Men's Hoops Travels to Emerald Coast Classic

Hawkeyes in the NBA | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch | Hawk Talk Monthly — November | Game Notes (PDF)

THE SETTING
Iowa (3-1) will challenge No. 6/7 Virginia (4-0) in the semifinals of the Emerald Classic on Friday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at The Arena in Niceville, Florida. 

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Jim Albracht will handle 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: Friday’s game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Bradley Johansen and Doug Gottlieb will call the action. 

GAME #5 STORYLINES
•    Friday will be the third meeting between Iowa and Virginia and first since a 75-64 Hawkeye win in Charlottesville on March 27, 2013 in the quarterfinals of the NIT.
•    Iowa will be making its second straight trip to the state of Florida for a Thanksgiving holiday tournament. The Hawkeyes played in the Advocare Invitational in Orlando a year ago.
•    Senior Dale Jones suffered a fracture in his right wrist and will miss the next 8-9 weeks.
•    Peter Jok, who enters Friday’s game with 969 career points, has scored double digits in all four games, including netting 27 or more points in three of the contests. Jok leads the Big Ten in scoring (24.3 ppg), scoring nearly a point per minute played (97 points in 104 minutes).
•    Peter Jok joined Reggie Evans (twice) and Aaron Fuller as the only Hawkeyes to post 30+ points and 10+ rebounds in a single game the last 20 years. Jok totaled 30 points and 11 rebounds against Seton Hall. His efforts last week earned the team captain Big Ten Player of the Week honors.
•    Iowa’s Nicholas Baer and Virginia’s London Perrantes lead their respective teams in assist-to-turnover ratio. Baer’s ratio is 6.5 (13 assists, 2 turnovers), while Perrantes is 4.25 (17 assists, 4 turnovers).
•    Iowa will play another member of the Atlantic Coast Conference next week, traveling to Notre Dame in the annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
•    Peter Jok (97 points) and Tyler Cook (59 points) account for 40 percent of Iowa’s offense.
•    Peter Jok was named to the preseason 10-player All-Big Ten first team, while also being named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and 2017 Naismith Trophy and John Wooden Award watch lists.
•    Iowa has competed in postseason play the last five years (NCAA 2014-16; NIT 2012-13).
•    The Hawkeyes won 22 games, tied for third place in the Big Ten, and won an NCAA Tournament game each of the last two seasons. 
•    Iowa has won 20 or more games in four consecutive seasons — its longest streak in 15 years. 
•    Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in each of the last four seasons. McCaffery, who is one of just 12 Division I head coaches to take four different programs to the NCAA Tournament, has accumulated 16 first division finishes in 20 years as a head coach. McCaffery has posted 10 seasons of 20 or more wins as a head coach.
•    Iowa is 53-8 when scoring 80 points or more, the last six seasons. The Hawkeyes are 61-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last six years.

ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
Iowa is 2-0 all-time against Virginia. The Hawkeyes beat the Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 73-60, in Salt Lake City on March 13, 1997. Iowa defeated Virginia, 75-64, in March 27, 2013 in Charlottesville in the NIT Quarterfinals. The Hawkeyes made all 15 free throw attempts in the road win against Virginia in 2013.
    Iowa is 2-0 all-time against Memphis and 0-1 against Providence. Both previous contests against Memphis were played on neutral floors: Iowa topped Memphis 73-66 in Los Angeles in 1983 and 75-71 in Kansas City in 2001. Providence edged Iowa, 71-70, in Iowa City in 1965.

PETER JOK NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Peter Jok was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. Jok, who collects his second Big Ten weekly honor of his career and first of the season, was a stat sheet stuffer in two games last week for the Hawkeyes. The guard averaged 28.5 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two assists in two games. Jok made all 10 free throw attempts and shot 59 percent (20-of-34) from the field, including 44 percent (7-of-16) from 3-point range. 
    The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard registered his first career double-double in Iowa’s loss to Seton Hall, posting career highs in scoring (30) and rebounding (11). 
    Jok helped led Iowa to a 95-67 win over UT Rio Grande Valley last Sunday. The team captain totaled 27 points, two steals and one rebound in only 19 minutes of action. Jok shot a blistering 69 percent (9-of-13) from the field, including 62 percent (5-of-8) from long distance. The five 3-pointers equaled a personal best. 

HAWKEYES OVERWHELM UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures in 1 95-67 win over UT Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Sunday afternoon in Iowa City.
•    Leading the way offensively for the Hawkeyes were Peter Jok with 27 points, followed by Tyler Cook (15), Isaiah Moss (14), and Brady Ellingson (11).
•    Iowa scored 41 points after forcing 26 Vaquero turnovers. The Hawkeyes also outscored UTRGV 10-0 in transition.
•    The Hawkeyes drained 11 triples, led by Peter Jok’s five, which tied a career high. Moss and Ellingson made two apiece, while Dom Uhl and Jordan Bohannon each made one.
•    Freshmen Ryan Kriener recorded a game-high three blocks, while Nicholas Baer continued to fill the stat sheet (8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a game-best 3 steals).
•    Iowa improved to 11-0 against current members of the Western Athletic Conference.

SCOUTING VIRGINIA
•    Virginia won its first four games of the season, winning at UNC Greensboro (76-51), and beating St. Francis Brooklyn (72-32), Yale (62-38), and Grambling (90-34) at home.
•    Virginia won its first four games by an average of 36.2 points. The Cavaliers average 75 points per game, while allowing only 38.8 points per contest.
•    Virginia has seven players who average 5.8 points or more. The Cavaliers have two reserves who averages double digits in scoring, Marial Shayok (12.5) and Kyle Guy (11.0).
•    In their last outing against Grambling on Wednesday, Virginia grabbed 14 more rebounds than the Bulldogs. The Cavaliers led 49-9 at halftime. Virginia made 10 more 3-pointers (14-4) and committed ten fewer turnovers (11-21) than Grambling. Kyle Guy led all scorers with 20 points.
•    Preseason All-ACC first team honoree London Perrantes averages 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and a team-best 4.25 assists. The senior guard has committed only four turnovers.
•    Tony Bennett is in his eighth season (169-72) at Virginia and 11th year (238-105) overall as a head coach. The Wisconsin native has guided the Cavaliers to five straight postseason tournaments, including four NCAA Tournaments. Virginia advanced to the Elite Eight last March, beating Hampton, Butler, and Iowa State before falling to Syracuse.

PETER JOK IN HIS FINAL SEASON AS A HAWKEYE
After averaging seven points per game as a sophomore, Peter Jok surged 9.1 points last year as a junior averaging 16.1 points per contest. The 9.1 improvement was tops among Big Ten players. Jok’s 16.1 scoring average ranks second among Big Ten players returning this season behind Illinois’ Malcolm Hill (18.1 ppg).
    Jok was named to the preseason All-Big Ten first team, while also being named to the 2017 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award and 2017 Naismith Trophy and John Wooden Award watch lists. Jok is averaging a team-best 24.3 points per game through four contests this season. The 24.3 scoring average is an 8.2 improvement from last year.
    Jok ranked second on the team in scoring (16.1 ppg) and first in free throw accuracy (.852, 92-of-108). Jok made 28 straight free throws before missing in the win over Temple. He has made 12 straight free throws to start this season. Jok scored 20 points or more 10 times in 2015-16, while he has eclipsed 20 points three times already this year.
    Jok became the first Hawkeye non-senior to average 16 points or more since Chris Kingsbury averaged 16.8 points as a sophomore in 1995.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•    Seven different Hawkeyes have reached double figures in scoring through four games this season.
•    After scoring in double figures once in 27 games last year, sophomore Brady Ellingson has netted double digits twice in four games this season.
•    Iowa surpassed the century mark for the 97th time in program history with a 116-84 win over Savannah State on Nov. 13. The 116 points equal the seventh most points scored in a game in program history.
•    Iowa has won 40 of its last 42 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•    Iowa posted school records in 3-pointers made (18) and attempted (43) in its victory over Savannah State on Nov. 13.
•    Peter Jok scored 27 points in Iowa’s opener vs. Kennesaw State. The 27 points are the most by a Hawkeye in a season opener since Adam Haluska poured in 29 against The Citadel in 2006. 
•    Freshman Tyler Cook (10) joined Aaron White as the only two players to grab 10 or more rebounds in their first game as a Hawkeye in the past 20 years.

DALE JONES TO MISS 8-9 WEEKS DUE TO INJURY
Senior Dale Jones suffered a fracture in his right wrist in Iowa’s game against Seton Hall (Nov. 17) and is expected to miss approximately 8-9 weeks. After missing the first two games this season, Jones sustained the injury minutes after making his season debut against Seton Hall.
    Jones, who transferred to Iowa in 2015 after three years at Tyler Junior College in Texas, has played limited minutes in only seven games during his Hawkeye career. Jones suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Dec. 1, 2015, after competing in Iowa’s first six games. The native of Waterloo, Iowa, suffered his first knee injury in 2014.

NICHOLAS BAER PLAYED OVERSEAS IN AUGUST
Nicholas Baer averaged 8.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and two steals in four games (3-1) overseas on the USA East Coast All-Star Team.
    This marked the sixth consecutive year that a Hawkeye traveled overseas with the USA East Coast basketball team. In 2011, Matt Gatens and Bryce Cartwright traveled overseas; Zach McCabe went in 2012; Jarrod Uthoff was on the roster in 2013; Mike Gesell and Adam Woodbury competed in 2014; while Dom Uhl traveled with the team in 2015.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,710 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,596-1,114 (.589). That includes a 1,018-356 (.741) record in home games, a 574-755 (.432) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 752-757 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 423-130 (.765) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Melsahn Basabe (Greece), Anthony Clemmons (Austria), Mike Gesell (Denmark), Jarryd Cole (France), Matt Gatens (NBA D-League: Iowa Energy — injured), Devyn Marble (Greece), Gabriel Olaseni (Italy), Darius Stokes (Australia), Jarrod Uthoff (NBA D-League: Raptors 905), Aaron White (Russia), and Adam Woodbury (NBA D-League: Fort Wayne Mad Ants).

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA ENHANCEMENTS
The Iowa Athletic Department upgraded Carver-Hawkeye Arena’s video boards, sound system, lighting, digital scorestable displays, and playing surface this past summer. 
    A new four-sided centerhung video system is the centerpiece of the installation. The two main centerhung displays measure approximately 14.5 feet high by 26 feet wide and the other two centerhung displays measure 9.5 feet high by 16.5 feet wide. The project also upgraded the auxiliary displays located near the ceiling at each side of the arena.

BAER NOMINATED FOR GOOD WORKS TEAM
Sophomore Nicholas Baer is a nominee for the 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. Baer currently ranks first in the Big Ten in steals per game (2.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (6.5).
    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.

THE HY-VEE 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 fifth consecutive year at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday, Dec. 17.
    The first game of the doubleheader will feature Northern Iowa and Iowa beginning at 3:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. Iowa State and Drake will play the second game at 6 p.m., with the game being broadcast on Mediacom.
    Tickets, which range in price from $30-75, 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 Classic has sold out each of the last two years.

ALL-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets for the 2017 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament are on sale. The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament will take place at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C., March 8-12. 
    Lower level tickets may be purchased through the UI Ticket Office. General public tickets may be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
    All-session tickets for the lower level at the Verizon Center are available for $400 through the Big Ten university ticket offices only. All-session tickets general public tickets are available for $200 or $250 (depending on seat location) through Ticketmaster or the Verizon Center box office only. Orders will be limited to eight 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. 

ON THE HORIZON
After Iowa competes in two games at the Emerald Coast Classic, the Hawkeyes will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to face Notre Dame in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It will mark the second consecutive season that the Hawkeyes and Irish will have played.