Nov. 23, 2015
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THE SETTING
Iowa (3-0) will travel to Orlando to compete in the eight-team Advocare Invitational. The Hawkeyes square off against Dayton (3-0) in the quarterfinals. Tipoff is set for approximately 8 p.m. (CT) at the HP Field House located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Five of the eight teams in the tournament competed in the NCAA Tournament last season: Dayton, Iowa, Notre Dame, Wichita State, and Xavier.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Jim Albracht 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 night’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (WATCHESPN). Rich Hollenberg and Tim Welsh will call the action.
| GAME4: Iowa (3-0) vs. Dayton (3-0) | |
|---|---|
| When | Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015 | 8 p.m. CT |
| Where | HP Field House — Lake Buena Vista, Florida |
| Shop | Herky’s Locker Room |
| TV | ESPN2 | Watch Online via WATCHESPN Announcers: Rich Hollenberg and Tim Welsh |
| Radio | Hawkeye Radio Network |
| All-time Series | Iowa leads, 3-0 |
| Iowa Team Info | Game Notes (PDF) | Media Guide | 2015-16 Stats (HTML) | 2015-16 Stats (PDF) |
| Big Ten Info | B1G Notes (PDF) | Media Guide | Conference Stats |
| Social Media | @IowaHoops  | #Hawkeyes | IowaHoops  | Facebook  |
ADVOCARE INVITATIONAL OPENING TIP
? Head coach Fran McCaffery won career game No. 350 a week ago at Marquette and is one victory from collecting victory No. 100 at Iowa.
? Iowa will play on Thanksgiving for the second time in three years (beat Xavier, 77-74, in 2013).
? Iowa has had a player score 20 or more points in all three games: Jarrod Uthoff (21 vs. Gardner-Webb); Dom Uhl (20 vs. Coppin State); Peter Jok (20 at Marquette).
? Mike Gesell has 25 assists after three games. The senior point guard registered a career-high 12 assists in 19 minutes against Coppin State on Nov. 15.
? Jarrod Uthoff was selected as one of 10 players on the Preseason All-Big Ten team. Uthoff leads the team in scoring (16.3 ppg) and is second in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
? This will mark the second time Fran McCaffery has taken one of his teams to the Advocare Invitational. McCaffery took his 2008-09 Siena team to the tournament.
? Dom Uhl has scored in double digits the last two games (18 vs. Coppin State; 10 at Marquette).
? Iowa has won eight of its last 11 true road games, including posting a 7-3 mark last season.
? Iowa is 41-6 when scoring 80 points or more, the last six seasons. The Hawkeyes are 57-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last six years.
SCOUTING DAYTON
? Dayton has started the season with three home wins over Southeast Missouri State (84-53), Alabama (80-48), and William & Mary (69-66).
? The Flyers own a 12.7 average rebounding advantage on the glass this season. Dayton averages 17.3 assists, but also 17 turnovers per contest.
? Four players average in double figures in scoring: Charles Cooke (15.3); Scoochie Smith (10.3); Steve McElvene (10.0); and Darrell Davis (10.0). McElvene (8.7) and Kendall Pollard (8.0) each average over eight boards per contest.
? Dayton’s starting lineup consists of four juniors and a redshirt freshman.
? The Flyers shoot 65.8 percent (50-of-76) from the foul line and 48.5 percent (80-of-165) from the field.
? Archie Miller is in his fifth season as head coach at Dayton. Miller has compiled an overall record of 93-47 (.664) and guided the Flyers to three trips to the postseason (two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT).
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD
Thursday will be the third meeting between Iowa and Dayton. The Hawkeyes won the previous two contests: 61-54, in Dayton in 1979; and 84-75 in Iowa City in the first round of the 2012 NIT. Iowa is 24-12 against current members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
McCAFFERY APPROACHES MILESTONE
Fran McCaffery coached in his 600th career game as a head coach in Iowa’s regular season opener against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 13. He has compiled a record of 350-252 in 20 seasons as a head coach. Also, he has amassed 99 wins as an Iowa head coach in six seasons; McCaffery is one win from notching win No. 100 as a Hawkeye.
DIALING IT UP FROM LONG DISTANCE
Iowa averaged 5.6 3-pointers made per game a year ago. Through three games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 10.3 triples made. Iowa made seven in the season opener against Gardner-Webb, followed by 12 treys in back-to-back games against Coppin State and Marquette. The 12 3-pointers made in each contest equal the second most by an Iowa tie (13 vs. Northern Illinois in 2011).
HAWKEYES CRUISE TO WIN AT MARQUETTE
? Six Hawkeyes scored in double figures, led by Peter Jok’s career-high 20 points, in an 89-61 victory versus Marquette at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Nov. 19.
? The 28-point loss by Marquette was its largest margin of defeat since falling to DePaul by 28 points in 1991. The 28-point Iowa victory is its largest road win in nonconference play since beating Drake by 35 points on Nov. 29, 1994.
? All five Hawkeyes netted double figures for the second straight game against Marquette. The last time was in 1982 in an 87-66 triumph in Iowa City.
? Iowa shot at a 54 percent clip from the field (36-of-66) and 3-point range (12-of-22). The 12 triples equal the second most by an Iowa team under Fran McCaffery (since 2010).
? The Hawkeyes collected 14 steals and scored 22 points off the Marquette miscues. The 14 thefts equal the third most by an Iowa team under Fran McCaffery (since 2010).
? Senior Anthony Clemmons tallied a season-high seven assists to go along with 11 points, two rebounds, and three steals.
? Jarrod Uthoff had had his consecutive free throws made streak of 15 snapped when he split a pair of free throws in the first half.
? The victory improved Iowa’s record to 3-0 for the fourth time in six years under Fran McCaffery.
INCREASED WORK LOAD
The last couple seasons, Adam Woodbury split time at the center position with Gabriel Olaseni. With Olaseni having graduated, expect Woodbury’s minutes to increase according to coach McCaffery. The 7-foot-1, 250-pounder averaged 21 minutes per game a year ago alongside Olaseni. In his career when playing 28 minutes or more, Woodbury averaged 11.3 points and six rebounds per game.
HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? Iowa returned seven letterwinners, including four starters.
? The Hawkeyes rank second in the Big Ten in scoring offense (89.3), field goal percentage defense (.340), turnover margin (+3.7), steals (9.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), and third in field goal percentage (.508), 3-point accuracy (.419), 3-point percentage defense (.259), rebounding (43.3), and 3-pointers (10.3).
? Iowa has won 34 of its last 35 nonconference home games, dating back to November 2011.
? Iowa has competed in postseason play the last four years: NIT second round in 2012; NIT runner-up in 2013; NCAA first round in 2014; NCAA third round in 2015. The Hawkeyes tied for third place in the Big Ten last season — its best finish in nine years.
? Iowa won 21 regular season games last season, the most by a Hawkeye team since 2006 (22).
? Iowa has won at least 20 games in three consecutive seasons — its longest streak in 15 years.
? Iowa averaged 11.1 turnovers in 2015, which is the best average for fewest turnovers in program history since turnovers became an official stat in 1980.
? Iowa’s free throw percentage a year ago (74.4 percent) was the fourth best in program history for a single season.
? Iowa was the first team in the country to post road wins over two ranked opponents last year: 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 last season, including winning its final six regular-season Big Ten games for the first time since 1955. The seven total road wins were the most by a Hawkeye team since 1987.
? Iowa’s 12 conference wins last season are the most by a Hawkeye team since 1997. Also, its third place finish was its best in nine seasons.
? Adam Woodbury collected six assists to go along with his 11 points at Michigan last year. Woodbury became just the third Big Ten 7-footer to post 10+ points & 6+ assists in a game since 1996-97.
? Iowa’s 83-52 dominant performance over Davidson in the NCAA Second Round was the program’s first tournament win since 2001. It also marked the largest margin of victory in an NCAA Tournament 7/10 match-up.
? Iowa has had a first-team All-Big Ten honoree in each of the last two seasons: Devyn Marble in 2014 and Aaron White in 2015.
FLOCKING TO CHA
Iowa sold out 16 home games the last two seasons. The Hawkeyes ranked 20th in national attendance in 2015, averaging 14,101 fans. It is the second straight season and 21st time that Iowa has cracked the top 20 in the national attendance rankings. Additionally, Iowa played in front of 475,998 fans in its 34 games (home, away, and on neutral courts) throughout the season. That figure ranked 13th in the country. As a conference, the 14 Big Ten schools averaged 12,781 fans to lead in the nation in average attendance for a 39th consecutive season. More than three million fans witnessed Big Ten games in person throughout the course of the 2014-15 season. For the second consecutive year, Iowa was one of seven Big Ten schools to rank in the top 20 nationally.
WELCOME NEWCOMERS
Despite having four returning starters, plus another who has starting experience, Iowa welcomes 10 newcomers to its 2015-16 roster. The 10 newcomers includes two players who received redshirts last season (Nicholas Baer and Brady Ellingson). Iowa’s 10 newcomers ties for third most among Division I schools: Portland State and Tennessee State have 11, followed by Iowa, UTEP, and Nebraska with 10. The Hawkeyes add five freshmen (Isaiah Moss, Andrew Fleming, Brandon Hutton, Ahmad Wagner, and Christian Williams), and three junior college transfers (Dale Jones, and Michael and Steven Soukup). The Soukups are identical twins.
DISTRIBUTOR AND PROTECTOR
Point guard Mike Gesell has done an outstanding job directing the Hawkeye offense his entire Hawkeye career. Gesell owns two of Iowa’s top four assist-to-turnover ratio’s since the 1996-97 season. His 3.05 ratio in 2013-14 ranks first, while his 2.21 ratio in 2014-15 ranks fourth. Dean Oliver’s 2.75 ratio in 2000-01 is second, followed by Ryan Luehrsmann’s 2.21 in 1997-98 ranking third. Through three games this season, the native of South Sioux City, Nebraska, has 25 assists and only five turnovers (5.0 ratio), to go along with a team-best nine steals. Gesell dished out a career-best 12 assists in Iowa’s win over Coppin State.
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UTHOFF, GESELL, WOODBURY EARN ACADEMIC DISTINCTION
Mike Gesell and Jarrod Uthoff were named 2015 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, earned his degree in finance in three years. 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, graduated last May with a degree in economics. Additionally, Gesell, Uthoff, and Adam Woodbury were named 2015 Academic All-Big Ten.
THREE TIMES THE CHARM
Iowa posted a 22-12 record last season, reaching the 20-win plateau for the third consecutive season. For the first time in 15 years, Iowa won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons. The last time Iowa won at least 20 games four straight seasons was 1995-1999 — Tom Davis’ last five seasons as Iowa’s head coach.
UTHOFF PRODUCING ON THE WING
Jarrod Uthoff, who was named third-team All-Big Ten last season, 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 is one of 10 men’s basketball players selected to the 2015 Preseason All-Big Ten team as selected by a media voting panel. Uthoff leads the team averaging 16.3 points in Iowa’s first three games. The Hawkeye senior netted a game-high 21 points against Gardner-Webb and had 15 points at Marquette. His 56 blocks and 54 triples last season rank fourth and fifth best, respectively, by an Iowa junior in program history. 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).
FRESH START
Peter Jok made his first start of his career on Dec. 22, 2014, versus North Florida. The native of West Des Moines, Iowa, started 21 of the last 22 games last year. Jok is starting 2015 with a new number, changing from No. 3 last year to No. 14 this season. 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. Jok’s 36 triples in 2015 rank as the sixth most by a Hawkeye sophomore in program history. His 19 steals, 44 assists, 83 field goals and 36 treys last season were single season bests. Jok scored eight points in Iowa’s opener against Gardner-Webb before suffering an ankle injury. He did not play against Coppin State on Nov. 15. The shooting guard returned to the lineup last week at Marquette and poured in a career-hgh 20 points and four 3-pointers in only 18 minutes of action at Marquette.
EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT
Iowa has two senior point guards (Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons) and a junior shooting guard (Peter Jok) on this season’s roster. Clemmons, who has started 27 of 106 games, was named the team’s Most Improved Player last spring after leading the team in 3-point accuracy (.373) and posting single-season bests in rebounding, steals, scoring average, and free throw percentage in 2014-15. Gesell is a four-year starter, who has 823 points, 377 assists, and 123 steals. His 25 assists in three games this season surged him past Kenny Arnold and Mon’ter Glasper and into seventh place on Iowa’s all-time assists chart. He is 20 assists from tying Devyn Marble for sixth. The 25 assists, 8.3 per game, ranks second best in the conference this season. His 3.0 steals per game rank first in the Big Ten.
MUSCLE GAIN
Last season, freshman Dom Uhl was listed a 6-foot-8 and 195 pounds at the start of the season. After a year in the weight room, the sophomore forward checks in a 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds entering this season. Uhl earned the team’s Newcomer Award last year. Uhl had a solid start to the 2015-16 season posting career highs in every statistical category in only three games. The native of Frankfurt, Germany, scored a personal-best 18 points against Coppin State. He ranks third on the team in scoring average (11.3 ppg) and is shooting at a 70 percent clip from the floor (14-of-20), including 56 percent from 3-point range (5-of-9). His shooting percentage (.700) ranks fourth best in the Big Ten this season.
GESELL NOMINATED FOR GOOD WORKS TEAM
Senior Mike Gesell is a nominee for the 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. 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.
IN MEMORY…
Iowa’s all-time leading scorer, Roy Marble, passed away on Sept. 11, 2015, at the age of 48. Marble led the Hawkeyes to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including advancing to the Elite Eight in 1987 and Sweet 16 in 1988, and led the team in scoring three consecutive seasons. In memory of Marble, RM23 is stitched on the upper right corner of Iowa’s jerseys this season.
2 HAWKEYES SELECTED IN LAST 2 NBA DRAFTS
Roy Devyn Marble and Aaron White were selected in the second round of the NBA Draft each of the past two seasons — Marble in 2014 by Orlando and White in 2015 by Washington. The Hawkeyes are one of four Big Ten schools to have multiple players drafted by NBA teams the last two years.
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.
McCAFFERY’S HONORED WITH FIGHTING SPIRIT AWARD
The American Cancer Society honored Fran and Margaret McCaffery with the Fighting Spirit Award, Sept. 30, in Troy, New York, at the 10th Anniversary Coaches vs. Cancer Basket Ball. The McCaffery’s were honored for bringing attention and their tremendous amount of fundraising for cancer research. McCaffery was also honored with the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award during Final Four Weekend in Indianapolis last April. 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. The McCaffery’s helped raise $176,000 at October’s cancer research fundraiser, which will benefit the Adolescent and Young Adult Program Fund in Johnson County. The McCaffery family commited $22,000 this year and an additional $10,000 per year for the duration of his contract at Iowa.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 67 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 130 years of collegiate coaching under their belts — the most experience of any Division I college basketball program in the country.
HY-VEE BIG FOUR CLASSIC TICKETS ON SALE
The state’s four NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams will be in action in the same venue for the fourth consecutive year at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, Dec. 19. The first game of the doubleheader will feature Drake and Iowa beginning at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.com. Iowa State and UNI will play the second game at 6 p.m., with the game being broadcast on ESPNU. Tickets, which range in price from $25-70, are on sale exclusively through Hy-VeeTix.com, 844-55-HYVEE, 22 Hy-Vee Stores in Des Moines and Ames, or the Wells Fargo Arena Box Office. Tickets are good for admission to both games of the doubleheader. One of the marquee basketball events in the Midwest, the Hy-Vee Big Four Classic will look to grow its attendance for the fourth straight year. More than 13,000 fans have turned out for each year of the event, including a record 15,124 fans streaming through the Wells Fargo Arena turnstiles in 2014.
IOWA TO HEADLINE NEW CAYMAN ISLANDS TOURNAMENT
Iowa, Cincinnati, UAB, and Wyoming will headline the inaugural eight-team Cayman Islands Classic college basketball multi-team event that will start in Nov., 2017. The remaining four participating teams will be released in the near future. Cincinnati and Iowa each received votes in the first 2015-16 USA Today Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The Hawkeyes posted a 22-12 record last season, while the Bearcats were 23-11. UAB owned a 20-16 mark in 2014-15 en route to winning the Conference-USA Tournament championship while knocking off then-No. 9 ranked Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Wyoming captured the Mountain West Conference Tournament championship while posting a 25-10 mark in 2014-15. All four teams competed in the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with Cincinnati, Iowa, and UAB advancing to the third round.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will return to Iowa City to host Florida State on Dec. 2, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Tipoff is set for 8:15 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
