Dec. 1, 2015
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THE SETTING
After playing four games away from home the last two weeks, Iowa (4-2) returns to Iowa City to host Florida State (4-1) Wednesday evening in an Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest. Tipoff is slated for 8:20 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Fans are encouraged to wear black clothing to the game for Wednesday’s “Blackout.” Tickets are available for $28 for adults, and $15 for UI students and youth.
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: Wednesday night’s game will be televised nationally on ESPNU (WATCHESPN). Adam Amin and Craig Robinson will call the action.
| GAME 7: Florida State (4-1) at Iowa (4-2) | |
|---|---|
| When | Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015 | 8:20 p.m. CT |
| Where | Carver-Hawkeye Arena — Iowa City, Iowa |
| Shop | Herky’s Locker Room |
| TV | ESPNU | Watch Online via WATCHESPN Announcers: Adam Amin and Craig Robinson |
| Radio | Hawkeye Radio Network | Listen | Sirius 83 / XM 83 |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| All-time Series | Series tied, 1-1 |
| 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  |
BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE OPENING TIP
? Head coach Fran McCaffery won his 100th game as Iowa’s head coach on Sunday with an 84-61 victory over No. 20 Wichita State at the Advocare Invitational in Orlando.
? Iowa will meet Florida State for only the third time Wednesday and for the first time in exactly 13 years. The last meeting between the two teams took place on Dec. 2, 2002, in Tallahassee.
? Iowa has won its last two Big Ten/ACC Challenge contests, winning at North Carolina (60-50) in 2014 and at home to Notre Dame (98-93) in 2013.
? Iowa has had eight different players score in double digits at least once this season. Jarrod Uthoff has reached double figures in every game.
? Mike Gesell has been credited with 46 assists through six games (7.7 apg). He has dished out nine or more assists four times. Gesell is coming off back-to-back 37-minute, 14-point, 9-assist games against ranked opponents (No. 17 Notre Dame and No. 20 Wichita State).
? Jarrod Uthoff was selected as one of 10 players on the Preseason All-Big Ten team.
? Iowa has won eight of its last 11 true road games, including posting a 7-3 mark last season.
? Iowa is 42-6 when scoring 80 points or more, the last six seasons. The Hawkeyes are 58-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last six years.
SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE
? Wednesday will be Florida State’s first true road game of the season after playing two home games and three games at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
? Florida State will be playing in its first game Wednesday since posting a 90-81 win over Ohio on Nov. 23, at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
? The Seminoles also beat DePaul (83-67) and lost to Hofstra (82-77) at the Paradise Jam.
? Florida State has two true freshmen averaging 20-plus points per contest: Dwayne Bacon (20.6) and Malik Beasley (20.0).
? The Seminoles average 91.4 points per game, shooting 53.7 percent (161-of-300) from the floor. Malik Beasley has made 14-of-24 (.583) from 3-point territory, while Dwayne Bacon also shoots at a high percentage from long distance (8-of-17, .471).
? Freshman Dwayne Bacon was a teammate of Iowa’s Andrew Fleming last season at Oak Hill Academy.
? Florida State averages eight more rebounds than its opponents (37.4-29.4).
? After winning six of its first nine Challenge games, Florida State has since lost seven consecutive Challenge contests, including a 70-65 defeat to Nebraska in Tallahassee last year. The Seminoles’ last win came in 2007 to Minnesota (75-61) in Tallahassee.
? Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles’ all-time winningest basketball coach, is in his 14th season at FSU and his 28th year as a collegiate head coach. Hamilton has earned three National Coach of the Year awards, two ACC Coach of the Year awards, two Big East Coach of the Year awards, and taken his teams to seven NCAA Tournaments.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD
Wednesday night will be the third meeting between Iowa and Florida State and the first in Iowa City. The two teams split the first two contests. The Hawkeyes won the first meeting, 102-98, in Los Angeles in the 1988 NCAA Tournament. The Seminoles beat Iowa, 80-67, in the second meeting in the 2002 Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Tallahassee. Iowa is 25-39 against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
McCAFFERY GETS WIN NO. 100 AT IOWA
Fran McCaffery collected his 100th victory at Iowa on Nov. 29, with a convincing 84-61 triumph over Wichita State. McCaffery collected his 100th win in game No. 177. 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 351-254 in 20 seasons as a head coach.
ADVOCARE INVITATIONAL HAWKEYE HIGHLIGHTS
? Iowa’s 23-point win over No. 20 Wichita State is its largest over a ranked (AP) opponent since beating Michigan by 28 on Feb. 4, 2006.
? Iowa had four starters average in double figures in the three games in Orlando: Jarrod Uthoff (20.0); Adam Woodbury (11.7); Mike Gesell (11.7); Peter Jok (10.7).
? In addition to averaging 11.7 points, Gesell averaged seven assists in the three games. The senior dished out nine assists in each of the last two contests against ranked opponents (Notre Dame and Wichita State).
? Adam Woodbury scored in double figures in each of Iowa’s last two games (14 vs. Notre Dame and 16 vs. Wichita State). The 15 points against the Shockers was one point shy of equaling a career best. The senior center posted his third career double-double (14 points and 10 boards) against the Irish. Woodbury made 12 of his 18 field goal attempts (.667) and 11 of his 14 free throws (.786).
? The evening session crowd of 4,871 on Nov. 26, set a record in 10 years of the AdvoCare Invitational (formerly known as the Old Spice Classic). Games featured Notre Dame vs. Monmouth and Iowa vs. Dayton.
? The new tournament attendance record was established at the 2015 AdvoCare Invitational. In six sessions, a total of 24,842 fans attended, for an average of 4,140. The previous record was set in 2008 with 24,267 for an average of 4,045.
UTHOFF NAMED TO ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff was one of five players named to the 2015 Advocare Invitational All-Tournament Team. Uthoff joined Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett and Jalen Reynolds, Scoochie Smith of Dayton, and Justin Robinson of Monmouth (MVP). Uthoff averaged 20 points in three games (Dayton, Notre Dame, and Wichita State), reaching double figures in the first half in all three games. The Hawkeye senior also averaged 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, and shot at a 50 percent clip (23-of-46).
LAST YEAR IN ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Iowa’s 60-10 win over No. 12 North Carolina in Chapel Hill last season clinched the Challenge for the Big Ten. Mike Gesell, who led all scorers with 16 points, scored the game’s final five points the final 1:16 of the game to lift the Hawkeyes to victory. Adam Woodbury netted 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Jarrod Uthoff led the team in rebounding, pulling down 11 boards, and matched a personal best with a game-high five rejections.
DIALING IT UP FROM LONG DISTANCE
Iowa averaged 5.6 3-pointers made per game a year ago. Through six games this season, the Hawkeyes are averaging 9.5 triples made. Iowa made 12 triples in three consecutive games (Coppin State, Marquette, and Dayton). The 12 3-pointers made in each contest equal the second most by an Iowa team in the Fran McCaffery era (13 versus Northern Illinois in 2011). Last year, Iowa shot 33.3 percent from behind the arc, while the Hawkeyes are shooting at a 40.7 percent clip this season.
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 averages 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The senior has played over 28 minutes once this season (15 points and seven rebounds) in 33 minutes of action vs. Wichita State.
BAER PROVIDING SOLID MINUTES OFF BENCH
Redshirt freshman walk-on Nicholas Baer is averaging 13.7 minutes off the bench in six games this season. Baer is not only producing offensively, but also defensively with his rebounding and taking charges. Baer has made four of his eight 3-point attempts (.500) this season. He scored a personal-best eight points in 24 minutes of action in Iowa’s victory over No. 20 Wichita State.
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.
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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.
HAWKEYE FAST BREAKS
? Iowa returns seven letterwinners, including four starters.
? 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 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.
? Iowa’s 83-52 effort 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.
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 six games this season, the native of South Sioux City, Nebraska, has 46 assists and 11 turnovers (4.2 ratio), to go along with a team-best 10 steals. Gesell dished out a career-best 12 assists in Iowa’s win over Coppin State. He has been credited with nine or more assists in 4-of-6 games this season. His 7.7 assists per game rank second best in the conference this season.
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.
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. This season, Uthoff is one of 10 men’s basketball players selected to the 2015 Preseason All-Big Ten team, selected by a media voting panel, and was named to the 2015 Advocare Invitational after averaging 20 points in three games. The senior has scored in double figures in all six games, including reaching double figures in the first half in four of those contests. Uthoff has scored 20 or more three times this year. Uthoff also ranks first on the team in blocks (14) and 3-pointers (14), and is second in rebounding (5.7).
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. His 36 triples in 2015 rank as the sixth most by a sophomore in Iowa history. His 19 steals, 44 assists, 83 field goals and 36 treys last season were single season bests. This season, Jok ranks second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and is first in free throw accuracy (.846, 11-of-13). He scored a career-high 20 points at Marquette (Nov. 19) and netted 12 points in 2-of-3 games in Orlando last week.
EXPERIENCED BACKCOURT
Iowa has two senior point guards (Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons) and a junior shooting guard (Peter Jok) on this year’s roster. Clemmons, who has started 30 of 109 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, and free throw percentage in 2014-15. Gesell is a four-year starter, who has 858 points, 398 assists, and 126 steals. He is 82 assists from tying Ronnie Lester (480) for fifth.
MUSCLE GAIN
Last season, freshman Dom Uhl was listed a 6-foot-8 and 195 pounds. 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 is averaging 15 minutes, 6.3 points, and 2.3 rebounds per game this season.
IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
The Hawkeyes were 4-6 against opponents ranked in either the Associated Press or USA Today Coaches polls last season. Iowa’s last two contests came against ranked opponents at the Advocare Invitational in Orlando last weekend. The Hawkeyes split the two games, falling to No. 17 Notre Dame (68-62), but overwhelming No. 20 Wichita State (84-61).
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 committed $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 remains at home this weekend when the Hawkeyes entertain UMKC on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT (ESPN3) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
