Men's Hoops to Host Penn Friday

Nov. 20, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
Iowa (4-0) will host Penn (1-2) on Friday. Tipoff is slated for 6:01 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.

FRIDAY PROMOTIONS
? “Melsahn Basabe Bobblehead Night” — free bobblehead for the first 1,500 fans in attendance
? “Dollar Dog Night” — purchase hot dogs for only $1

GAME #5 STORYLINES
? Brothers Peter Jok (freshman at Iowa) and Dau Jok (senior at Penn) will face each other on Friday. Also, Fran McCaffery will face his alma mater. McCaffery graduated from The Wharton School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania in 1982.
? Iowa has posted 82-plus points in each of its first four games for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Also, the Hawkeyes erupted for 100-plus points for consecutive contests for the first time since the beginning of the 1997-98 campaign where Iowa topped the century mark three straight games (105 vs Chicago State; 112 vs North Texas; 101 vs. Long Island).
? Iowa is 2-1 all-time against Penn. The Quakers beat the Hawkeyes (87-75) in Philadelphia in 1955, while Iowa won (72-64) in Philadelphia in 1961 and (87-84) in San Diego in 1979.
? Roy Devyn Marble is only six points and five assists from becoming only the third Hawkeye to amass 1200+ points, 300+ assists and 350+ rebounds (Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner).
? Iowa cracked the USA Today/Coaches poll, ranking 25th. The Hawkeyes are receiving votes in the Associated Press ranking, one position from making that top 25.
? Roy Devyn Marble’s 27 points against Abilene Christian vaulted the senior past seven former Hawkeyes in the all-time scoring chart. Marble went from 26th to 19th in one game.

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: Friday night’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Steve Physioc and Jim Jackson will call the action.

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.

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH IN BIG TEN STATISTICS
Iowa leads the Big Ten in scoring (94.2), scoring margin (+39.8), and field goal percentage defense (.301). The Hawkeyes rank second in the conference in 10 other statistical categories: field goal percentage (.496), free throw percentage (.754), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.172), total rebounds (49.5), blocks (7.5), assists (20.0), steals (8.3), turnover margin (+4.8), defensive rebounds (34.8), and assist/turnover ratio (1.8).

HAWKEYES ROUT ABILENE CHRISTIAN
? Iowa cruised past Abilene Christian Sunday afternoon, 103-41. Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Roy Devyn Marble (27), Peter Jok (15), Zach McCabe (10) and Gabriel Olaseni (10).
? Roy Devyn Marble scored 15 of Iowa’s first 17 points. Also, it marked the fifth time in his career that Marble tallied 27 points or more.
? Marble, McCabe and Jok all reached double figures for the third time this season. Additionally, Jok’s 15 points (6-of-8 FG, 3-of-5 three-pt FG) are a personal best.
? Iowa assisted on 25 of its 38 field goals made. The 38 field goals and 25 assists rank as the second-most and third-most, respectively, during the Fran McCaffery era.
? The Hawkeyes shot a season-best 82 percent (18-of-22) from the foul line.
? Iowa shot a season-best 62 percent (38-of-61) from the field, the best shooting percentage by a Big Ten team this season. The Hawkeyes shot a blistering 68 percent (21-of-31) in the second half. The last time a Hawkeye team shot better than 60 percent was at Indiana on Jan. 19, 2012 (63 percent, 34-of-54).
? Iowa scored 57 points in the second half, the second-highest total in a second half under Fran McCaffery (58 vs. SIU-Edwardsville in 2010).
? The Hawkeyes drained a season-high nine triples (9-of-21, .429) from 3-point range.
? Iowa played in front of another great crowd. The Hawkeyes have averaged 14,418 fans at its first four games.

WHITE HOT
Junior Aaron White leads the team in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.8). The junior is one of only three Big Ten players to average 15-plus points and 7.8 rebounds or more (Northwestern’s Drew Crawford: 17.7 ppg and 8.0 rpg and Michigan State’s Adreian Payne: 17.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg). Aaron White scored 42 combined points against Nebraska-Omaha (Nov. 10) and Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 14), netting 20 versus Omaha and 22 against Maryland Eastern Shore. It marked 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). White only missed two field-goal attempts (13-of-15) in Iowa’s last two outings. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, was 9-of-10 against Maryland Eastern Shore and 4-of-5 versus Abilene Christian. White leads the conference in field goal percentage (.710).

INJURY UPDATES
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. Redshirt junior Darius Stokes, injured his foot in practice last weekend and is day-to-day. He did not play in Iowa’s last contest against Abilene Christian.

BENCH SQUAD
Iowa’s reserves played a large role in Iowa’s four victories. Iowa’s bench is averaging 47 points and 24.5 rebounds in the four wins over UNC Wilmington, Nebraska-Omaha, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Abilene Christian.

CENTER OF ATTENTION
Iowa is getting 12.5 points, 8.25 rebounds and 3.25 blocks per game from their center position of Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olaseni.

BASABE MOVING ON UP
Senior Melsahn Basabe has had a solid start to the 2013-14 season. The native of Glen Cove, N.Y., is averaging 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds in only 16.3 minutes of action. Since the start of the year, Basabe has moved past Ryan Bowen for fourth place on Iowa’s career blocks list with 125. Basabe, who’s 596 career rebounds are the most among active Big Ten players, is approaching 600 career boards and has 1,000 career points in his sights. Basabe enters Friday’s contest against Penn with 919 points.

SCOUTING PENN
? Penn enters Friday night’s contest with a 1-2 record, beating Monmouth (79-73), but losing to Temple (78-73) and Penn State (83-71).
? Penn was picked to finish second in the Ivy League’s Preseason Media Poll.
? The Quakers have four players average in double figures: Tony Hicks (18.3), Darien Nelson-Henry (18.0), Miles Cartwright (14.3), and Fran Dougherty (10.0). Nelson-Henry also leads the squad in rebounding (8.7).
? In their last outing against Penn State, the Quakers attempted 40 free throws (made 27). Darien Nelson-Henry netted all 11 of his free throw attempts and finished with a team-high 21 points. Fran Dougherty scored eight of his 14 points from the foul line.
? Both Iowa and Penn share the basketball. Penn has been credited with assists on 63 percent of its baskets (47/75), while Iowa has registered assists on 64 percent of its field goals (80/125).
? Hicks and Cartwright are Penn’s two 3-point weapons, combining to sink 13 of the team’s 15 treys.
? Penn has been outrebounded by its opponents by an 8.3 margin through three games.
? The Quakers have an 18-player roster, half underclassmen and half upperclassmen.
? Jerome Allen is in his fourth season as Penn’s head coach. Allen did serve as Penn’s interim head coach for the last 21 games of the 2009-10 season before being named head coach after the season. Like Iowa’s Fran McCaffery, Allen took over at his new school in 2010 and is also a Penn (Wharton) graduate.

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 (3,310) 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.

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).

IN THE RANKINGS
Iowa is back in the national rankings. The Hawkeyes cracked the USA Today/Coaches Poll this week, ranking 25th. Iowa is receiving votes in the Associated Press poll, 22 votes from making that top 25. Iowa was 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.

BLOCK PARTY
Junior Gabriel Olaseni has blocked at least one shot in all four games. His 10 blocks through four games rank third in the Big Ten (2.5 average). The center rejected five shots in the season opener against UNC Wilmington.

IOWA FASTBREAKS
? Iowa has made (104) nearly twice as many free throws as its opponents have attempted (112).
? Iowa is 21-2 when scoring 80 points or more, the last four seasons. The Hawkeyes are 33-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last four seasons.
? 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 made 16-of-38 (.421) from 3-point range the last two games.
? Iowa’s average starting lineup height is 6-foot-6. The Hawkeye 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).
? Three of Iowa’s four games have had margins of victory of 43 points or more. Iowa’s 62-point win over Abilene Christian equaled the fourth-largest in school history; Iowa’s 46-point triumph over Maryland Eastern Shore matched the 31st-largest, while its 43-point win over UNC Wilmington tied the 38th-largest in program history.
? Iowa pulled down 57 rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore, which are the most by a Hawkeye team under Fran McCaffery. Iowa also had 56 boards against UNC Wilmington (Nov. 8). The Hawkeyes have out-rebounding all four of their opponents.
? Iowa’s five turnovers against Abilene Christian are its fewest in a game since five against Boise State on Dec. 22, 2011.
? 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.
? Darius Stokes earned a scholarship after being a walk-on the last three years. 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will travel to the Bahamas for an eight-team, three-game tournament at the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Hawkeyes open tournament play against Xavier on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, at 6 p.m. (CT).