Men's Hoops Hosts No. 25 Ohio State Tuesday

Feb. 3, 2014

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Iowa Game Notes

THE SETTING
No. 17/13 Iowa (17-5, 6-3) will entertain No. 25 Ohio State (17-5, 4-5) on Tuesday. Tipoff is slated for 6:02 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). The game is a “Gold Out” and is sold out — Iowa’s seventh sell out of the season. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and allow extra time to park. Tuesday’s halftime entertainment will be the popular act: “Quick Change.”

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: Tuesday night’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN (WATCHESPN). Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich and Allison Williams will call the action.

GAME #23 STORYLINES
? All Iowa fans attending Tuesday’s game are encouraged to wear gold clothing for the “Gold Out.” The first 2,500 UI students to arrive at the arena will receive a free gold rally towel.
? In 152 previous meetings, Iowa and Ohio State are tied 76-76, with each team winning 47 times on their home court. Iowa and Wisconsin are also tied in their all-time series (79-79).
? Iowa improved to 5-0, when coming off a loss, Saturday with its 81-74 victory at Illinois.
? After winning 20-straight home games, which was the sixth-longest home streak in the country at the time, Iowa lost its last home game to MSU in overtime (71-69) to halt the streak. Iowa has won 20 of its last 22 at home, dating back to last year, with both losses coming to MSU.
? Iowa, Michigan and North Carolina are the only teams with a road win against an AP top-three team this season. The Hawkeyes won at then-No. 3 Ohio State (84-74) on Jan. 12.
? Roy Devyn Marble is only seven points from reaching 1,500 points in his career.
? Iowa’s five losses have all come to teams ranked in the top-25 and by a combined 14 points, including two in overtime. The Hawkeyes have lost games by two (Michigan State — overtime), three (Iowa State), four (Wisconsin) and five points (Villanova — overtime).
? Roy Devyn Marble is only the second Hawkeye to amass 1,450+ points, 325+ assists, 150+ steals, and 425+ rebounds (Jeff Horner).

HAWKEYES WIN AT ILLINOIS SATURDAY NIGHT
? Iowa led by as many as 21 points in the first half en route to an 81-74 win in front of a sold out crowd at the State Farm Center at Illinois Saturday night. The win was the Hawkeyes’ first in Champaign, Ill., since 1999.
? Trailing 70-66, Iowa outscored the Fighting Illini 15-4 over the last 5:01.
? Iowa was led by Gabriel Olaseni, Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White. Olaseni registered his second double-double in three games, and fourth this season, posting career highs in scoring (15) and rebounding (12). Marble netted all of his team-high 17 points in the second half, including eight in the final 4:24, to go along with a game-high three steals. White had 14 points, six rebounds and two assists.
? The Hawkeyes shot 80 percent (24-of-30) from the foul line, with Olaseni sinking a career high nine (9-of-10). Saturday marked the fifth time Iowa shot 80 percent or better from the charity stripe and first time since the Ohio State game on Jan. 12 (21-of-26, .808).
? Iowa outrebounded Illinois by 13 (41-28), and converted 15 offensive rebounds into 20 second-chance points.
? The Hawkeyes collected 10 steals, equaling the team’s most in a Big Ten game this season (vs. Northwestern). Iowa has had 10 thefts or more five times this year.
? Iowa’s bench was productive yet again, scoring 32 points and clearing 23 rebounds.
? Iowa improved to 5-0 after a loss with Saturday’s win. The Hawkeyes average 86.8 points, 18.8 assists, eight steals, boast a +15 rebounding margin, and shoot 54 percent from the field and 77 percent from the foul line in the five games following a defeat.

RAISING THE BAR
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, 11.5 his sophomore campaign, 15.0 points as a junior, and 16.3 points this season as a senior. White averaged 11.1 points as a rookie, 12.8 points as a sophomore, and 13.5 points this year as a junior.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Iowa snapped an eight-game losing skid to Ohio State with an 84-74 triumph on Jan. 12, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. The overall series is now tied, 76-76. Twenty of the last 29 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, with 12 decisions by five points or less. Iowa holds a 47-26 overall advantage in Iowa City and a 17-11 record versus the Buckeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tuesday will be the Buckeyes’ first visit to Iowa City in over two years (Jan. 7, 2012). Ohio State has won the last four meetings in Iowa City, dating back to a narrow 60-58 win on March 3, 2009.

LAST TIME VERSUS OHIO STATE
? Iowa rallied from a nine point deficit with 12:51 remaining to register an 84-74 victory at then-No. 3 Ohio State on Jan. 12, in Columbus.
? The Hawkeyes outscored the Buckeyes 22-9 the last 5:53 of the game. Furthermore, Iowa sank 10 of its final 11 free-throw attempts the last 1:26 of the contest.
? That game marked only the fourth time in Value City Arena history (since 1998-99) that an Ohio State opponent had five different players score 10+ points.
? Iowa’s win marked only the third time in the last four seasons that OSU allowed 80+ points, and the first time since 2008 that a team registered 84+ points against the Buckeyes.
? Melsahn Basabe registered his 15th career double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds).
? Devyn Marble shared game-high scoring honors with 22 points. Aaron White had 19 points and six rebounds, Mike Gesell netted 11 points, while Jarrod Uthoff added 10. It marked the first time since 1989 that Iowa had five double figure scores in Columbus.
? The Hawkeye defense forced 17 Ohio State turnovers and converted those miscues into 27 points.

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
? After starting the season 15-0, Ohio State lost four straight and five of its last seven. The Buckeyes notched their second Big Ten road win last Saturday, 59-58, at Wisconsin.
? Two Buckeyes scored in double figures in the road win at Wisconsin: LaQuinton Ross (13) and Amedeo Della Valle (11). Lenzelle Smith, Jr., grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
? Ohio State shot 55 percent (5-of-9) from 3-point range in its win at Wisconsin.
? The Buckeyes have played two overtimes games this season, dropping both (at Michigan State and at home versus Penn State).
? Ohio State is 13-2 at home this season and 4-3 in contests away from home, including a 3-3 mark in true road games.
? Tuesday will feature two of the league’s top defenders: Ohio State’s Aaron Craft and Iowa’s Roy Devyn Marble. Craft ranks first in the Big Ten with 53 steals, while Marble is fifth with 43.
? LaQuinton Ross averages a team-best 14.1 points per game, while Lenzelle Smith, Jr., averages 11.8 points. Ross is the only Buckeye to average in double figures in conference action, averaging 15.9 points in nine games. Senior point guard Aaron Craft averages 4.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 9.1 points (Craft’s 2.4 steals per game ranks 17th in the nation).
? The Buckeyes rank first in the Big Ten (overall games) in scoring defense (58.9), 3-point percentage defense (.265), and turnover margin (+3.5), and rank third in steals (7.6).
? Ohio State ranks 14th in the nation in fewest fouls per game (16.1).
? Buckeye starters see a majority of the minutes, with the starting five averaging 24 minutes or more. Three of the starters (Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith, Jr. and Shannon Scott) average 28 minutes or more.
? Tuesday will be Ohio State’s second straight road game and fourth time on the road in its last six games. After Tuesday, four of Ohio State’s next five contests will be at home.

BASABE JOINS TEAMMATES IN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Melsahn Basabe (1,063) joined teammates Roy Devyn Marble (1,493) and Aaron White (1,175) in Iowa’s 1,000-point club against Northwestern on Jan. 9. 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.

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 (3,609) are third among father-son combos, playing at the same school, behind the Burtt’s of Iona (4,568). Overall, the Marble’s are eighth and are 45 points from moving past Rick and Jon Barry.

BENCH MOB
Iowa’s reserves played a large role in Iowa’s 17 victories. Overall, Iowa’s bench is averaging 33.7 points, 20.9 rebounds and three blocks. In victories, Hawkeye reserves average 38.3 points and 22.8 rebounds, while in losses Iowa’s bench averages 18 points and 14.4 rebounds.

CENTER OF ATTENTION
Iowa is getting 12.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game from their center position of Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olaseni.

UTHOFF, OLASENI LEADING HAWKEYES OFF BENCH
Gabriel Olaseni and Jarrod Uthoff are averaging a combined 15.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game coming off the bench for the Hawkeyes. Uthoff ranks third on the team in scoring (8.8) and fourth in rebounding (5.2), while Olaseni ranks first on the squad in rejections (1.4) and third in rebounding (5.4). Uthoff’s 8.8 scoring average ranks third-best in the Big Ten for reserves behind Northwestern’s Tre Demps and Malik Smith of Minnesota. Olaseni averages an offensive rebound every six minutes played. Nearly half of Olaseni’s rebounds are offensive (58 of 119); the center ranks fourth in the league (overall games) in offensive rebounding (2.6). Olaseni, leads the team with four double-doubles — posting two in the last three games (at Northwestern and at Illinois). The four double-doubles tie for the most in the nation by a reserve. Olaseni put up career highs in Iowa’s last game at Illinois (15 points and 12 rebounds).

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 20 of its last 22 home games (both losses coming to Michigan State), dating back to last season. Furthermore, Iowa has won 29 of its last 32 home games since the start of last season. 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). Iowa has won 29-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.

HAWKEYES RANK HIGH IN STATISTICS
Iowa leads the Big Ten in scoring (84.3), scoring margin (+17.6), and field goal percentage defense (.381). The Hawkeyes also rank second in the conference in rebounding margin (+9.6), field goal percentage (.473), 3-point field goal percentage defense (.287), and assists (16.3). Iowa ranks second in the country in scoring margin (+17.6); eighth in field goal percentage defense (.381); fifth in scoring (84.3); 10th in rebounding margin (+9.6); 10th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.287); 13th in assists (16.3); and 28th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). Individually, Mike Gesell ranks 20th in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0); Aaron White ranks 24th in field goal percentage (.617); and Roy Devyn Marble ranks 46th in steals (2.0).

IOWA FASTBREAKS
? Roy Devyn Marble surpassed Mon’ter Glasper and Jim Bartels for eighth place on Iowa’s all-time steals chart (159) in Iowa’s last game at Illinois.
? Iowa’s win over No. 3 Ohio State on Jan. 12, marked Iowa’s first over a top-five team since an 83-65 victory at second-ranked Missouri on Dec. 15, 2001, in Columbia, Mo.
? Iowa has two consecutive home games this week (Ohio State Tuesday and Michigan on Saturday) before hitting the road for a pair beginning next Saturday at Penn State.
? The Hawkeyes have out-rebounded 18 of their 22 opponents.
? Roy Devyn Marble averages 15 points in Iowa’s 17 victories, and 20.8 points in its five defeats.
? Iowa started 5-2, or better, in Big Ten play for the 12th time. Each of the previous 11 teams made the NCAA Tournament. Iowa’s 1969-70 team started 7-0, while its 1981-82 and 1986-87 squads started conference play 6-1.
? Junior forward Aaron White ranks first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.617) and third in free throw percentage (.847).
? Iowa has two of the Big Ten’s top five field goal percentage leaders: Aaron White (first – .617) and Melsahn Basabe (fourth – .568).
? Iowa started 16-4 for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign and 5-2 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
? Iowa was the last Big Ten team to lose at home this season, falling 71-69, to No. 6/7 Michigan State on Jan. 28.
? Iowa has made (484) more free throws than its opponents have attempted (441).
? Iowa has attempted 277 free throws in nine Big Ten games, the most in the league. Wisconsin ranks second with 208 in nine games.
? All five of Iowa’s losses have come by eight points or fewer to teams ranked in the top 25 this week.
? Iowa recorded its 10th win of the season by 20-plus points at Northwestern on Jan. 25, the most of any Big Ten team this season.
? Iowa has assists on 57.5 percent of its field goals this season (358/623), a percentage that ranks 49th in the country.
? Iowa (4) and Michigan State (6) are the only Big Ten team to have at least four different players post a double-double.
? Iowa has had four or more players score in double figures in 12-of-22 games this season.
? The Hawkeyes are 2-5 in games decided by five points or fewer.
? Iowa is 31-4 when scoring 80 points or more, the last four seasons. The Hawkeyes are 39-1 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last four seasons — with the one loss coming to Michigan State (59-56) at the Big Ten Tournament last season.
? Iowa’s average starting lineup height is 6-foot-6. The Hawkeye lineup consists of two sophomores, one junior, and two seniors.
? Iowa has scored 81-plus points in all but six games this season (77 against Xavier; 71 at Wisconsin; 67 versus Nebraska; 67 at Michigan; 76 at Northwestern; 69 vs. Michigan State).
? Iowa has been credited with 20 or more assists six times this season. The Hawkeyes rank 13th nationally in assists (16.3).
? Jarrod Uthoff is averaging 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks off the bench. The sophomore has reached double digits in 10 games.
? Iowa held Michigan State leading scorer, Gary Harris, to a season-low nine points on Jan. 28 in Iowa City.
? Iowa is 1-2 in overtime games this season. The Hawkeyes beat Xavier (77-74), but lost to Villanova (88-83) and Michigan State (71-69).

SHARPSHOOTER
Junior Josh Oglesby, who missed the first 12 games of the season due to an injured foot, made his first four 3-point attempts of the game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 22) and Minnesota (Jan. 19). The junior finished with 13 and 17 points, respectively. Oglesby has made at least one triple in three straight games and 7-of-10 games this season.

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.

BLOCK PARTY
Junior Gabriel Olaseni has blocked at least three shots five times this season. His 30 blocks rank ninth in the Big Ten (1.4 average). The center rejected five shots in the season opener against UNC Wilmington. Sophomore Jarrod Uthoff has blocked 27 shots (1.2 average), a total that ranks 11th in the league. As a team, Iowa ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rejections (5.0).

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 30.3 foul shots per game, ranking ninth nationally. Iowa ranks second in the country in free throw makes (22).

BASABE MOVIN’ ON UP
Senior Melsahn Basabe, who has posted three double-doubles this season, is averaging eight points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds. Basabe pulls down seven rebounds per game in Big Ten play, an average that ranks fifth in the Big Ten. Basabe’s 713 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 140 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 ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.5) and ranks second in scoring (13.5). White is one of only two Big Ten players to average 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds or better (Northwestern’s Drew Crawford). 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 (142) trails teammate Melsahn Basabe (143) by only one rebound for the team lead this season. 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 24th in Iowa scoring after surpassing Chad Calabria and John Johnson at Illinois on Saturday. White became the first Hawkeye since Luke Recker (Nov. 14, 2001) to post 18+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a game when he had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists against the Wildcats on Jan. 9 in Iowa City. 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 first in the league and 24th nationally in field goal percentage (.617).

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Tuesday will be the Hawkeyes’ sixth contest against a ranked opponent. Iowa is 1-4 this season against ranked opponents, with its one victory coming over the Buckeyes in Columbus, 84-74, on Jan. 12. Iowa dropped decisions at No. 16/17 Iowa State (85-82) on Dec. 13; at No. 4/4 Wisconsin, 75-71, on Jan. 5; and at No. 21/25 Michigan on Jan. 22.

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 earned his first Player of the Week honors by the Big Ten and was also recognized as Athlon Sports’ National Player of the Week on Jan. 13, after leading the Hawkeyes to a pair of victories at No. 3 Ohio State (84-74) and versus Northwestern (93-67). Marble averaged 18.5 points, shooting 60 percent from the field (12-of-20) and 3-point range (3-of-5). He averaged 4.5 assists, 3.5 steals and three rebounds in the two victories. Marble, who has led the Hawkeyes in scoring six of the last nine games, enters Tuesday’s game versus Ohio State 14th in Iowa career scoring with 1,493 points. He has netted 21 points or more six times this season, including 21 last Tuesday against Michigan State. The native of Southfield, Mich., averages 17.8 points, 2.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in conference play. Marble ranks 66th in the country in steals (1.95). Marble is the only Big Ten player to average 16+ points, three assists and two steals. Marble surpassed Mon’ter Glasper and Jim Bartels for eighth place on Iowa’s all-time steals chart (159) in Iowa’s last game at Illinois. He is seven thefts from tying Jeff Horner for seventh.

IOWA TIP-INS
? Iowa finished its nonconference schedule 11-2 for the second straight season.
? Michigan won three straight games last month over top-10 ranked opponents (Wisconsin, Iowa and Michigan State). The Wolverines became first team since Iowa in 1987 to post three straight victories against top-10 teams.
? 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.
? Zach McCabe and Roy Devyn Marble were named to the Battle 4 Atlantis all-tournament team.
? 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 played overtime games two days apart (Xavier and Villanova) for the third time in program history. The Hawkeyes played 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 beat Minnesota, 94-73, on Jan. 19 in Iowa City. The 21-point loss is the Gophers’ most lop-sided loss of the season. The 94 points are its most against Minnesota in a non-OT game since scoring 99 points versus the Gophers on Feb. 18, 1989.
? Iowa’s 249 points and 19.0 assists average, in three games, are a Battle 4 Atlantis tournament records.
? Iowa’s win at Ohio State on Jan. 12, marked only the third time in the last four seasons that Ohio State allowed 80-plus points and the first time since 2008 that a team registered 84-plus points against the Buckeyes.
? In Iowa’s win at Ohio State on Jan. 12, it marked the first time since 1989 that Iowa had five double figure scorers in Columbus.
? 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.
? 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.

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).

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 14,799 fans this season. Iowa’s remaining five home games have reached sellout status. Iowa has sold out six previous contests this season (Penn, Notre Dame, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Nebraska, Minnesota and Michigan State). The additional five sell outs will give the Hawkeyes 11 sellouts, their most since the 2001-02 season (16).

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.

MCCAFFERY IN COACHES CHARITY CHALLENGE
Infiniti, ESPN, NABC and the NCAA have teamed up again to produce a one-of-a-kind charity competition — the Infiniti Coaches’ Charity Challenge. The first round of the event has ended and thanks to your votes, Iowa’s Fran McCaffery has advanced to round two, guaranteeing at least $7,500 for his charity, Coaches vs. Cancer. McCaffery is one of 24 coaches to advance to the second round, with the top 16 advancing to the third round. Fan participation will determine the ultimate winner over an eight-week period by registering and voting on a custom microsite on ESPN.com/Infiniti. The tournament is divided into four rounds. The coaches with the most votes will advance to the next round and earn more money for their charity. Go to ESPN.com/Infiniti each day and vote for Fran McCaffery and his charity, Coaches vs. Cancer.

“HAWK TALK WITH Fran McCaffery”
University of Iowa basketball fans may join Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery and radio announcer Gary Dolphin for the “Hawk Talk with Fran McCaffery” radio call-in show. The next show will take place Wednesday (Feb. 5) at Carlos O’Kelly’s Mexican Cafe in Iowa City from 7-8:30 p.m. Fans can call in and ask the coach a question by calling 1-877-464-2957.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa remains home for its second straight home contest when it hosts nationally-ranked Michigan on Saturday (ESPN). Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This week marks the first time the Hawkeyes will play consecutive home games since playing Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Dec. 22) and Nebraska (Dec. 31) back-to-back.