Men's Hoops Plays at Penn State Saturday Night

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

THE SETTING
Iowa (12-12, 3-8) hits the road this weekend with a contest at Penn State (15-9, 5-6). Tipoff is set for 5:07 p.m. (CT) on Saturday inside the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania.

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: Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Wayne Randazzo and Jon Crispin will call the action.

GAME #25 STORYLINES
•    Fran McCaffery won his 400th career game in 22 seasons as a head coach with Tuesday night’s 94-80 triumph over Minnesota.
•    All 12 of Iowa’s wins this season have come when scoring 80 points or more. Iowa has scored 94+ points in multiple Big Ten games in the same season (Illinois and Minnesota) for the first time since 1994-95.
•    Jordan Bohannon has made five or more 3-pointers in each of Iowa’s last five true road games. He made five at Iowa State, at Maryland, Illinois, at Rutgers, and six at Nebraska last Saturday. Bohannon is the sixth player and the only from a major conference to make five or more triples in five straight road games over the last 20 years. He ranks ninth in career 3-pointers made at Iowa, making 158 triples in his first 58 games.
•    Six Hawkeyes scored in double figures in Tuesday’s win over Minnesota, marking the second time this season and first time since the opener versus Chicago State (Nov. 11).
•    Iowa made 12 3-pointers in Tuesday’s victory over Minnesota. The 12 triples are the most by the Hawkeyes in a Big Ten game this season and second highest total of the season (13 vs. Southern).
•    Sophomore Jordan Bohannon enters Saturday’s game at Penn State having made 30 consecutive free throw attempts, dating back to Jan. 4 (Ohio State). Chris Street is Iowa’s record holder, making 34 straight free throws in 1993.
•    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 (6.7) and second in field goal percentage (.574). 
•    Freshman forward Luka Garza has scored in double figures in nine of the last 14 games.
•    Jordan Bohannon has six 10+ assists games in his career, which ties Cal Wulfsberg for the most by a Hawkeye in program history. Bohannon’s six career double-doubles — all in points and assists — are the most in program history.
•    Tyler Cook has 46 dunks this season, including a season-best six in a win over Drake.
•    Iowa has played only two games this year with a full roster (Drake and Southern Utah).
•    Iowa’s top four scorers are underclassmen, with all four averaging double figures.
•    The Hawkeyes registered their third largest comeback in school history, and second largest on the road, when they rallied from a 20-point deficit at Illinois on Jan. 11.

HAWKEYES TOP MINNESOTA TUESDAY NIGHT IN IOWA CITY
Six Hawkeyes scored in double figures in a 94-80 win over Minnesota Tuesday night on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
•    For the second time this season and first time since the season opener on Nov. 11, six Hawkeyes netted double figures: Jordan Bohannon (20), Tyler Cook (17), Isaiah Moss (16), Nicholas Baer (10), Luka Garza (10), and Cordell Pemsl (10).
•    Cook posted his team-leading fifth double-double of the season and seventh of his career (17 points and 10 rebounds). Cook has posted double-doubles in four of the last six games (Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Minnesota). 
•    In addition to his team-best 20 points, Bohannon was credited with a game-high 10 assists for his sixth career double-double — all in points and assists. His six career double-doubles in points and assists are the most in program history.
•    Iowa shot a blistering 55 percent from the field (33-of-60) and 48 percent from 3-point range (12-of-25), while Minnesota shot 44.8 percent from the field (30-of-67) and 28 percent from 3-point range (7-of-25). The Hawkeyes’ 12 triples are the most they have sank in a Big Ten game this season and second highest total overall (13 vs. Southern).
•    Iowa scored 57 second-half points, the most points scored in the second half of a Big Ten game since scoring 62 at Illinois on March 4, 1990.
•    Redshirt junior Brady Ellingson (concussion) and sophomore forward Ryan Kriener (concussion) did not play. Kriener has missed the last four games, while Ellingson has missed the last three.
•    Three Gophers scored double figures: Jordan Murphy (21), Davonte Fitzgerald (16), and Isaiah Washington (15). Murphy also pulled down a game-best 17 rebounds. Minnesota only played eight players. Amir Coffey and Gaston Diedhiou did not play due to injury.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a 29-16 advantage in the series versus Penn State. The Hawkeyes have won nine of the last 14 meetings. Penn State won this season’s Big Ten opener in Iowa City, 77-73, on Dec. 2, 2017.
    Penn State holds a slim 11-9 edge in games played at University Park. Iowa, on Jan. 4, 1997, was the first visiting team to win (67-59) in Penn State’s new arena (Bryce Jordan Center). The Nittany Lions posted a narrow 79-75 triumph over the Hawkeyes in the last meeting at University Park, Pa., on Feb. 17, 2016. Iowa’s last victory at Penn State came on Feb. 28, 2015 (81-77 in overtime).

SCOUTING PENN STATE
•    Penn State is rated No. 110 in the latest RPI entering Saturday’s game versus Iowa. Eleven of the Nittany Lions’ 15 victories have come inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
•    Penn State was edged, 76-68, in its last game at nationally-ranked Michigan State played Wednesday evening in East Lansing, Michigan. The Nittany Lions led by as many as 12 points in the second half; Michigan State scored 52 second-half points to tally for the win. Tony Carr (28) and Lamar Stephens (18) led the squad in scoring in defeat.
•    Wednesday’s game at Michigan State concluded a stretch of playing three of four games away from home. Saturday’s contest versus Iowa begins a stretch of three of four at home for the Nittany Lions.
•    All five Nittany Lion starters average double figures: Tony Carr (19.6), Lamar Stephens (15.3), and Mike Watkins (12.9), Josh Reaves (10.7), and Shep Garner (10.2).
•    Penn State has lost seven games since Dec. 1, with all but one defeat coming by single digits. The one double-digit defeat came in overtime at home to Minnesota (95-84) on Jan. 15.
•    Penn State ranks first in the Big Ten in steals (7.9), third in blocked shots (5.6), and fifth in rebounding margin (+3.3). Tony Carr ranks first in the league in scoring (19.6), third in minutes played (34.0), and fifth in assists per game (4.9). Mike Watkins is second in field goal percentage (.682), rebounding (9.9), and blocked shots (3.3), while Josh Reaves is first in steals (2.5). Watkins’ field goal percentage ranks fourth nationally.
•    The Nittany Lions have seven players who are averaging 17 minutes or more.
•    Patrick Chambers is in his seventh season as head coach at Penn State (102-118, .464).

LAST MEETING
Penn State never trailed in a 77-73 win over Iowa on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 2, 2017, in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
•    All 77 of Penn State’s points were scored by their starting five, with Lamar Stevens netting a team-best 22 points.
•   Tyler Cook posted his first career double-double, registering game bests in scoring (23) and rebounding (12). He also dished out a career-best four assists.
•      Iowa had the scoring edge around the basket outscoring the Nittany Lions, 42-26, however Penn State drained a season-best 12 triples while limiting Iowa to just four. Penn State made 52 percent of its 3-point attempts.
•    Nicholas Baer started his first game of the season. The redshirt junior had five rebounds, two blocked shots, and scored four points.

BIG SECOND HALVES FOR THE HAWKEYES
Iowa has scored 50 or more second-half points five times this season, including each of the last two games (50 at Nebraska and 57 versus Minnesota). The 57 second-half points against the Gophers are the most in the second half of a Big Ten game since scoring 62 at Illinois on March 4, 1990.
    The last time Iowa scored 57 or more points in the second half of a Big Ten game, Cheers was the No. 1 rated television show, Pretty Woman was released in the movie theaters, gas was $1.06/gallon, and minimum wage was $3.80.
    Iowa shot 60 percent from the field in the second half against the Gophers and 56 percent against in the final 20 minutes against the Huskers.
    Other Iowa games this season in which the Hawkeyes netted 50 points or more include Louisiana (54), Southern (50), and Drake (50).

GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in blocked shots (1.2), and is second in rebounding (6.7), double-doubles (4), and field goal percentage (.574), second in free throws made (68) and attempts (105), and is fourth in scoring (11.2). His 6.7 rebounding average and 57.4 shooting percentage ranks first and second, respectively, among Big Ten freshmen this season.
    Garza has made 52 of his last 66 free throws (.788), 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 17 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 nine of Iowa’s last 14 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 (15.1), rebounding (6.8), and free throws made (88) and attempted (129).
    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 46 dunks this season (1.9 per game), including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. Cook had another five dunks in the Hawkeyes’ last Saturday at Nebraska.
    Cook is tied for seventh in the league in field goal accuracy (.576) and is 12th in rebounding (6.8). The native of St. Louis has a team-best five double-doubles to his credit this season (Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska, and Minnesota). Cook has registered four double-doubles in the last six contests.
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 81st nationally in free throw attempts (129) and 119th in free throw makes (88). He also ranks 36th in field goal percentage (.576).

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 Saturday’s contest at Penn State having made 30 straight, dating back to the Ohio State game on Jan. 4. Bohannon’s season percentage (.894) ranks second in the Big Ten behind Michigan State’s Miles Bridges.
    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: 20 games (combination of ankle, mono, tonsils)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: UAB (shoulder) and Colorado (ankle)
• Ryan Kriener: five games (concussion)
• Cordell Pemsl: Southern University (leg laceration)
• Brady Ellingson: three games (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 six 10+ assists games in his career (Indiana, South Dakota, TCU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin), which ties Cal Wulfsberg for the most by a Hawkeye in program history.
    The native of Marion, Iowa, has had a solid sophomore campaign, dishing out a team-best 129 assists, and averaging 14 points. He is averaging 2.88 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the league and 52nd in the country. He has made five 3-pointers or more in a game six times, including four of Iowa’s last seven contests (at Maryland; at Illinois; at Rutgers; at Nebraska).
    Bohannon’s six career double-doubles — all in points and assists — are 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 76-17 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 returns home on Tuesday to host nationally-ranked Michigan State. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN.