| GAME 24: Minnesota (15-9, 4-7) at Iowa (15-8, 6-4) | |
|---|---|
| When | Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 | 6:06 p.m. CT |
| Where | Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400), Iowa City, Iowa |
| Tickets | Single-Game Tickets |
| Promotions | Promotions Schedule |
| Shop | Herky’s Locker Room |
| Television | BTN | Watch Online via BTN2GO Announcers: Dave Revsine and Jim Jackson |
| Radio | Hawkeye Radio Network | Listen | Sirius 91 / XM 91 |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| All-time Series | Minnesota leads, 102-93 |
| Iowa Team Info | Game Notes (PDF) | Media Guide | 2014-15 Stats (HTML) | 2014-15 Stats (PDF) |
| Big Ten Info | B1G Notes (PDF) | Media Guide | Conference Stats |
| Social Media | @IowaHoops  | #Hawkeyes | IowaHoops  | Facebook  |
Feb. 10, 2015
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- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
THE SETTING
Iowa (15-8, 6-4) seeks its third straight victory Thursday when it welcomes Minnesota (15-9, 4-7) to Iowa City. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:06 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are $27 for adults, and $15 for UI students and youth. Thursday is a “whiteout” at Carver-Hawkeye Arena; fans are encouraged to wear white clothing to the 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.
TV: Thursday’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Dave Revsine and Jim Jackson will call the action.
GAME #24 OPENING TIP
? Iowa has played eight opponents that have been ranked among the top 25 of the Associated Press poll this season, which tied for the third-most in the nation along with North Carolina and Oklahoma State. Only Oklahoma (10) and Kansas (9) have competed against more AP Top 25 opponents this season.
? All five starters are averaging double figures the last three games: Aaron White (15.0), Adam Woodbury (11.7), Jarrod Uthoff (11.0), Peter Jok (10.3), and Mike Gesell (10.0).
? Iowa is 14-1 this year when scoring 64+ points, with the lone loss coming to Iowa St. (90-75).
? Aaron White and Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky are the only Big Ten players to average 15+ points and 6+ rebounds this season.
? Aaron White is two rebounds from tying Greg Stokes and six from equaling Acie Earl for seventh and sixth, respectively, in career rebounding at Iowa.
? The Hawkeyes are 7-2 when Gabriel Olaseni scores in double figures this season.
? Iowa is 6-0 this season when sinking eight or more 3-pointers.
? Iowa is averaging a double-double out of its center position of Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olaseni. The duo combine to average 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds.
IOWA POSTS 4TH WIN OVER RANKED OPPONENT
? Iowa raced out to a 22-3 advantage and never looked back en route to a convincing 71-55 win over No. 16 Maryland Sunday in Iowa City.
? The win marked the Iowa program’s 1,000th at home since 1902.
? After shooting 63 percent (32-of-51) at Michigan (Feb. 5), Iowa once again shot the ball well, shooting a season-best 64.3 percent (27-of-42) against the Terrapins. The shooting 64 percent shooting is the best by Iowa in a game since Feb. 4, 2004 (65.3 percent, 32-of-49, vs. Michigan). The last time Iowa shot 60 percent or better in back-to-back Big Ten games was 1988 (62.5 percent at Minnesota and 62.7 percent at Northwestern).
? Adam Woodbury tied a career high with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. It marked the second straight contest that the junior reached double figures in scoring.
? Peter Jok also tied a career-high with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
? Mike Gesell dished out a career-best nine assists to go along with eight points.
? Iowa scored 38 points in the paint against Maryland. Iowa has utilized its size to its advantage last week, scoring 80 combined paint points in its two contests.
? Aaron White led the Hawkeyes with 17 points. He surpassed Matt Gatens for seventh in Iowa career scoring and Acie Earl for first in career free throw attempts.
? Iowa has held its last two foes, Michigan & Maryland, to 17 and 19 rebounds, respectively.
? Maryland’s Melo Trimble scored 13 of the Terrapins 17 first-half points. Trimble finished the game with a game-high 20 points.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Minnesota holds a 102-93 advantage in the series that began with a 47-10 Gopher win in 1902. The 195 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent. Iowa won this season’s first contest, 77-75, on Jan. 13 in Minneapolis. The Gophers had won six straight in the series before the Hawkeyes have won five of the last seven. Iowa holds a 55-40 advantage in games played in Iowa City and a 20-9 advantage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won 10 of the last 14 meetings in Iowa City, including seven of the last 10. Iowa won each of the previous two meetings against Minnesota in Iowa City by 21 points: 72-51 in 2013 and 94-73 in 2014.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
? Minnesota has won two of its last three games entering Thursday’s game in Iowa City. The Gophers won their last two games, both at home, beating Nebraska (60-42) and Purdue (62-58). Four of Minnesota’s next five games will be on the road, beginning Thursday.
? Minnesota registered a 62-58 win over Purdue Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis. The Gophers outscored the Boilermakers 13-3 at the free throw line. Purdue outrebounded Minnesota by 12 (40-28).
? Minnesota has three players average double digits in scoring: Andre Hollins (14.6 ppg); Maurice Walker (12.1 ppg); and Carlos Morris (12.0 ppg). Walker also leads the squad in rebounding (6.6 rpg). DeAndre Mathieu ranks 17th in the nation in steals (2.2 spg), 41st in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5), and 50th in assists (5.0 apg).
? The Gophers shoot 39 percent from the field, including 46 percent from 3-point territory, and shoot at a 65.5 percent clip from the free throw stripe. Andre Hollins is Minnesota’s top 3-point threat, making 65-of-148 triples (44 percent). Joey King averages 1.5 treys per game coming off the bench, shooting at a 37 percent clip (36-of-97).
? The Gophers rank second in the country in steals (10.8); fourth in turnover margin (5.3); 10th in assists (17.0); 26th in scoring (75.3), and 32nd in 3-point percentage (38.9).
? The Gophers are 13-3 at home, with one of the defeats coming to the Hawkeyes, and 2-6 in games away from home. Minnesota is 0-5 in Big Ten road games this season.
? Both Iowa and Minnesota played games at Madison Square Garden in November. The Hawkeyes played Texas and Syracuse, while the Gophers played St. John’s and Georgia.
LAST MEETING AGAINST MINNESOTA
Iowa edged Minnesota, 77-75, in Minneapolis on Jan. 13. Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Jarrod Uthoff (22), Peter Jok (13), and Aaron White (13). Uthoff scored 11 of Iowa’s final 14 points, including the Hawkeyes’ last seven points. The junior drained a contested 17-foot jumper with 3.5 seconds remaining to lift Iowa to victory. Minnesota’s DeAndre Mathieu drove the length of the court and attempted a game-tying layup at the buzzer; however the ball was still in his hand as time expired. In addition to scoring a game and career-high 22 points, Uthoff had five rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Uthoff became the first player to amass 22+ points, 5+ rebounds, 4+ assists, and 4+ blocks in a Big Ten contest since Minnesota’s Joel Przybilla versus Iowa on Jan. 12, 2000. Iowa shot 62 percent (13-of-21) from the field in the first half, while Minnesota shot 62 percent from the field in the second half (18-of-29). The Hawkeyes rejected nine shots, four of which were denied by Jarrod Uthoff.
UTHOFF, GESELL EARN ACADEMIC DISTINCTION
Juniors Mike Gesell and Jarrod Uthoff have been named Capital One Academic All-District first team honorees for their combined performance athletically and in the classroom. The Hawkeye duo will advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second-, and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month. Gesell, a native of South Sioux City, Nebraska, is a finance major maintaining a 3.93 grade point average. He leads the team in assists (86) and ranks seventh in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). Gesell averages 7.7 points per game. Earlier this fall, Gesell earned invitation to Beta Gamma Sigma, the National Scholastic Honor Society for business students at the University of Iowa who have garnered GPA’s that place them in the top 10 percent of their class. Uthoff, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is an economics major with a 3.34 GPA. Uthoff ranks second in team scoring (11.4), rebounding (6.2), steals (24), and assists (43). He is the only Division I player with 30+ 3-pointers, 30+ blocks, and 20+ steals. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 6, following his performances in Iowa wins over No. 18 Ohio State and Nebraska. The last Iowa player to earn Academic All-District distinction was Adam Haluska in 2007, who also earned first team Academic All-America accolades. The Iowa women’s basketball team also had two players recognized (Sam Logic and Ally Disterhoft). The University of Iowa is one of only two schools to have two men and two women’s basketball student-athletes earn Academic All-District laurels.
FINDING WAYS TO SCORE
Aaron White ranks first in the country in highest percentage of points scored from free throws (minimum 325 total points). The Hawkeye senior has scored 133 of his 346 points (38 percent) from the charity stripe. On Jan. 5 against Nebraska, White surpassed Roy Marble as Iowa’s all-time leader in free throws. He currently ranks sixth in Big Ten annals and is eight makes from surpassing Northwestern’s Evan Eschmeyer (563) for fifth in conference history. White was 7-of-10 (.700) from the foul line in Iowa’s win over No. 16 Maryland on Sunday.
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WHITE HOT
Aaron White, who is ninth in Iowa history with 129 games played, ranks first among active Big Ten players in rebounding (805) and is fourth in scoring (1,647). He passed Ryan Bowen for eighth on Iowa’s all-time rebounding chart in Iowa’s last outing vs. Maryland and is three boards from surpassing Greg Stokes (807) for seventh place. White ranks first on the team in rebounding (6.6), steals (1.4), and scoring (15.0), and is fourth in assists (1.5) this season. His rebounding and scoring averages rank fifth and ninth, respectively in the Big Ten this year. White is seeking to become the first Hawkeye to lead the team in scoring and rebounding since Greg Brunner in 2006 (14.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game). White was the only Big Ten player to average 13+ points and 7+ rebounds during league play in 2014. White became the first Hawkeye ever to register 1,300+ points, 650+ rebounds, 100+ steals, and 100+ assists by his junior season. White was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 55 percent from the field and 80 percent from the foul line in 2014. He shot 58 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe. Again this season, White is the only player in the nation to shoot better than 50 percent from the field (53 percent) and 80 percent from the charity stripe (80 percent). White became the fifth player, since 1960, to lead the Hawkeyes in rebounding three consecutive seasons. White joins Don Nelson (1960-62); Kevin Kunnert (1971-73); Bruce King (1975-77); and Greg Brunner (2004-06). He is seeking to become the first player all-time to lead the Hawkeyes in rebounding all four seasons. 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, 2012). He reached the 1,000-point milestone in his 82nd career game. White currently ranks seventh in Iowa scoring; he is 29 points from surpassing Ronnie Lester (1,675) for sixth all-time.
SELECT COMPANY
Aaron White is one of only two active Division I players (Oklahoma’s TaShawn Thomas) to have 1,625+ points, 800+ rebounds, 175+ assists, and 125+ steals. He is the only Hawkeye ever to post those numbers in the program’s history. Also, his 13 career double-doubles ranks second among active Big Ten players; Michigan State’s Branden Dawson ranks first (17).
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,663 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,565-1,098 (.588). That includes a 1,000-352 (.740) record in home games, a 561-743 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 735-749 (.495) mark in Big Ten games and a 404-126 (.762) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
UTHOFF PRODUCING ON THE WING
Jarrod Uthoff ranks second in team scoring (11.6 ppg) and steals (1.0), and first in 3-point shooting (35-of-92, .380). He is the only Division I player to have 35+ 3-pointers, 30+ blocks and 20+ steals. Uthoff was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 6 by the Big Ten Conference after his performance in Iowa’s win at No. 18 Ohio State (Dec. 30) and vs. Nebraska (Jan. 5). Uthoff averaged 16.5 points, seven rebounds, and 3.5 blocks in those two games. The redshirt junior drained a personal-best four triples in Iowa’s victory over Hampton (Nov. 14) and at No. 18 Ohio State (Dec. 30). He has reached double figures in 14 of Iowa’s 22 contests, including scoring a team-best 16 points in Iowa’s win at Michigan Thursday. Uthoff has made 26 of his team-leading 35 3-pointers in Iowa’s 14 victories. He is averaging 13 points and shooting 44 percent (43-of-98) in Big Ten play, while averaging 10.6 points and shooting 39.8 percent (51-of-128) in nonconference action. Uthoff tallied eight points and equaled career bests in rebounding (11) and blocked shots (five) in Iowa’s five-point victory at No. 12 North Carolina. He had 22 points, five rebounds, four assists, and four blocks at Minnesota on Jan. 13. Uthoff became the first player to amass 22+ points, 5+ rebounds, 4+ assists, and 4+ blocks in a Big Ten contest since Minnesota’s Joel Przybilla versus Iowa on Jan. 12, 2000. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has two double-doubles this season (North Florida and Michigan State). He had 10 points and a personal-best 12 boards against North Florida (Dec. 22), and 12 points and a team-best 10 rebounds versus Michigan State (Jan. 8).
HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? According to ESPN, Iowa’s strength of schedule ranks 10th best in the country.
? Iowa is 12-1 this season when scoring 70+ points and 13-1 when shooting at a higher percentage than its opponents.
? The Hawkeyes have won four true road games this season, equaling its road win total from a season ago. Iowa has four true road games remaining on its schedule.
? Iowa was the first team in the country to post road wins over two ranked opponents: No. 12 North Carolina (60-55) on Dec. 3 and No. 18 Ohio State (71-65) on Dec. 30.
? The Hawkeyes have had fewer than 10 turnovers in seven games this season (Iowa State, Longwood, Nebraska, Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Michigan). Iowa had a season-low six turnovers in their last contest at Michigan last Thursday.
? Iowa has beaten Ohio State and Michigan both on the road in the same season for the first time since 1998-99.
? Of the remaining eight games, the Hawkeyes will play seven against teams that are currently below them in the standings.
? Iowa has nearly made (370) more free throws than its opponents have attempted (371).
? Iowa’s 18-point win against Michigan in Ann Arbor is its largest since winning by 18 on Feb. 8, 1954.
? All five starters reached double figures at Michigan for the first time in a conference game since Feb. 7, 2004 (vs. Indiana).
? Iowa has reached sell out status in four games this season. The Hawkeyes average 14,088 fans through 14 home games.
? Adam Woodbury collected six assists to go along with his 11 points at Michigan. Woodbury became just the third Big Ten 7-footer to post 10+ points and 6+ assists in a game since 1996-97.
? Iowa recorded a season-low six turnovers at Michigan (Feb. 5). The six turnovers are the second fewest by a Hawkeye team in the Fran McCaffery era (five on five occasions).
? Gabriel Olaseni scored 18 points in consecutive games against Nebraska (Jan. 5) and Michigan State (Jan. 8). The London native became just the fifth Big Ten player since 2006 to record back-to-back 18-point games off the bench (Indiana’s Will Sheehey in 2012; Michigan’s DeShawn Sims in 2008; Minnesota’s Lawrence McKenzie in 2007; and Ohio State’s Deaquan Cook in 2006).
? Iowa has had four players post double-doubles this year (Adam Woodbury, Jarrod Uthoff, Gabriel Olaseni, and Aaron White). Only Michigan State has had more (five).
? Iowa is 36-6 when scoring 80 points or more, the last five seasons. The Hawkeyes are 50-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last five years.
? Iowa’s 26-of-28 (.929) performance at the free throw line vs. North Florida is the best percentage by an Iowa team (min. 25 attempts).
? Aaron White has attempted 10+ free throws in seven games this season and 13 times in his career. Only two active players in the country have accomplished that feat more than White.
WOODBURY HELPS IOWA POST 2 WINS LAST WEEK
Adam Woodbury collected a career-high six assists to go along with his 11 points in Iowa’s win at Michigan. Woodbury tied a career high with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and making all four free-throw attempts in Iowa’s win over No. 16 Maryland. In the two games last week, Woodbury averaged 13.5 points, while shooting 68.8 percent from the field. His efforts earned the junior College Sports Madness Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
FRESH START
Sophomore Peter Jok made his first start of his career on Dec. 22 vs. North Florida. The native of West Des Moines, Iowa, has started the last 11 games, beginning with that North Florida contest. Jok is averaging 6.7 points per game for the season and 8.3 points since being inserted into the starting lineup. He has made at least one triple in 11 of the last 15 games, including a personal-best four in Iowa’s win over UMBC (Dec. 6). Jok tallied 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in Iowa’s win at Minnesota (Jan. 13). Jok has scored in double figures in each of Iowa’s two victories last week, netting 10 points at Michigan and equaling a career-best 15 points vs. No. 16 Maryland. Jok drained two triples at Michigan and three in four tries (.750) against the Terrapins.
GESELL HEATING UP
Mike Gesell has been more accurate shooting the ball as of late. The first 15 games, the junior shot 34.7 percent, compared to 53.1 percent the last eight contests, including a 73 percent clip (11-of-15) in Iowa’s two victories last week over Michigan and Maryland.
IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
The Hawkeyes are 4-5 against opponents ranked in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches polls this season. Iowa won at No. 12 North Carolina (60-55) on Dec. 3, at No. 18 Ohio State (71-65) on Dec. 30 and completing the season sweep against the 25th-ranked Buckeyes (76-67) in Iowa City on Jan. 17, and beat No. 16 Maryland (72-55) in Iowa City on Feb. 8. The Hawkeyes fell to No. 10 Texas (71-57) and No. 23 Syracuse (66-63) in New York City, at home to No. 13 Iowa State (90-75) and twice to No. 5 Wisconsin (82-50 on Jan. 20 and 74-63 on Jan. 31).
BLOCK PARTY
Senior Gabriel Olaseni denied a game-high four shots in Iowa wins over Hampton (Nov. 14), Northern Illinois (Nov. 26) and North Florida (Dec. 22). He denied a career-high five shots in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois. Olaseni ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 84th nationally, averaging 1.7 rejections per game. His 38 blocks are the fifth most by a Hawkeye senior in program history. He also ranks fifth in Iowa career blocks (125). Uthoff ranks ninth in the league in blocks (1.4), rejecting at least one shot in 18-of-23 games. As a team, Iowa ranks 49th in the country in rejections (4.7).
WHITE NOMINATED FOR GOOD WORKS TEAM
The National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Allstate Insurance Company announced the nominees for the 2015 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. Among the nominees is University of Iowa basketball student-athlete Aaron White. This prestigious community service award recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities. College sports information directors and basketball coaches across the country nominated players who exhibit exceptional leadership skills and an unwavering commitment to volunteerism. From the 158 NABC nominees, distinguished voting panels will select two 10-member teams comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA Division I level. The final roster of 20 award recipients will be unveiled in February.
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.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 66 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 130 years of collegiate coaching under their belts. Iowa ranks first, followed by Indiana and Tulsa.
ALL-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets for the 2015 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament are on sale. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to the United Center in Chicago, March 11-15. The event will feature a five-day format for the first time in conference history. Lower level tickets may be purchased through the UI Ticket Office. Upper level tickets may be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or going to unitedcenter.com. All-session tickets for the 100 and 200 levels at the United Center are available for $375 through the Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets for the 300 level are available for $275 or $200 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the United Center box office only. Orders will be limited to four all-session tickets. The tournament will continue to feature a discounted student ticket program. Students of Big Ten universities will be able to purchase tickets for $20, good for only the session or sessions featuring their school. All students must have a valid student ID for entry. Student section seating will be available in balcony sections and orders will be limited to one ticket per student.
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. For 10 weeks, 48 coaches compete in a round robin bracket tournament for the chance to win $100,000 for charity. Iowa’s Fran McCaffery is one of 48 collegiate coaches taking part in this challenge. Thank you fans for voting McCaffery, who is one of the top 24 coaches who have advanced to the next round of voting. 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. Visit ESPN.com/Infiniti each day and vote for McCaffery, using multiple email addresses, and his charity — Coaches vs. Cancer.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern Sunday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. (CT) at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
