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LOUISIANA (2-1) vs. IOWA (3-0) — Cayman Islands Classic
 DATE  Monday, Nov. 20 | 11 a.m. (CT)
 LOCATION  George Town, Cayman Islands | John Gray Gymnasium
 RADIO | LISTEN  Hawkeye Radio Network | Hawkeye All-Access 
 ONLINE/MOBILE VIDEO  FloHoops ($)
 LIVE UPDATES  @IowaHoops

THE SETTING
Iowa (3-0) will meet Louisiana (2-1) in the first round of the inaugural Cayman Islands Classic on Monday. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. (CT) inside John Gray Gymnasium at George Town, Cayman Islands. The Hawkeyes will be playing three games in three days.
    Iowa will play either Wyoming or South Dakota State on Tuesday.

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 during #FeastWeek at the Cayman Islands Classic. 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: Monday’s game will be streamed on mobile devices and computers via FloHoops. Brad Wells and Kevin Lehman will call the action on site. There is a fee to watch all Cayman Islands Classic games.

CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC STORYLINES
•    Iowa won its first three games by an average of 26 points. Iowa has had four or more players score in double figures in each of its first three contests.
•    Monday will be the first-ever meeting between Iowa and Louisiana. The Hawkeyes are 10-2 all-time against current members of the Sun Belt Conference.
•    After playing its first three games of the regular season at home, Iowa will play six of its next seven games away from Iowa City.
•    Luka Garza was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 13, after averaging team bests in scoring (13.5), rebounding (9.0), and blocks (2.5) in Iowa’s first two victories.
•    After missing the first two regular season games due to a sprained ankle, freshman guard Connor McCaffery is not expected to play any games at the Cayman Islands Classic due to illness (mono).
•    Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Isaiah Moss leading the pack averaging 13.7 points per game. Freshman Luka Garza leads the squad in rebounding (9.0) and is second in scoring (13.3).
•    Iowa’s 43.7 shooting percentage from 3-point range is tops in the Big Ten.
•    Point guard Jordan Bohannon has dished out 19 assists to only two turnovers, while averaging 9.7 points. His 9.5 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks second best in the Big Ten.
•    Tyler Cook had his consecutive field goals made streak of 22 straight snap on his first attempt in Iowa’s last outing against Alabama State (Nov. 12). The power forward’s streak spanned four games, dating back to the second half versus Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament on March 9, 2017.
•    Fran McCaffery has 391 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is nine victories from reaching the 400-win milestone.
•    Iowa is 68-13 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons.
•    Iowa ranked first in Big Ten steals (7.4) and scoring offense (80.5), and second in assists (17.7) a year ago.
•    Freshmen Cordell Pemsl, Jordan Bohannon, Tyler Cook, and Isaiah Moss accounted for 44.7 percent of Iowa’s offense. Three of Iowa’s top four scorers were true freshmen; Tyler Cook was second (12.3), followed by Jordan Bohannon (10.9), and Cordell Pemsl (8.9).
•    Iowa returns 76.7 percent of its scoring and 86.2 percent of its rebounding this season.

SCOUTING LOUISIANA
•    Louisiana split its first two games of the season, falling at Ole Miss (94-76) and beating Louisiana College (113-58). The Ragin’ Cajuns play Savannah State on Friday before heading down to the tournament.
•    Five players average in double figures through two games with Johnathan Stove pacing the squad averaging 16 points per game. JaKeenan Gant is nearly averaging a double-double (13 points, 8.5 rebounds).
•    Louisiana has made 21-of-49 of its 3-point attempts (.429) through two games.
•    The Ragin’ Cajuns return 75.6 percent of their offense and 79.1 percent of its rebounding from the 2016-17 season.
•    Last year, Louisiana posted a 21-12 overall record and tied for sixth place in the Sun Belt Conference with a 10-8 league mark. The Ragin Cajuns won seven of their last eight games of the 2016-17 campaign.
•    Louisiana led the Sun Belt Conference in scoring offense (81.9) and rebounding margin (+5.8) a year ago. 
•    Bob Marlin is in his eighth season as head coach at Louisiana.

SCOUTING THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
Cincinnati (3-0): Won their first three games by an average of 41.3 points.
Buffalo (2-0): Won each of their first two games of the season by five point margins.
Wyoming (2-0): Hayden Dalton averages a double-double (26 points, 11 rebounds).
South Dakota State (3-0): Played first three games at home, winning each by double digits
UAB (3-0): Five players average double digits, winning first three games by an average of 31.7 points
Richmond (0-2): Lost by 33 points in last outing at home to Jacksonville State.

HAWKEYES PULL AWAY FROM GRAMBLING STATE
•    Trailing 59-56 with 10:58 remaining, Iowa went on a 14-0 scoring run over a 5:24 span to separate from Grambling State and ultimately prevail, 85-74.
•    Five Hawkeyes netted double figures, led by freshman Jack Nunge’s 17 points. Tyler Cook and Isaiah Moss each contributed 15 points, while Luka Garza scored 13 points and Jordan Bohannon had 12. 
•    In addition to his 12 points, Bohannon recorded a season-best seven assists with only one turnover.
•    Although Grambling State was perfect at the free throw line, the Tigers attempted only six foul shots. Iowa was 27-of-36 (.750) from the charity stripe.
•    Freshman Luka Garza was one rebound from his second straight double-double, grabbing a game-high nine boards in 28 minutes of action.

GARZA SHINES IN DEBUT
Freshman center Luka Garza leads the team in rebounding (9.0 rpg), blocked shots (2.67), and free throw attempts (23) after three games. He also ranks second in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game. Garza became just the second Hawkeye in the last 20 years to register 16 points and five rebounds in their debut (Aaron White in 2011).
    Garza followed up that performance with a double-double in only 19 minutes of action against Alabama State. The native of Washington, D.C. had 11 points and a game-best 13 rebounds. Garza is the fifth Hawkeye to post a double-double in either his first or second game over the last 20 years, joining Dean Oliver, Reggie Evans, Devon Archie, and Aaron White.

BOHANNON NAMED CANDIDATE FOR BOB COUSY AWARD
Iowa sophomore Jordan Bohannon has been named to the 20-player watch list for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The annual honor recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
    Bohannon joins Minnesota’s Nate Mason and Bryant McIntosh of Northwestern as the only Big Ten student-athletes on the national list. 
    The native of Marion, Iowa, has had a great start to the 2017-18 campaign, dishing out 19 assists to only two turnovers, and averaging 9.7 points in three games. His 9.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is second best in the Big Ten.
    Bohannon, one of five players named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, led the Hawkeyes in assists (175) and 3-pointers made (89), and was third in scoring (10.9 ppg). He was one of only two freshmen in the country over the last 25 seasons to register 175+ assists and 85+ 3-pointers. His 89 triples shattered Iowa’s single-season freshman record, besting Matt Gatens’ previous mark of 52 set in 2009. Bohannon’s 175 assists are the most by an Iowa freshman and rank eighth-best by any Hawkeye player in a single season. He finished the season by posting a school-record three straight double-doubles in points and assists (Indiana, South Dakota, and TCU). Bohannon helped lead Iowa to a win at nationally-ranked Maryland, draining eight 3-pointers (8-of-10) — the most by a Hawkeye rookie and one shy of Chris Kingsbury’s school record.

BAER TO MISS 3-4 WEEKS DUE TO INJURY
Head coach Fran McCaffery announced on Nov. 6, that junior forward Nicholas Baer is expected to miss 3-4 weeks after suffering a broken bone in his left pinky finger in a weekend practice. The injury did not require surgery.
    Baer, a team co-captain, is the reigning Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year after averaging team bests in rebounding (5.8), steals (1.4), and blocked shots (1.3). The native of Bettendorf, Iowa, also averaged 7.5 points per game in 2016-17. Baer became one of only four Hawkeyes in school history to lead the team in both blocks (48) and steals (43) in the same season as a sophomore.

CONNOR McCAFFERY TO PLAY FRESHMAN SEASON
Freshman guard Connor McCaffery announced his decision earlier this month to play his freshman season on the basketball court. McCaffery will join the baseball team upon conclusion of the basketball season. A decision as to whether or not McCaffery will redshirt baseball this spring will be determined at that time.
    After playing in Iowa’s two exhibition games, McCaffery missed Iowa’s first three regular season games. McCaffery sat out the first two games due to a sprained ankle, while he missed Iowa’s last outing due to illness (mono). The Iowa City native is not expected to see action at the Cayman Islands Classic.

BACKCOURT RESERVES STEP UP
Sophomore Maishe Dailey and Brady Ellingson had solid efforts in Iowa’s first two games.
    Dailey posted career scoring outputs in each of the two games, 10 versus Chicago State and 11 against Alabama State.
    Ellingson had nine points, four assists, and one rebound in each of the two contests. Through three games, the Wisconsin native has 11 assists and only two turnovers.

BACK IN ACTION
Sophomore forward Cordell Pemsl had successful sports hernia surgery in May. Pemsl did not participate in the Prime Time League nor Iowa’s exhibition games overseas.
    Pemsl averaged 10 points and five rebounds in Iowa’s first two games. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, netted a game-high 15 points in Iowa’s win over Alabama State on Nov. 12.
    Pemsl started 14 of 34 games a year ago, averaging 8.9 points and five rebounds per contest. The forward shot a single-season school record 61.7 percent (116-of-188) from the field his during freshman campaign.

SIX STRAIGHT POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS
Iowa competed in the NIT last season, marking the sixth straight season the Hawkeyes played in a postseason tournament (3 NCAA, 3 NIT).
    The Hawkeyes bounced South Dakota (87-75) in the first round before falling to eventual NIT champion, TCU, in overtime in the second round.
    Point guard Jordan Bohannon posted a double-double in both games: 19 points and 11 assists versus South Dakota and 25 points and 13 assists against TCU. The 13 helpers are the most by a Hawkeye in a postseason game. Bohannon finished the season with double-doubles in three straight games; posted 24 points and 10 assists versus Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament.
    Tyler Cook scored the game-tying basket with five seconds left to send the game versus TCU into overtime. Cook made all seven field goals, extending his consecutive field goal streak to 18, dating back to the second half of the Indiana game (March 9). Cook finished with 16 points.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Melsahn Basabe (Poland), Anthony Clemmons (Kazakhstan), Gabriel Olaseni (Spain), Jarrod Uthoff (NBA G League: Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Peter Jok (NBA G League: Northern Arizona Suns), Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Fort Wayne Mad Ants), and Aaron White (Lithuania).

LOTS RETURNING
Iowa is one of 16 teams in the country returning 70%+ of points, rebounds, and assists.

HAWKEYES GO UNDEFEATED IN EUROPE
Iowa finished its European Tour with a perfect record in August notching wins in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. 
    Four Hawkeyes averaged in double figures in the four games. Freshman Luka Garza averaged a double-double (22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds), sophomore Isaiah Moss averaged 12.5 points, Cook averaged 12.3 points, while Ryan Kriener averaged 11.3 points. As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 48.6 percent from the field, out-rebounded their opponents by 18, and had a +5.8 turnover margin.
    Iowa played its first game in Germany, the home of Hawkeye senior Dom Uhl. The native of Frankfurt, Germany, had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in his homecoming. 
    Garza led the team in scoring in all four games.

4 HAWKEYES EARN ALL-BIG TEN RECOGNITION
Peter Jok was named first-team All-Big Ten by both conference head coaches and media. Nicholas Baer was voted the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year by the head coaches, while Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook were both voted to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team by the coaches. Baer was also named Iowa’s men’s basketball Sportsmanship Award recipient. Iowa was the only Big Ten team with two players named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and it was the first time in program history that the Hawkeyes had two players on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team (honor began in 2003).
    Jok was the fourth Hawkeye to earn All-Big Ten first team accolades the last four seasons, joining Devyn Marble (2014), Aaron White (2015), and Jarrod Uthoff (2016). It marked the second time in program history that Iowa has had at least one player on the first-team all-league team four consecutive seasons: Herb Wilkinson (1945-47), Clayton Wilkinson (1946), and Murray Wier (1948).

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,743 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,615-1,128 (.588). Iowa’s 1,615 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,033-360 (.741) record in home games, a 578-765 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 762-765 (.499) mark in Big Ten games and a 438-134 (.765) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Prior to the 2016-17 season, two Iowa freshmen scored 20+ points in the same game only twice in program history: Dick Ives (43) and David Danner (32) versus Chicago on Feb. 5, 1944, and Ronnie Lester (20) and Larry Olsthoorn (20) versus Michigan on Jan. 17, 1977.
    Iowa accomplished the feat twice last season. First by rookie duos Cordell Pemsl (21) and Isaiah Moss (21) versus Stetson. Jordan Bohannon (24) and Tyler Cook (21) became the fourth Hawkeye duo to accomplish the feat — first to do so in a road game — in school history at Maryland (Feb. 25).

BENCH SQUAD
Iowa’s bench played a pivotal part of its success in 2016-17. In 34 games, Hawkeye reserves average 24.5 points per game. 
    Through three games this season, Iowa’s bench is averaging 39 points per game.

TRIPLE PLAY
Jordan Bohannon finished his rookie season with a flurry, posting a school-record three straight double-doubles in points and assists.
    Bohannon tallied 24 points and 10 assists against Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament on March 9. The native of Marion, Iowa, then registered 19 points and 11 assists against South Dakota on March 15 in the first round of the NIT. Bohannon bested that performance again on March 19, posting personal bests in scoring (25) and assists (13). The 13 helpers are the most by a Hawkeye in a postseason game.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•    Iowa scored 90 points or more nine times in 2016-17. The Hawkeyes netted 90-plus points in both games last weekend.
•    Iowa is one of only three teams to have posted a Big Ten record of .500 or better each of the last five seasons (Michigan State and Wisconsin).
•    Iowa has won 48 of its last 52 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•    Iowa is 68-13 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons. The Hawkeyes are 66-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last eight years.
•    Fran McCaffery and his coaching staff are the first in program history to win 18 games or more in six straight seasons. McCaffery’s 137 victories rank second behind Tom Davis (152) for most in the first seven seasons as Iowa’s head coach. 
•    Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in each of the last five seasons. McCaffery has accumulated 17 first division finishes in 21 years as a head coach.

PEMSL MADE THE MOST OF HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS
Freshman Cordell Pemsl had a great start to his collegiate career. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, started 14 games, while coming off the bench 20 times. In 34 total games, Pemsl scored in double digits 15 times and averaged 8.9 points and five rebounds per game, while shooting a Big Ten-best and 29th-best nationally 61.7 percent (116-of-188) from the field. He scored in double figures in eight of the 14 starts. 
    Pemsl’s 61.7 shooting percentage is a school single-season record, besting Russ Millard’s 60.9 percent (151-of-248) set in 1996. It also shatters the school record for field goal percentage by a freshman, surpassing Ray Thompson (.597, 148-of-248) set in 1989.

A CLOSER LOOK AT IOWA’S FRESHMEN PRODUCTION IN 2016-17
•    Iowa’s six freshmen accounted for 48.8 percent of Iowa’s offense, besting Iowa’s 1943-44 freshmen class who averaged 40.7 points.
•    Iowa freshmen scored in double figures a program-best 62 times, besting the 1997-98 squad (42).
•    For the first time in program history, Iowa had four freshmen score at least 20 points in a single game: Tyler Cook (24 vs. Seton Hall; 21 at Maryland); Jordan Bohannon (24 at Maryland; 23 at Notre Dame; 24 vs. Indiana; 25 vs. TCU); Isaiah Moss (21 vs. Stetson); Cordell Pemsl (21 vs. Stetson). 
•    For the first time in school history, Iowa had five freshmen reach double digits in scoring in a game throughout the season: Tyler Cook, Jordan Bohannon, Cordell Pemsl, Ryan Kriener, and Isaiah Moss.
•    Iowa freshmen accumulated 96 combined starts, which is the most in program history.
•    Iowa rookies combined to average 15.4 rebounds per game, second behind the 2000-01 squad (16.3 rpg).

NOT YOUR AVERAGE BAER
Sophomore Nicholas Baer was voted the 2017 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year by league head coaches. He was the only Division I men’s basketball player in 2016-17 to amass 250+ points, 40+ blocked shots, 45+ steals, and 45+ 3-pointers, and he was the only Big Ten player to accomplish the feat over last 25 years.
    Baer ranked first on the squad in blocks (1.26), steals (1.4), and rebounding (5.8), and was third in assists (1.7). 
    Baer’s 43 rejections ranked second best in a single-season by an Iowa sophomore behind Greg Stokes’ 79 set in 1983.
    Baer tied for fifth in the Big Ten in steals (1.4) and tied for 10th in rejections (1.3). The native of Bettendorf, Iowa, led the team in steals a team-best 13 times, being credited with three steals or more in a game a team-best seven times.
    Baer posted three double-doubles in 2016-17: versus Northern Iowa (11 points, 11 boards), versus Penn State (20 points, 10 rebounds), and versus TCU (15 points, 10 rebounds). The 20 points against the Nittany Lions in the regular season finale were a career best. 

ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes will head back to Iowa on Thanksgiving after the Cayman Islands Classic. Iowa will then fly to the state of Virginia for a game against Virginia Tech on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. That contest will be Iowa’s first game of the season that will be televised nationally.
 

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