Men's Hoops Hosts UNC Wilmington on Friday

Nov. 7, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
The Iowa Hawkeyes open the 2013-14 season Friday night, hosting UNC Wilmington. Tip-off is slated for 8:32 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Friday’s opener will be played as part of a basketball doubleheader; the Iowa women are scheduled to entertain UC-Riverside at 6:05 p.m. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets to Friday’s basketball games in advance. Tickets to the women’s game cost $10 for adults. Boys and girls high school aged and younger, and UI students are admitted free. Tickets to the men’s game cost $15 for adults and $5 for boys and girls high school aged and younger, and UI students. Tickets can be purchased online at hawkeyesports.com, over the phone at 1-800 IA-HAWKS, and at the UI Athletics Ticket Office in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ON THE AIR
Radio: 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.
Webstream: There is no television coverage for Friday’s night’s season opener. However, fans can watch the game online via ESPN3.com. BJ Schaben and Kevin Lehman will call the action.

HAWKEYES TOP AUGUSTANA IN EXHIBITION
Eleven different Hawkeyes scored in an 87-65 win over Augustana (Ill.) Sunday afternoon in Iowa City. Forwards Zach McCabe and Aaron White led the charge, each scoring 16 points. Center Adam Woodbury posted a double-double in only 18 minutes of action (10 points and 11 rebounds). Augustana was whistled for 33 fouls, sending the Hawkeyes to the free throw line 50 times (39-of-50). McCabe netted 11 of his 16 points at the charity stripe (11-of-12), while White was 8-of-10 from the foul line. Iowa outrebounded Augustana by 13 (48-35) and forced 17 turnovers. Also, the bench scored 43 of the Hawkeyes’ 87 points.

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa is ranked in a couple preseason publications and other college basketball insiders: No. 17 in Lindy’s Sports; No. 23 by The Sporting News; No. 24 by Blue Ribbon. Dick Vitale slots the Hawkeyes 25th, CBS’ Doug Gottlieb and Jon Rothstein have Iowa 23rd and 24th, respectively. Iowa is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches preseason polls.

SCOUTING UNC WILMINGTON
? UNC Wilmington is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association. The Seahawks finished 10-20 a year ago, and finished ninth in the CAA with a 5-13 record.
? Buzz Peterson enters his fourth season as head coach of the Seahawks. In his three years at UNCW he has compiled a record of 33-59. Peterson has led four different teams to five postseason tournament appearances during his career as a head coach.
? Peterson is facing the Hawkeyes for the second time in his career. He brought his Tulsa club to Iowa City during the 2000-01 season, falling 66-65 to Iowa in the championship game of the Hawkeye Classic.
? The Seahawks return five of their top six scorers from a year ago, including Chris Dixon (9.8 ppg) and Craig Ponder (8.5 ppg). Dixon averaged 13.6 points, 4 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his last 15 games of the 2012-13 season, while Ponder reached double digits 10 times in his rookie year and scored more than 20 points twice.
? UNCW posted a 2-0 record in exhibition games. Five Seahawks scored in double figures in a 101-51 win over Belmont Abbey on Oct. 30, before UNCW’s bench recorded 61 points in a 92-51 win over Methodist on Nov. 2.
? The Seahawks will visit Iowa State in Ames on Sunday.

HOME COOKIN’
Iowa posted a school-record 18 home wins last season (18-2), the most since posting 17 home victories in 2006. Iowa’s two losses came by less than four points to nationally-ranked teams (Michigan State and Indiana). Iowa was 11-0 against nonconference opponents a year ago at home. The Hawkeyes have won 19-straight home games against unranked opponents, dating back to the Dayton game on March 13, 2012 — the third-longest active streak in the Big Ten.

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 65 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 130 years of collegiate coaching under their belts.

WORLD TRAVELERS
Iowa traveled to France and the United Kingdom in August to compete in six exhibition games. The Hawkeyes posted a 5-1 record against professional teams, boasting a +22.0 scoring margin. Aaron White led the team, averaging 13.6 points, followed by Peter Jok (13.3), Melsahn Basabe (12.6) and Roy Devyn Marble (11.2). Prior to traveling with his teammates to Europe in August, White also competed for Team USA at the World University Games in Russia in July. The Hawkeye junior will play in five countries in five months: Russia (July), England (August), France (August), United States (November), and Bahamas (November).

MARBLES RISING AMONG FATHER-SON SCORING COMBOS
Iowa’s Roy Marble (1986-89) and Roy Devyn Marble (2011-present) are rising among the leading father-son scoring duo in collegiate history. Currently, the Marble’s (3,250) rank third among father-son combos, playing at the same school ,behind the Burtt’s of Iona (4,568) and the Perry’s of Holy Cross (3,506). Overall, the Marble’s are 10th.

STAT LEADERS RETURN
Iowa returns its leading scorer, rebounder, shot blocker, distributor and thief from a year ago. Roy Devyn Marble returns for his senior season after leading the Hawkeyes in scoring (15.0) and assists (3.0). Aaron White had a sensational sophomore campaign, leading the team in rebounding (6.2) and ranking second in scoring (12.8). Melsahn Basabe returns for his final year after leading the team in rejections (1.2), while a healthy Mike Gesell returns for his sophomore season after pacing the Black and Gold with 1.2 steals a year ago. White, who led the Hawkeyes in rebounding in each of his first two seasons, is looking to become the fifth player since 1960 to lead the Hawkeyes in rebounding three consecutive seasons. White would join Don Nelson (1960-62); Kevin Kunnert (1971-73); Bruce King (1975-77); and Greg Brunner (2004-06). Likewise, Basabe led the team in blocked shots in each of his first three seasons with the Hawkeyes. The senior will be looking to become the third Hawkeye since 1980 to lead the squad in rejections four straight seasons. Greg Stokes led the team in blocks 1982-86, while Acie Earl led the team from 1990-93.

TICKETS SELLING AT FEVER PITCH
Season tickets for this season surpassed 10,000 for the first time since the 2002-03 season. A number of games are already reaching sellout status: Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Fans interested in purchasing tickets can visit hawkeyesports.com, order in person at the UI Ticket Office located in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, or call 1-800-IA-HAWKS.

HY-VEE BIG FOUR CLASSIC TICKETS ON SALE
The state of Iowa’s four NCAA Division I institutions will host the second annual Hy-Vee Big Four Classic, a men’s college basketball doubleheader at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines Dec. 7. Tickets, priced at $25, $50 and $70, can be purchased at dahlstickets.com the Wells Fargo Arena Ticket Office, all Dahl’s Foods Locations and by calling 866-55-DAHLS.

IOWA FASTBREAKS
? Sophomore Mike Gesell will celebrate his 20th birthday on Saturday.
? Friday will be the second-earliest game Iowa will have played to start the season; The Hawkeyes beat Grinnell 34-19 on Nov. 6, 1901. Friday will be Iowa’s first-ever game played on Nov. 8.
? Iowa’s attendance has increased each season since Fran McCaffery’s arrival in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes averaged 11,635 in 16 games in 2011; 11,908 fans in 19 contests in 2012; and 13,625 in 20 games last season. Iowa’s attendance boost from 2012 to 2013 ranked as the eighth-largest in the country.
? Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to win improvements in each of his first three seasons, going from 11 wins, to 18, to 25 last year. McCaffery’s highest win total as a head coach is when he coached Siena to back-to-back 27-win seasons in 2009 and 2010.
? Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White have each increased their scoring output each season in an Iowa uniform. Marble averaged 5.7 points as a freshman, to 11.5 his sophomore campaign and 15.0 points last season as a junior. White averaged 11.1 points as a rookie and 12.8 points last year as a sophomore.
? Roy Devyn Marble averaged 20.6 points, 2.4 steals, 4.6 assists and four rebounds in five NIT games last season. He was one of only three Big Ten players to average 15+ points and 3+ assists (Trey Burke of Michigan and D.J. Newbill of Penn State) in 2013.
? Darius Stokes has earned a scholarship after being a walk-on the last three seasons. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native is a redshirt junior.
? Okey Ukah has been added to the roster as a walk-on. The Iowa City native is a junior.

HAWKEYEBASKETBALL.COM
Check out the Iowa basketball team’s 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will open the 2013-14 regular season with five consecutive home games. The Hawkeyes will entertain UNC-Wilmington (Nov. 8); Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 10); Maryland-Eastern Shore (Nov. 14); and Abilene Christian (Nov. 17).