Hawkeyes Return Home to Entertain Southern University Sunday

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THE SETTING
After playing six of seven games away from home, Iowa (4-6, 0-2) returns to Iowa City on Sunday to host Southern (2-6, 0-0). Tipoff is set for 4:01 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Tickets are available for purchase for $15 for adults and $5 for UI students/youth.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles 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: Sunday’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Jeff Levering and Stephen Bardo will call the action.

GAME #11 STORYLINES 
•    Iowa has won 48 of its last 52 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•    Thursday’s game at Iowa State concluded a stretch playing six of seven away from Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will finish the nonconference slate with two home games and two contests on neutral floors.
•    Sunday will be the first ever meeting between Iowa and Southern University. Sunday will also be Iowa’s third contest of the season against a school from the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Hawkeyes are 13-0 all-time against SWAC schools.
•    Southern University will play a road game at Central Florida on Saturday before flying to Iowa City for Sunday’s afternoon contest against the Hawkeyes.
•    Point guard Jordan Bohannon is averaging 3.1 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the Big Ten and 17th in the country.
•    Brady Ellingson netted a season-best 16 points at Indiana (Dec. 4). The 16 points are the most by the junior in a Big Ten game since scoring 17 versus Ohio State last season. Ellingson started his first career game on Thursday at Iowa State.
•    Iowa has yet to play a regular season game at full strength. Ahmad Wagner missed the UAB game (shoulder). Nicholas Baer played his first game at Virginia Tech (finger). Ryan Kriener missed Iowa’s game at Indiana (concussion), while Connor McCaffery has missed every game (ankle and mono).
•    Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Tyler Cook and Jordan Bohannon lead the pack, each averaging 13.3 points. Cook also leads the squad in rebounding (7.1). Freshman Luka Garza has a team-best 13 blocks, rookie Jack Nunge leads the team in steals (11), and Bohannon has 44 assists.
•    Isaiah Moss was named to the Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 18 points, leading the team in scoring in its first two games of the tournament.
•    Iowa’s 38.4 shooting percentage from 3-point range is second-best in the Big Ten. Iowa shot 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from long distance versus UAB on Nov. 22, which is the best shooting performance of any Big Ten team this season.
•    Fran McCaffery has 392 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is eight victories from reaching the 400-win milestone.
•    Iowa is 69-15 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons.

SUNDAY PROMOTIONS AT CHA
•    Break For Ball — Starting at 2:45 p.m. (CT) on the concourse near the South Doors, the following items will be available to UI students only for FREE. Students will need to show their student ID to gain access to the items. Items will be available until approximately 4:30 p.m. (Panchero’s coupons; Bruegger’s Bagels coupons; Molly’s Cupcakes’ Cookies; Kitchen Cooked Potato Chips; Ugly Sweater T-Shirts; Iowa Phone Wallets; Iowa Water Bottles; and more random items).
•    Ugly Sweaters — All fans are encouraged to wear their favorite ugly holiday sweater to the game. Fans that do so will have a chance to be shown on the videoboard.
•    Concert Promo — A special promo code for the April 27 Old Dominion Concert inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be released.

HAWKEYES FALL AT IOWA STATE ON THURSDAY
Iowa State outscored the visiting Hawkeyes, 15-1, at the free throw line and converted 18 Hawkeye turnovers into 28 points in an 84-78 victory over Iowa Thursday in Ames, Iowa.
•    Junior Brady Ellingson started the first game of his career, registering seven points and posting season bests in assists (5), rebounds (4), and steals (2).
•    Iowa made 11 3-pointers in the contest, including sinking its last four attempts of the first half. The Hawkeyes attempted 36 triples, the second most in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era.
•    Iowa owned the glass, pulling down 22 more rebounds than the Cyclones (53-31).
•    All 11 players who played in the game recorded at least two points for Iowa.
•    Iowa leading scorer, Tyler Cook, was held to a season-low two points. However, the sophomore forward dished out a career-best five assists and grabbed eight rebounds.
•    Three Cyclone starters scored in double figures: Lindell Wiggington (24), Nick Weiler-Babb (15), and Donovan Jackson (12).

SCOUTING SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
•    Southern University lost its first five games of the season by an average of 24 points, all on the road. The Jaguars lost their season opener, 102-55, at Illinois.
•    The Jaguars have played six of their eight games on the road, losing all six. Southern will play at Central Florida on Saturday at noon (CT) and then travel to Iowa City for Sunday’s nonconference game.
•    Nine players on Southern’s roster of 16 have redshirted. Twelve of the 16 players are upperclassmen (seven juniors and five seniors).
•    Senior forward Jared Sam is the only Jaguar to average double figures in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per contest. He also leads the squad in rebounding (7.6). Sam has recorded a team-best three double-doubles this season.
•    Southern has been outrebounded by an average of 5.4 rebounds per game and average 66 percent from the foul line. Junior guard Eddie Reese is the only Jaguar to have made more than 10 3-pointers (17). Reese has attempted nearly double the amount of 3-pointers than any other player on the roster.
•    Morris Scott is serving as Southern’s interim head coach for the 2017-18 season after stints as an assistant coach and then associate head coach for the Jaguars. Scott is in his seventh year on the Southern coaching staff. During his time on the Southern bench, the Jaguars have made two NCAA Tournament appearances (with two SWAC tournament titles – 2013 and 2016) and won a SWAC regular season championship (2014).

HAWKEYES SHOOTING THE BALL WITH ACCURACY
Other than games against Louisiana (.367), Virginia Tech (.333), and Indiana (.385), the Hawkeyes have shot the basketball well. The Hawkeyes have shot 50 percent or better in five of their 10 games, including shooting a white-hot 60 percent against UAB on Nov. 22. The Hawkeyes shot 59.6 percent against Chicago State, 54.3 percent versus Grambling State, 50.9 percent versus South Dakota State and 50.9 percent against Penn State. Iowa is shooting 47 percent from the field.

GARZA SHINES IN EARLY SEASON GAMES
Freshman Luka Garza ranks second on the team in rebounding (6.3), first in blocked shots (1.3), second in free throw attempts (39), and is fifth in scoring (7.6). 
    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 against Chicago State (16 points, 5 rebounds) with a double-double 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. Garza’s efforts in those first two wins garnered the forward Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.

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 is averaging 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds after 10 contests. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, reached double figures for the third time this season, scoring 10 points and snagging eight rebounds before leaving Thursday’s game at Iowa State due to injury.
    Pemsl netted a game-high 15 points in Iowa’s win over Alabama State on Nov. 12. He had a personal-best 14 rebounds and a career-best six assists at Virginia Tech. The 14 boards against the Hokies are the third most by a Big Ten player this season. 
    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.

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: Westchester Knicks), and Aaron White (Lithuania).

MOSS ELEVATING HIS GAME
Last year as a redshirt freshman playing alongside honorable mention All-American Peter Jok, Isaiah Moss averaged 6.5 points per game. Through 10 games his sophomore campaign, the native of Chicago is averaging 11.6 points per contest, a +5.1 points per game improvement. 
    Moss has netted double figures in seven of 10 games this season. He is shooting 42 percent from the field and has missed only one free throw in 18 attempts.

COOKIN’ WITH TYLER
Tyler Cook is having a solid start to his sophomore campaign. Cook ranks first in scoring (13.3) and rebounding (7.1). Cook has made a team-best 55 percent of his field goal attempts (minimum 50 attempts). The native of St. Louis has grabbed six or more rebounds in nine of 10 games, including a career-best 12 against Penn State. He had the best game of his collegiate career against UAB on Nov. 22 (29 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 13-of-16 from the free throw line).
    Cook ranks 11th in the league in rebounding (7.1) and 24th in league scoring (13.3). He has one double-double to his credit this season (Penn State).
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 44th nationally in free throw attempts (62) and 64th in free throw makes (44).

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.
    However, the guard’s start to his freshman year has been off to a slow start. After playing in Iowa’s two exhibition games, McCaffery missed Iowa’s first 10 regular season games. McCaffery sat out the first two games due to a sprained ankle, while he missed Iowa’s last eight outings due to illness (mono).

BOHANNON NAMED CANDIDATE FOR BOB COUSY AWARD
Sophomore Jordan Bohannon is on 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 a team-best 44 assists, and averaging a team-best 13.3 points. He is shooting 47.7 percent (31-of-65) from 3-point range and 84.6 percent (22-of-26) from the free throw line. He is averaging 3.1 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the league and 17th in the country.
    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.

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.

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.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,750 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,616-1,134 (.588). Iowa’s 1,616 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,033-361 (.741) record in home games, a 579-770 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 762-766 (.499) mark in Big Ten games and a 438-135 (.764) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•    Iowa scored 90 points or more nine times in 2016-17. The Hawkeyes netted 90-plus points in three of their four victories.
•    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 is 69-15 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.

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).

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa spend the following week preparing and taking final exams before returning to the court Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa, against Drake. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at Wells Fargo Arena. The game will be televised on BTN (BTN2GO).