Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawkeyes in the NBA | Hawk Talk Monthly — Dec. 2016 | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch | Game Notes (PDF)
THE SETTING
Iowa (3-4) returns home on Saturday to host Omaha (3-4). Tipoff is set for 1:05 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets are available for purchase through the Iowa Athletics Ticket Office: $18 for adults and $5 for youth/UI students. UI Alumni Association members will be admitted FREE, while their guests can gain admittance for only $5.
PARKING INFORMATION — HANCHER LOT
Due to an event at Hancher on Saturday, parking will not be available at the Hancher Lot for basketball fans attending the game against Omaha.
The service will pick-up from the Cambus stop on the south side of the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City (on Washington Street, south of Clinton Street) and drop off fans outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Elliott Drive. The postgame pick-up location will be outside the East entrance of Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Newton Road, as it is for all basketball games. The shuttle service will begin at 11:30 a.m. and run until 1 p.m., then again for 60 minutes following the end of the game.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin 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.
Stream: Saturday’s game will be streamed on mobile devices and computers via BTN Plus on BTN2GO. Zach Mackey, Jess Settles, and Taylor Brooks will call the action. There is a monthly or annual subscription fee to watch the game.
GAME #8 STORYLINES
• Fans who bring a new toy to donate to the UI Children’s Hospital will receive $5 off any home game this season.
• Saturday will be only the third meeting between Iowa and Omaha. The Hawkeyes won both previous meetings in Iowa City: 71-58 in 1981 and 83-75 in 2013.
• Iowa has won 40 of its last 42 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Peter Jok poured in 42 points against Memphis on last Saturday. The 42 points are the most by a Hawkeye in 40 years and tie for the fourth most in a single-game in program history, tying Bruce King’s 42 points against Pittsburgh in 1976.
• In their first career starts, Jordan Bohannon (23) and Cordell Pemsl (18) combined to score 41 of Iowa’s 78 points at Notre Dame. Bohannon was 7-of-15 from long distance; the 15 attempts tied Justin Jackson for the second most 3-point attempts in a single-game in Iowa history.
• Cordell Pemsl ranks first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, making 74 percent of his shot attempts (23-of-31).
• Peter Jok, who scored his 1,000th career point against Memphis, has scored double digits in all seven games, including netting 27 or more points in four of the contests. Jok leads the Big Ten and ranks second among players from Power 5 conferences in scoring (23.9 ppg).
• 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.
• Saturday will be Omaha’s eighth game of the season, its sixth on the road.
• 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 53-9 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.
2 HAWKEYES SIDELINED DUE TO INJURIES
Forwards Dale Jones and Tyler Cook are sidelined due to hand injuries suffered during the month of November.
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. The Hawkeye senior sustained the injury minutes after making his season debut against the Pirates. 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.
Cook fractured his right index finger during a practice on Thanksgiving at the Emerald Coast Classic and is expected to miss approximately three weeks. The Hawkeye freshman had surgery on Nov. 29 in Iowa City. Cook, who started the first six games of his collegiate career, ranks second on the team in scoring (13.7 points per game) and rebounding (5.3 rebounds per game).
NOTRE DAME BEATS HAWKEYES IN ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE
Notre Dame outscored Iowa 30-12 at the free throw line in a 92-78 win over the Hawkeyes at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana, on Tuesday night in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• After averaging 16.8 turnovers through six games, the Hawkeyes valued the basketball and only turned the ball over a season-low six times (five in the first half and one in the second half). Iowa’s defense forced 14 turnovers and converted those Irish miscues tinto 19 points.
• Iowa shared the basketball, recording 22 assists on 27 field goals made.
• Three Hawkeye freshmen got their first collegiate starts: Jordan Bohannon, Isaiah Moss, and Cordell Pemsl.
• Point guard Jordan Bohannon posted career highs in scoring (23) and 3-pointers made (7), and tied a personal best in assists (7).
• Forward Cordell Pemsl tied a personal best with 18 points (Kennesaw State). The rookie was 8-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from the free throw line.
• Sophomore Nicholas Baer grabbed a team and career-high 12 rebounds. The 12 boards are the most by a Hawkeye in a game this season.
• Iowa’s leading scorer, Peter Jok, was held to 15 points and had his consecutive free throw streak end at 26, missing his first attempt in the contest.
• The loss snapped Iowa’s three-game win streak in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
SCOUTING OMAHA
• Omaha will be making the trip to Iowa City from Orange County, California, where the Mavericks are fresh off an 83-73 victory over Cal State Fullerton Wednesday evening.
• The Mavericks have played five of its first seven games on the road, three of which in the state California (USC, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal State Fullerton).
• Four starters scored in double figures in its 10-point win over the Titans. Junior Tre’Shawn Thurman posted a double-double (17 points, 12 rebounds), while Tra-Deon Hollins led all scorers with 20 points and also had a game-best four steals and four assists. The Mavericks made 25 of its 27 free throw attempts (.926).
• Four starters average double figures in scoring: Tre’Shawn Thurman (13.9), Zach Jackson (12.0), Tra-Deon Hollins (11.1), and Marcus Tyus (10.9).
• In addition to leading the squad in scoring, Tre’Shawn Thurman averages a team-best 7.6 rebounds. Tra-Deon Hollins ranks 16th nationally in assists per game (6.4).
• Two players have made 10 or more 3-pointers: Marcus Tyus (14) and Mitch Hahn (10).
• Following Saturday’s contest, Omaha will travel to Ames, Iowa, to face Iowa State.
• The Mavericks are coached by Derrin Hansen, who is in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, all at Omaha. Hansen ranks second all-time in school history for career victories and has led the program to two Division I postseason appearances with the 2016 CBI and the 2014 CIT.
PETER JOK SCORCHING THE NETS
After averaging 7.0 points per game as a sophomore, Peter Jok averaged 16.1 points last year as a junior (+9.1), and is averaging a Big Ten-best 23.9 points so far this season as a senior (+7.8). The 9.1 improvement last year was tops among Big Ten players.
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 has scored 27 points or more four times this season, including scorching the nets for 42 points in Iowa’s against Memphis last Saturday.
Jok was recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 21 after averaging 28.5 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two assists against Seton Hall and UTRGV. 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 in the two-game span.
Jok, who scored career point No. 1,000 in Iowa’s last game against Memphis, made his first 24 free throw attempts this season before misfiring on his first attempt Tuesday at Notre Dame. Jok has had free throw streaks of 27 and 26 the last two seasons. The school record for consecutive free throws made is 34 set by Chris Street (Jan. 2-Jan. 16, 1993).
Jok ranks fifth nationally in points per game (23.9) and 10th in 3-pointers per game (3.7). His 23.9 scoring average is second best among players from Power 5 conferences.
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.
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• Eight different Hawkeyes have reached double figures in scoring through seven games this season.
• After scoring in double figures once in 27 games last year, sophomore Brady Ellingson has netted double digits twice in seven 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.
• 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 (Nov. 17). His efforts earned the team captain Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Nov. 21.
• 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.
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.
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).
BAER NOMINATED FOR GOOD WORKS TEAM
Nicholas Baer is a nominee for the 2017 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. The Hawkeye sophomore visited a local third grade class this past Wednesday.
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
Iowa will remain home for a pair of home games next week, first hosting Stetson on Monday (6 p.m. CT) followed by in-state rival Iowa State on Thursday (7 p.m.). Tickets are still available for both contests at the UI Athletics Ticket Office.
