Men's Hoops Plays at Maryland Sunday Evening

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Fight For Iowa | Hawk Talk Monthly — January 2018 | Game Notes (PDF)

THE SETTING
Iowa (9-8, 0-4) hits the road for its first true road game since Dec. 7, on Sunday when the Hawkeyes challenge Maryland (13-4, 2-2). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) inside the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland. Sunday is the first of three consecutive road contests for the Hawkeyes.
    Both Iowa (vs. Ohio State) and Maryland (at Michigan State) lost Thursday Big Ten games.

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 FS1 (FOXSPORTSGO). Tim Brando and Stephen Bardo will call the action.

GAME #18 STORYLINES
•    Sunday concludes a stretch of playing three games in six days and begins a stretch of playing three consecutive road contests (Maryland, Illinois, and Rutgers).
•    Iowa is 9-1 when scoring 80 points or more and 5-0 when Iowa has fewer turnovers than its opponent this season.
•    Fran McCaffery has 397 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is three victories from reaching the 400-win milestone. Maryland coach Mark Turgeon notched career win No. 400 on Dec. 29, against UMBC.
•    Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon registered his fourth career double-double in points and assists Thursday night. Bohannon had 15 points and 10 assists against the Buckeyes.
•    In nine home games, freshman Luka Garza is averaging 14.7 points and a team-best 7.3 rebounds and two blocks. 
•    Tyler Cook has averaged 2.1 dunks per game over the last seven games. Cook has 35 dunks this season, including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. Cook is averaging a team-best 20.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in Iowa’s four 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.
•    Iowa is shooting the basketball at a 53 percent clip in its nine victories and has made 50.5 percent of its field goal attempts in its nine home games.
•    The Hawkeyes rank sixth in the country in assists per game, averaging 19.4 per contest. Additionally, Iowa ranks 11th in total free throw attempts (389), 23rd nationally in total rebounds per contest (40.7), and 47th in rebounding margin (+6.4).
•    Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Tyler Cook leading the pack (15.2) and rebounding (6.6). Freshman Luka Garza ranks first on the team in blocks (1.35), while sophomore Jordan Bohannon ranks first in assists (5.0).
•    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.

OHIO STATE BEATS IOWA THURSDAY IN IOWA CITY
All five Ohio State starters scored in double figures in a 92-81 win over Iowa Thursday evening in Iowa City.
•    After trailing by double digits for most of the first half, Iowa cut the deficit to five (46-41) with 17:10 remaining in the second half. However, the Buckeyes scored the next 10 points and ultimately went on to win by 11 points.
•    Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon registered his fourth career double-double and first of the season when the point guard posted 15 points and 10 assists. Bohannon’s other three double-doubles also came on points and assists in the final three games played of the 2016-17 season (Indiana, South Dakota, and TCU).
•    Sophomore Tyler Cook led the team in scoring and rebounding for the second straight game, recording 21 points and nine rebounds against the Buckeyes.
•    Both teams made seven 3-pointers and Iowa made one more free throw than Ohio State; the difference in the game was the Buckeyes’ shooting accuracy from the field (53 percent), making six more than the Hawkeyes (43 percent).
•    Iowa grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and scored 24 points on those second chance opportunities.
•    The Ohio State-Iowa all-time series is now even at 79-79 after 158 games played.
•    Keita Bates-Diop led all scorers and rebounders with 27 points and 13 rebounds, respectively. Jae-Sean Tate contributed 18 points, while Kam Williams had 13, C.J. Jackson netted 12, and Kaleb Wesson tallied 10.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Sunday will be the eighth all-time meeting between Iowa and Maryland. The Terrapins own a slim, 4-3, advantage in the series. The two teams split last year’s two meetings with each team winning on the road: Maryland won in Iowa City (84-76) in January and Iowa won in College Park (89-61) in February
    The first three meetings between Iowa and Maryland were played on neutral floors: Honolulu (1984), Baltimore (1999), and New York City (2013).

SCOUTING MARYLAND
•    Maryland enters Saturday’s game 48th in the RPI. The Terrapins have won 10 of their 13 games at home. Maryland’s lone setback inside the XFINITY Center came to nationally-ranked Purdue (80-75) on Dec. 1. Sunday will be the seventh time in eight games in which Maryland will have played a home game.
•    Thursday’s loss at Michigan State snapped Maryland’s seven-game win streak. The top-ranked Spartans beat the Terrapins by 30 points. Michigan State (16) made twice as many 3-pointers than Maryland (8) and shot a blistering 57 percent from both the field and 3-point territory. Anthony Cowan led all scorers with 26 points.
•    Three Terrapins average double digits: Anthony Cowan (16.2), Kevin Huerter (14.2), and Bruno Fernando (10.3). Huerter grew up around Siena College when Fran McCaffery was head coach at the upstate New York school. Huerter’s father, Tom, played at Siena in the 1980’s and served as a radio and television analyst for the Saints for several years. Huerter, along with the Patrick and Connor McCaffery served as ball boys for the team.
•    Sophomore forward Justin Jackson is out for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injured shoulder after playing in only nine games for the Terrapins.
•    Maryland has two players who have made 30 or more 3-pointers: Kevin Huerter (42-of-92, .457) and Anthony Cowan (30-off-78, .385). Huerter and Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon each enter Sunday’s game with a team-best 42 triples.
•    Maryland ranks seventh nationally in free throws made (289), eighth in rebounds (671), 15th in total free throw attempts (387), 20th in field goal percentage defense (.387), 29th in fewest personal fouls per game (15.8), 29th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.302), and 32nd in scoring defense (64.6). Individually, Anthony Cowan ranks eighth in the country in free throws made (100) and 51st in minutes per game (35.5).
•    Mark Turgeon is in his seventh season as head coach at Maryland (151-72, .677) and 20th year overall as a head coach (401-231, .634).
•    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.

LAST MEETING
Iowa drained 16 3-pointers en route to an 83-69 victory over No. 24 Maryland on Feb. 25, 2017, in College Park, Maryland. The win was Iowa’s first ever at the XFINITY Center.
•    The 16 triples are the most by the Hawkeyes in a Big Ten game in program history.
•    Iowa scored on 11 of 12 possessions after gaining an offensive rebound, scoring 30 points after grabbing 15 offensive rebounds. The Hawkeyes held the Terrapins to only six second-chance points.
•    The Hawkeyes shot a season-best 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from 3-point range.
•    Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Jordan Bohannon (24), Tyler Cook (21), Peter Jok (11), and Nicholas Baer (11). Saturday marked the third time in school history that two rookie duos scored 20+ points in the same game.
•    Jordan Bohannon netted all 24 of his points via the 3-point shot, sinking 8-of-10 (80 percent). The eight triples are the most by a freshman in a single game in Iowa history and one shy of the single-game school record.
•    In addition to the 21 points, Tyler Cook snagged a game-best 10 rebounds to post his first career double-double.
•    Maryland had three players score in double figures: Kevin Huerter (13), Anthony Cowan (11), and Melo Trimble (10). The Hawkeyes held Trimble to 4-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range.
•    The 14-point loss by Maryland equaled its largest defeat at home last season (Pittsburgh won at Maryland, 73-59, on Nov. 29, 2016.

GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in blocked shots (1.35), is second in rebounding (6.5), free throws made (47) and attempts (79), and is fourth in scoring (10.4).
    Garza has made 31 of his last 40 free throws (.775) after starting the season 16-of-39 (.410) from the charity stripe. Additionally, he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in eight of the last 10 games.
    Garza has netted double figures in five of Iowa’s last seven games. 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 this season.
    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: 13 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 (15.2) and rebounding (6.6). Cook has made a team-best 59 percent of his field goal attempts (minimum 100 attempts). The native of St. Louis is the only player to average better than 20 points and eight rebounds in Big Ten play.
    He had the best game of his collegiate career against UAB (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 (.591) and is 16th in rebounding (6.6). 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 32nd nationally in free throw attempts (105) and 51st in free throw makes (75). He also ranks 40th in field goal percentage (.591).

STANDING TALL
Iowa has a nine players on its 16-play roster who stand 6-foot-7 or taller. The Hawkeyes own a +6.4 rebounding margin, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 47th nationally. Iowa averages 40.7 rebounds per game, which ranks 23rd 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.

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 6.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 16 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 85 assists, and averaging 11.8 points. He is averaging 2.47 3-pointers made per game, which ranks fourth in the league and 149th 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). 

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,757 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,621-1,136 (.588). Iowa’s 1,621 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,036-363 (.740) record in home games, a 581-770 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 762-768 (.498) mark in Big Ten games and a 441-137 (.763) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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 74-16 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 remain on the road for a Thursday contest at Illinois. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. Thursday’s contest will be the only regular season meeting between the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini.