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THE SETTING
Iowa (4-5) remains home on Thursday evening hosting in-state rival No. 25 Iowa State (6-2) is an Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest. Tipoff is set for 7:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available for $33 for adults, and $20 for UI students/youth.
Thursday is Iowa’s annual men’s basketball Black & Gold Spirit Game. Fans are encouraged to wear black or gold clothing based on the section of their seats.
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.
TV: Thursday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (WATCHESPN). Jason Benetti and Jim Calhoun will call the action.
GAME #10 STORYLINES
• Fans who bring a new toy to donate to the UI Children’s Hospital will receive $5 off Thursday’s game ticket.
• Six of the last seven meetings between Iowa and Iowa State have been decided by 10 points or less.
• Iowa has scored 90 points or more five times this season.
• Three of Iowa’s top four scorers this season are true freshmen. Tyler Cook is second (13.7), followed by Cordell Pemsl (10.6), and Jordan Bohannon (8.4).
• Iowa has won 41 of its last 44 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Peter Jok, who scored his 1,000th career point against Memphis, has scored double digits in all nine games, including netting 27 or more points in five of the contests. Jok ranks fifth in country — first among players from Power 5 conferences — in scoring per game (23.9).
• Peter Jok tied a Carver-Hawkeye Arena record against Omaha, making all 12 free throw attempts. The perfect 12-of-12 mark tied Luke Recker (2001 vs. Kansas State), Val Barnes (1992 vs. Ohio State), and Roy Marble (1988 vs. Northern Iowa).
• Cordell Pemsl ranks first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, making 77 percent of his shot attempts (38-of-49). Pesml is one of seven Division I players in the last 20 years to shoot 77 percent or better thru nine career games (minimum 40 attempts).
• 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 54-10 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).
PEMSLVANIA
Freshman Cordell Pemsl has had a great start to his collegiate career. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, came off the bench his first six games, before starting the last three. In nine total games, Pemsl has scored in double digits five times and is averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds, while shooting a Big Ten-best 77 percent (38-49) from the field. Pesml is one of seven Division I players in the last 20 years to shoot 77 percent or better through nine career games (minimum 40 attempts).
In his last three starts, he is averaging 19 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. Pemsl has made a staggering 85 percent of his shot attempts, missing only four (23-of-27). And after starting the season (8-of-20, .400) from the foul line, Pemsl is 11-of-15 (.733) as a starter.
IOWA SNAPS 4-GAME LOSING SKID, BLASTS STETSON
Cordell Pemsl and Isaiah Moss each scored a personal-best 21 points en route to a 95-68 convincing victory over Stetson Monday on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Pemsl was 9-of-11 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from the free throw line, while also grabbing eight rebounds. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has netted double figures five times this season, including the last three games.
• Moss was 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range. The Chicago native also posted career bests in rebounds (6) and steals (2).
• Peter Jok flirted with a triple-double, posting 15 points, eight rebounds and a game and career-high seven assists.
• Iowa equaled a season-best with 52 total rebounds and committed a season-low five turnovers in the victory.
• The Hawkeyes held the Hatters to 26 percent (8-of33) from 3-point territory.
• Iowa scored a season-best 50 points in the paint, while limiting Stetson to 20 paint points.
• Iowa improved to 4-1 all-time against current members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• Thursday will be Iowa State’s first true road game. The Cyclones are 4-1 in home contests and 2-1 on neutral floors. Iowa State was runners-up of the Advocare Invitational, as nationally-ranked Gonzaga edged the Cyclones, 73-71, in the championship game.
• Four starters average double figures in scoring for the Cyclones: Monte Morris (14.8), Deonte Burton (14.1), Naz Mitrou-Long (12.8), and Matt Thomas (11.3). All five starters are seniors, two of which are redshirt seniors.
• Five Cyclones have made nine or more 3-pointers: Matt Thomas (16), Naz Mitrou-Long (14), Monte Morris (10), and Merrill Holden (9). As a team, Iowa State makes 35 percent (64-of-182) of its 3-point attempts.
• Iowa State won its last contest, 91-47, over Omaha in Ames. Deonte Burton had 20 points, while Monte Morris dished out a game-best nine assists.
• Monte Morris ranks 11th nationally in assist-to-tunrover ratio (4.2) and 21st in assists per game (6.3). Iowa State ranks fourth in the country in Field goal percentage defense (.346), eighth in turnover margin (6.4), and fifth in rebounds per game (45.7).
• Steve Prohm is in his second season as head coach of Iowa State. Prohm came to Iowa State after posting a 104-29 record in four seasons as the head coach at Murray State.
IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES
Iowa State enters this week with a slim 7-6 advantage in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. There are four events scheduled for this week with each event worth two points in the standings: women’s basketball (Wednesday), men’s basketball (Thursday), women’s swimming and diving (Friday), and wrestling (Saturday). All four events will take place in Iowa City.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a 43-26 advantage in the series. Iowa State has won the last three meetings, including edging the Hawkeyes, 83-82, in Ames last December. The home team has won nine of the last 11 in the series with the Cyclones winning in Iowa City in 2010 and 2015.
Iowa holds a 27-7 advantage in games played at Iowa City. The two teams have split the last four meetings in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (2008-2014).
LAST MEETING VERSUS IOWA STATE
• Iowa led by as many as 20 points in the second half, but No. 2/4 Iowa State charged back and upended the Hawkeyes 83-82 in Ames on Dec. 10, 2015.
• Iowa led 83-81, but a Monte Morris runner with nine seconds remaining propelled the Cyclones to the one-point win.
• Three Hawkeyes scored in double digits, led by Jarrod Uthoff’s 32 points. Peter Jok netted 18, while Adam Woodbury had 12. Jok scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, bolstered by making four 3-pointers the first 5:05 of the half.
• Jarrod Uthoff recorded 30 of his 32 points in the first half. The senior also had a team-high nine rebounds and four blocks. Uthoff became the first player to score at least 32 points in an Iowa-Iowa State game since Acie Earl recorded 32 points at Iowa State in 1991.
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
• Peter Jok poured in 42 points against Memphis on Nov. 26. 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.
• Jordan Bohannon was 7-of-15 from long distance at Notre Dame on Nov. 29; the 15 attempts tied Justin Jackson for the second most 3-point attempts in a single-game in Iowa history.
• As a team, Iowa ranks 11th in assists per game (19.1) and 17th in 3-pointers made (10.3).
• Eight different Hawkeyes have reached double figures in scoring through eight games this season.
• After scoring in double figures once in 27 games last year, sophomore Brady Ellingson has netted double digits twice 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 posted school records in 3-pointers made (18) and attempted (43) in its victory over Savannah State on Nov. 13.
• 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.
• 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.
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 five times this season, including scorching the nets for 42 points in Iowa’s contest against Memphis and 33 against Omaha last Saturday. Jok nearly had a triple-double in Iowa’s last outing against Stetson (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists).
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 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 12th in 3-pointers per contest (3.5). His 23.9 scoring average is tops best among players from Power 5 conferences.
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 last 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.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,715 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,597-1,118 (.588). That includes a 1,019-357 (.740) record in home games, a 574-758 (.431) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 752-757 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 424-131 (.764) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa’s next game will not be until Saturday, Dec. 17, against Northern Iowa at The Hy-Vee Classic in Des Moines at the Wells Fargo Arena. The Hawkeyes will an eight-day break between games to prepare and take final exams for the fall semester.
