Iowa Plays at Ohio State Sunday in Top 25 Matchup

Jan. 10, 2014

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Iowa Game Notes — at Ohio State

THE SETTING
No. 20/23 Iowa (13-3, 2-1) hits the road Sunday for another game pitting top-25 teams, traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 3/3 Ohio State. Tipoff is slated for 12:37 p.m. (CT) at Value City Arena. Three of the next four games for Iowa will be on the road. Sunday marks Iowa’s first game on CBS since the 2006-07 season.

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.
TV: Sunday afternoon’s game will be televised nationally on CBS. Spero Dedes and Clark Kellogg will call the action.

GAME #17 STORYLINES
? Aaron White hails from Strongsville, Ohio, which is a Cleveland suburb. White will have approximately 40 family and friends at Sunday’s game.
? Iowa’s last win over a top-five team was an 83-65 victory at second-ranked Missouri on Dec. 15, 2001, in Columbia, Mo.
? Senior Melsahn Basabe scored 16 points in Iowa’s last game vs. Northwestern and became the 42nd Hawkeye to score 1,000 career points.
? Iowa’s three losses have come to teams with a combined 44-1 record (Villanova, Iowa State and Wisconsin) — with each loss coming by five points or less.
? Junior forward Aaron White ranks second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.652) and sixth in free throw percentage (.846).
? Gabriel Olaseni and Jarrod Uthoff combine to average 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and three blocks off the bench for the Hawkeyes.
? Roy Devyn Marble is only the second Hawkeye to amass 1,350+ points, 325+ assists and 400+ rebounds (Jeff Horner).
? Iowa plays every Big Ten team that started 2-0 in league play twice this season (Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Michigan State).
? Iowa has led at the half in all but two games this season.

HAWKEYES CRUISE PAST NORTHWESTERN, 93-67
? Iowa led by as many as 31 points and ultimately won, 93-67, over Northwestern on Thursday in Iowa City. It marked the fifth time this season Iowa topped 90 points.
? Iowa had four starters in double figures, including two posting double-doubles. Melsahn Basabe (16 points and 10 rebounds) and Aaron White (18 points and 10 rebounds) had the double-doubles, while Roy Devyn Marble contributed 15 points, six assists and a game-high four steals, and Adam Woodbury netted 10. Basabe’s 16 points and Woodbury’s 10 points are both season highs.
? The Hawkeyes outrebounded Northwestern, 41-28, and had 22 assists to the Wildcats’ four. Furthermore, Iowa assisted on 22 of its 29 field goals. Iowa has assists on 60 percent of its field goals this season (281/468), a percentage that ranks 27th in the country.
? Iowa’s starting backcourt of Roy Devyn Marble and Mike Gesell combined for 24 points, 12 assists, six steals, four rebounds and only one turnover.
? Iowa shot 57 percent (29-of-51) from the field, including 57 percent from 3-point range (8-of-14) in the victory.
? The Hawkeyes shot 75 percent from the foul line (27-of-36), including Aaron White sinking all 10 of his free throw attempts, equaling a season high in makes.

CENTER OF ATTENTION
Iowa is getting 12.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and two blocks per game from their center position of Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olaseni.

BASABE JOINS TEAMMATES IN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Melsahn Basabe joined teammates Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White in Iowa’s 1,000-point club Thursday against Northwestern. Marble netted his 1,000th point in the 2013 regular season finale against Nebraska, while White passed 1,000 points against Notre Dame (Dec. 3) earlier this year. Basabe, White, and Marble become Iowa’s fifth trio of players on the same team to reach the 1,000-point threshold, and first trio since 2005.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Ohio State has won eight straight and lead the all-time series by a narrow, 76-75, margin. The Buckeyes beat the Hawkeyes in the only regular season meeting a year ago, 72-63, on Jan. 22, 2013, in Columbus. Iowa’s last victory over Ohio State came on Feb. 2, 2008 (53-48), in Iowa City. Nineteen of the last 28 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, with 12 decisions by five points or less. Ohio State holds a 47-26 advantage in games played in Columbus. The Buckeyes have won the last seven meetings in Columbus, with Iowa’s last victory in Value City Arena coming on Feb. 18, 2004. Iowa was the first opponent to win at the Value City Arena, taking a 71-68 win in 1999.

LAST SEASON AGAINST OHIO STATE
Ohio State made 52 percent (27-of-52) of its shot attempts, while Iowa made just 35.5 percent (22-of-62) in a 72-63 Buckeye victory over the Hawkeyes in Value City Arena. There were eight different lead changes in the first half, before the Buckeyes took a 12-point lead (34-22) into halftime and never looked back. Nine Hawkeyes scored at least two points, with Aaron White leading Iowa with 13 points. Four Buckeyes reached double figures, including Aaron Craft (12) and Lenzelle Smith, Jr. (12).

UTHOFF, OLASENI LEADING HAWKEYES OFF BENCH
Junior Gabriel Olaseni and sophomore Jarrod Uthoff are averaging a combined 16.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and three blocks per game coming off the bench for the Hawkeyes. Uthoff ranks third on the team in scoring (10.3) and rebounding (6.1), while Olaseni ranks first on the squad in rejections (1.6) and fourth in rebounding (5.2).

ATTACKING THE RIM
Last season, Iowa ranked 20th in the country in free throw attempts per game (23.6). The Hawkeyes have improved on that number so far this season, averaging 30.6 foul shots per game, ranking ninth nationally.

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH IN STATISTICS
Iowa leads the Big Ten in scoring (86.5), scoring margin (+20.5), and field goal percentage defense (.364). The Hawkeyes also rank second in the conference in rebounding margin (+9.9), blocks (5.7), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.278), and assists (17.6). Iowa ranks second in the country in scoring margin (+20.5); fourth in field goal percentage defense (.364); eighth in scoring (86.5) and rebounding margin (+9.9); 10th in assists (17.6); 11th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.278); and 22nd in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). Individually, Mike Gesell ranks ninth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.5); Aaron White ranks 14th in field goal percentage (.652); and Roy Devyn Marble ranks 37th in steals (2.2).

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
? Ohio State trailed fifth-ranked Michigan State by 17 points with eight minutes remaining in regulation but rallied to tie the game and send to overtime. The Buckeyes ultimately fell, 72-68, to the Spartans at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Tuesday evening. Ohio State’s leading scorers came off the bench, with Sam Thompson scoring 18 points and Marc Loving netting 10. Amir Williams snagged a game-high 11 rebounds to go along with eight points. The Buckeyes outrebounded the Spartans by 14 (42-28).
? Ohio State enters Sunday’s contest 15-1, including a perfect 12-0 mark at home. The Buckeyes average 15,611 fans in their previous 12 home games this season. Sunday will be the 11th time in the last 13 games that Ohio State will be playing at home.
? LaQuinton Ross averages a team-best 13.1 points per game, while Lenzelle Smith, Jr., averages 12.4 points. Senior point guard Aaron Craft averages five assists, 2.4 steals and 9.3 points. Craft’s 2.4 steals per game ranks 10th in the nation.
? The Buckeyes boast a +19.2 scoring margin and shoot 47 percent from the field.
? Ohio State ranks fifth in the nation in fewest fouls per game (15.3).

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 (3,506) tie for second 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 tied for seventh.

BENCH MOB
Iowa’s reserves played a large role in Iowa’s 13 victories. Overall, Iowa’s bench is averaging 37 points, 22.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks. In victories, Hawkeye reserves average 40.4 points and 23.7 rebounds, while in losses Iowa’s bench averages 22.3 points and 15.7 rebounds. Individually, Roy Devyn Marble averages 14.3 points in Iowa’s 13 victories, and 23.3 points in its three defeats.

BLOCK PARTY
Junior Gabriel Olaseni has blocked at least three shots five times this season. His 26 blocks rank seventh in the Big Ten (1.6 average). The center rejected five shots in the season opener against UNC Wilmington. Sophomore Jarrod Uthoff has blocked 22 shots (1.4 average), a total that ranks 10th in the league. As a team, Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten and 34th nationally in rejections per game (5.7).

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. L

BASABE MOVIN’ ON UP
Senior Melsahn Basabe, who posted a double-double in Iowa’s last game (16 points and 10 rebounds), is averaging 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds. The 6.6 rebounds per game shares the team lead with junior Aaron White. Basabe’s 676 career rebounds are the most among active Big Ten players. Since the start of the year, Basabe moved past Ryan Bowen for fourth place on Iowa’s career blocks list and currently has 138 rejections. 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.

WHITE HOT
Junior Aaron White shares the team lead in rebounding (6.6) and ranks second in scoring (13.4). White is the only Big Ten player to average 14.3 points and 8.3 rebounds or better in conference play. 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). White became the 41st Hawkeye to surpass 1,000 career points with his 19th point scored with one second remaining at the free throw line versus Notre Dame (Dec. 3). He currently ranks 31st in Iowa scoring. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, became the first Hawkeye in 10 years to amass 25 points and 17 rebounds in a game at Iowa State on Dec. 13. The last Hawkeye to accomplish the feat was Jared Reiner on March 1, 2003, at Indiana. The 17 rebounds are the most in a single-game since Greg Brunner cleared 23 against Minnesota on Jan. 18, 2006. White ranks second in the league and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.652).

HOME COOKIN’
Iowa and its fans have once again made Carver-Hawkeye Arena a hostile and challenging place for opponents to visit. Iowa has won 19 consecutive home games, dating back to last season. The Hawkeyes’ last home setback came against nationally-ranked Michigan State on January 10, 2013. For the second consecutive season, Iowa won all its nonconference home games after beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 22, to finish its nonleague home slate a perfect 8-0. The Hawkeyes have won their first 10 home games this season after winning their final nine home contests a year ago. Overall, Iowa won a school-record 18 home victories (18-2) in 2012-13, 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). The Hawkeyes are two wins from equaling the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record for consecutive wins of 21, which spanned three seasons. The current record was established with the last win during the 2004-05 campaign, winning all 17 games in 2005-06, and earning victories in their first three games of the 2006-07 season. Iowa has won 28-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 23 straight at home against nonconference foes, dating back to 2011.

MARBLE EARNS WEEKLY PRAISE
Senior Roy Devyn Marble poured in 61 points to tie the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament record, earning Big Ten Player of the Week accolades by College Sports Madness. Marble averaged 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the three games. Marble, who has led the Hawkeyes in scoring two of the last three games, enters Sunday’s game at Ohio State 14th in Iowa career scoring with 1,390 points. His 27-point outburst at Wisconsin last Sunday vaulted him past Bruce King and Ed Horton. The native of Southfield, Mich., averages 19 points, three assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals in conference play. Marble ranks 37th in the country in steals (2.2).

IOWA FASTBREAKS
? Iowa and Michigan State are the only Big Ten team this season to have four different players post a double-double.
? Iowa finished its nonconference schedule 11-2 for the second straight season.
? Iowa had three players (Basabe, Uthoff and Olaseni) post double-doubles in its victory over Fairleigh Dickinson. It marked the first time in 20 years three Hawkeyes recorded double-doubles, in the same game, in points and rebounds.
? Iowa has had four players score in double figures in 10-of-16 games this season.
? The Hawkeyes have out-rebounded 13 of their 16 opponents.
? Iowa is 28-4 when scoring 80 points or more, the last four seasons. The Hawkeyes are 38-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last four seasons.
? Iowa’s average starting lineup height is 6-foot-6. The Hawkeye lineup consists of two sophomores, one junior, and two seniors.
? Zach McCabe and Roy Devyn Marble were named to the Battle 4 Atlantis all-tournament team.
? Iowa has scored 82-plus points in all but three games this season (77 against Xavier; 71 at Wisconsin; 67 versus Nebraska).
? Iowa has been credited with 20 or more assists six times this season. The Hawkeyes rank 10th nationally in assists (17.6).
? Jarrod Uthoff is averaging 10.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks off the bench. The sophomore has reached double digits in nine games. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, ranks fifth in the Big Ten in overall field goal percentage (.568) and is 14th in rebounding (6.1).
? Iowa scored 80-plus points in each of its first five games for the fourth time in school history (also 1986-87, 1994-95 & 1997-98).
? Iowa has made (352) more free throws than its opponents have attempted (325).
? Iowa played overtime games two days apart (Xavier and Villanova) for the third time in program history. The Hawkeyes plated five extra minutes against Maryland (Dec. 25, 1984) and Cornell (Dec. 27, 1984), and Michigan (Jan. 9, 1992) and Illinois (Jan. 11, 1992).
? Iowa’s overtime win over Xavier marked its first overtime victory since March 7, 2009 (versus Penn State — double overtime).
? Iowa’s win over UTEP was the team’s seventh consecutive to start the season. The last time an Iowa team won seven straight to start a year was 2000-01; that team won its first nine.
? Iowa’s 249 points and 19.0 assists average, in three games, are a Battle 4 Atlantis tournament records.
? The Hawkeyes erupted for 100-plus points for consecutive contests (Maryland-Eastern Shore and Abilene Christian) 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).
? 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 blocked 12 shots versus UNC Wilmington, one shy of the school record of 13 set last year vs. Illinois. Junior Gabriel Olaseni rejected five shots, all in the first half.
? Iowa’s five turnovers against Abilene Christian are its fewest in a game since five against Boise State on Dec. 22, 2011.
? 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.
? 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.

ATTENDANCE ON THE RISE
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 averages 14,679 fans this season.

HAWKEYES FINISH RUNNERS-UP AT BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS
Iowa won its first two games over Xavier (77-74 in overtime) and UTEP (89-53) before being edged by Villanova in the championship game (88-83 in overtime) at the Battle 4 Atlantis holiday tournament held at Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 15-point deficit in their first contest against Xavier to win, but surrendered a 15-point first-half advantage to Villanova in the championship. Both contests went to overtime. Iowa cruised to a 36-point victory over UTEP in the semifinals. Seniors Roy Devyn Marble and Zach McCabe were honored on the all-tournament team. Marble led all scorers averaging 20.3 points, while also averaging 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the three games. His 61 points in the three contests tie the tournament record with Minnesota’s Andre Hollins (2012), while his 24 points against Villanova are the most by a player in a Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. McCabe averaged 13 points, shooting 50 percent from the field (14-of-28) and 3-point territory (8-of-16).

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 played in five countries in five months: Russia (July), England (August), France (August), United States (November), and Bahamas (November).

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 be idle next week before returning to the hardwood on Sunday, Jan. 19, when it entertains Minnesota at noon (CT).