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THE SETTING
Iowa (10-7, 2-2) remains home to host No. 17/19 Purdue (14-3, 3-1) on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 8:06 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). The first 3,500 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive Peter Jok poster.
Tickets are available for purchase for $28 for adults, and $15 for youth and UI students.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin will handle the play-by-play, while Bob Hansen provides expert analysis. 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 BTN (BTN2GO). Dave Revsine and Stephen Bardo will call the action.
GAME #18 STORYLINES
• Thursday will be the second time in five games that Iowa and Purdue will have played to start Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes have won three straight against Purdue in Iowa City dating back to 2014.
• Iowa-Purdue will be the second rematch of conference play with Minnesota-Michigan State playing for a second time Wednesday evening in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Iowa’s lineup of four freshmen (one redshirt) and one senior is its youngest consistent lineup in program history. Iowa’s 1943-44 squad started three freshmen, one sophomore, and one senior.
• Iowa’s last three games have been decided by six points or less, including two three-point contests decided in overtime.
• Thursday will be Fran McCaffery’s 650th game on the sidelines as a head coach (379-270).
• Peter Jok is the first Big Ten player with four 30-point games before the month of February since Michigan’s Louis Bullock in 1998-99. Additionally, Jok is the first Hawkeye with four 30-point games in a season since Adam Haluska had five in 2006-07.
• Three of Iowa’s top four scorers this season are true freshmen. Tyler Cook is second (12.3), followed by Cordell Pemsl (10.0), and Jordan Bohannon (8.8).
• Peter Jok tallied 18 points in Iowa’s win over Rutgers on Sunday, boosting his career scoring total to 1,256 points. Jok surpassed Jeff Moe on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart and currently sits in 20th place, 42 points from tying Jarrod Uthoff for 19th.
• Freshmen Cordell Pemsl, who ranks first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.660, 66-of-100), has scored in double figures in eight of 10 starts.
• In his last four games, point guard Jordan Bohannon is averaging 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.25 assists, and only 1.75 turnovers.
• Iowa made a season-best 57.9 percent (11-of-19) of its 3-point attempts versus Michigan.
• Peter Jok has scored double digits in all 17 games, including netting 25 or more points seven times. Jok ranks seventh in country — tops among players from Power 5 conferences — in scoring per game (22.6). He also ranks 17th nationally in free throw accuracy (.916) and 29th in 3-pointers made (3.2).
• Peter Jok was named to the preseason All-Big Ten first team, while also being named to the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, Naismith Trophy and John Wooden Award watch lists, and a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE BAER
Redshirt sophomore reserve Nicholas Baer ranks first on the squad in blocked shots (1.3) and steals (1.4), ranks second in rebounding (6.2), and is fourth in assists (1.8). His 1.4 steals per game average ties for seventh best among Big Ten players, while his 1.3 blocks per game ties for 10th.
Iowa is 8-2 this season when Baer scores at least seven points in a game.
The native of Bettendorf, Iowa, has led the team in steals five times this year, being credited with three steals or more in a game a team-best five times.
Baer posted his first career double-double in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa on Dec. 17, with 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. He had a team-best 11 rebounds and matched a personal best with six blocks in at Nebraska a week ago Thursday.
HAWKEYES RALLY TO UPEND RUTGERS SUNDAY IN IOWA CITY
Iowa outscored Rutgers 26-11 the final 10:12 to rally from a nine-point second-half deficit to upend Rutgers, 68-62, Sunday afternoon in Iowa City. The win was Iowa’s fourth straight over the Scarlet Knights.
• Peter Jok had team bests in points (18) and rebounds (11) to register his third double-double of the season.
• Junior Dom Uhl netted a season-high 10 points, blocked a career-high five shots, and snagged eight rebounds. Uhl also made his first 3-pointer since Dec. 8 (Iowa State).
• Freshman point guard Jordan Bohannon was credited with a personal-best eight assists to go along with his eight points.
• Iowa outscored Rutgers 16-2 at the free throw line, with all 18 combined free throws made were in the second half.
• Deshawn Freeman led Rutgers with a double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds).
SCOUTING PURDUE
• Purdue enters Thursday’s game ranked 17th nationally in the Associated Press, 19th in the Coaches Poll, and 30th in the RPI. The Boilermakers have lost only one game since the start of December (91-82 in overtime versus Minnesota on Dec. 28).
• Purdue snapped Wisconsin’s nine-game win streak with a 66-55 victory at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette on Sunday. The Boilermakers made seven (7-of-15) 3-pointers compared to two (2-of-14) for the Badgers and outrebounded Wisconsin by 12 (34-22).
• The Boilermakers and Hawkeyes have faced one common opponent: Notre Dame. Purdue edged the Irish, 86-81, on a neutral floor in Indianapolis. Iowa lost at Notre Dame, 92-78, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• The Boilermakers are 1-1 in true road games this season, winning at Ohio State (76-75) on Jan. 5 and falling at Louisville (71-64) on Nov. 30.
• For the fourth time this season, sophomore Caleb Swanigan has been named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week on Monday. Swanigan’s four weekly honors are the second most by a Purdue player in school history and tied for the third most by a Big Ten player in league history. Only Ohio State’s Evan Turner (7; 2009-10) and Purdue’s Glenn Robinson (5; 1993-94) have won more Player of the Week accolades in a single season. Swanigan averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds in leading the Boilermakers to a pair of victories.
• Four Boilermakers average double figures: Caleb Swanigan (18.3), Isaac Haas (13.4), Vincent Edwards (11.9), and Carsen Edwards (10.4).
• Purdue has five players who have made 23 or more 3-pointers this season: Dakota Mathias (37-of-74, .500), P.J. Thompson (29-of-72, .403), Vincent Edwards (27-of-60, .450), Ryan Cline (24-of-54, .444), and Carsen Edwards (23-of-76, .303).
• Purdue ranks second nationally in assists per game (19.5), sixth in rebounding margin (+10.4), seventh in fewest fouls per game (15.2), 13th in 3-point accuracy (.405), 21st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.42), 23rd in field goal percentage (.488), and 29th in scoring offense (82.9). Individually, Caleb Swanigan ranks first in the country in double-doubles (14), rebounds per game (12.9), and defensive rebounds (9.9), while P.J. Thompson ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.17). Swanigan has posted eight consecutive double-doubles, the fourth-longest streak in Purdue history.
• Matt Painter is in his 12th season as head coach at Purdue (252-137, .648). Painter has guided the Boilermakers to eight NCAA Tournaments.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Purdue holds an 88-75 advantage in the series. Iowa has won four of the last six meetings. The Boilermakers won this season’s first contest between the two teams, 89-67, in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Dec. 28, in the conference opener.
Iowa holds a 51-27 advantage in Iowa City, including winning the last three meetings dating back to 2014. The Hawkeyes have won 11 of the last 17 meetings in Iowa City and hold a 17-12 edge in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
LAST MEETING
Iowa lost its first Big Ten opener in four years on Dec. 28, 89-67, at then-15th-ranked Purdue.
• The Boilermakers led by 24 points at halftime. Purdue was 10-of-17 from 3-point range, while Iowa missed all seven of its long distance attempts in the first half. For the game, Purdue made 12 triples to Iowa’s four.
• Iowa made all 13 of its free throw attempts, while Purdue was 9-of-10.
• Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Peter Jok (13), Tyler Cook (12), Brady Ellingson (11), and Cordell Pemsl (10).
• Sophomore Brady Ellingson made three of Iowa’s four treys.
• The Hawkeye defense forced 14 Boilermaker turnovers and outscored Purdue, 20-7, in points off turnovers.
• Purdue had five players score in double figures, led by guard Carsen Edwards’ 19 points. Edwards scored the first eight points of the game. Forward Caleb Swanigan posted a double-double (11 points and 10 rebounds).
ROOKIE FLOOR GENERAL
After having two veteran point guards graduate last spring (Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmons), Jordan Bohannon has done a fantastic job directing the Hawkeye offense as a freshman. Bohannon ranks first on the team in assists (4.8), second in minutes played (27.2), free throw accuracy (.885) and 3-pointers made (33), and fourth in scoring (8.8). He has netted 17 or more points in four games, led the squad in assists a team-best 13 times, and turned the ball over only seven times in four conference games.
Bohannon netted 12 of his 17 points in the second half and overtime in Iowa’s triumph over Michigan on New Year’s Day. He also had six assists and no turnovers.
PEMSLVANIA
Freshman Cordell Pemsl has had a great start to his collegiate career. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has come off the bench in seven games, while starting 10. In 17 total games, Pemsl has scored in double digits 10 times and is averaging 10 points and 5.2 rebounds, while shooting a Big Ten-best 66 percent (66-of-100) from the field.
In his 10 starts, he is averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. He has scored in double figures in eight of the 10 starts.
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 22.6 points this season as a senior (+6.5). 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 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, Naismith Trophy and John Wooden Award watch lists, and a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. Jok has scored 25 points or more six times this season, including scorching the nets for 42 points against Memphis and 33 against Omaha on Dec. 3. Jok nearly had a triple-double against Stetson (15 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists) and a double-double against No. 25/25 Iowa State (23 points and nine rebounds).
Jok has been recognized as the Big Ten Player of the Week twice this season (Nov. 21 and Dec. 12). He averaged 28.5 points, six rebounds, two steals, and two assists against Seton Hall and UTRGV for the Nov. 21 award. Jok averaged a team-best 19 points, 8.5 rebounds, and five assists in contests versus Stetson and No. 25 Iowa State for the Dec. 12 distinction.
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 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 seventh nationally in points per game (22.6), 17th in free throw accuracy (.916), and 29th in 3-pointers per contest (3.2). His 22.6 scoring average is tops among players from Power 5 conferences and seventh overall.
Jok has made 186 career 3-pointers, which are the seventh most in program history. He is seven triples from tying Brody Boyd (2001-04) for sixth place with 193.
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).
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.
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• Iowa is 6-0 this year when allowing fewer than 70 points.
• Nine different Hawkeyes have reached double figures in scoring this season.
• Iowa is 57-11 when scoring 80 points or more, the last seven seasons. The Hawkeyes are 63-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last seven years.
• As a team, Iowa ranks 28th nationally in scoring offense (83.0), 29th in assists per game (17.1), and 66th in 3-pointers made (8.9).
• 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.
• After scoring in double figures once in 27 games last year, Brady Ellingson has netted double digits four times this season.
• 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).
• Iowa has scored 90 points or more six times this season.
• Iowa played in back-to-back overtime games (Michigan and Nebraska) for the first time since Dec. 25 and Dec. 27, 1984.
• 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 in a game in school history and are the most points by a Big Ten team this season.
• Iowa posted school records in 3-pointers made (18) and attempted (43) in its victory over Savannah State on Nov. 13.
• Iowa made all 13 of its free throw attempts at No. 15 Purdue on Dec. 28. The last time a Hawkeye team made all of its free throws (min. 10 attempts) was at Virginia (15-of-15) in the NIT quarterfinals on March 27, 2013.
• Isaiah Moss was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 12. It marked the first time a rookie Hawkeye was honored by the conference office since Nicholas Baer on Dec. 21, 2015.
• 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.
• The 183 points in the Iowa-Nebraska double overtime game on Jan. 5 are the most points scored in the 28-game series history.
• Iowa athletic teams swept Iowa State in four competitions Dec. 7-10 (women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s swimming, and wrestling). The Hawkeyes lead the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, 14-7. With only three athletic events remaining, Iowa has clinched the series for 2016-17.
• Iowa has won 44 of its last 47 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• 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 competed in postseason play the last five years (NCAA 2014-16; NIT 2012-13).
• 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 HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,723 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,603-1,120 (.589). Iowa’s 1,603 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,024-357 (.741) record in home games, a 575-760 (.431) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 754-759 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 429-131 (.766) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
HAWKEYES SWEPT BIG TEN WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Peter Jok and redshirt freshman Isaiah Moss were named Big Ten Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively, on Dec. 12. It marked the first time Iowa swept the weekly men’s basketball accolades (weekly freshman honors began in 2010).
Jok (6-6, 205 pounds) collected the third Big Ten weekly honor of his career and second this season. Jok helped lead the Hawkeyes to a pair of victories over Stetson (95-68) and No. 25 Iowa State (78-64). He averaged a team-best 19 points, 8.5 rebounds, and five assists in the two contests.
In Iowa’s upset over 25th-ranked Iowa State on Dec. 8, Jok lead all scorers and rebounders with 23 points and nine rebounds. Against Stetson, the team captain flirted with a triple-double recording 15 points, eight rebounds, and dishing out a career-high seven assists without committing a turnover.
Moss (6-5, 205 pounds) earned his first conference weekly recognition after averaging 17.5 points and five rebounds in Iowa’s two victories. The native of Chicago scored nine of his 14 points in the second half to help Iowa upend the 25th-ranked Cyclones.
Moss tallied personal bests in scoring (21), steals (2), and rebounds (6) in the Hawkeyes’ triumph over Stetson on Dec. 5. The shooting guard shot at a 50 percent clip from 3-point range in the two games (6-of-12), including going 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from long distance against the Hatters.
2 HAWKEYES SIDELINED DUE TO INJURIES
Dale Jones and Tyler Cook have missed time due to hand injuries suffered in November.
Cook fractured his right index finger during a practice on Thanksgiving at the Emerald Coast Classic. He missed seven games before returning to action on Dec. 28 against No. 15 Purdue. Cook, who started the first six games of his collegiate career, ranks second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.4 rpg).
Jones suffered a fracture in his right wrist in Iowa’s game against Seton Hall (Nov. 17) and is expected to miss another 3-4 weeks. The senior sustained the injury minutes after making his season debut. Jones, who transferred to Iowa in 2015 after three years at Tyler Junior College, has played limited minutes in only seven games during his Hawkeye career.
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
Nicholas Baer is a nominee for the 2017 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.
VOTE FOR McCAFFERY IN THE CHARITY COACHES CHALLENGE
Iowa’s Fran McCaffery is one of 48 collegiate coaches taking part in the annual Coaches Charity Challenge. Fan participation determines the ultimate winner over an eight-week period. The tournament is divided into four rounds.
The coaches with the most votes will advance to the next round and earn more money for their charity. Visit Iowa’s social media sites @IowaHoops on Twitter and /hawkeyehoops on Facebook for more information on how to vote for McCaffery and Coaches vs. Cancer.
ALL-SESSION BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS ON SALE
All-session tickets for the 2017 Big Ten Basketball Tournament are on sale. The Big Ten 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 features a discounted student ticket program. Students of Big Ten universities are 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 are available in balcony sections.
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern for the only regular season meeting between the two teams. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes’ next home game will be against Maryland on Thursday, Jan. 19 (6 p.m. CT). Tickets are available for that contest via hawkeyesports.com/tickets.
