Men's Hoops Hosts Wisconsin Tuesday in the Gold Game For Cancer Research

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

THE SETTING
Iowa (10-11, 1-7) remains home on Tuesday to host Wisconsin (10-10, 3-4). Tipoff is slated for 6:01 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400) in Iowa City. Tuesday will be the only regular season meeting between the two teams. Both Iowa and Wisconsin enter Tuesday’s game having lost three of their last four contests.
    Tickets are available for $25 for adults, and $10 for UI students and 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: Tuesday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 (WATCHESPN). Dave Flemming, Dan Dakich, and Molly McGrath will call the action.

COACHES VS. CANCER SUITS & SNEAKERS
Coach McCaffery and his staff will wear Nikes on the sidelines during Tuesday night’s game against Wisconsin. They are joining coaches from across the country who are trading in dress shoes for sneakers as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Week. Coaches vs. Cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches. The program empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs, and fundraising activities.

GAME #22 STORYLINES
•    Fans are encouraged to wear gold for Tuesday night’s “Gold Game For Cancer Research.”
•    Both Iowa and Wisconsin’s coaching staffs will be wearing sneakers with their dress attire on the sidelines on Tuesday to help raise cancer awareness for Coaches vs. Cancer.
•    Iowa is 10-1 when scoring 80 points or more and 5-0 when Iowa has fewer turnovers than its opponent this season.
•    Fran McCaffery has 398 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is two victories from reaching the 400-win milestone.
•    Iowa’s Nicholas Baer and Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ played on the same AAU squad (Quad-City Elite). Both Happ and Baer redshirted their freshman season in 2014-15.
•    Wisconsin assistant coach Dean Oliver was a three-time third-team All-Big Ten performer (1999-01) as a Hawkeye. Oliver’s 561 assists are third most in Iowa program history.
•    Jordan Bohannon has four 10+ assists games in his career, which ties Andre Woolridge for fourth most by a Hawkeye in program history. Bohannon has made five 3-pointers in three of Iowa’s last four games, all on the road (Maryland, Illinois, and Rutgers).
•    The Hawkeyes rank sixth in the country in assists per game, averaging 18.6 per contest. Additionally, Iowa ranks 33rd nationally in total rebounds per contest (39.6) and rebounding margin (+6.2), and 41st in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.33).
•    Tyler Cook (15.9) and Luka Garza (15.1) average a combined 31 points per game in 10 home games this season.
•    Luka Garza is a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree (Nov. 13 and Jan. 2). Garza ranks first among Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (6.3) and second in field goal percentage (.583). Garza’s shooting percentage is tops on the Hawkeyes.
•    Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Tyler Cook leading the pack (14.5) and rebounding (6.6). Freshman Luka Garza ranks first on the team in blocks (1.2), while sophomore Jordan Bohannon ranks first in assists (4.8).
•    Tyler Cook has 38 dunks this season, including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. 
•    Iowa trailed at Illinois, 49-29, with 3:53 left in the first half and ultimately prevailed in overtime on Jan. 11. The 20-point comeback is its third largest in school history and second largest on the road. Iowa had a 22-point comeback, also at Illinois, in 1987. 

#3 PURDUE BEATS IOWA LAST SATURDAY IN IOWA CITY
Purdue sank a Big Ten single-game record 20 3-pointers in an 87-64 win over Iowa last Saturday afternoon in Iowa City. The game was the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
•    The win was the first by the Boilermakers over the Hawkeyes in Iowa City since Dec. 28, 2011 (five games).
•    Freshman Luka Garza paced the Hawkeyes, netting 19 points, bolstered by 8-of-10 shooting from the field.
•    Isaiah Moss equaled a career best dishing out five assists with zero turnovers.
•    Purdue shot 55.9 percent (33-of-59) from the field, including 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from 3-point territory. Carsen Edwards led all scorers with 22 points, while also dishing out eight assists.
•    Saturday’s game was Iowa’s first game of the season against a nationally-ranked opponent and was played in front of a season best crowd of 14,822 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Tuesday will be the 164th meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin. The Badgers own a narrow 83-80 advantage in the all-time series.
    The Hawkeyes snapped a six-game losing skid to the Badgers with a 59-57 win in Madison in the only meeting last season on March 2, 2017.
    Eight of the last 11 meetings, dating back to 2011, have been decided by seven points or less, with six of the last nine having been decided by five points or fewer. 
    Iowa holds a 50-29 advantage in games played in Iowa City, with the Badgers winning the last three. Iowa’s last win over Wisconsin in Iowa City was on Jan. 19, 2013 (70-66).

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
•    Wisconsin enters Tuesday’s game ranked 130th in the RPI. The Badgers are in the middle of a stretch of playing five os six games away from home. After Tuesday’s contest in Iowa City, the Badgers travel to nationally-ranked Michigan State on Friday.
•    Wisconsin is 3-6 in games decided by 10 points or fewer this season. The Badgers lost a pair of road games each by four-point margins in early January at Rutgers (Jan. 5) and Nebraska (Jan. 9).
•    The Boilermakers are 4-0 in true road games this season, boasting a +13.75 average margin of victory on the road. 
•    Two Badgers average double figures in scoring: Ethan Happ (16.7) and Brad Davison (12.1). Happ is one of three Big Ten players to average 16+ points and 8+ rebounds per game (Minnesota’s Jordan Murphy and Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop).
•    Wisconsin ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (64.9) and 14th in scoring offense (68.4). The Badgers are also 14th in field goal percentage defense (.459).
•    The Badgers are without two guards due to injury: D’Mitrik Trice (9.4 ppg) and Kobe King (5.2 ppg). Trice attended the same high school as Iowa junior Ahmad Wagner (Huber Heights Wayne). Trice and Wagner played on the 2015 Ohio Division I state championship team.
•    Wisconsin ranks 25th nationally in fewest fouls per game (15.6), 27th in scoring defense (64.9), and 44th in fewest turnovers per contest (11.8). Individually, junior Ethan Happ ranks 33rd in double-doubles (8), 44th in field goal percentage (.563), and 70th in rebounds per game (8.5).
•    Greg Gard is in his third season as collegiate head coach (52-28, .650).

LAST MEETING
Iowa scored the game’s final seven points in the last 3:11 to rally and upend No. 21/22 Wisconsin on March 2, 2017, at the Kohl Center. The win was just Iowa’s fourth at the Kohl Center and first triumph since 2011.
•    The victory was Iowa’s fourth win over a ranked opponent last season (No. 17 Purdue, No. 21 Wisconsin, No. 24 Maryland, No. 25 Iowa State).
•    Iowa had three players score in double figures, two of which accounted for all of Iowa’s bench points: Nicholas Baer (14), Jordan Bohannon (11), and Cordell Pemsl (10). 
•    With Iowa trailing by one point, Peter Jok attempted a 10-foot jumper that misfired with 15 seconds remaining. However, Cordell Pemsl corralled the offensive rebound and found an open Jordan Bohannon, who drained the game-winner 3-pointer.
•    Nicholas Baer tied a career best with four 3-pointers made, all made in the first half.
•    Wisconsin had four players score in double figures: Bronson Koenig (19), Ethan Happ (11), Zak Showalter (11), and Nigel Hayes (10).
•    Tyler Cook grabbed a game-best eight rebounds.
•    Iowa made more 3-pointers (9-of-19) than free throws (6-of-7). The Badgers converted only 5-of-14 (.357) from the charity stripe.

CONNOR McCAFFERY OUT INDEFINITELY
Freshman guard Connor McCaffery underwent a tonsillectomy on Dec. 27, in Iowa City as a result of recurrent bouts of throat infections and his recent case of mononucleosis.
    McCaffery, who already 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.

GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in blocked shots (1.2) and field goal percentage (.583), second in rebounding (6.3), free throws made (59) and attempts (92), and is fourth in scoring (10.9). His 6.3 rebounding average and 58.3 shooting percentage ranks first and second, respectively, among Big Ten freshmen this season.
    Garza has made 43 of his last 53 free throws (.811), including a stretch of making 14 straight free throws, after starting the season 16-of-39 (.410) from the charity stripe. Additionally, he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in 11 of the last 14 games. Garza was 8-of-10 from the field, scoring 19 points, in Iowa’s loss to No. 3 Purdue last Saturday in Iowa City.
    Garza has netted double figures in seven of Iowa’s last 11 games. Garza netted 17 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime and snagged 11 rebounds for his team-leading third double-double in Iowa’s come-from-behind-victory at Illinois. He was a perfect 9-of-9 from the foul line against the Fighting Illini. 
    Garza 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 (Nov. 13 and Jan. 2).
    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.

COOKIN’ WITH TYLER
Tyler Cook ranks first in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (6.6). 
    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 38 dunks this season.
    Cook is 11th in the league in field goal accuracy (.561) and is 12th in rebounding (6.6). The native of St. Louis has three double-double to his credit this season (Penn State, Illinois, and Rutgers), equaling Luka Garza for the team lead in that category.
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 75th nationally in free throw attempts (118) and 106th in free throw makes (82). He also ranks 47th in field goal percentage (.561).

MAKING THE FREEBIES
Jordan Bohannon has boosted his overall season free throw percentages the last couple weeks by sinking all of his free throws.
    Bohannon enters Tuesday’s contest versus Wisconsin having made 22 straight, dating back to the Ohio State game on Jan. 4. Bohannon’s season percentage (.879) ranks first best in the Big Ten. 
    The legendary Chris Street owns the consecutive free throws made school record, making 34 straight over a span of six games (Jan. 2-16, 1993).

MISSING IN ACTION
Iowa has played two games this season with a full active roster of 16 (Drake and Southern Utah).

• Connor McCaffery: 17 games (combination of ankle, mono, tonsils)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: UAB (shoulder) and Colorado (ankle)
• Ryan Kriener: Indiana and Purdue (concussion)
• Cordell Pemsl: Southern University (leg laceration)

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.

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 has four 10+ assists games in his career (Indiana, South Dakota, TCU, and Ohio State), which ties Andre Woolridge for fourth most by a Hawkeye in program history.
    The native of Marion, Iowa, has had a solid sophomore campaign, dishing out a team-best 101 assists, and averaging 13.3 points. He is averaging 2.76 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the league and 73rd in the country. He has made five 3-pointers or more in a game five times, including three of Iowa’s last four contests (at Maryland; at Illinois; at Rutgers).
    Bohannon, one of five players named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2017, 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). 

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•    Iowa is 75-16 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.
•    Iowa trailed Illinois, 49-29, with 3:53 left in the first half and ultimately prevailed in overtime. The 20-point comeback is its third largest in school history and second largest on the road. Iowa had a 22-point comeback, also at Illinois, in 1987. The largest comeback in program history is 23 points against Gardner-Webb in 2012 in Iowa City.
•    Iowa’s 104 points are the most it has ever scored against Illinois in the 109-year series history. Iowa’s 104 points are the most it has scored in a Big Ten game since 1995 against Northwestern (W, 116-77). Iowa topped 100 points in a Big Ten road game for the first time since beating Michigan State, 103-87, on March 3, 1998.
•    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.
•    Iowa is one of only three teams (Michigan State and Wisconsin) to have posted a Big Ten record of .500 or better each of the last five seasons (2013-17).
•    Iowa has won 51 of its last 55 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•    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.

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).

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,761 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,622-1,139 (.587). Iowa’s 1,622 wins are 38th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,036-364 (.740) record in home games, a 582-772 (.430) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 763-771 (.497) mark in Big Ten games and a 441-138 (.762) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, to challenge Nebraska on Saturday in the only regular season meeting between the two teams. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (CT) inside Pinnacle Bank Arena. The game will be televised on BTN (BTN2GO).