Hawkeyes Play at No. 21 Michigan Wednesday Night

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Fight For Iowa | Hawk Talk Monthly — February 2018 – http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/935355-february-2018 | Game Notes (PDF)

THE SETTING
Iowa (12-15, 3-11) remains on the road for a Wednesday evening contest at No. 22/21 Michigan (20-7, 9-5). Tipoff is slated for 5:31 p.m. (CT) at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Wednesday will be Iowa’s third straight contest against a nationally-ranked opponent (No. 4 Michigan State and No. 14 Ohio State).

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: Wednesday’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Dave Revsine and Jon Crispin will call the action.

OHIO STATE TOPS IOWA IN COLUMBUS SATURDAY NIGHT
Iowa dropped an 82-64 decision at Ohio State Saturday night at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Saturday was Iowa’s second straight game against a nationally-ranked opponent.
•    Freshman Jack Nunge led the Hawkeyes in both scoring (18) and rebounding (5). The 18 points are a season best for the forward. 
•    Sophomore Jordan Bohannon was the only other Hawkeye in double figures, netting 11 points, bolstered by making a team-best three triples. Bohannon also led the visitors with five assists.
•    For the second straight game, Iowa’s bench production was 28 points. The 28 points scored by Hawkeye reserves as a season best during conference play.
•    Ohio State (21) attempted 11 more free throws than Iowa (10).
•    Saturday’s game was played in front of a sold out crowd of 18,809 at Value City Arena.
•    Five Buckeyes scored double figures: Kaleb Wesson (18), C.J. Jackson (14), Keita Bates-Diop (14), Jae’Sean Tate (11), and Micah Potter (10).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Michigan holds a 92-63 advantage in the series that began with a 19-15 Wolverine win in 1912. The Wolverines have won 12 of the last 19, but the Hawkeyes have won five of the last six. Michigan won this season’s first meeting, 75-68, in Iowa City on Jan. 2, 2018.
    The Wolverines hold a 51-24 advantage in games played in Ann Arbor. Iowa has beaten Michigan in its last two visits to Ann Arbor, including a 71-61 triumph on March 5, 2016. Iowa’s 72-54 victory in Ann Arbor in 2015, was Iowa’s largest margin of victory at Michigan in 61 years.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
•    Michigan enters Wednesday’s game having won three of its last four games, including an 83-72 triumph at Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. Michigan has an RPI of No. 38.
•    The Wolverines have played two overtime contests this season, winning both at home (78-69 win over UCLA on Dec. 9 and 76-73 over Minnesota on Feb. 3).
•    Michigan is 13-1 at home this season with the lone setback coming by one point to nationally-ranked Purdue (70-69) on Jan. 9.
•    Three Wolverines average double figures in scoring:  Moritz Wagner (14.6), Charles Matthews (13.9), and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (11.5).
•    Thirty-seven percent of Michigan’s offensive production come via the 3-ball, making 245 triples (735) and totaling 1,997 points this season. Michigan is second in the league in triples per game (9.1).
•    Michigan beat Wisconsin (83-72) in its last outing in Madison, Wisconsin. The Wolverines led by as many as 25 points in the second half. Michigan outrebounded Wisconsin by 10 (33-23) and made 18 of its 24 foul shots (75 percent). Moritz Wagner led the Wolverines with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Duncan Robinson netted 16 points, bolstered by 4-of-7 shooting from 3-point range.
•    Michigan is 8-4 in the league since resuming conference play at Iowa on Jan. 2.
•    Michigan ranks second nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.4), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58), 13th in scoring defense (63.7), 14th in fewest fouls per game (15.3), and 17th in turnover margin (+3.7). Individually, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (5.53) and Xavier Simpson (3.19) rank first and ninth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio, respectively. Moritz Wagner is 68th in the nation in field goal percentage (.538).
•    John Bielein is in his 40th season as head coach (786-460, .631) and his 10th at Michigan (235-142, .623). Beilein became Michigan’s all-time winningest coach last season surpassing Johnny Orr.

LAST MEETING
Michigan made five more 3-pointers than Iowa in a 75-68 win over Iowa on Jan. 2, 2018, 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. Cook attempted 11 free throws, making eight.
•    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 contributed 12 points for the Hawkeyes.
•    Four Wolverines scored in double figures: Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (15), Zavier Simpson (15), Charles Matthews (14), and Isaiah Livers (13).

BIG SECOND HALVES FOR THE HAWKEYES
Iowa has scored 50 or more second-half points six times this season, including three of its last five games (50 at Nebraska, 57 versus Minnesota, 51 versus No. 4 Michigan State). 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.
    Other Iowa games this season netting 50 points or more include Louisiana (54), Southern (50), and Drake (50).

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).

GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Freshman Luka Garza leads the team in blocked shots (1.1), and is second in rebounding (6.4), double-doubles (4), free throws made (76) and attempts (115), and is third in field goal accuracy (.542) and scoring (10.9). His 6.4 rebounding average and 54.2 shooting percentage ranks first and third, respectively, among Big Ten freshmen this season.
    Garza has made 60 of his last 76 free throws (.789), including a stretch of making 14 straight free throws, after starting the season 16-of-39 (.410) from the charity stripe. He 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 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 17 games. Garza netted 17 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime and snagged 11 rebounds for his 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 (15.4), rebounding (6.5), and free throws made (95) and attempted (143).
    He had the best game of his career versus UAB (29 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 13-of-16 from the free throw line).
    Cook has registered 51 dunks this season (1.9 per game), including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16. 
    Cook is seventh in the league in field goal accuracy (.569) and 12th in rebounding (6.5). 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 eight contests.
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 95th nationally in free throw attempts (143) and 158th in free throw makes (95). He also ranks 40th in field goal percentage (.569).

DIRECTING THE HAWKEYE OFFENSE
Sophomore Jordan Bohannon has had a solid sophomore campaign, dishing out a team-best 143 assists, and averaging 13.6 points. He is averaging 2.89 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the league and 46th in the country. His 3-point percentage of 44.1 percent ranks 24th nationally. He has made five 3-pointers or more in a game seven times, including five of Iowa’s last 10 contests (at Maryland; at Illinois; at Rutgers; at Nebraska, vs. No. 4 Michigan State). 
    The native of Marion, Iowa, 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.  His 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). 

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

• Connor McCaffery: 23 games (combination of ankle, mono, tonsils)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: two games (shoulder and ankle)
• Ryan Kriener: six games (concussions)
• Cordell Pemsl: one game (leg laceration)
• Brady Ellingson: four games (concussion)

MAKING THE FREEBIES
Jordan Bohannon has boosted his overall season free throw percentages the last month by sinking all of his free throws.
    Bohannon enters Wednesday’s contest at Michigan having made 30 straight, dating back to the first Ohio State game on Jan. 4. Bohannon’s season percentage (.894) is tied with Michigan State’s Cassius Winston for first 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.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,767 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,624-1,143 (.587). Iowa’s 1,624 wins are 38th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,038-365 (.740) record in home games, a 582-775 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 765-775 (.497) mark in Big Ten games and a 443-139 (.761) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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 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. 

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 and Michigan State combined for 189 points in the Spartans’ 96-93 win in Iowa City on Feb. 6. It was the highest scoring game played between the two teams since 1988 (103-87 Iowa win in East Lansing).
•    Iowa had six players score in double figures in two games: Chicago State (Nov. 11) and Minnesota (Jan. 30).
•    Iowa scored 57 second-half points in its home game against Minnesota on Jan. 30, the most points scored in the second half of a Big Ten game since scoring 62 at Illinois on March 4, 1990.
•    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.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa returns home for a Saturday matinee against Indiana. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN. Tickets are available at the Iowa Athletic Ticket Office, calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.