Hawkeyes Host Minnesota Tuesday

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THE SETTING
Iowa (11-12, 2-8) returns home to host Minnesota (14-9, 3-7) on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). Tickets are available for $25 for adults, and $10 for youth and UI students.

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 BTN (BTN2GO). Dave Revsine and Stephen Bardo will call the action.

IOWA FALLS AT NEBRASKA IN ONLY REGULAR SEASON MEETING
Nebraska topped Iowa, 98-84, Saturday evening at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
•    Sophomores Tyler Cook (24) and Jordan Bohannon (24) combined for 48 of Iowa’s 84 points. Cordell Pemsl netted double figures for the second consecutive contest, netting 10 points.
•    Cook posted his fourth double-double of the season and sixth of his career (24 points and 10 rebounds). Bohannon equaled a season best with six 3-pointers made. Bohannon has made five or more 3-pointers in each of Iowa’s last five true road games (Iowa State, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, and Nebraska).
•    In addition to his 24 points, Bohannon dished out a game-best seven assists to go along with zero turnovers. Saturday marked the first game this season in which Bohannon played all 40 minutes.
•    Iowa shot 50 percent from the field (33-of-66) and 43 percent from 3-point range (9-of-21), while Nebraska shot a blistering 58 percent from both the field (30-of-52) and 3-point range (11-of-19).
•    Nebraska (36) attempted 22 more free throws than Iowa (14). The Huskers made 75 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe, making 27. James Palmer Jr., made 11 of his 14 attempts.
•    Redshirt junior Brady Ellingson (concussion) and sophomore forward Ryan Kriener (concussion) did not play. Kriener has missed the last three games, while Ellingson has missed the last two.
•    Four Huskers scored double figures: James Palmer Jr. (28), Isaac Copeland (23), Isaiah Roby (15), and Jordy Tshimanga (11).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Minnesota holds a 104-94 advantage in the series that began with a 47-10 Gopher win in 1902. The 198 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent.
    Iowa has won six of the last 10 meetings. The two teams have split the last 12 contests and have traded victories in the last six meetings, dating back to 2014. The Gophers won last season’s only meeting in double overtime (101-89) on Feb. 8, 2017, in Minneapolis.
    Iowa holds a 56-41 advantage in games played in Iowa City and a 21-10 advantage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won 11 of the last 16 meetings in Iowa City, including four of the last five. 

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
•    After starting the season 13-4, including winning its first seven contests of the season, Minnesota has lost six of its last seven games. The lone victory was a 95-84 overtime victory at Penn State on Jan. 15.
•    Nebraska is 5-3 in games decided by six points or fewer, including splitting this week’s road games by margins of five (64-69 loss at Ohio State) and six (60-54 win at Rutgers).
•    The Golden Gophers are 10-4 at home this season, but 2-4 in true road games. Tuesday is the fourth time in five games Minnesota will be playing a game away from home. The Golden Gophers will play at Michigan on Saturday. Minnesota is unable to play any home games this week due to the Super Bowl. 
•    Minnesota last played a game a week ago Tuesday, dropping a 77-69 home game to Northwestern. Senior Nate Mason led the Gophers against the Wildcats recording 25 points, nine assists, three steals, and zero turnovers.
•    Four Gophers average double digits in scoring: Jordan Murphy (17.6), Nate Mason (15.8), Amir Coffey (14.0), and Dupree McBrayer (10.3). Coffey has missed five games due to injury, including the last outing versus Northwestern, while McBrayer has missed three contests due to injury.
•    Minnesota ranks second in the Big Ten in blocked shots (6.2), fourth in scoring offense (77.9) and assists per game (16.0), and eighth in rebounding margin (+2.7). Jordan Murphy is the only Big Ten player to average better than 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. His 17.6 scoring average ranks third best in the league, while his 11.7 rebounds per game is first. Nate Mason ranks fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.2), and seventh in assists (4.5).
•    Jordan Murphy’s 35 points scored against USC Upstate (Nov. 11) and his 15 free throws made versus Western Carolina (Nov. 19), are the highest totals in a single game by a Big Ten student-athlete this season.
•    Minnesota ranks seventh nationally in blocked shots per game (6.2), eighth in fewest personal fouls per game (14.9), 11th in free throw attempts (535), 12th in rebounds per game (40.4), 23rd in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.39), and 35th in fewest turnovers per game (11.5). Individually, Jordan Murphy leads the nation with 19 double-doubles, and is third in total rebounds (11.7) and offensive rebounds (4.39). Nate Mason ranks 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.16) and 67th in 3-point accuracy (.412).
•    Richard Pitino is in his fifth season as head coach at Minnesota (89-70, .560).

LAST MEETING
Iowa rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to force overtime, but the Hawkeyes ultimately fell, 101-89, in double overtime on Feb. 8, 2017, at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The game featured 14 ties and 18 lead changes.
•    Three Hawkeyes scored in double digits: Peter Jok (28), Isaiah Moss (19), and Jordan Bohannon (12).
•    Iowa assisted on 20 of its 30 field goals (67 percent), paced by Bohannon’s eight assists.
•    Minnesota was paced by Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy, each scoring 25 points. In addition to the 25 points, Murphy grabbed a game-best 19 rebounds, and Mason dished out a team-best seven assists.
•    The 190 total points are the most scored in a game between Iowa-Minnesota since 1994 (203). 

GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in blocked shots (1.2), rebounding (6.7), double-doubles (4), and field goal percentage (.582), second in free throws made (66) and attempts (102), and is third in scoring (11.0). His 6.7 rebounding average and 58.2 shooting percentage ranks first and second, respectively, among Big Ten freshmen this season.
    Garza has made 50 of his last 63 free throws (.794), 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 12 of the last 16 games. Garza posted a team-high 19 and 17 points against No. 3 Purdue and Wisconsin, respectively, on Jan. 20 and Jan. 23. He also snagged 16 boards to register his team-leading fourth double-double in the victory over Wisconsin; the 16 rebounds are the most by a Hawkeye in a single game since Adam Woodbury had 18 against the Badgers on Feb. 24, 2016.
    Garza has netted double figures in eight of Iowa’s last 13 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 on the team in scoring (15.0) and is tied with Luka Garza for first in rebounding (6.7). 
    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).
    Cook has registered 45 dunks this season, including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. Cook had another five dunks in the Hawkeyes’ last outing Saturday at Nebraska.
    Cook is tied for seventh in the league in field goal accuracy (.568) and is tied for 12th in rebounding (6.7). The native of St. Louis has four double-double to his credit this season (Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, and Nebraska).
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 83rd nationally in free throw attempts (125) and 127th in free throw makes (85). He also ranks 42nd in field goal percentage (.568).

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 Minnesota having made 26 straight, dating back to the Ohio State game on Jan. 4. Bohannon’s season percentage (.887) 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). Street’s streak ended when he was killed in an auto accident on Jan. 19, 1993.

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

• Connor McCaffery: 19 games (combination of ankle, mono, tonsils)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: UAB (shoulder) and Colorado (ankle)
• Ryan Kriener: Indiana, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Nebraska (concussion)
• Cordell Pemsl: Southern University (leg laceration)
• Brady Ellingson: Wisconsin and Nebraska (concussion)
 
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 five 10+ assists games in his career (Indiana, South Dakota, TCU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin), which ties B.J. Armstrong and Mike Gesell for second most by a Hawkeye in program history (Cal Wulfsberg, 6).
    The native of Marion, Iowa, has had a solid sophomore campaign, dishing out a team-best 119 assists, and averaging 13.7 points. He is averaging 2.8 3-pointers made per game, which ranks second in the league and 94th in the country. He has made five 3-pointers or more in a game six times, including four of Iowa’s last six contests (at Maryland; at Illinois; at Rutgers; at Nebraska).
    Bohannon’s five career double-doubles — all in points and assists — ties B.J. Armstrong for the most in program history.
    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 nation 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 rookie 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 75-17 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’s 18-point victory is over Wisconsin on Jan. 23 (85-67), is its largest margin of victory since beating the Badgers by 25 points (78-53) on Jan. 11, 1997.
•    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), Josh Oglesby (NAPB: Rochester RazorSharks); Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Westchester Knicks), and Aaron White (Lithuania).

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa hits the road on Saturday when the Hawkeyes face Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. (CT) inside the Bryce Jordan Center.