Men's Hoops to Host Abilene Christian on Sunday

Nov. 15, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
Iowa (3-0) will host Abilene Christian (0-3) on Sunday. Tipoff is slated for 3:37 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Tickets can be purchased ($15 for adults, and $5 for youth and UI students) 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.
Television/Webstream: Sunday afternoon’s game can be seen locally in the state of Iowa on Mediacom Connections (MC22) and online via video.BTN.com. Rob Brooks, Mac McCausland and Jess Settles will call the action.

SUNDAY PROMOTIONS
? Free trading cards for the first 1,000 fans.
? Bring a toy to donate to the UI Children’s Hospital and receive $5 off Sunday’s game or a future game (while supplies last).
? UI Dance Marathon Day — discounted admission for UI Dance Marathon family members ($10 adults).
? Camper Reunion Day — Free admission for the 2013 Iowa men’s basketball campers ($5 for their guests).

GAME #4 QUICK HITS
? Sunday’s game is a preliminary game for the Battle 4 Atlantis.
? Iowa has posted 82-plus points in each of its first three games, including a 109-point scoring outburst in its last contest against Maryland Eastern Shore.
? Iowa is 1-0 all-time against Abilene Christian, beating the Wildcats, 92-62, in Iowa City in 1985. Abilene Christian is a new member of the Southland Conference.
? Aaron White has scored 42 combined points the last two games, netting 20-plus in consecutive contests (20 vs. Omaha & 22 against UMES). It marks the second time in his career that the junior posted 20-plus points in back-to-back outings (also final two games of his rookie year).
? Iowa is 20-2 when scoring 80 points or more, the last four seasons. The Hawkeyes are 32-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last four seasons.
? Roy Devyn Marble needs two points to surpass Chad Calabria for 25th place on Iowa’s career scoring chart, six to pass John Johnson for 24th place and 10 to pass Sam Williams for 23rd.
? Fourteen Hawkeyes scored in Iowa’s win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 14, while 13 grabbed at least one rebound.

HOME COOKIN’
The Hawkeyes 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. Iowa has won 22-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. Iowa has also won 19 straight at home against nonconference opponents, dating back to 2011.

WHITE HOT
Junior Aaron White leads the team in scoring (17.3) and ranks second in rebounding (8.0). The junior is one of only two Big Ten players to average 17-plus points and eight-plus rebounds (Northwestern’s Drew Crawford: 20 ppg and 8.5 rpg).

HAWKEYES ROUT MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
? Iowa cruised past Maryland Eastern Shore Thursday night, 109-63. Seven Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Aaron White (22), Melsahn Basabe (12), Jarrod Uthoff (11), Zach McCabe (11), Roy Devyn Marble(10), Gabriel Olaseni (10), and Peter Jok (10).
? The 109 points are the second-most by an Iowa team under Fran McCaffery (111 vs. SIU-Edwardsville in 2010).
? Iowa scored 56 points in the first half. That is the most points ever scored in the first half under Fran McCaffery.
? The Hawkeyes controlled 57 total rebounds, the most by an Iowa team under Fran McCaffery. Also, Iowa’s 24 assists match the third most and its 32 free throws made are the second most the last four seasons under McCaffery.
? Jarrod Uthoff recorded the first double-double of his career (11 points, 11 boards). Uthoff has grabbed seven or more rebounds in all three contests.
? Redshirt freshman Kyle Meyer snagged a career-high seven boards, while also scoring three points and dishing out two assists.
? Iowa drained a season-high seven 3-pointers en route to victory.

OGLESBY BREAKS FOOT, OUT APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS
Junior Josh Oglesby broke a bone in his right foot during practice on Nov. 6. The shooting guard had surgery on Nov. 8 and is expected to miss approximately six weeks. Oglesby (6-foot-5, 208 pounds) played in 37 contests, including two starts, a year ago. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, scored 126 of his 165 points from 3-point territory his sophomore campaign.

BENCH SQUAD
Iowa’s reserves played a large role in Iowa’s three victories. Iowa’s bench is averaging 45.7 points and 28 rebounds in the three wins over UNC Wilmington and Nebraska-Omaha and Maryland Eastern Shore.

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 weekly polls.

SCOUTING ABILENE CHRISTIAN
? Abilene Christian opened the season with a three-game East coast road trip, dropping games at Duquesne (94-75) on Nov. 9, St. Bonaventure (75-47) on Nov. 11 and Maryland (67-44) on Nov. 13. ? Abilene Christian lost its last game 67-44 at Maryland on Wednesday night. The Wildcats led 44-38 in the second half before Maryland closed the contest on a 29-0 run. Abilene Christian attempted zero free throws in the game, something that happened only once a year ago in Division I college basketball. ? The Wildcats are led by Harrison Hawkins (13.7 ppg, six 3-pointers) and Austin Cooke (9.7 ppg, six 3-pointers and 8.0 rpg). ? Abilene Christian has blocked only two shots through three contests. ? Joe Golding is in his third season as the head men’s basketball coach at his alma mater. He was hired July 18, 2011, by his former teammate, ACU director of athletics Jared Mosley. Golding’s Wildcats won 12 games in each of the last two seasons.

BASABE MOVING ON UP
Senior Melsahn Basabe had seven points and nine boards in 19 minutes of action versus Nebraska-Omaha and 12 points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes against Maryland Eastern Shore. Basabe has moved past Ryan Bowen for fourth place on Iowa’s career blocks list with 125. Basabe, who’s 592 career rebounds are the most among active Big Ten players, also moved past 900 career points a week ago Sunday. The native of Glen Cove, N.Y. now has 915 points.

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 (3,273) 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 ninth.

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH IN SHOOTING PERCENTAGES
Iowa is shooting 45.5 percent (87-191) from the field, a percentage that ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Junior Aaron White, who was 9-of-10 (.900) from the field in Iowa’s last outing, ranks first in the conference in field goal percentage (69.2 percent, 18-of-26). Defensively, Iowa ranks first in field goal percentage defense (.312, 68-218) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.184, 14-76).

BLOCK PARTY
Junior Gabriel Olaseni has blocked at least one shot in all three games. His nine blocks through three games rank third in the Big Ten (3.0 average). The center rejected five shots in the season opener against UNC Wilmington.

IOWA FASTBREAKS
? A win Sunday would give the Hawkeyes’ their second straight 4-0 start to a season.
? Iowa has had more than 13,000 fans at their first three games (14,313 average), that’s a 19 percent improvement from a year ago (12,047 average) after three games.
? 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.
? Iowa is 5-2 all-time in games played on Nov. 17.
? Iowa’s first five games to start the 2013-14 season will be at home.
? Iowa’s average starting lineup height is 6-foot-6. The Hawkeye starting lineup consists of two sophomores, one junior, and two seniors.
? Aaron White is the first Hawkeye since Jared Reiner (2002-03) to score at least 20 points and grab 15 or more rebounds in a game. White had 20 points and 15 rebounds in Iowa’s win over Nebraska-Omaha.
? In Iowa’s season opener, Jarrod Uthoff (14 points, seven rebounds, four blocks) became only the second Big Ten player since the 1996-97 season to register 14-plus points, seven-plus rebounds and four-plus blocks in his first career game (Ohio State’s Greg Oden, 2006-07).
? The Hawkeyes’ 43-point victory over UNC Wilmington on Nov. 8, matched the 37th-largest margin of victory in program history.
? Iowa’s 46-point victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 14, matched the 30th-largest margin of victory in program history.
? Iowa pulled down 56 rebounds against UNC Wilmington, which are the second-most by a Hawkeye team under Fran McCaffery (57 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore in 2013).
? The Hawkeyes blocked 12 shots versus UNC Wilmington, one shy of the school record of 13 set last season against Illinois. Junior Gabriel Olaseni rejected five shots, all in the first half.
? Iowa’s 36-point halftime advantage over vs. UNC Wilmington is its largest under Fran McCaffery.
? Iowa’s season opener against UNC Wilmington was the 500th all-time men’s basketball game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
? 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 host its fifth consecutive home contest on Friday, Nov. 22, when Penn from the Ivy League visits Iowa City. Peter Jok’s older brother, Dau, is a senior on the Quakers.