Fight For Iowa | Hawk Talk Monthly — December | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store – https://hawkeyefanshop.com/?utm_source=HawkeyeSports&utm_medium=HawkeyeSports&utm_campaign=HawkeyeSports | Game Notes (PDF)
THE SETTING
Iowa (9-7, 0-3) concludes its three-game home stand on Thursday when it entertains Ohio State (11-4, 2-0). Tipoff is set for 6:01 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400) in Iowa City, Iowa. Tickets are available for $25 for adults, and $10 for youth and UI students.
Iowa enters Thursday’s contest having won five of its last six games, while Ohio State has won six of its last seven.
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: Thursday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPNU (WATCHESPN). Drew Fellios and Robbie Hummel will call the action.
GAME #17 STORYLINES
• Thursday’s game has been designated as a “Blackout.” Fans are encouraged to wear black clothing to the game inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Iowa leads the all-time series with Ohio State, 79-78. The one-game margin is the narrowest series record Iowa has against any other Big Ten school.
• Iowa is in the middle of a stretch playing three games in six games.
• Iowa is 9-0 when scoring 80 points or more and 5-0 when Iowa has fewer turnovers than its opponent this season.
• In eight home games, freshman Luka Garza is averaging 14.6 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
• Tyler Cook has averaged two dunks per game over the last six games. Cook has 32 dunks this season, including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. Cook is averaging a team-best 20 points and 8.3 rebounds in Iowa’s three Big Ten games.
• Luka Garza is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree (Nov. 13 and Jan. 2). Garza was rewarded for a second time after posting personal bests in scoring (25), 3-pointers made (3), and blocks (5), while also grabbing a game-best seven rebounds in only 16 minutes of action in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois. Garza made all eight of his field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and was 6-of-8 from the foul line.
• Fran McCaffery has 397 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is three victories from reaching the 400-win milestone.
• Iowa is shooting the basketball at a 53 percent clip in its nine victories and has made 51.6 percent of its field goal attempts in its eight home games.
• The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.5 per contest. Additionally, Iowa ranks 17th in total free throw attempts (366), 22nd nationally in total rebounds per contest (40.8), and 41st in rebounding margin (+6.6).
• Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Tyler Cook leading the pack (14.8). Freshman Luka Garza leads the squad in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (1.4), and sophomore Jordan Bohannon ranks first in assists (4.7).
• Iowa was credited with 34 assists on 36 field goals in its nonconference finale against Northern Illinois. The 34 assists tie the school single-game record previously set on Dec. 1, 1984 against George Mason and are the most by a Big Ten team this season.
MICHIGAN TOPS IOWA TUESDAY IN IOWA CITY
Michigan made five more 3-pointers than Iowa in a 75-68 win over Iowa Tuesday night in Iowa City. The win snapped Iowa’s five-game winning streak over the Wolverines.
• Iowa’s Tyler Cook led all scorers and rebounders with 28 points and eight rebounds, respectively. Tuesday marked the fourth time this season and sixth time in his career that Cook tallied 20+ points this season. Cook attempted 11 free throws (made eight), marking the third time this season that the sophomore attempted 10 or more free throws in a single game.
• Michigan made 62 percent of its field goal attempts in the first half (18-of-29), including making eight triples in the first half.
• Iowa point guard Jordan Bohannon netted double digits for the ninth time this season, scoring 12 points.
• Four Wolverines scored in double figures: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (15), Zavier Simpson (15), Charles Matthews (14), and Isaiah Livers (13).
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa leads the all-time series by a narrow, 79-78, margin. Twenty-four of the last 34 meetings have been decided by 10 points or less, with 13 decisions by five points or less.
Iowa holds a 49-27 overall advantage in Iowa City and a 19-12 record versus the Buckeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won last season’s only contest between the two teams, 85-72, in Iowa City on Jan. 28, 2017.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
• Ohio State has won six of its last seven games by an average margin of 20.6 points.
• Four Buckeyes average double figures in scoring: Keita Bates-Diop (18.7), C.J. Jackson (13.6), Jae’Sean Tate (12.5), and Kaleb Wesson (11.9).
• Ohio State last played on Dec. 30, notching a 72-59 victory over Miami (Ohio). Keita Bates-Diop scored 19 points, while C.J. Jackson added 16 points and Kam Williams had 15 points.
• Ohio State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 38th in the nation in field goal percentage (.487).
• Keita Bates-Diop ranks 28th in the country and second in the conference in total field goals made (104).
• Jae’Sean Tate is one of four players on Ohio State’s roster to shoot at or above 50 percent. His 57.9 percent shooting leads the team and ranks fourth in the Big Ten.
• Ohio State has started the conference season at 2-0. The last Ohio State head coach to begin his tenure with a 2-0 Big Ten record was Randy Ayers in 1990.
• Jae’Sean Tate is nine points away from tying Jared Sullinger for 32nd in career points with 1,282.
• Chris Holtmann is in his first season as head coach of the Buckeyes. Holtmann spent the last three seasons at Butler where he made the NCAA Tournament in all three seasons and became one of four active coaches to win at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of his first three years at a school.
LAST MEETING
Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures en route to an 85-72 victory over Ohio State in Iowa City on Jan. 28, 2017.
• Iowa played the contest without Big Ten-leading scorer Peter Jok (21.0 ppg), who missed the game due to injury (back).
• Iowa underclassmen accounted for 79 of its 85 points, including 51 points from five freshmen.
• Brady Ellingson scored a team-best 17 points, bolstered by a career-high five 3-pointers. Ryan Kriener equaled a personal best with 14 points, while Tyler Cook contributed 13 points and Jordan Bohannon had 12 points.
• Nicholas Baer posted team bests in rebounding (8) and blocked shots (3), while also totaling six points and three assists.
• Iowa amassed 21 assists on 32 baskets and only turned the ball over nine times. Dom Uhl (6) and Cordell Pemsl (5) posted personal bests in assists.
• Three Buckeyes netted double figures: Ja-Sean Tate (17), Kam Williams (14), and JaQuan Lyle (12). Starting center Trevor Thompson was held scoreless in 13 minutes of action, fouling out with 6:43 left.
GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in rebounding (6.5) and blocked shots (1.4), is second in free throws made (41) and attempts (71), and is fourth in scoring (10.1).
Garza has made 25 of his last 32 free throws (.781) after starting the season 16-of-39 (.410) from the charity stripe. Additionally, he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in seven of the last nine games.
Garza has netted double figures in four of Iowa’s last six games (23 points versus Southern, 13 against Drake, 17 versus Southern Utah, and 25 against Northern Illinois). He had his best game as a collegiate player against Northern Illinois, going 8-of-8 from the field, including making all three 3-pointers, and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe, scoring a personal-best 25 points. He also denied a season-best five shots. His efforts garnered the forward Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades for the second time.
Against Chicago State on Nov. 10, Garza became 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.
MISSING IN ACTION
Iowa has played two games this season (Drake and Southern Utah) with a full active roster of 16.
• Connor McCaffery: 12 games (combination of ankle, mono, tonsils)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: UAB (shoulder) and Colorado (ankle)
• Ryan Kriener: Indiana (concussion)
• Cordell Pemsl: Southern University (leg laceration)
COOKIN’ WITH TYLER
Tyler Cook ranks first in scoring (14.8) and is second in rebounding (6.4). Cook has made a team-best 60 percent of his field goal attempts (minimum 100 attempts). The native of St. Louis is the only player to average 20 points and eight rebounds in Big Ten play.
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).
During Iowa’s five-game win streak (Dec. 10-Dec. 29), Cook averaged 15.2 points. He made 30-of-44 (.682) field goals and 16-of-24 (.667) free throws. He dunked the ball nine times during that stretch, including a season-high six versus Drake. Overall, Cook has 32 dunks this season.
Cook is seventh in the league in field goal accuracy (.604) and is 16th in rebounding (6.4). 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 47th nationally in free throw attempts (86) and 70th in free throw makes (60).
STANDING TALL
Iowa has a nine players on its 16-play roster who stand 6-foot-7 or taller. The Hawkeyes own a +6.6 rebounding margin, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 41st nationally. Iowa averages 40.8 rebounds per game, which ranks 22nd in the country. Iowa has only averaged 40 rebounds or more per game once since the 1996-97 season (40.3 in 2013-14).
CONNOR McCAFFERY OUT INDEFINITELY
Freshman guard Connor McCaffery underwent a tonsillectomy last Wednesday at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics as a result of recurrent bouts of throat infections and his recent case of mononucleosis.
McCaffery, who already has missed 10 games of his freshman campaign due to a sprained ankle and mononucleosis, will be out for an indeterminate period of time.
The native of Iowa City has played limited minutes in four nonconference games.
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,756 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,621-1,135 (.588). Iowa’s 1,621 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,036-362 (.741) record in home games, a 581-770 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 762-767 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 441-136 (.764) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
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 6.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in 15 contests. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, reached double figures four times this season, including netting 10 points in Iowa’s win over Colorado. He scored 10 points and snagged eight rebounds before leaving Iowa’s game at Iowa State on Dec. 7, due to injury. Pemsl did not play against Southern on Dec. 10, however returned to action versus Drake posting eight rebounds and six points.
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 fifth 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.
FRAN McCAFFERY TO BE INDUCTED INTO SIENA HALL OF FAME
The Siena Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017 includes former men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery. McCaffery and three others, including former player Ronald Moore (2009-12), will be enshrined in a special ceremony on Feb. 18 at the Times Union Center, prior to the men’s basketball game versus Monmouth.
McCaffery led Siena to the most decorated five-year run in program history, which culminated with the Saints being the only Division I program to win both their regular season and tournament championships for three consecutive years from 2008-10. The Philadelphia native amassed a 112-51 (.687) overall record from 2005-10, including a 68-22 (.756) mark in the MAAC. McCaffery guided Siena to four straight 20-win seasons and MAAC Tournament Championship Game appearances. Named the 2009-10 NABC District I Coach of the Year and 2008-09 MAAC Coach of the Year, he led Siena to school record-tying 27-win seasons in each of his last two years at the helm, which included a program record 15-game winning streak in his final campaign. McCaffery both recruited and coached four fellow Siena Athletics Hall of Famers, and three of the top-five scorers in program history.
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 75 assists, and averaging 11.6 points. He is averaging 2.56 3-pointers made per game, which ranks third in the league and 162nd 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.
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• 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 51 of its last 55 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa is 74-15 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons. The Hawkeyes are 67-2 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.
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.
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).
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will begin a three-game road stretch beginning Sunday at Maryland (7 p.m. CT). The Hawkeyes will then play at Illinois on Jan. 11 (7 p.m. CT) and then conclude at Rutgers on Jan. 17 (6 p.m. CT).
