, which is its best average attendance figure since the 2001-02 season (15,207).

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
? Iowa has won 23 games this season and will seek win No. 24 on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes’ 23 victories are the fourth-most in school history behind 30 in 1987, 25 in 2006 and 24 in 1998.
? Fran McCaffery coached in his 100th game as head coach of the Hawkeyes vs. Indiana State.
? Iowa played 10 NCAA Tournaments teams this season, going 5-10 against those teams.
? Iowa has eight top-100 RPI wins, including four in the top-50.
? Iowa ranks 22th by KenPom.com; 25th by Sagarin; and 63rd in the RPI.
? The Hawkeyes have lost only one game by more than four points since Jan. 23 (March 2 at Indiana, 73-60).
? Iowa won six of its last eight regular season games for the first time since 1996.
? Iowa has won 23 of its last 26 home games, including 18-of-20 this season, dating back to Feb. 1, 2012. The Hawkeyes’ two losses this season have come to nationally ranked teams (Indiana and Michigan State).
? Iowa has won 19 straight home games, dating back to last season, against unranked opponents. That streak is third-best in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 67; Michigan State, 31).
? The Hawkeyes had their streak of winning 30 games when holding foes to 61 or fewer points snapped in their last loss to No. 7 Michigan State (59-56) in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.
? Iowa is 17-2 when scoring 70 points or more; 21-2 when having a higher field goal percentage than its opponents; 21-4 when recording more rebounds than its opponents.
? Iowa ranks eighth in the country in free throws made (17.4) and 17th in attempts (24.0).
? Hawkeye reserves are averaging 23.7 points per game. The Hawkeyes have played 10 players or more in all but two games this season (Iowa State and Illinois).
? Roy Devyn Marble averages 16.4 points in Hawkeye wins this year and 11.4 in losses.
? Iowa shoots 32 percent (127-of-398) from 3-point territory in its victories, but 28 percent (60-of-217) from long distance in losses this season.
? 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 10 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.
? 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 nearly made more free throws (608) than its foes have attempted (614).
? The Hawkeyes averaged 7.3 blocks in their last six games.

BASABE… SPICY!
Melsahn Basabe has led the team in rebounding in three of the last five contests. He averaged 9.4 boards the last five contests, including 20 rebounds in two games at the Big Ten Tournament. Basabe has posted three double-doubles this season, including in two of Iowa’s last five contests. He posted his first double-double of the season in Iowa’s win over Penn State (10 points and 10 rebounds) on Jan. 31, his second in the regular season finale versus Nebraska (11 points and 13 rebounds) and his third against Northwestern at the Big Ten Tournament (10 points and 12 rebounds). Overall, Basabe ranks fourth in team scoring (7.3), first in blocks (1.25) and third in rebounding (5.2). Basabe has been credited with 121 career blocked shots, a total that ranks fifth-best in school history.

DYNAMIC DUO
Iowa’s Aaron White and Roy Devyn Marble are fourth-highest scoring duo in the Big Ten, averaging 27.5 points.

IOWA NIT HISTORY
This marks Iowa’s seventh appearance in the NIT. Iowa also appeared in the 1995, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2012 tournaments. The Hawkeyes’ best finish in the NIT was in 1995 when Iowa advanced to the quarterfinals. The Hawkeyes have played 13 games all-time in the NIT and hold a record of 7-6. Iowa’s first 10 NIT games were decided by nine points or fewer, while its last three contests have been decided by double digits (at Oregon in 2012; vs. Indiana State in 2013; vs. Stony Brook in 2013). Last year, Iowa beat Dayton in the first round in Iowa City, 84-75, but lost at Oregon in the second round, 108-97. Iowa’s win over Dayton was the school’s first postseason win since beating Iowa State (54-53) on March 21, 2003 in the NIT first round. Aaron White’s double-double vs. Dayton (25 points, 11 rebounds) marked the fifth double-double by a Hawkeye in an NIT game. Zach McCabe tallied 20 points, bolstered by a perfect 9-of-9 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line. Roy Devyn Marble had his best game as a Hawkeye, statistically, at Oregon last year scoring a career-high 31 points. Marble’s 31 points are the most ever by a Hawkeye in an NIT game and the most in a postseason contest since Ed Horton netted 32 against NC State in the second round of the 1989 NCAA Tournament. He also went 7-of-8 from 3-point range. The seven triples are the most ever by an Iowa player in any postseason game.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,694 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,618-1,076 (.600). That includes a 974-355 (.733) record in home games, a 554-731 (.431) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 720-737 (.494) mark in Big Ten games and a 380-118 (.763) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ON THE RISE…
Iowa’s win over Nebraska in the regular season finale gave the Hawkeyes their 20th win of the season. After beating Indiana State and Stony Brook in the NIT first two rounds, its 23 victories surpasses last season’s total (18-17). The last time Iowa had 18 or more wins in back-to-back seasons was 2005-06. Also, it marks the program’s first 20-win season since the 2006 campaign (25-9). In four stops as head coach, Fran McCaffery, has engineered win improvement in each of the first three seasons. Iowa and Michigan rank second in the Big Ten with three consecutive season win improvements. Indiana ranks first with a four-season streak. The four teams McCaffery has coached had a total record of 35-84 (.294) prior to his arrival. By year three, they had combined for an 87-44 (.664) record. Fran McCaffery has now posted seven 20-win seasons as a head coach, including five in the last seven years.

DEFENSE IMPROVEMENT
Last year, Iowa allowed opponents 72.5 points per contest. This season, Iowa is yielding 62.6 points. The 9.9 point differential from last year to this season ranks ninth-best in the nation. Iowa is holding its opponents to a much lower field goal percentage this season, compared to a year ago. Opponents are shooting at a 38.8 percent clip this season, compared to 45.7 percent last season. The 38.8 field goal percentage defense is the lowest clip the Hawkeyes have held their opponents since the 2005-06 season (38 percent, 732-of-1924). Additionally, the 6.9 percent improvement ranks second-best in the country. Iowa will record just its second sub-.400 defensive field goal percentage (.380 in 2005-06) in the last 50 years.

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 and eighth-best in the country. Additionally, the Hawkeyes are on pace to shatter a school record in 3-point field goal percentage defense. The current single-season record is 31.8 percent set in 2005-06; opponents are shooting 29 percent from long distance this season.

WHITE HOT!
Aaron White is a third-team All-Big Ten performer. 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 better than 13.1 points and 6.1 rebounds this season, with the other three being Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo of Indiana and Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas. White has scored 38.5 percent (177/460) of his points from the free throw line, which ranks fourth-best in the country. White leads the team in rebounding and will 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). Iowa is 10-1 this season when White scores 16 points or more.

ALL-AROUND SKILLS
Mike Gesell is one of only two Hawkeye freshmen to total 270 points, 80 rebounds and 80 assists in a single season. Gesell suffered a right foot injury, missing Iowa’s last four regular season games. Gesell returned for the Big Ten Tournament and also played in Iowa’s two NIT contests.

FREEBIES
Iowa has attempted 25 or more free throws 18 times this season. The Hawkeyes rank eighth in the country in free throws made (17.4) and 17th in attempts (24.0). Aaron White, who ranks 24th in the country and second in the Big Ten in free throw attempts (6.94), has attempted double-digit foul shots in seven games this season. White is 177-of-240 (.738) from the foul line, which is the most makes and attempts by a Hawkeye sophomore in school history. The 240 attempts rank overall as the eighth-most by a Hawkeye in a single-season. He is two attempts from seventh (Acie Earl, 242 in 1991).

BLOCK PARTY
Iowa established two blocked shots records this season: single-season and single-game. Iowa has been credited with a school record 175 blocks this season. The Hawkeyes’ five rejections in their win over Stony Brook on March 22, pushed the team past the previous record of 174, which was set during the 2004-05 season. The Hawkeyes have rejected 7.3 shots the last six games. The team also set a school single-game record for blocks when it rejected 13 against Illinois on March 5. The 13 blocks are the most in a Big Ten game in 2013 and match Minnesota’s 13 against North Florida, for all games, this season in the league. Gabriel Olaseni’s seven blocks equal Wisconsin’s Jared Berggren’s seven set against Iowa on Feb. 6 for the most by a Big Ten player this season. The seven swats are the most by a Hawkeye in a game since Melsahn Basabe had five vs. Indiana on Feb. 19, 2012.

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.

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.

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 Feb. 17 to Minnesota and ultimately won by 21 points — a 37-point swing!