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THE SETTING
Iowa (11-8, 3-3) returns home to face Big Ten-leading No. 25/25 Maryland (16-2, 4-1) on Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 6:04 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Tickets are $28 for adults, and $15 for youth/UI students.
Fans are encouraged to wear gold clothing for Thursday’s “Gold Out.”
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, while Bob Hansen provides expert analysis. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Rece Davis and Jim Calhoun will call the action Thursday on ESPN (WATCHESPN).
GAME #20 STORYLINES
• Thursday will only be Maryland’s second visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena and first since a 71-55 Hawkeye win on Feb. 5, 2015.
• Thursday is a “Gold Out.” Fans are encouraged to wear gold clothing to the game.
• The Hawkeyes will be the last Big Ten team to receive its first of two byes. Iowa will be idle this weekend following its Thursday contest against No. 25 Maryland.
• Iowa will host its third home game versus a ranked opponent this season. Iowa won the previous two contests and has won four of its last five against ranked opposition, dating back to last year.
• Thursday’s game will feature two of the youngest starting lineups in the Big Ten. Iowa starts four freshmen, while Maryland starts three rookies.
• 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.
• Four of Iowa’s last five games were decided by six points or less, including two three-point contests decided in overtime.
• Peter Jok has scored 25+ points eight times this year, a total that ties for the second most nationally. Jok ranks 13th in country — third among players from Power 5 conferences — in scoring per game (21.9). He also ranks 14th nationally in free throw accuracy (.908) and 35th in 3-pointers made (3.1).
• Peter Jok, the Big Ten’s leading scorer, is currently averaging 21.9 points per game, including 20.5 per contest in conference play. The last Big Ten player to average at least 21 points per game was Minnesota’s Kris Humphries (21.7) in the 2003-04 campaign.
• 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 (12.8), followed by Cordell Pemsl (9.3), and Jordan Bohannon (8.8).
• Peter Jok ranks 20th in Iowa career scoring with 1,289 points. The Hawkeye senior is 10 points from surpassing Jarrod Uthoff for 19th place.
• Freshmen Cordell Pemsl, who ranks first in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.636, 68-of-107), has scored in double figures in eight of 12 starts.
• Both Fran McCaffery of Iowa and Maryland’s Mark Turgeon enter Thursday’s game with 380 career victories as a head coach.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE BAER
Redshirt sophomore reserve Nicholas Baer ranks first on the squad in blocks (1.2), steals (1.4) and rebounding (6.4), and is fourth in assists (1.7). His 1.4 steals per game average ties for sixth best among Big Ten players, while his 1.2 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 six 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 has pulled down 10 or more rebounds in two of his last four games (11 at Nebraska and 10 versus No. 17/19 Purdue).
NORTHWESTERN BEATS IOWA IN ONLY REGULAR SEASON MEETING
Northwestern posted an 89-54 triumph over Iowa Sunday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois, in the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
• Iowa was led by a pair of freshmen, Tyler Cook and Ryan Kriener, each scoring 14 points. The 14 points are a personal best for Kriener, who played a season-best 22 minutes.
• Big Ten scoring leader Peter Jok was held to a season-low four points. Jok only saw 21 minutes of action, including six minutes in the second half.
• Iowa outscored Northwestern 14-4 at the free throw line, with Tyler Cook sinking a season-best eight free throws in nine attempts.
• Power forward Ahmad Wagner dished out a team and career-high five assists. It marked the first time in Wagner’s career that the sophomore led the squad in assists.
• Iowa junior Dom Uhl missed his first game of the season, due to a thumb injury sustained in the Hawkeyes’ previous game against Purdue (Jan. 12).
• Northwestern had four starters score in double figures: Scottie Lindsey (22), Bryant McIntosh (20), Dererk Pardon (14), and Vic Law (12). McIntosh also had 10 assists.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
• Maryland enters Thursday’s game 22nd in the RPI. The Terrapins have won nine of their last ten games with the lone loss coming by two points to Nebraska at home on Jan. 1.
• Maryland is 3-0 in true road games this season, winning 76-75 at Georgetown (Nov. 15), 77-70 at Michigan (Jan. 7), and 62-56 at Illinois (Jan. 14). Thursday will be the third time in four games that the Terrapins will have played a road contest.
• Four Terrapins average double figures: Melo Trimble (17.2), Anthony Cowan (11.1), Justin Jackson (10.2), and Michael Cekovsky (10.0). Cekovsky has missed nine games, including the last five contests, due to injury.
• Maryland has three players who have made 20 or more 3-pointers: Melo Trimble (33-of-97, .340), Kevin Huerter (31-of-84, .369), and Justin Jackson (22-of-52, .423).
• Maryland won its last game, 62-56 at Illinois last Saturday. Anthony Cowan led all scorers with 19 points. The Terrapins outscored the Illini 12-2 in fast break points.
• Maryland ranks 39th nationally in free throw attempts (448), 41st in free throw makes (316), 44th in scoring defense (65.1), and 47th in blocked shots per game (4.9). Individually, Melo Trimble is 49th in the country in free throw makes (85), while Anthony Cowan is 85th in free throw attempts (103). Trimble’s 17.2 points per game ranks sixth in the conference.
• Mark Turgeon is in his sixth season as head coach at Maryland (130-61) and 19th year overall as a head coach (380-220).
• Iowa assistant coach Sherman Dillard began his coaching career at Maryland, spending six seasons (1979-85) as an assistant coach. Dillard helped coach the Terrapins to four 20-win seasons and five NCAA Tournaments. The 1980, 1984 and 1985 squads reached the Sweet 16, while the 1984 team won the ACC Tournament.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Thursday will be the sixth all-time meeting between Iowa and Maryland. The Terrapins and Hawkeyes have split the two meetings since Maryland joined the Big Ten prior to the 2015 season, with each team winning on their home floor. Iowa won, 71-55, in Iowa City in 2015, while Maryland registered a 74-68 victory in College Park a season ago.
The first three meetings between Iowa and Maryland were played on neutral floors: Honolulu (1984), Baltimore (1999), and New York City (2013).
LAST MEETING
• Iowa lost its first Big Ten regular season game in over 11 months on Jan. 28, 2016, at College Park, Maryland. The seventh-ranked Terrapins recorded a 74-68 victory over the third-ranked Hawkeyes in their first-ever visit to the XFINITY Center.
• Four starters for each team tallied double figures in scoring. Iowa’s double-digit scorers were Peter Jok (14), Mike Gesell (12), Adam Woodbury (11), and Anthony Clemmons (11). Maryland was led by Robert Carter and Rasheed Sulaimon, each scoring 17 points.
• Both teams shot at a low percentage from 3-point range. Iowa shot 21 percent (5-of-24), while Maryland was 6-of-25 (24 percent). The Terrapins misfired on all 10 of its 3-point attempts in the second half.
• Dom Uhl came off the bench and scored nine points for the Hawkeyes. Iowa’s leading scorer, Jarrod Uthoff, scored nine points and had 10 rebounds.
• Adam Woodbury recorded 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 (4.9), second in minutes played (27.9), free throw accuracy (.893) and 3-pointers made (37), and fourth in scoring (8.8). He has netted 17 or more points in four games, led the squad in assists a team-best 14 times, and turned the ball over only 11 times in six conference games. His 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio in league play ranks seventh.
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. The native of Marion, Iowa, nearly had his first double-double versus No. 17/19 Purdue on Jan. 12, with 12 points and a personal-best nine assists.
PEMSL MAKING THE MOST OF HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS
Freshman Cordell Pemsl has had a great start to his collegiate career. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has started 12 games, while coming off the bench seven times. In 19 total games, Pemsl has scored in double digits 10 times and is averaging 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting a Big Ten-best 63.6 percent (68-of-107) from the field. He has scored in double figures in eight of the 12 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 21.9 points this season as a senior (+5.8). 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 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 scorched 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, who has led the Hawkeyes in scoring each of the last six games, 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 13th nationally in points per game (21.9), 14th in free throw accuracy (.908), and 35th in 3-pointers per contest (3.1). His 21.9 scoring average is third among players from Power 5 conferences and 13th overall. Jok has scored 25 points or more eight times this year, which ties for second nationally.
Jok has made 190 career 3-pointers, which are the seventh most in program history. He is three triples from tying Brody Boyd (2001-04) for sixth place with 193.
NUMBER OF THE WEEK — 380
Both Fran McCaffery of Iowa and Maryland’s Mark Turgeon enter Thursday’s game with 380 career victories as a head coach.
KRIENER MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITY
Iowa got six crucial points against the nationally-ranked Boilermakers on Jan. 12, from freshman reserve Ryan Kriener. The skilled big man followed up that performance with a career night at Northwestern on Sunday, posting personal bests in scoring (14), minutes (22), and 3-pointers made (1). Prior to the last two games, Kriener had only seen action in one other Big Ten game (at Purdue on Dec. 28). Kriener is shooting 63.6 percent (21-of-33) from the floor this season.
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.
• Twelve of the 14 Big Ten teams have two or more losses in conference play entering this week’s competition.
• Ryan Kriener became the 10th different Hawkeye to have reached double figures in a game this season after netting 14 at Northwestern on Sunday.
• Iowa is 58-11 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 26th nationally in assists per game (17.1) and 36th in scoring offense (81.5).
• Iowa has scored 90 points or more six times this season.
• Peter Jok totaled 29 points, six rebounds, and a career-best eight assists vs. No. 17/19 Purdue on Jan. 12. Jok became just the third Big Ten player with at least 29 points, six rebounds, and eight assists in a game versus a ranked foe in the last 20 years (Minnesota’s Nate Mason in 2017 and Denzel Valentine of Michigan State in 2016). Additionally, he is the first Hawkeye to post those numbers in any game since Adam Haluska had 31 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds vs. Coppin State in 2006.
• 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 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 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
IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Thursday will be Iowa’s fifth game against a ranked opponent this season. Iowa is 2-2 against ranked opponents in 2016-17, winning both of its games at home and losing the other two at Purdue and on a neutral court to Virginia in Florida.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,725 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,604-1,121 (.589). Iowa’s 1,604 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,025-357 (.742) record in home games, a 575-761 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 755-760 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 430-131 (.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 ranks second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.2 rpg).
Jones suffered a fracture in his right wrist in Iowa’s game against Seton Hall (Nov. 17)and has been out of action since. It is hopeful that Jones will return to practice this week. 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 be idle this weekend before returning to the court on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Illinois. Tipoff is slated for 8:06 p.m. (CT) at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
