Game Notes: Iowa vs. Minnesota

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THE SETTING
No. 19/21 Iowa (16-4, 5-4) plays at Minnesota (14-5, 4-4) on Sunday. Tipoff is slated for 4:05 p.m. (CT) at Williams Arena (14,625) in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes have won their last two road games (Northwestern and Penn State).
 
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bob Hansen (analysis) call the action. 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: Sunday’s game will be televised nationally on FS1 (FOXSPORTSGO). Rich Waltz and Bob Wenzel will call the action.
 
COACHES VS. CANCER SUITS & SNEAKERS
Coach McCaffery and staff will wear Nikes on the sidelines during Sunday’s game at Minnesota. They are joining coaches from across the country who are taking part in 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 #21 STORYLINES
•    Both Iowa and Minnesota’s coaching staffs will wear sneakers with their dress attire on the sidelines on Sunday to help raise cancer awareness for Coaches vs. Cancer.
•    Iowa had its five-game win streak snapped Thursday at home versus No. 6/5 Michigan State. The Hawkeyes have won nine of its last 11 games, dating back to Dec. 6, 2018.
•    Sunday’s game features two of the top two teams in the country at making and attempting free throws. Iowa ranks first in makes (403) and attempts (530), while Minnesota is 22nd in makes (336) and eighth in attempts (499).
•    In three games played versus Minnesota, Isaiah Moss averages 22.3 points, scoring 15 or more points in all three contests. Moss scored 32 points at Minnesota last season.
•    Sophomore Luka Garza has scored 20+ points in three straight games (22 at Penn State;  20 vs. Illinois, and 20 vs. Michigan State).
•    Jordan Bohannon became the 48th Hawkeye to score 1,000 career points versus Ohio State on Jan. 12. Jordan joins brothers Matt (1,092 at Northern Iowa) and Jason (1,170 at Wisconsin) in the 1,000-point club.
•    Fran McCaffery is one win from tying Lute Olson for second on Iowa’s all-time win chart.
•    Tyler Cook had his streak of 15+ points and 5+ rebounds snapped at ten versus Illinois on Jan. 20. Cook was the first Hawkeye in 25 years to total 15+ points and 5+ rebounds in ten straight games (James Winters, 1993-94). 
•    Iowa started the season 16-3, matching its best start in the Fran McCaffery era (2015-16).
•    The Hawkeyes are 5-1 in games decided by nine points or less, including 2-0 in games decided by five points or less.
•     Junior Jordan Bohannon shot 29 percent (14-of-48) from 3-point range over the first nine games, but is 43.4 percent (30-of-69) from long distance over the last ten contests.
•    Senior Nicholas Baer is the only player in program history to total 500 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocked shots, 100 steals, and 100 3-pointers.
•    Junior Tyler Cook is one of 20 Hawkeyes to total 1,100 points and 500 rebounds.
•    Iowa has been nationally ranked in either the Associated Press or Coaches Poll the last 11 weeks (Nov. 19-present). Iowa is ranked No. 19 in this week’s AP Poll and 21st in the Coaches Poll.
•    Iowa won all of its non-conference games for the first time since the 1986-87 season.
 
MICHIGAN STATE RALLIES TO BEAT HAWKEYES IN IOWA CITY
No. 6/5 Michigan State used a 24-2 run in the second half to rally from an eight-point deficit to remain unbeaten in the Big Ten and upend the 19th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, 82-67, Thursday night in Iowa City.
•   Luka Garza (20) and Tyler Cook (17) combined for 37 of Iowa’s 67 points. Sunday was Garza’s 50th career game as a Hawkeye. Nicholas Baer came off the bench scoring 10 points, and collecting three rebounds and three assists.
•   Michigan State shot 20-of-21 (.952) from the foul line while Iowa, the nation’s leader in free throw attempts per game, made all eight of its attempts.
•   The Spartans out-rebounded Iowa by 16 (42-26).
•   Iowa scored 19 points after forcing 19 Michigan State turnovers.
•   After shooting 71 percent from 3-point range in its last outing versus Illinois, the Hawkeyes were held to 21 percent (5-of-24) from long distance against the Spartans.
•   Michigan State was led by Cassius Winston (23) and Nick Ward (21), combining for more than half of its 82 points.
 
WIESKAMP NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Joe Wieskamp, who helped Iowa to a pair of wins last week over Penn State (89-82) and Illinois (95-71), was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday.
    Wieskamp made all of his shot attempts in Iowa’s double digit win over Illinois, going 8-of-8 from the field, including making all six 3-point attempts, and sinking both foul shots. Wieskamp’s 6-of-6 from 3-point range equaled a school record for 3-point percentage (Jeff Horner 6-of-6 versus Penn State in 2004 and Jim Bartels 6-of-6 at Ohio State in 1995). The native of Muscatine, Iowa, is one of three Big Ten freshmen to go 6-of-6 or better from 3-point territory in a single game in the last 10 seasons, joining Michigan’s Nik Stauskas (2012-13) and Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell (2014-15).
    Wieskamp helped Iowa set a Carver-Hawkeye Arena team record for field goal percentage, making 68 percent of its attempts (34-of-50) versus the Fighting Illini. The previous mark was 67.5 percent (27-of-40) versus Air Force on Dec. 28, 2004. At Penn State, Wieskamp’s 10 points — all scored in the second half — helped the Hawkeyes amass its highest point total (89) in a game at State College, dating back to 1955.
    In two games, Wieskamp averaged 17 points and six rebounds. He made 61 percent of his field goal attempts (11-of-18), including a staggering 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from 3-point range, and drained all six free throw attempts.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Minnesota holds a 105-95 advantage in the series that began with a 47-10 Gopher win in 1902. The 200 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent.
    Iowa has won seven of the last 12 meetings. The two teams have split the last 14 contests and have traded victories in the last eight meetings, dating back to 2014. The two teams split last season’s series with each team winning on its home court.
    The Gophers hold a 64-35 advantage in games played at Minnesota. Five of the last six meetings at Williams Arena have been decided by six points or fewer, dating back to 2012, with the fifth contest being a double-digit decision in double overtime in 2017.
 
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
•   Minnesota has alternated wins and losses over the last six games. The Golden Gophers lost their last outing at the buzzer, 59-57, at nationally-ranked Michigan.
•   Minnesota is 9-1 at home this season, with the lone setback coming to nationally-ranked Maryland (82-67) on Jan. 8, at Williams Arena. The Golden Gophers boast a +11 scoring margin inside Williams Arena this season.
•   Sunday begins a stretch of three of four home games for the Golden Gophers, including two in a row. Minnesota will host Illinois on Wednesday and Wisconsin on Feb. 6. The lone road trip over the next 11 days is at Purdue on Feb. 3.
•   Charles Matthews of Michigan sank a 10-foot baseline jumper as time expired to lift the Wolverines to a two-point win (59-57) over Minnesota Tuesday evening in Ann Arbor. Jordan Murphy paced the Gophers with his 12th double-double of the season (15 points and 11 rebounds). Minnesota out-rebounded the home team by 10 (43-33).
•   Four Gophers average double figures in scoring: Amir Coffey (15.4), Jordan Murphy (14.6), Dupree McBrayer (10.6), and Daniel Oturu (10.2). Murphy averages a double-double, leading the squad in rebounding pulling down 12.1 boards per contest.
•   Amir Coffey did not play in either game played against the Hawkeyes last season due to injury (shoulder).
•   Minnesota ranks fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+4.7) and fifth in assists (15.1). Individually, Jordan Murphy ranks first in the Big Ten and fifth nationally with 12 double-doubles. Murphy also leads the league in rebounding (12.1) and is 15th in scoring (14.6). Amir Coffey is 12th in the conference in scoring (15.4). Daniel Oturu is third in the Big Ten in blocked shots (1.7) and is eighth in field goal percentage (.570).
•   Richard Pitino is in his sixth season as head coach at Minnesota (104-83, .556).
 
HAWKEYES AGAINST THE GOPHERS
In three games played versus Minnesota, Isaiah Moss averages 22.3 points, scoring 15 or more points in all three games. Jordan Bohannon averages eight assists and 10.6 points in three games, while Tyler Cook averages 9.3 points and seven rebounds in three contests. Luka Garza netted double figures in both games last year (16 and 10).
 
LAST MEETING
After trailing by as many as 20 points in the first half, Iowa mounted a furious second-half rally that fell just short in an 86-82 loss at Minnesota on Feb. 21, 2018.
•   Iowa scored 63 second-half points after scoring only 19 points in the first stanza. The 44-point differential per half was the second largest in the country in 2018-19 (46 by Maine vs. Albany). Furthermore, the Hawkeyes netted 22 points in the final 96 seconds of the second half. Isaiah Moss scored 19 of Iowa’s 22 points during that span. Moss finished the contest with a career-best 32 points.
•   Also posting a career high in scoring on Wednesday was Ryan Kriener. The sophomore forward netted all 15 of his points (7-of-11 FG; 1-of-2 FT) in the second half.
•   Minnesota started the game with a 22-2 lead taking advantage of eight Hawkeye turnovers in the first 8:15 of the contest. However, Iowa did a much better job valuing the basketball the final 31:45, finishing the game with 12 turnovers.
•   Both Iowa and Minnesota had long scoring droughts in the first half; Iowa went scoreless for 6:51, while Minnesota was held without a point for 7:33.
•   Four Gophers netted double figures: Nate Mason (33), Dupree McBrayer (16), Jordan Murphy (10), and Davonte Fitzgerald (10).
 
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Last season through nine Big Ten games, Iowa allowed 82.6 points per game, while its opponents shot the basketball at 48.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. This season, the Hawkeyes are allowing 76.9 points through nine league games, and opponents are shooting 45.9 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from 3-point range. That’s an improvement of 5.7 points per game and .029 in shooting percentage and .103 in 3-point percentage defense.
 
MILESTONES APPROACHING FOR BOHANNON
Jordan Bohannon is closing in on joining classmate Tyler Cook in the 1,000-point club. Bohannon is 81 assists from becoming the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists.
    Cook became the 20th Hawkeye to total 1,100 points and 500 rebounds with his rebounding totals in last Sunday’s win over Illinois.
 
COOK ELEVATING HIS GAME
Tyler Cook has led the Hawkeyes in scoring seven of the last 12 games played and has led the squad in rebounding in eight of the 12. Cook recorded career point No. 1,000, in Iowa’s win over Northern Iowa on Dec. 15. He netted 15+ points and 5+ rebounds in ten straight contests played, dating back to the Michigan State road game on Dec. 3. He is the first Hawkeye to accomplish the feat since James Winters 25 years ago (1993-94).
    Cook is one of two Big Ten student-athletes to average better than 16.5 points and eight rebounds per game (Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ). Cook ranks in the top ten in the league in both scoring and rebounding.
 
MOSS FILLIN’ IT UP
Redshirt junior Isaiah Moss has been on fire shooting the basketball the last three games. Moss is 9-of-12 (.750) from 3-point range during that span. The Chicago native made all four 3-point attempts at Penn State — all in the first half — and was 5-of-6 from long distance versus Illinois last Sunday.
 
MAKING THE FREEBIES
Iowa has made 67 more free throws than any other Big Ten team. The Hawkeyes have made 403 fouls shots, while Minnesota is second behind Iowa with 336 makes.
    The Hawkeyes are the only team with three players ranked in the top 11 in the league free throw percentage. Jordan Bohannon and Luka Garza have each made 56-of-65 attempts (.862) ranking second, while Connor McCaffery is tied for eighth (.800, 56-of-70).
 
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 (11.6 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Wieskamp is shooting at a 43.8 percent clip from 3-point range (35-of-80) and 50 percent overall from the field (77-of-153).
    Wieskamp, who will be featured on Sunday’s episode of The Journey on BTN, led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season in last Sunday’s win over Illinois, matching a personal-best with 24 points. His efforts in Iowa’s two victories last week earned the native of Muscatine, Iowa, Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.
    Wieskamp posted his first career double-double versus Pittsburgh on Nov. 27, totaling a team-best in points (18) and rebounds (11).
 
 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.
 
BAER MAKES HISTORY
Redshirt senior Nicholas Baer is the only Hawkeye in program history to amass 500 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocked shots, 100 3-pointers, and 100 steals. Baer’s five rebounds at Penn State on Jan. 16, put him over 500 rebounds in his career.
 
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.
 
IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,793 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,642-1,151 (.588). Iowa’s 1,642 wins are 41st most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,050-368 (.740) record in home games, a 586-780 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 771-782 (.496) mark in Big Ten games and a 455-142 (.762) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
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 418 overall wins and 167 victories while on the Iowa sidelines. He is third on Iowa’s coaching win chart and two victories from surpassing Lute Olson for second. Tom Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach with 269 wins.
 
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.

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.
 
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
    The Hawkeyes are 3-3 against nationally-ranked teams, beating No. 13 Oregon in New York City, No. 24 Nebraska, and No. 16 Ohio State in Iowa City. Iowa lost to No. 22 Wisconsin in Iowa City, No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing, and No. 6 Michigan State in Iowa City.
 
COOK ATTENDS NIKE BASKETBALL ACADEMY
Tyler Cook attended the prestigious Nike Basketball Academy last 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).
 
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•   Iowa established a Carver-Hawkeye Arena field goal percentage record, making 68 percent of its attempts (34-of-50) in a 95-71 convincing victory over Illinois on Jan. 20.
•   In both Iowa home Big Ten losses (Wisconsin and Michigan State), the Hawkeyes had eight point leads in the second half, but were unable to extend their advantage to double digits before the visitors came back to win.
•   Iowa’s 89 points in a seven-point win at Penn State on Jan. 16, are the most scored by the Hawkeyes in State College, dating back to 1955. The previous high was 86 on Jan. 6, 2001.
•   Iowa has scored 94 points or more in the last three games versus Illinois (104 at Illinois on Jan. 11, 2018; 96 in New York on Feb. 28, 2018; 95 in Iowa City on Jan. 20, 2019).
•   Junior Tyler Cook is one of 21 players in Iowa history to have 10 or more double-doubles.
•   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).
•  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 84-19 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons. The Hawkeyes are 69-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last eight years.
•   Iowa has won 59 of its last 63 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•   Iowa made a school record with 19 3-pointers made versus Savannah State on Dec. 22, besting the previous mark of 18 previously set in 2016 against Savannah State.
•  Iowa posted 98 points in its 14-point win over Iowa State. The last time Iowa scored 90 points or more against Iowa State was Dec. 10, 1988, in Iowa City (Iowa won 91-71).
•  Iowa improved to 6-1 all-time in The Hy-Vee Classic with its 77-54 win over Northern Iowa on Dec. 15 in Des Moines. In the seven-year history of four-team Hy-Vee Classic, Nicholas Baer is the only player to win four games in four years. Baer averaged 10 points, nine rebounds, 2.75 assists, 2.5 blocked shots, and two steals in four games played.
•   Iowa’s 105 points versus Alabama State, equaled the fourth highest point total by the Hawkeyes in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era.
•  Iowa torched Alabama State for 68 first-half points, 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.
 
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 12 Division I teams in which the head coach has a son on the 2018-19 roster (Alabama, Cal State Bakersfield, Central Connecticut State, Central Florida, Detroit Mercy, Kentucky, Oregon State, Portland, Syracuse, Southern Illinois, Tennessee Martin).
    McCaffery is believed to be one of three Division I men’s basketball student-athletes who are dual-sport athletes in 2018-19. McCaffery (basketball and baseball), joins South Carolina junior Evan Hinson (football and basketball) and Buffalo sophomore Dominic Johnson (football and basketball).
    Iowa is 19-4 in games in which Connor McCaffery has played, dating back to last season. McCaffery is second on the team in assists (63) and eighth in scoring (5.3 ppg).
 
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.
 
PEMSL HAS SEASON ENDING SURGERY
Junior Cordell Pemsl underwent season-ending surgery on Dec. 18.
    “Cordell’s procedure removed hardware near his knee from a previous surgery when he was in high school,” said McCaffery.
    Pemsl saw action in only two games this season, playing 13 minutes against UMKC (Nov. 8) and 18 minutes versus Iowa State (Dec. 6).
    “I tried to give playing this season another shot in the Iowa State game, but after a week of rest and recovery, the chronic irritation caused by the hardware has remained resulting in my inability to play in Saturday’s game versus UNI. After further discussions with the medical staff, we determined that the best course of action is to correct the problem at this time.”
    The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has played in 68 career games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Iowa returns home for its only regular season contest against nationally-ranked Michigan on Friday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Friday’s game against the Wolverines is sold out.
    Tickets are available for Iowa’s remaining home contests versus Northwestern (Sunday, Feb. 10); Maryland (Tuesday, Feb. 19); Indiana (Friday, Feb. 22); and Rutgers (Saturday, March, 2) at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.