Game Notes: Iowa vs. Cincinnati

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THE SETTING
Iowa (22-11) earned the No. 10 seed in the South Region in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and will square-off against seventh-seeded and 22nd-ranked Cincinnati (28-6) on Friday in Columbus, Ohio (11:15 a.m. CT). Second-seeded Tennessee will play Colgate in the same afternoon session Friday, with the two winners meeting on Sunday (time TBD).

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games at the NCAA Tournament are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network, Sirius/XM, and Westwood One Sports. Jim Albracht (play-by-play) and Bob Hansen (analysis) will 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: Friday’s first round game will be televised nationally on CBS. Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, and Allie LaForce will call the action.

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST & SECOND ROUND STORYLINES
•    Iowa has qualified for four NCAA tournaments over the last six years (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019) and seven postseason tournaments over the last eight seasons (4 NCAA; 3 NIT).
•    Cincinnati is 6-2 all-time against Iowa, with the most recent meeting being a 76-64 Bearcats win in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. 
•     Iowa is scheduled to play Cincinnati in a nonconference game next season on Dec. 21, 2019, at the United Center in Chicago.
•    Iowa was nationally-ranked for 16 straight weeks in either the Associated Press or Coaches Poll (Nov. 19, 2018 – Feb. 25, 2019).
•    Iowa won four games over NCAA Tournament teams (Iowa State, Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon) this season. Additionally, the Hawkeyes had two victories over conference tournament champions (Iowa State and Oregon).
•    Iowa is 4-1 in games contested on neutral courts this season.
•    Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to 20 wins or more in five of the last seven seasons and upper division finishes in the Big Ten six of the last seven seasons. Only Michigan State (7) has more first division finishes than Iowa (6) and Wisconsin (6) since the 2013 season.
•    Iowa went undefeated in regular season nonconference play for the first time since the 1986-87 season, winning all 11 games by a margin of 16.9 points. 
•    Iowa has improved its win total by eight games after winning 14 contests a year ago. Additionally, Iowa (10) more than doubled its Big Ten win total from last season (4).
•     Jordan Bohannon became the seventh Hawkeye to register three 100-assist seasons (Dean Oliver, Jeff Horner, B.J. Armstrong, Andre Woolridge, Mike Gesell, Devyn Marble).
•    Jordan Bohannon (260) is three 3-pointers from surpassing Jeff Horner (262) to become Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals made.
•    Iowa posted back-to-back buzzer beaters for the first time since 2002. Both of Iowa’s buzzer beaters over Northwestern (Bohannon) and Rutgers (Wieskamp) were 3-pointers. Both buzzer beaters in 2002 were made by Luke Recker in the Big Ten Tournament.
•    Jordan Bohannon has led the Big Ten in free throw percentage each of the last two seasons. The junior guard missed only seven free throws in 20 games this season (64-of-71, .901). Bohannon was 37-of-39 (.949) a year ago.
•    Jordan Bohannon (1,191 points) has surpassed brother Matt (1,092 at UNI) and Jason (1,170 at Wisconsin) for most points scored in a career by a Bohannon.
•    Senior Nicholas Baer is the only player in program history to total 750 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocked shots, 100 assists, 100 steals, and 100 3-pointers. 

HAWKEYES SPLIT TWO GAMES AT BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Iowa registered an 83-62 win over Illinois in the first round before falling to 10th-ranked Michigan, 74-53, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago last weekend.
•    Nicholas Baer led the Hawkeyes against Illinois on Thursday, tying a season high with 17 points. Baer drained a career-high five 3-point field goals made (5-of-6). As a team, Iowa made 12 3-pointers against the Illini, the most by the Hawkeyes in a Big Ten Tournament game. 
•    Iowa shot 52 percent from 3-point range (12-of-23) against Illinois marking the fifth time this season that the Hawkeyes shot 50 percent or better from long distance.
•    Iowa assisted on 25 field of its 31 field goals versus Illinois; the 25 assists are the most by an Iowa team at the Big Ten Tournament (previous record was 21 set versus Purdue on March 10, 2005). Connor McCaffery (8) and Tyler Cook (6) each tied career highs in assists.
•    Jordan Bohannon finished the Illinois game with eight points, moving into the top 25 in all-time scoring at Iowa surpassing Bill Logan, Dave Gunther, and Kevin Boyle for 24th.
•    Luka Garza and Tyler Cook each netted 14 points in Iowa’s loss to nationally-ranked Michigan on Friday.
•    Iowa was held to a season-low 6.3 percent (1-of-16) from 3-point range against the Wolverines.

DOUBLE THE EXCITEMENT
Iowa is one of nine schools from Power 5 conferences to have its men’s and women’s basketball teams with 22 wins or more. Joining Iowa are Kentucky, Auburn, and Mississippi State from the SEC; Florida State and N.C. State from the ACC; Maryland from the Big Ten; Iowa State from the Big 12; and Oregon from the Pac-12.

4 HAWKEYES GARNER POSTSEASON CONFERENCE RECOGNITION
Tyler Cook (15.0 ppg & 8.1 rpg) was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree by the media and third-team pick by the coaches. Jordan Bohannon (11.8 ppg & 2.3 rpg) was a third-team honoree by the coaches and honorable mention by the media. Luka Garza (13.0 ppg & 4.6 rpg) earned honorable mention recognition by the media, while Joe Wieskamp (11.0 ppg & 4.8 rpg) was voted to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team by the league coaches. 

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Cincinnati holds a 6-2 advantage in the series, with the most recent meeting being a 76-64 Cincinnati win in 2005, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. Three of the eight meetings have taken place at neutral sites, but the 2005 meeting was the only game contested in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa is 1-3 in games in Cincinnati, 1-2 in the neutral site games and 0-1 in the only meeting in Iowa City.

NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEABLES
•    Fran McCaffery is taking his fourth Iowa team to the NCAA Tournament. Among Iowa’s head basketball coaches McCaffery ranks third in tournament appearance behind Tom Davis (9) and Lute Olson (5). Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, while McCaffery moved past Olson into second place earlier this season.
•    The Big Ten leads all conferences with eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, while the ACC and SEC both placed seven teams. Cincinnati is one of four American Athletic Conference teams in the tournament (Central Florida, Houston, and Temple).
•    Iowa is making its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance, only 17 schools playing in this tournament have competed in more. The Hawkeyes are the overall 37th seed.
•    Iowa is 19-11 against current members of the American Athletic Conference. Iowa defeated Connecticut, 91-72, back in November in the championship game of the 2K Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden.

SCOUTING CINCINNATI
•    Cincinnati (28-6) won the American Athletic Conference Tournament with a win over Houston (69-57). The Bearcats starting lineup includes one senior, one sophomore and three juniors.
•    Cincinnati averages 71.7 points per game, while allowing 62.2 points, and holds a +5.2 rebounding advantage. The Bearcats shoot 43.2 percent from the field, 35 percent from three-point range and 70.4 percent from the foul line.
•    Cincinnati and Iowa played two common opponents during the season in Ohio State and Connecticut. Iowa split two games with the Buckeyes, while Ohio State defeated Cincinnati (64-56) in their only meeting in Cincinnati’s first game of the season. Iowa defeated Connecticut in the championship game of the Empire 2K Classic, while the Bearcats hold two narrow decisions over Connecticut.
•    Cincinnati is led by guard Jarron Cumberland (6-foot-5), who averages 18.8 points per game. The junior has started every game and averages 3.7 assists as well. Cumberland was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and was a unanimous first-team all-conference selection.
•    Sophomore guard Keith Williams (6-5) averages 10.1 points, while junior forward Trevon Scott (6-8) averages 6.9 rebounds to lead the team in that category. 
•    In NCAA statistics, Cincinnati ranks 12th in scoring defense (71.7), 18th in fewest turnovers per game (10.5), and 20th in offensive rebounds per game (12.8).
•    Cincinnati is making its ninth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. 

IOWA HAS PLAYED WELL AT NEUTRAL SITE GAMES THIS SEASON
Iowa is 4-1 in games contested on a neutral court this season. The Hawkeyes won two games at Madison Square Garden in November, beating Oregon (77-69) and Connecticut (91-71) in the 2K Empire Classic. 
    Iowa downed Northern Iowa (77-54) at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa in December, which is one of the eight first/second round NCAA Tournament sites this week.
    The Hawkeyes split two games at the Big Ten Tournament played at the United Center in Chicago. Iowa posted an 83-62 triumph over Illinois and fell to No. 10 Michigan, 74-53.

IOWA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Iowa is participating in the NCAA Tournament for the 26th time, including making its fourth appearance in the past six seasons. Iowa, as a No. 7 seed, beat Temple (72-70, OT) in its opening game in the 2016 tournament in its last appearance in the tournament. The Hawkeyes lost to eventual national champion Villanova (87-67) in the following round.
    Iowa earned a No. 10 seed this season for the second time in program history. The Hawkeyes were a No. 10 seed in 2005. Iowa lost to Cincinnati (76-64) in the first round in 2005 in Indianapolis.
    Iowa is playing an NCAA Tournament game in Ohio for the third time (1-2). Iowa split two games in 1970, losing to Jacksonville in the first round and defeating Notre Dame in a consolation game. Those games were also played in Columbus, but this will be Iowa’s first appearance at Nationwide Arena. In 2014 Iowa lost to Tennessee in overtime in Dayton in a First Four contest.
    The Hawkeyes hold an overall record of 29-27 in the tournament, advancing to the Final Four in 1955, 1956, and 1980. The Hawkeyes reached the regional championship in 1987 and lost in the regional semifinal in 1983, 1988, and 1999.  Iowa was 6-4 in the tournament before seeding began with Iowa’s 1979 appearance:

COOK, BOHANNON JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Jordan Bohannon joined classmate Tyler Cook in the 1,000-point club on Jan. 12. Bohannon is 34 assists from becoming the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists. Bohannon also surpassed Matt Gatens for second in career triples made as a Hawkeye with his three treys in Iowa’s road victory at Rutgers.
    Cook became the ninth Hawkeye to total 1,200 points and 600 rebounds with his rebounding totals in Iowa’s regular season finale at Nebraska. Cook is one of 15 players in Iowa history to have 15 or more double-doubles.

AGAINST THE NCAA FIELD
During the regular season, Iowa posted a 4-9 record against teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Hawkeyes played nine different opponents who were selected for the NCAA Tournament, including seven Big Ten opponents and four nonconference opponents (Oregon and Iowa State). 
    Seven other Big Ten teams will compete in this year’s tournament: Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes went 2-9 in contests against those teams. Iowa split games with Michigan and Ohio State, lost single games to Maryland, Minnesota, and Purdue, and lost twice to both Michigan State and Wisconsin.
    Iowa defeated Oregon and Iowa State in nonconference play. Both Oregon and Iowa State won their respective conference tournaments, as did Cincinnati (American Athletic Conference).

LAST TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
•    Iowa defeated Temple 72-70 in overtime in the 2016 event in Brooklyn, New York. Iowa led by as many as 12 points before winning in overtime.
•    Adam Woodbury recovered an offensive rebound and scored the winning basket as time expired. The win was Iowa’s first buzzer-beater since Cyrus Tate scored at the buzzer in a 65-63 win over Kansas State on Nov. 29, 2008, in Las Vegas.
•    Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Jarrod Uthoff (23), Peter Jok (16), and Adam Woodbury (10). 
•    Iowa was 17-of-22 (.773) from the free throw line, while Temple was 6-of-9 (.667).
•    After shooting 55 percent (16-of-29) from the field in the first half, the Hawkeyes held Temple to 34 percent (11-of-32) shooting in the second half. Both teams made just one 3-pointer the last 25 minutes of the game (second half and overtime).
•    Iowa was guilty of just three turnovers, which equaled a season low (Drake). It also marked its lowest turnover total in an NCAA Tournament game since having three against Virginia in 1997.
•    Iowa was held without a field goal the last 5:08 of regulation. Temple’s Quenton Decosey made three free throws with two seconds left to send the game in overtime.

HAWKEYES FELL TO VILLANOVA IN SECOND ROUND
•    Villanova shot 59 percent from the floor, including 53 percent from 3-point range, in an 87-68 win over Iowa in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
•    Iowa lost by the exact score (87-68) the previous year to second-seeded Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle, Washington.
•    Jarrod Uthoff (16), Nicholas Baer (15), and Peter Jok (11) led the Hawkeyes in scoring.
•    Villanova ultimately went on to win the national championship, beating North Carolina. Iowa has lost to four teams in NCAA tournaments who eventually went on to win the title: Duke in 1991 and 1992; Connecticut in 1999; Villanova in 2016.

McCAFFERY RECORDS WIN NO. 20
Fran McCaffery and the Iowa Hawkeyes reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth time in seven seasons with its win at Rutgers. McCaffery joins Lute Olson (6) and Tom Davis (10) as the only Iowa head coaches to win 20 or more games in at least five seasons. Both Olson and Davis had 20+ wins over a span of six of seven seasons.

SHOOTING FOR PERFECTION
Iowa had a player make all his 3-point attempts in the first half (min. four attempts) four times this season. 
    Joe Wieskamp made all four of his 3-point attempts at Indiana (Feb. 7) and was 4-of-4 vs. Illinois (Jan. 20). Junior Isaiah Moss was 4-of-4 at Penn State (Jan. 16) and was 5-of-5 vs. Illinois (Jan. 20).

MR. CLUTCH
Jordan Bohannon, who was tabbed third-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and an honorable mention selection by the media this season, has scored when it matters most down the stretch. The junior guard is averaging 4.2 points in the first half and 7.1 points in the second half this season.
    There have been four games (Green Bay, Wisconsin, Northwestern, and Indiana) where he has been held scoreless in the first half but finished in double figures. In 18-of-33 games, Bohannon has scored more points in the second half than the first. He has scored 10 or more points in the second half 11 times this season. 
    Bohannon is five triples from surpassing Jeff Horner (2003-06) to become Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. Additionally, Bohannon has 105 assists this year, becoming just the seventh Hawkeye to register three 100-assist seasons, joining Dean Oliver, Mike Gesell, Andre Woolridge, Devyn Marble, B.J. Armstrong, and Jeff Horner.
    Bohannon ranks among the nation’s best in most points in the final two minutes of regulation and final two minutes of overtime this season with 81 points. In the final two minutes of games, Bohannon is shooting 53.3 percent (16-of-30) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from 3-point range, and 88.6 percent from the foul line (39-of-44).

RYAN KRIENER TAKING THE NEXT STEP
Junior Ryan Kriener posted his first career double-double in Iowa’s 15-point win over No. 5 Michigan on Feb. 1. 
    The native of Spirit Lake, Iowa, has registered single-season bests in nearly every statistical category as a junior. His scoring (5.8) and rebounding (3.1) averages have improved, along with his shooting percentages.
    Kriener has tallied double figures six times this season.

COOK ELEVATING HIS GAME
Tyler Cook has led the Hawkeyes in rebounding in 14 of Iowa’s last 25 games. 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 was tabbed second-team All-Big Ten by the media and third-team by the coaches this season. He was also voted to the 11-player All-District VI team by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Cook’s honor marks the fifth time is six seasons that a Hawkeye has garnered all-district recognition (Devyn Marble in 2014; Aaron White in 2015; Jarrod Uthoff and Peter Jok in 2016; Jok in 2017; Cook in 2019).
    Cook is one of nine Hawkeyes in program history to total 1,200 points and 600 rebounds.
    Cook ranks in the top 15 in the league in scoring (12th), rebounding (sixth), and field goal percentage (11th). The St. Louis native registered his team-leading sixth double-double of the season at Ohio State on Feb. 26.

IMPROVING HAWKEYES
Last season, Iowa was 14-19 overall, including a 4-14 mark in conference play. The Hawkeyes more than doubled its Big Ten win total from a year ago and have eight more overall victories than last season.
    Iowa’s overall win total improvement and conference improvement from a year ago both rank among the best in the country among schools in Power 5 conferences.
    Iowa’s all-time winning coach, Tom Davis (1987-1999), had his lowest win total as a Iowa’s coach in his eighth season (11 wins) and rebounded in his ninth year with 21 victories. Fran McCaffery also had his lowest win total as Iowa’s coach in his eighth year (14 wins) and has rebounded this season with 22 wins. 

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 423 overall wins and 173 victories while on the Iowa sidelines. He surpassed Lute Olson for second on Iowa’s coaching win chart with Iowa’s win at Indiana on Feb. 7. Tom Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach with 269 wins.

RELIVING BACK-TO-BACK BUZZER BEATERS
Iowa won consecutive games in thrilling fashion, upending Northwestern and Rutgers in mid-February on last-second 3-pointers. The last time the Hawkeyes won back-to-back games at the buzzer was 2002. Luke Recker sank game-winning baskets over Wisconsin (58-56) and Indiana (62-60) at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.
•     Junior Jordan Bohannon scored the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining to lift the Hawkeyes to an 80-79 win over Northwestern on Feb. 10. Bohannon scored all 15 of his points in the second half, including 13 points in the final 3:20. Northwestern led Iowa by 15 points (72-57) with 4:30 left in the game and 11 points (76-65) with 2:09 remaining. Iowa out-scored Northwestern 23-7 to rally for the victory.
•     Freshman Joe Wieskamp made his first 3-pointer of the game on a banked 3-pointer with 0.2 seconds left to propel the visiting Hawkeyes to a 71-69 win at Rutgers on Feb. 16. Iowa led the Scarlet Knights by two points in the closing seconds before Geo Baker rattled home a 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining to give Rutgers a one-point advantage before Wieskamp’s heroics. 

BOHANNON’S WEEK
Bohannon led Iowa to a pair of victories over Indiana (Feb. 7) and Northwestern (Feb. 10), averaging 20 points, 4.5 assists and one steal, while shooting 66.7 percent (8-12) from 3-point range and 54.5 percent (12-22) from the field. 
    The native of Marion, Iowa, tied a season best with 25 points and also dished out a team-best six assists with no turnovers in a 77-72 win at Indiana. Bohannon scored Iowa’s final 11 points, including going 5-of-6 from the free throw line, over the final 90 seconds to preserve the win at Assembly Hall. 
    Bohannon netted all 15 of his points over the final 5:28 of Sunday’s win over Northwestern to cap a 15-point Iowa comeback over the final 4:30, including sinking the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining. The last second win was Iowa’s first since Adam Woodbury’s last second game-winner over Temple on March 18, 2016, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Bohannon made two treys in the final 25 seconds against the Wildcats.

MAKING THE FREEBIES
Iowa has made 44 more free throws than any other Big Ten team. The Hawkeyes have made 593 fouls shots, while Minnesota is second behind Iowa with 549 makes. Iowa has made more free throws than six Big Ten teams have attempted (Maryland, Northwestern, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin). The Hawkeyes rank fourth in the country in free throw makes (593) and 12th nationally in free throw attempts (801).
    Individually, Jordan Bohannon ranks first in the conference and is 17th nationally in free throw accuracy (.880, 95-of-108), while Luka Garza is sixth in the Big Ten (.819, 77-of-94). Bohannon enters Friday’s game versus Cincinnati having made 24 consecutive free throws, dating back to the Maryland home game on Feb. 19.
    Bohannon led the Big Ten in free throw percentage each of the last two seasons. The native of Marion, Iowa, missed only seven free throws in 20 games this season (64-of-71, .901). Bohannon was 37-of-39 (.949) a year ago.

CONSISTENT PLAY OUT OF FRESHMAN WIESKAMP
Joe Wieskamp has been a consistent contributor for the Hawkeyes as a freshman, earning recognition on the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team. The shooting guard ranks fourth on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg); second in rebounding (4.8 rpg); third in steals (29). Wieskamp is shooting 42.2 percent clip from 3-point range (54-of-128) and 49 percent overall from the field (118-of-241). His 42.2 percentage from 3-point range is tied for third in the Big Ten and currently ranks second all-time among Iowa freshmen behind Jake Kelly (.435, 30-of-69). Additionally, his 54 triples is second among Iowa rookies behind Jordan Bohannon’s 89 in 2017.
    Wieskamp has twice earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. The native of Muscatine, Iowa, sank his first 3-pointer of the game with 0.2 seconds left and Iowa trailing by one point to propel the Hawkeyes to a 71-69 thrilling win at Rutgers on Feb. 16.
    Wieskamp matched a personal-best with 24 points in Iowa’s win over Illinois. His efforts in Iowa’s victories over Illinois and at Penn State in mid-January earned Wieskamp, Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades on Jan. 21. The rookie 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. He also helped the Hawkeyes total 89 points at Penn State, its highest point total ever at State College, dating back to 1955.
    Wieskamp earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurels for the second time after totaling 16 points, seven rebounds, five steals, and two assists in Iowa’s 15-point win over No. 5 Michigan. The five steals are the most by a Hawkeye in a Big Ten game in two years. Wieskamp became the fourth freshman nationally to register 16+ points, 7+ rebounds and 5+ steals versus a ranked opponent in the last five seasons (LSU’s Ben Simmons; NC State’s Dennis Smith, Jr.; Pitt’s Trey McGowens).
    Wieskamp had a 13-point effort in Iowa’s win at Indiana — making all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half — and scored a team-best 21 points in the comeback victory over Northwestern.
    Wieskamp posted his first career double-double versus Pittsburgh on Nov. 27, totaling a team-best in points (18) and rebounds (11).

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. 

CONNOR MCCAFFERY RETURNS HEALTHY
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.
    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).
    After Iowa lost in the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, McCaffery went to Duane Banks Field and saw action in three baseball games against Cal State Northridge. McCaffery pinch hit in the first two games of the series, before starting game three in left field. He went 3-for-4 with two doubles against the Matadors.

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 won all of its non-conference games for the first time since the 1986-87 season.
•     Iowa won 21 games in the regular season, matching the highest total in 13 seasons (2015 and 2016).
•    Iowa recorded its first regular season sweep over Indiana since the 2010-11 season.
•    Riley Till and Michael Baer earned Dean’s List recognition for their academic achievements in the Fall of 2018.
•    Iowa started the year 16-3, matching its best start in the Fran McCaffery era (2015-16).
•    Iowa posted back-to-back wins over Michigan and Indiana for the first time since 2007.
•    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.
•    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).
•    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 won the 2K Empire Classic in New York City with wins over Oregon and Connecticut. The last time Iowa won an in-season tournament outside of the state of Iowa was the 1998 San Juan Christmas Shootout.
•    Iowa is 86-21 when scoring 80 points or more, the last nine seasons. The Hawkeyes are 70-2 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.
•      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 UNI 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 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 has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in six of the last seven seasons. McCaffery has accumulated 18 first division finishes in 23 years as a head coach.

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Friday will be Iowa’s 11th contest against a ranked opponent. The Hawkeyes are 4-6 against ranked teams this season, beating No. 13 Oregon in New York City, No. 24 Nebraska, No. 16 Ohio State, and No. 5 Michigan in Iowa City. Iowa lost to No. 22 Wisconsin in Iowa City, No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing, No. 6 Michigan State in Iowa City, No. 24 Maryland in Iowa City, No. 21 Wisconsin in Madison, and No. 10 Michigan in Chicago.
    Iowa’s 15-point win over No. 5 Michigan is its highest win over a ranked opponent since beating No. 4 Michigan State on Jan. 14, 2016. Additionally, it marked the first time an unranked Iowa team (AP Poll) beat an AP Top 5 team by 15+ points since beating then-No. 5 Purdue, 88-69, on Feb. 18, 1998.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,806 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,648-1,156 (.587). Iowa’s 1,648 wins are 36th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,053-370 (.740) record in home games, a 589-785 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 776-788 (.496) mark in Big Ten games and a 458-144 (.761) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

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.

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.

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).

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.