April 7, 2015
- Read the April issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
2014-15 IOWA HAWKEYE STORYLINES
? The University of Iowa was one of only 15 Division I schools to compete in both the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament, while also sending their football program to a bowl game.
? The Hawkeyes’ 83-52 dominant performance over Davidson in the NCAA Second Round was the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 2001 (Creighton in the first round). It also marked the largest margin of victory ever in an NCAA Tournament 7/10 match-up.
? Iowa’s 31-point margin of win over Davidson was the second-largest margin of victory in the 2015 Tournament behind Villanova’s 41-point win over Lafayette.
? Iowa concluded the regular season winning six consecutive Big Ten games — its longest win streak against Big Ten competition since the 1986-87 season.
? Aaron White finished his career making 618 free throws, which are more than any other Big Ten player the last 50 years. The 618 free throws rank third all-time in Big Ten history.
? Aaron White became Iowa’s 25th first-team All-Big Ten honoree, while Jarrod Uthoff was named to the coaches all-league third team. Gabriel Olaseni earned the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year, becoming just the second Hawkeye to win that award (Doug Thomas in 2006).
? The Hawkeyes tied Purdue and Michigan State for third place in the Big Ten, which is Iowa’s best finish in the league standings since tying for second place in 2006.
? Iowa has won 20-plus games in each of the last three seasons (25 in 2013, 20 in 2014, and 21 in 2015), its longest streak since a five-year stretch between 1994-95 to 1998-99.
? Since Feb. 16, Iowa senior Aaron White led all Big Ten players averaging 21.4 points per contest (nine games).
? Iowa’s senior class accounted for 85 wins (18 in 2012; 25 in 2013; 20 in 2014; and 22 in 2015). The 85 are the sixth most for a class. Iowa’s 1989 class ranks first with 97 victories.
? Iowa’s senior class amassed 59 home wins in its four-year career — the most in program history for a class. Iowa’s 1988, 2008, and 2009 squads rank second, winning 54 home contests.
? Jarrod Uthoff was the only player in the nation to have 55+ blocks, 50+ 3-pointers, and 35+ steals.
? Iowa was 21-2 this year when scoring 64 points or more.
? Aaron White was just the second Hawkeye since 1985 to score 20+ points in six straight games; Greg Stokes netted 20+ points in eight straight games during the 1984-85 campaign.
? Aaron White was the only player in the nation to average 16+ points, 7+ rebounds, while shooting above a 50 percent clip from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line. White became the first Hawkeye since Bruce King in 1976 to average 16+ points and 7+ rebounds, while shooting above a 50 percent and 80 percent clip from the field and free throw line, respectively.
? Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in each of the last three seasons. McCaffery, who is one of just 12 Division I head coaches to take four different programs to the NCAA Tournament, has accumulated 15 first division finishes in 19 years as a head coach. McCaffery has posted nine seasons of 20 or more wins as a head coach.
? Iowa’s 12 conference wins are the most by a Hawkeye team since 1997.
? Iowa beat Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan on the road in the same season for the first time since 1969-70.
? Iowa’s six Big Ten road wins ranked second behind Wisconsin (seven) for the most in the league. Its seven overall road victories are the most by a Hawkeye team since the 1986-87 campaign.
? Aaron White became just the second Hawkeye since 1985 to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals in the same season (Greg Stokes in 1985).
? Iowa reached sell out status in five games in 2014-15. The Hawkeyes averaged 14,101 attendees in 18 games.
? Iowa’s free throw percentage of 74.4 ties for fourth best in single-season history at Iowa.
? Iowa’s 12 blocks against Northern Illinois on Nov. 26, tied a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record.
? Iowa was 9-1 this season when sinking eight or more 3-pointers.
? Mike Gesell will enter his senior season ranked eighth in Iowa career assists (352).
? Aaron White is only the second Hawkeye to ever lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals in the same season (Greg Stokes in 1986).
HAWKEYES BEAT DAVIDSON IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
? Iowa won its first NCAA Tournament game since 2001 with an 83-52 win over Davidson in Seattle. The 31-point margin of victory is its biggest in program history in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing Iowa’s 29-point margin over Penn State in its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in 1955 (82-53). It also marked the largest margin of victory in NCAA Tournament history in a 7/10 matchup.
? Aaron White (26), Mike Gesell (15), and Peter Jok (12) outscored the entire Davidson team by one (53-52).
? Aaron White poured in a game-high 26 points (11-of-14 FG and 3-of-3 FT), including a personal 13-2 run over Davidson in the second half. The 26 points are the most by a Hawkeye in an NCAA Tournament game since Dean Oliver had 26 in a loss to Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
? Peter Jok’s 12 points mark the second straight NCAA Tournament game that he registered double figures; he posted 10 against Tennessee in the first round in 2014.
? Iowa’s 83 points are the most by an Iowa team in an NCAA Tournament game since Iowa tallied 98 in a 98-92 win over Texas in 1992.
? Iowa dominated the glass, grabbing 16 more boards than the Wildcats (46-30).
? Junior Mike Gesell dished out a game-high six assists, which are the most by a Hawkeye in an NCAA Tournament game since Dean Oliver had six against UAB in 1999.
? Iowa shot 50.7 percent (35-of-69) from the field, marking the first time Iowa shot 50 percent or better from the field since its win at Nebraska on Feb. 22 (50 percent).
? Iowa committed only five turnovers, which are the second fewest by an Iowa team in an NCAA Tournament game (three versus Virginia in 1997).
? Iowa improved to 4-0 all-time in games played on March 20.
GONZAGA SHOOTS DOWN HAWKEYES IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
? Gonzaga shot a blistering 61.5 percent from the field, including 62.5 percent from 3-point range in an 87-68 victory over Iowa in the NCAA Tournament third round played in Seattle.
? Senior Aaron White finished with 19 points and a game-high three steals. The 19 points ended White’s streak of six straight games of reaching the 20-point plateau.
? Junior Jarrod Uthoff led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds.
? Junior guard Anthony Clemmons netted 10 points, equaling a career high with three 3-pointers.
? Junior Mike Gesell contributed nine points and dished out a game-high five assists.
? Gonzaga outscored Iowa 30-15 via the 3-point field goal and 13-7 at the foul line.
? Iowa dropped to 2-2 all-time on games played on March 22.
3 HAWKEYES EARN POSTSEASON BIG TEN HONORS
Seniors Aaron White and Gabriel Olaseni, and juniors Jarrod Uthoff and Mike Gesell, earned postseason accolades. After earning third-team All-Big Ten honors a year ago, White became the 25th Hawkeye in program history to be named to the first team (media and coaches). With Devyn Marble earning first team laurels a year ago, this marks the first time since 2007 Iowa players made the All-Big Ten first team in back-to-back years. Uthoff was named to the third team by the coaches and was honorable mention by the media. It marked the fourth straight season, Iowa had a player named to the third team. Olaseni was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year, becoming just the second Hawkeye to earn that distinction. Gesell was named the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree.
WHITE NAMED TO USWBA, NABC DISTRICT TEAM
Aaron White was named to the 10-player All-District VI team by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) and also the NABC All-District team. The native of Strongsville, Ohio, becomes the second Hawkeye in as many years to garner all-district accolades (Roy Devyn Marble in 2014). District six includes players from the state of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. White (6-foot-9, 220 pounds) started all 34 games, leading the team in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg). He helped the Hawkeyes win 12 conference games for the first time in 18 years. He was also instrumental in leading Iowa to seven true road victories — the most by a Hawkeye team since 1987.
IMPROVED DEFENSE
After allowing 70.3 points a year ago, the Iowa defense has improved this season, allowing eight fewer points per game (62.3). The +8.0 improvement ranks in the top 20 among the seven major conferences. Also, opponents shot .415 from the field last season compared to .396 in 2014-15. The last time Iowa allowed 62.3 points or fewer was 2009 (62.3).
STATE OF IOWA
The state of Iowa had three teams start tournament play (Iowa, Northern Iowa, and Iowa State. The last time those three Iowa teams all competed in the same NCAA Tournament was 2005. Iowa State lost in the second round to UAB, while Iowa and Northern Iowa are still alive after beating Davidson and Wyoming, respectively. Earlier this season, the state of Iowa had three teams ranked in the Jan. 19 Associated Press weekly poll (Jan. 19) — Iowa State was ninth, Northern Iowa was 20th, while Iowa was ranked 25th.
SELECT COMPANY
Aaron White was the only Division I player this past season to have the following career numbers: 1,800+ points, 900+ rebounds, 175+ assists, and 125+ steals. He is the only Hawkeye ever to post those numbers in the program’s history. Also, his 16 career double-doubles ranked second among Big Ten players in 2014-15; Michigan State’s Branden Dawson ranked first with 18.
STREAKING
Iowa lost its first round game of the Big Ten Tournament to Penn State, but finished the regular season winning its last six games. It marked the first time since 1987 that a Hawkeye team won six consecutive Big Ten games. It also marked the first time since 1955 that the Hawkeyes won their final six contests of the regular season. Iowa’s 1955 squad, which advanced to the Final Four, won its final 14 games of the regular season. Iowa won its final three road games of the season (Nebraska, Penn State, and Indiana). The last a Hawkeye team won its final three regular season road games was 1984 (Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Northwestern). Iowa has won 20-or more games for three straight seasons. The Hawkeyes won 21 regular season games, which is the highest regular season total for Iowa under Fran McCaffery and the most since 2006 (22).
WHITE JOINS ELITE LIST
Aaron White finshed his Hawkeye career with 1,859 points and 901 rebounds. The Hawkeye senior is one of only 10 players in conference history to amass more than 1,850 points and 900 rebounds.
ON POINT
Mike Gesell joins Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner as the only Iowa players in the program’s history to amass 800+ points, 350+ assists, 200+ rebounds, and 100+ steals his freshman through junior seasons. His 135 assists in 2014-15 rank as the sixth most by an Iowa junior in program history. His 4.0 assists average this season was ninth best among Big Ten players. Gesell scored 15 points and dished six assists in Iowa’s win over Davidson. He scored in double figures for the 10th time in 2014-15 and had five or more assists for the 12th time after being credited with five assists against Gonzaga. His six assists versus Davidson are the most for an Iowa player in the NCAA Tournament since Dean Oliver had six in a win over UAB in 1999.
STEALS MAKING A DIFFERENCE
In Iowa’s 22 wins, the Hawkeyes averaged 7.7 steals per game, compared to four in their 12 defeats. The +3.7 steals per game difference in wins versus losses was second largest in the country behind Minnesota (+5.7).
FINDING WAYS TO SCORE
Aaron White ranked second in the country in highest percentage of points scored from free throws (minimum 500 total points) behind Maryland’s Melo Trimble (36.4 percent). The Hawkeye senior scored 195 of his 558 points (34.9 percent) from the charity stripe. On Jan. 5 against Nebraska, White surpassed Roy Marble as Iowa’s all-time leader in free throws. He finished his illustrious career third on the Big Ten’s free throws made chart. No other player made more free throws than White the last 50 years. White attempted 10+ free throws 12 times in 2014-15, including 27 times in his career. Only four active players in the nation have accomplished that feat more than White. White made 195 free throws this season, which are the most by any Iowa senior in program history.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,674 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,572-1,102 (.588). That includes a 1,003-353 (.740) record in home games, a 565-746 (.431) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 741-751 (.497) mark in Big Ten games and a 407-127 (.762) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? Iowa was 17-1 this season when scoring 70+ points and 19-2 when shooting at a higher percentage than its opponents.
? Iowa averaged a double-double out of its center position of Adam Woodbury and Gabriel Olaseni. The duo combine to average 14.6 points and 10 rebounds.
? The Hawkeyes were 10-2 when Gabriel Olaseni scores in double figures this season.
? 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 won seven true road games. The last time Iowa won seven true road games was during the 1986-87 campaign.
? Iowa was one of only two teams to record a win at Ohio State this season (Wisconsin).
? Junior guard Anthony Clemmons made 17 of his last 19 (.895) free throw attempts combined the last eight games.
? Iowa had fewer than 10 turnovers in 11 games this year. Iowa had a season-low four turnovers at Northwestern (Feb. 15). Iowa’s five turnover versus Davidson are the second lowest for the Hawkeyes in a NCAA Tournament game (since turnovers were first kept in 1979). Iowa had three turnovers in a 1997 tournament win over Virginia.
? Aaron White became just the third Hawkeye to register 21+ points and 14+ rebounds in a Big Ten road game (at Penn State on Feb. 28) since 1996-97 (Jared Reiner at Indiana in 2003 and Greg Brunner at Indiana in 2004).
? Mike Gesell’s five assists against Gonzaga moved the point guard into a tie with Kenny Arnold (1979-82) for eighth place in career assists (352).
? All five starters reached double figures at Michigan for the first time in a conference game since Feb. 7, 2004 (vs. Indiana).
? Aaron White’s 29 points on Feb. 25, are the most by an Iowa player vs. Illinois since James Moses had 30 in 1991. Also, White became just the second player since 1997 to register 29+ points and 9+ rebounds against Illinois (Ohio State’s Evan Turner in 2010).
? Iowa’s 34-point win over Rutgers is the largest by a Big Ten team in league play this year and the biggest by an Iowa team in conference play since a 91-57 win over Northwestern in 1998.
? Iowa’s 18-point win against Michigan in Ann Arbor is its largest since winning by 18 on Feb. 8, 1954.
? 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.
? 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 had four players post two or more double-doubles in 2014-15 (Adam Woodbury, Jarrod Uthoff, Gabriel Olaseni, and Aaron White). Iowa and Michigan State were the only Big Ten schools to have four players with multiple double-doubles in 2014-15.
? Iowa is 39-6 when scoring 80 points or more, the last five seasons. The Hawkeyes are 55-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last five years.
? Aaron White was named to the 2K Classic All-Tournament team, averaging a double-double in the two games played in New York City against Texas and Syracuse (14 points and 10 rebounds).
? Adam Woodbury was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the website College Sports Madness on Feb. 9 after helping lead Iowa to wins at Michigan and at home against Maryland.
WHITE HOT
Aaron White’s play this season garnered the Hawkeye senior first-team All-Big Ten, and USWBA, NABC and Basketball Times All-District honors. The last nine games, White averaged 21.4 points and 8.3 rebounds. During the nine-game stretch, he shot 56.3 percent (63-of-112) from the field, 60 percent (12-of-20) from 3-point range, and 85.9 percent (55-of-64) from the foul line. His average of 21.4 since Feb. 16, was tops in the Big Ten. White led Iowa to a win over Davidson in the NCAA Tournament second round, scoring 26 points (11-of-14 field goals), including a stretch of 13 straight in the second half. He added six rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot. White is the second Iowa player ever to have 26+ points, 5+ rebounds, 1+ assists, one steal, and one block in an NCAA Tournament game (Roy Marble in 1987). White ranks second in Iowa history with 1,859 points, third with 901 rebounds, and is first with 140 games played. He is the only Hawkeye and one of only 10 Big Ten players ever to amass 1,850+ points and 900+ rebounds. White ranked first on the team in rebounding (7.4), steals (1.3), and scoring (16.4), and fifth in assists (1.4) in 2014-15. White was the only player in the country to average 16+ points and 7+ rebounds, with a 50+ field goal percentage and 80+ free throw percentage. His rebounding and scoring averages ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Big Ten in 2014-15. White became only the second Hawkeye since 1985 to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, and steals in the same season (Greg Stokes in 1985). 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 during his senior season, White was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 50 percent from the field (52.1 percent) and 80 percent from the charity stripe (81.9 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 became the first player all-time to lead the Hawkeyes in rebounding all four seasons. In Iowa’s 12 conference wins, White averaged 19.4 points per game, compared to 8.8 in the six defeats (White saw limited action in loss at Purdue due to injury).
OLASENI NAMED BIG TEN SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Senior Gabriel Olaseni became just the second Hawkeye to be recognized as the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year. Iowa’s Doug Thomas earned the distinction in 2006. Olaseni ranked third on the Hawkeyes in scoring (8.1), second in blocked shots (54) and free throw shooting (90-of-120), and fourth in rebounding (4.8). Olaseni denied four or more shots five times this season, including five shots twice (Northern Illinois and Penn State). His 54 blocks are the third most by a Hawkeye senior in program history. Among the Big Ten reserves this year, he ranked first in blocks (54), and second in rebounding (4.8) and scoring (8.1).
FRESH START
Sophomore Peter Jok made his first start of his career on Dec. 22 versus North Florida. The native of West Des Moines, Iowa, started 21 of the last 22 games (senior Josh Oglesby got the start on March 7 for “Senior Day”). Jok averaged seven points per game in 2014-15, which ranked fifth on the squad. He made at least one triple in 18 of the last 25 games, including multiple 3-pointers in seven of the last 13 contests. He scored 12 points in Iowa’s win over Davidson, while grabbing five rebounds. Jok reached double figure scoring in two of three NCAA Tournament games played (Tennessee in 2014 and Davidson in 2015).
UTHOFF PRODUCING ON THE WING
Jarrod Uthoff, who was named third team All-Big Ten, ranked second in team scoring (12.4 ppg), and steals (1.1), and first in 3-point shooting (54-of-145, .372). He was the only Division I player to have 50+ 3-pointers, 55+ blocks and 35+ steals. Additionally, Uthoff was one of only two Big Ten players to average 12+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 1.5+ blocks (Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky). Uthoff made 38 of his team-leading 54 3-pointers in Iowa’s 22 victories. He averaged a team-best 15 points per game, shooting 45.5 percent (48-of-99) from the field and 100 percent (19-of-19) from the foul line, in Iowa’s nine conference road games, while averaging 11.6 points, shooting 42 percent (38-of-91) from the field, in its nine league home contests. His 56 blocks and 54 triples rank fourth and fifth best, respectively, by an Iowa junior in program history. The redshirt junior poured in a game and career-high 25 points in Iowa’s overtime loss at Northwestern (Feb. 15). His career-high fifth 3-pointer came with four seconds remaining in regulation to even the score and send the game to overtime. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Jan. 6 by the Big Ten Conference after his performances 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. Uthoff drained four triples in Iowa’s victory over Hampton (Nov. 14) and at No. 18 Ohio State (Dec. 30). He has reached double figures 23 times this season. He averaged 14.5 points per contest over the last 11 games of the season. Uthoff tallied eight points and equaled career bests in rebounding (11) and blocked shots (five) in Iowa’s win 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. Uthoff had two double-doubles in 2014-15 (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).
UTHOFF, GESELL EARN ACADEMIC DISTINCTION
Juniors Mike Gesell and Jarrod Uthoff were named Capital One Academic All-District first team honorees for their combined performance athletically and in the classroom. Gesell was also tabbed third team Academic All-America, becoming the first Hawkeye to accomplish the national distinction since Adam Haluska (first team) in 2007. Gesell, a native of South Sioux City, Nebraska, is a finance major maintaining a 3.93 grade point average. He led the team in assists (135) and ranked sixth in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2). Gesell averaged 7.4 points per game. Last 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 ranked second in team scoring (12.4), rebounding (6.4) and steals (38), and was first in blocked shots (56) and 3-point shooting (54-of-145, .372). He was the only Division I player with 50+ 3-pointers, 55+ blocks, and 35+ 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 Iowa women’s basketball team also had two players recognized (Sam Logic and Ally Disterhoft). Along with Gesell, Disterhoft and Logic were named Academic All-America. The University of Iowa was the only Division I school in the country to have a combined three men’s and women’s basketball players earn the national distinction.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staff 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.
IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
The Hawkeyes were 4-6 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), twice to No. 5 Wisconsin (82-50 on Jan. 20 and 74-63 on Jan. 31), and in Seattle to No. 7 Gonzaga (87-68) on March 22.
WHITE NAMED TO KARL MALONE AWARD WATCH LIST
Iowa senior Aaron White was one of 16 players named to the first-ever Karl Malone Award watch list. Named after Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its inaugural year recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball. White ranked fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and fifth in scoring (16.4 ppg). He became the first Hawkeye in nine years to finish the season leading the team in scoring and rebounding (Greg Brunner in 2006). The native of Strongsville, Ohio, was also the only Division I player to shoot better than 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line the last two seasons. White ranks third in Iowa career rebounding (901), second in scoring (1,859), 14th in double-doubles (16), and first in free throws made (618) and attempted (800). Malone attended Louisiana Tech due to its close proximity to his hometown of Summerfield, Louisiana. He led the Bulldogs to a Sweet 16 appearance and earned All-Southland honors in his three seasons while averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Malone achieved great success during his 19 seasons in the NBA as a 14-time NBA All-Star (1988-98, 2000-02), 11-time All-NBA First Team player (1989-99) and a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He also won two Olympic gold medals (1992, 1996).
McCAFFERY HONORED WITH CHAMPION AWARD
Fran McCaffery was honored with the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award during Final Four Weekend in Indianapolis. The honor is awarded annually to a college coach who has been engaged vigorously in the Coaches vs. Cancer program’s fundraising, education and promotional initiatives and has demonstrated leadership in the fight to save more lives from cancer. Working as a team with wife Margaret McCaffery, Coach McCaffery turned their family struggle into an open and ardent fight. When their 13-year old son Patrick was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor during the 2014 NCAA tournament, the McCaffery’s shared their grief, fear and struggle with the team, their fans, and the world at large. They directed contributions to the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs Cancer, and many fundraisers started spontaneously, including T-shirts sales with #teammpat to fund cancer research. For 15 years, the McCaffery’s have been involved actively with the Coaches vs. Cancer program and have raised significant funds to support the American Cancer Society’s efforts, including more than $1.3 million since 2010. Coach McCaffery’s work has been instrumental in promoting cancer awareness throughout Iowa and the surrounding region. “The American Cancer Society, in conjunction with the NABC, is pleased to recognize Coach Fran McCaffery and his wife Margaret for their outstanding work with Coaches vs. Cancer,” said Dr. John Seffrin, American Cancer Society’s Chief Executive Officer. “Together they pose a formidable force in the fight against cancer and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the Society’s lifesaving work.” The Champion Award was instituted in 1996, with former Missouri coach Norm Stewart receiving the inaugural citation. Since that time, the award has honored head coaches Jim Boeheim (Syracuse); Denny Crum (Louisville); Roy Williams (then at Kansas and now at North Carolina); Riley Wallace (Hawaii); Fran Dunphy (then at Pennsylvania and now at Temple); Gary Williams (Maryland); Mark Few (Gonzaga); Mike Brey (Notre Dame); Bruce Weber (then at Illinois, now at Kansas State); Jim Calhoun (Connecticut); Tom Izzo (Michigan State); Oliver Purnell (DePaul); Paul Hewitt (the at Georgia Tech and now at George Mason); Lon Kruger (Oklahoma); Bo Ryan (Wisconsin); Steve Lavin (St. John’s University) and now McCaffery.
LOOKING TO 2015-16
Iowa will return 10 players in 2015-16, which includes Nicholas Baer who redshirted. The Hawkeyes return four of their five starters, including second-leading scorer Jarrod Uthoff (12.4 ppg). Six of the 10 returnees will be upperclassmen. Iowa will return 58 percent of its scoring and 63 percent of its rebounding.
IOWA TO PLAY IN ORLANDO CLASSIC IN NOVEMBER
Iowa will be one of eight teams to compete in the Orlando Classic, Nov. 26-29. The games will take place at the HP Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. Five of the eight teams competed in the NCAA Tournament this past spring: Dayton, Iowa, Notre Dame, Wichita State, and Xavier.
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.