Game Notes: Iowa at Michigan State

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THE SETTING
No. 14/15 Iowa (6-1, 0-1) will travel to play No. 9/8 Michigan State (6-2, 1-0) on Monday in East Lansing, Michigan. Tipoff is set for 5:31 p.m. (CT) at the Breslin Center (14,797). Monday’s contest will be the first of two regular season contests between the two teams.
 
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Jim Albracht will handle 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: Monday’s Big Ten road game will be televised nationally on FS1 (FOXSPORTSGO). Tim Brando and Jim Jackson will call the action.

BIG TEN ROAD OPENER STORYLINES
•    Monday’s game features the Big Ten’s top two offensive scoring teams: Michigan State averages 86.9 points per game, while and Iowa averages 82.6 points.
•    Iowa has had a player post a double-double in each of the last two games. Joe Wieskamp totaled 18 points and 11 rebounds versus Pitt, while Tyler Cook registered 19 points and 15 boards against Wisconsin. Cook is one of 21 players in Iowa history to have 10 or more double-doubles.
•    Iowa is in the middle of a stretch of playing six of seven games against major conference opponents (Nov. 15-Dec. 6). 
•    Iowa is one of seven Big Ten ranked in this week’s AP Top 25: Michigan (7), Michigan State (9), Iowa (14) Ohio State (16), Purdue (19), Wisconsin (22), and Maryland (24).
•    Iowa is one of 20 schools nationally to have five or more redshirts on their roster. Iowa’s five redshirts are tied for second most in the B1G with Michigan State (Wisconsin, 8).
•    Monday will be Iowa’s only true road game during the month of December.
•    Iowa’s 105 points versus Alabama State on Nov. 21, equaled the fourth most point total by the Hawkeyes in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era.
•    Jordan Bohannon made three 3-pointers Friday versus Wisconsin. The junior now has 196 career 3-pointers, four shy of becoming the seventh Hawkeye with 200 triples.
•    Luka Garza is shooting at a 60 percent clip from the field, fourth best in the Big Ten.
•    The Hawkeyes rank second in the country in free throw makes per game (25.3) and second attempts (32.7). Iowa has made 19 or more free throws in six of seven contests.
•    Iowa is 10-1 in games in which Connor McCaffery has played, dating back to last season.
•    Four Iowa starters average double figures in scoring: Tyler Cook (15.4), Luka Garza (13.9), Joe Wieskamp (10.9), and Jordan Bohannon (10.1).
•    Nicholas Baer is 46 rebounds and eight blocks from becoming the fifth player in program history to total 500 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocked shots, and 100 steals.
•    Tyler Cook surpassed 900 career points in Iowa’s win over Connecticut on Nov.  16. The Hawkeye junior has 945 points, 55 shy of the 1,000-point plateau.
•    Luka Garza (MVP) and Tyler Cook were named to the 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament Team.
•    Monday is the first of six Iowa games this season on FS1.
 
HAWKEYES NATIONALLY RANKED
The Hawkeyes are one of seven Big Ten ranked in this week’s AP Top 25: Michigan (7), Michigan State (9), Iowa (14) Ohio State (16), Purdue (19), Wisconsin (22), and Maryland (24). Iowa moved up six spots from last week’s AP Poll. This marks Iowa’s highest national ranking in the AP Poll this early in the season since being ranked No. 7 on Nov. 26, 2001.
    Iowa is ranked No. 15 in this week’s Coaches Poll and the initial NCAA NET Rankings.
 
IOWA EDGED BY BADGERS IN CONFERENCE OPENER
Wisconsin outscored Iowa 12-5 over the final 1:35 in a back-and-forth contest in a 72-66 victory for the Badgers in Iowa City in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
•  Both teams attempted 24 3-pointers with Wisconsin (8) making two more triples than the Hawkeyes (6).
•  Three starters netted double figures to lead the Hawkeyes: Tyler Cook (19), Luka Garza (11), and Jordan Bohannon (11).
•  Tyler Cook totaled 19 points and a career-best 15 rebounds to post his first double-double of the season and 10th in his career. The Hawkeye junior also dished out a team-best four assists.
•  Cook’s 15 rebounds are the most in a game by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza grabbed 16 versus Wisconsin last season.
•  Wisconsin was 10-of-14 from the free throw line. Three Badgers were a combined 9-of 10, while Ethan Happ was 1-of-4 from the foul line.
•  Iowa posted season highs in 3-pointers made (12) and steals (11).
•  Three Badgers scored in double digits: D’Mitrik Trice (20), Ethan Happ (13), and Brevin Pritzl (12). Happ had his seven-game double-double streak snapped (seven rebounds).
•  Wisconsin’s win snapped a two-game win streak by the Hawkeyes over the Badgers.
•  Wisconsin and Iowa won’t play again until March 7, in Madison, Wisconsin.
 
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
•   Monday will be Michigan State’s first home game since a 101-33 win over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 18. The Spartans are 3-0 at home this season having won all three games by 21 points or more (Florida Gulf Coast, Louisiana-Monroe, and Tennessee Tech).
•   Michigan State’s two defeats have come by a combined nine points. The Spartans lost by five to Kansas in the season opener in Indianapolis and four at Louisville in overtime.
•   The Spartans won its conference opener Friday evening at Rutgers, 78-67. Cassius Winston (22) and Nick Ward (20) combined for 42 of the Spartans’ 78 points. The opportunistic  Spartans scored 14 points off of the seven turnovers forced. Michigan State shot 46.6 percent compared to 36.9 percent for the Scarlet Knights.
•   Senior Matt McQuaid, who averages 7.3 points and 2.3 rebounds, has missed Michigan State’s last two games (Louisville, Rutgers) due to injury.
•   Three Spartan starters average double figures: Cassius Winston (17.9), Joshua Langford (17.5), and Nick Ward (14.6).
•   The Spartans rank first in the Big Ten in scoring offense (86.9), assists (19.0), and defensive rebounds (31.5); second in rebounding margin (+12.5); third in field goal percentage (.487) and 3-pointers made (9.8); fourth in field goal percentage defense (.373), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), blocked shots (4.9). Individually, Cassius Winston leads the league in asssists (7.1), ranks fourth in scoring (17.9), and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9). Kenny Goins ranks third in rebounding (10.0).
•   Tom Izzo is in his 24th season as head coach at Michigan State (580-227, .719).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Michigan State holds a 73-55 advantage over Iowa in the series. The Spartans have won 11 of the last 13 meetings, dating back to 2011. Iowa snapped a nine-game losing skid in 2015, sweeping the season series. Michigan State edged the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, 96-93, in last season’s only meeting.
    The Spartans hold a 44-18 advantage in games played in East Lansing. Iowa snapped an 18-game losing streak at East Lansing, Michigan, with an impressive 76-59 win on Jan. 14, 2016, inside the Breslin Center last season. Iowa is 3-21 at the Breslin Center, which opened in 1989-90.
 
LAST MEETING
No. 4 Michigan State scored 48 points in each half and rallied late to upend Iowa, 96-93, on Feb. 6, 2018, in Iowa City in the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
•   It was the highest scoring Iowa-Michigan State game since 1988 (103-87 Iowa win in East Lansing).
•   Five Hawkeyes netted double figures: Tyler Cook (26), Jordan Bohannon (17), Maishe Dailey (13), Isaiah Moss (11), and Cordell Pemsl (11).
•   Michigan State doubled Iowa’s production at the free throw line, making 24 foul shots compared to 12 for the Hawkeyes. The Spartans made 82.8 percent of their 29 attempts, while Iowa made 63 percent of its 19 attempts.
•   Iowa was credited with 26 assists on 36 field goals and turned the ball over only eight times. Iowa finished the game with only eight turnovers, six in the first half and the other two coming in the final 35 seconds by Michigan State.
•   Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field; Michigan State made 56 percent of its attempts, while Iowa made 52 percent.
•   Four starters scored double figures for the Spartans: Miles Bridges (25), Nick Ward (17), Joshua Langford (15), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (11).
 
IOWA IN THE BIG TEN STATISTICS
Iowa ranks first in the Big Ten in free throw percentage (.773), free throw makes (177) and attempted (229); second in scoring offense (82.6); and fifth in steals (6.4). Individually, Luka Garza ranks fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.607) and fifth in free throw percentage (.852), while Tyler Cook is ninth in rebounding (8.1) and 15th in scoring (15.4).
 
MILESTONES APPROACHING FOR BOHANNON, COOK
Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook are closing in on becoming the 47th and 48th Hawkeyes to score 1,000 points. Bohannon is 112 points and 126 assists from becoming the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists. Cook is 55 points and 76 rebounds from becoming the 26th Hawkeye to total 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
 
BOHANNON RECEIVED MUSIAL AWARD
Jordan Bohannon was one of the honorees at the 2018 Musial Awards, which celebrated the greatest moments of sportsmanship and those in sports who embody class and character.
    Last February, Bohannon, an Iowa sophomore, was approaching the Hawkeyes’ consecutive free throws made record. The record was held by the late Chris Street, an Iowa basketball legend who died in a car accident in 1993 at age 20. With a chance to break the record, Bohannon intentionally — and selflessly — missed a free throw to honor Street and keep the record in his name.
    The awards ceremony took place in St. Louis on Nov. 17. Bohannon traveled with the Street family from New York to St. Louis after Iowa’s two games in New York City.
    Other honorees included recently-inducted Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Thome, Loyola men’s basketball team chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, Florida State softball head coach Lonni Alameda, Minnesota high school pitcher Ty Koehn, and Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith.
    The event is named for Stan Musial, the late St. Louis Cardinals legend who was beloved for his approach on and off the field. The mission of the Musial Awards is to encourage selflessness, integrity and civility in sports and society — and to inspire people across the country to be good sports.
 
HAWKEYES RETURN EXPERIENCE
Iowa returns 90.5 percent of minutes played a year ago, a percentage that is fourth most in the country: Washington (95.2 percent), Wisconsin (93.9 percent), and Syracuse (90.8 percent). Returning Iowa players scored 94.9 percent (2,496 of 2,630) of its offense a year ago and a combined 4,246 career points entering the 2018-19 season.
    Iowa is one of four schools nationally to have all five starters return with all five being its top five scorers in 2017-18 (Syracuse, Brown, Harvard).
 
McCAFFERY REACHES MILESTONES
Iowa’s regular season opener against UMKC was Fran McCaffery’s 700th career game as a head coach. The 2018-19 season is McCaffery’s ninth as Iowa’s head coach and 23rd overall as a collegiate head coach. McCaffery has 408 overall wins and 157 victories while on the Iowa sidelines. He is third on Iowa’s coaching win chart and 12 victories from surpassing Lute Olson for second. Tom Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach with 269 wins.
 
IOWA WELCOMES 4 HAWKEYES TO 2018-19 ROSTER
Iowa added two scholarship and two non-scholarship student-athletes to its 2018-19 roster. Guards CJ Fredrick (Kentucky) and Joe Wieskamp (Iowa) were their respective state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018. Guard Nicholas Hobbs and forward Michael Baer join the Hawkeye roster as walk-on. Baer is the younger brother of senior Nicholas Baer.
 
FAMILY AFFAIR
In addition to brothers Nicholas and Michael Baer on the Iowa men’s basketball team, the Baers have two cousins competing on other sports at the University of Iowa. Molly Kelly is a senior on the volleyball team, while Joe Kelly is a freshman on the Iowa wrestling team. Additionally, cousin Kristin Baer is a senior on the Notre Dame volleyball team.
 
FAST START FOR WIESKAMP
Joe Wieskamp is off to a fast start for the Hawkeyes as a freshman. The shooting guard ranks third on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.1 rpg). Wieskamp is shooting at a 43 percent clip from 3-point range (12-of-28) and 45.5 percent overall from the field (25-of-55). The native of Muscatine, Iowa, has led the team in rebounding two of the last three games.
    Wieskamp posted his first career double-double versus Pitt on Nov. 27, totaling a team-best in points (18) and rebounds (11).
 
BAER APPROACHING ELITE COMPANY
Redshirt senior Nicholas Baer is 46 rebounds and eight blocked shots from becoming the fifth Hawkeye in program history to amass 500 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocked shots, and 100 steals. The four other players who have accomplished that feat include Greg Stokes, Acie Earl, Michael Payne, and Ryan Bowen.
 
BREAKING DOWN IOWA’S BIG TEN SCHEDULE
Of the 10 Big Ten homes games played in Iowa City, eight will be played on weekends: three on Friday nights (Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana), two on Saturday afternoons (Ohio State, Rutgers), three on Sunday afternoons (Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern).
    Other than playing two straight Big Ten road games one month apart (Michigan State on Dec. 3 and Purdue on Jan. 3), Iowa has only one other back-to-back road game sequence (Wisconsin on March 7 and Nebraska on March 10).
    This season will mark the seventh time in nine years that the Hawkeyes will open league play at home and just the second time in nine years that Iowa will play its regular season finale on the road under head coach Fran McCaffery.
 
MEASURING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa has four players with wingspans over seven feet: Ryan Kriener (7-3), Jack Nunge (7-2), Luka Garza (7-1.5), and Tyler Cook (7-1). Guards Maishe Dailey (6-11) and Joe Wieskamp (6-11) have longest wingspans among backcourt players.
 
NUNGE, FREDRICK TO REDSHIRT
Sophomore forward Jack Nunge and freshman guard CJ Fredrick plan to redshirt the 2018-19 season. Nunge, one of seven forwards on this season’s roster, saw action in all 33 games a year ago, ranking second on the team in blocked shots (25), fourth in steals (21), and fifth in scoring (5.7). Fredrick was the 2018 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year at Covington Catholic High School.
 
COOK ATTENDS NIKE BASKETBALL ACADEMY
Tyler Cook attended the prestigious Nike Basketball Academy this past summer in California. The camp provided Cook the opportunity to train alongside some of the best NBA players and coaches. The prestigious skills development camp was limited to 25 of the nation’s top collegiate players, which included a combine experience, drills, off-court workouts, film sessions, and competition.
    Cook is the fourth Hawkeye in five years to be invited to this elite basketball camp, joining Aaron White (2014), Jarrod Uthoff (2015), and Peter Jok (2016).
 
PEMSL TO MISS SEASON DUE TO INJURY
Junior forward Cordell Pemsl is scheduled to have season-ending surgery next month after final exams.
    “Cordell’s procedure is to remove hardware near his knee from a previous surgery when he was in high school,” said McCaffery. “It was hoped this procedure could wait until the end of the season, but is now determined the hardware removal is necessary before he will be able to return to the court.
    “Cordell really worked hard preparing for his junior season and this is an unfortunate setback. We will submit a medical hardship waiver request to the Big Ten Conference after the season.”
    Pemsl (6-foot-8, 230 pounds) has played in only one game this season, 13 minutes in the season opener against UMKC on Nov. 8. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has played in 67 career games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
 
CONNOR MCCAFFERY RETURNS HEALTHY
Guard Connor McCaffery received a medical redshirt following last season. McCaffery (6-foot-5, 205 pounds) has four years of men’s basketball eligibility remaining after averaging 13.3 minutes in only four games last December as a true freshman. The native of Iowa City missed two games due to a sprained ankle, eight contests due to mononucleosis, and 19 games after undergoing a tonsillectomy in December.
    McCaffery is the son of head coach Fran McCaffery. Iowa is one of nine Division I teams in which the head coach has a son on the 2018-19 roster (Cal State Bakersfield, Central Connecticut State, Central Florida, Detroit Mercy, Kentucky, Portland, Syracuse, Tennessee Martin).
    Iowa is 10-1 in games in which Connor McCaffery has played, dating back to last season. McCaffery is first on the team in assists (24) and is fifth in scoring (8.6 ppg). The redshirt freshman is shooting 86 percent (31-of-36) from the free throw line.
 
DIRECTING THE HAWKEYE OFFENSE
Jordan Bohannon, an honorable mention all-Big Ten honoree, had a solid sophomore campaign, dishing out a team-best 178 assists, and averaging 13.5 points. He averaged 2.9 3-pointers made per game, which ranked second in the league and 41st in the country. His 3-point percentage (.430) also ranked 22nd nationally.
    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 is one of three players from a major conference with 300+ assists and 150+ made 3-pointers through their sophomore season in the last two decades joining Duke’s Jay Williams (2000-01) and Chris Thomas of Notre Dame (2002-03). Additionally, he is the only player nationally over the past 25 years to register 150+ assists and 80+ 3-pointers as a freshman and sophomore.
 
FANS FLOCK TO CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa ranked 28th in the country in average home attendance (12,026) in 2017-18. The Hawkeyes have ranked in the top 30 nationally in attendance each of the past six seasons, including ranking in the top 25 five of the last six years.
    Iowa’s Big Ten opener versus No. 22 Wisconsin was its first sellout of the 2018-19 season.
 
RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Devyn Marble (Italy), Anthony Clemmons (Kazakhstan), Gabriel Olaseni (Germany), Jarrod Uthoff (Russia), Melsahn Basabe (Israel), Peter Jok (NBA G League: Northern Arizona Suns), Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Stockton Kings), and Aaron White (Lithuania).
 
IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa is 1-1 this season against nationally-ranked teams, beating No. 13 Oregon (77-69) on Nov. 15 in New York and losing to No. 22 Wisconsin (72-66) on Nov. 30 in Iowa City.
 
GARZA SHINES IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Luka Garza led the team in blocked shots (1.0), and was second in rebounding (6.4), double-doubles (4), free throws made (92) and attempts (135), and was third in field goal accuracy (.557) and scoring (12.1) as a freshman. Garza ranked second among freshmen in Big Ten games in rebounding (5.7), third in scoring (12.4), and fourth in field goal percentage (.539) last season.
    The native of Washington, D.C., is one of two Hawkeyes to total 400 points and 200 rebounds as a freshman (Jess Settles).
    Garza netted double figures in 15 of Iowa’s last 23 games as a freshman.
 
COOKIN’ WITH TYLER
Tyler Cook, an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection, ranked first on the team in scoring (15.3), rebounding (6.8), and free throws made (121) and attempted (183).
    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’s 28-point performance against Indiana on Feb. 17, was the most points scored by the forward against a Big Ten team in his two years as a Hawkeye.
    Cook registered 60 dunks this season (1.8 per game), including a season-best six in Iowa’s win over Drake on Dec. 16.
    Cook ranked sixth in the league in field goal accuracy (.566) and 11th in rebounding (6.8). The native of St. Louis had a team-best seven double-doubles to his credit this season (Penn State, Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, and Northwestern). Cook registered six double-doubles in the last 15 contests.
 
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•   Iowa has won 55 of its last 59 non-conference home games, dating back to 2012.
•   Iowa started 6-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
•  Two Hawkeyes were named to the 2K Empire Classic All-Tournament Team: Luka Garza (MVP) and Tyler Cook. Cook averaged 16.5 points and nine rebounds, while Garza averaged 16 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two victories. Iowa trailed for only two minutes in the two victories over No. 13 Oregon and Connecticut.
•   Iowa is 79-19 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 torched Alabama State for 68 first-half points on Nov. 21, the most points scored by Iowa in a half in the Fran McCaffery era besting a 63-point outburst in the second half at Minnesota a year ago.
•   Fran McCaffery and his coaching staff are the first in program history to win 18 games or more in six straight seasons (2013-18).
•   Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in five of the last six seasons. McCaffery has accumulated 17 first division finishes in 22 years as a head coach.
 
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 58 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 125 years of collegiate coaching under their belts.
 
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,780 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,632-1,148 (.587). Iowa’s 1,632 wins are 41st most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,043-367 (.740) record in home games, a 583-778 (.428) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 766-779 (.496) mark in Big Ten games and a 448-141 (.761) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
ON THE TUBE
All but one of Iowa’s remaining regular season games will be televised nationally on BTN, FS1, or an ESPN network. Iowa’s game versus Savannah State on Dec. 22, will be available on BTN2GO.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa returns home for a rivalry game versus Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) in Iowa City. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.