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| Iowa (23-11) vs. #6/5 Tennessee (30-5) |
| DATE | Sunday, March 24 | 11:10 a.m. CT |
| LOCATION | Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena |
| RADIO | LISTEN | Hawkeye Radio Network | Westwood One Sports |
| STREAM | CBS |
| LIVE STATS | NCAA Stats |
| LIVE UPDATES | @IowaHoops |
THE SETTING
Iowa (23-11) advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 79-72 win over No. 7 seed Cincinnati on Friday. The Hawkeyes will meet No. 2 seed Tennessee (30-5) on Sunday in the second round (11:10 a.m. CT). Tennessee advanced with a 77-70 win over 15th-seeded Colgate.
The last time Iowa won an NCAA Tournament second round game was when it was a No 5 seed in 1999 (82-72 win over fourth-seeded Arkansas).
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: Sunday’s second round game will be televised nationally on CBS. Brian Anderson, Chris Webber, and Allie LaForce will call the action.
NCAA TOURNANENT SECOND ROUND STORYLINES
• Iowa and Tennessee have played four times, with each team winning twice. The Volunteers edged the Hawkeyes in the last meeting, 78-65 in overtime, in the 2014 First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
• 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).
• Iowa has won its last three NCAA Tournament first round games (2015 vs. Davidson; 2016 vs. Temple; and 2019 vs. Cincinnati).
• Iowa’s 23 wins are the second most in the Fran McCaffery era, dating back to the 2011 season. Iowa won 25 games in the 2012-13 season.
• The Hawkeyes have now won three victories over conference tournament champions (Iowa State, Oregon, and Cincinnati).
• 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 nine 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 (261) is two 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 league games this season (64-of-71, .901). Bohannon was 37-of-39 (.949) a year ago.
• Jordan Bohannon (1,204 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. With the win over Cincinnati, Jordan joins brothers Matt, Zach, and Jason with NCAA Tournament wins.
• 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.
IOWA RALLIES TO BEAT CINCINNATI AT NCAA TOURNAMENT
Iowa rallied from a 36-31 halftime deficit to defeat No. 7 seed Cincinnati, 79-72, on Friday at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
• Luka Garza led Iowa with 20 points and seven rebounds. The sophomore center has scored 20 points or more two of Iowa’s last four games. Garza became the sixth Hawkeye in history to have 20 points and seven rebounds in their NCAA Tournament debut (Carl Cain, 1955; Chad Calabria, 1970; Glenn Vidnovic, 1970; Jess Settles, 1996; Greg Brunner, 2005; Luka Garza, 2019).
• Freshman Joe Wieskamp scored 19 points in his first NCAA Tournament contest as a Hawkeye. Wieskamp is the first Hawkeye freshman with 19+ points & 5+ rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Guy Rucker had 19 points and five rebounds against Virginia in the first round in 1997.
• The Hawkeyes trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half before collecting the win on the strength of a 48-36 scoring advantage in the final 20 minutes. Iowa scored at least one point on nine of final 10 offensive possessions.
• Iowa shot a blistering 65.4 percent from the field (17-of-26), including 63.6 percent from 3-point range (7-of-11) in the second half.
• The Hawkeyes made 11 three-pointers (11-of-22, .500). Iowa improved to 10-2 this season when making 10 or more triples. Additionally, Iowa has shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range six times this season, including two of its last three games.
• The victory over Cincinnati was Iowa’s fifth over a nationally-ranked opponent.
• Iowa handed Cincinnati its first loss of the season when leading at halftime (23-1).
• Iowa improved to 3-3 in four NCAA Tournament appearances under coach McCaffery.
DOUBLE THE EXCITEMENT
Iowa is one of eight schools from Power 5 conferences to have its men’s and women’s basketball teams with 23 wins or more. Joining Iowa are Kentucky, 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
Iowa and Tennessee have met on four previous occasions, with each team collecting two wins. The teams last met in the First Four of the 2014 NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, with Tennessee claiming a 78-65 overtime win.
Iowa won the first two meetings with victories in 1967-68 and 1977-78. Tennessee’s first win in the series came early in the 2000-01 season. The first three meetings all took place in early season tournaments at neutral sites.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTEABLES
• Iowa posted just its second NCAA Tournament win as a lower seed in the Round of 64 on Friday versus Cincinnati. The other came as a No. 9 seed versus No. 8 Texas in 1992.
• Fran McCaffery has taken Iowa to the NCAA Tournament four times. Among Iowa’s head basketball coaches McCaffery ranks third in tournament appearances 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.
• Fran McCaffery holds a 3-3 NCAA Tournament record with the Hawkeyes in four appearances. Iowa has won its first round game in each of the most recent three NCAA Tournament appearances.
• The Big Ten leads all conferences with eight teams in the NCAA Tournament, while the ACC and SEC both placed seven teams. The Big Ten advanced seven teams to the Round of 32 for the first time in league history (7-1).
• 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 25-21 all-time against current schools in the Southeastern Conference.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
• Tennessee posted a 29-5 regular season record to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Volunteers finished tied for second place in the SEC regular season and were runners-up at the SEC Tournament.
• Tennessee advanced to the second round with a 77-70 triumph over Colgate in the first round. The Volunteers were victorious despite allowing 15 three-pointers, eight by Colgate’s Jordan Burns. Four Volunteers netted double figures in the win: Admiral Schofield (19), Jordan Bone (16), Jordan Bowden (14), and Lamonte Turner (13).
• For the first time in program history, Tennessee spent the entire season in the AP top 10.
• Five Tennessee players average double figures in scoring: Grant Williams (18.7); Admiral Schofield (16.3); Jordan Bone (13.5); Lamonte Turner (10.7); and Jordan Bowden (10.6).
• Tennessee posted three wins over AP top five teams this season (No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 4 Kentucky twice).
• Tennessee ranks third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6); sixth in blocked shots (5.4) and assists (18.1); and seventh in field goal percentage (.496).
• Two of Tennessee’s four losses came in overtime (at No. 13 LSU and vs. No. 2 Kansas).
• The Volunteers are 8-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament second round games.
• Tennessee is coached by Rick Barnes, who is in his fourth season with the Volunteers. Barnes has guided Tennessee to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.
• Fran McCaffery has coached against Rick Barnes once before. Barnes’ Texas team beat McCaffery’s Iowa team, 71-57, in New York City on Nov. 20, 2014. Barnes is 3-1 all-time against Iowa (all four games while coaching Texas).
IOWA HAS PLAYED WELL AT NEUTRAL SITE GAMES THIS SEASON
Iowa is 5-1 in neutral site games 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’s fifth neutral site win came Friday over Cincinnati (79-72) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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 fifth time (2-2), which includes the first round win on Friday. 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 30-27 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. Below is a listing of Iowa’s seeding in the tournament and the results. Iowa was 6-4 in the tournament before seeding began with Iowa’s 1979 appearance:
Seed…………… Record Seed…………… Record
#2…………………… 3-1 #7…………………… 6-5
#3…………………… 0-2 #8…………………… 1-2
#4…………………… 2-3 #9…………………… 1-1
#5…………………… 8-4 #10…………………. 1-1
#6…………………… 2-2 #11…………………. 0-2
COOK, BOHANNON JOIN 1,000-POINT CLUB
Jordan Bohannon joined classmate Tyler Cook in the 1,000-point club on Jan. 12. Bohannon is 30 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).
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 4.0 points in the first half and 7.3 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 19-of-34 games, Bohannon has scored more points in the second half than the first. He has scored 10 or more points in the second half 12 times this season.
Iowa is 8-4 when Bohannon scores 10+ points in the second half.
Bohannon is two triples from surpassing Jeff Horner (2003-06) to become Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. Additionally, Bohannon has 117 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 54.8 percent (17-of-31) from the field, 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from 3-point range, and 87.2 percent from the foul line (41-of-47).
Bohannon had 13 points and four assists in the win over Cincinnati, including a basket in the closing seconds of the first half to cut the deficit to five points.
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 (5.7) and rebounding (3.0) averages have improved, along with his shooting percentages.
Kriener has tallied double figures six times this season. He netted four crucial second-half points on Friday against Cincinnati.
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) and the NABC All-District 7 Second Team. 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 ten Hawkeyes in program history to total 1,300 points and 600 rebounds.
Cook ranks in the top 15 in the league in scoring (13th), rebounding (sixth), and field goal percentage (13th). 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 23 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.
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 424 overall wins and 174 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.
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 37 more free throws than any other Big Ten team. The Hawkeyes have made 603 fouls shots, while Minnesota is second behind Iowa with 566 makes. Iowa has made more free throws than six Big Ten teams have attempted (Rutgers, 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 (817).
Individually, Jordan Bohannon ranks second in the conference and is 17th nationally in free throw accuracy (.866, 97-of-112), while Luka Garza is seventh in the Big Ten (.802, 81-of-101).
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 league 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 (11.1 ppg); second in rebounding (4.9 rpg); tied for second in steals (30). Wieskamp is shooting 43.3 percent clip from 3-point range (58-of-134) and 49.8 percent overall from the field (124-of-249). His 43.3 percentage from 3-point range is fourth in the Big Ten and currently ranks second all-time among Iowa freshmen behind Jake Kelly (.435, 30-of-69). Additionally, his 58 triples is second among Iowa rookies behind Jordan Bohannon’s 89 in 2017.
Wieskamp 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.
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 was nationally-ranked for 16 straight weeks in either the Associated Press or Coaches Poll (Nov. 19, 2018 – Feb. 25, 2019).
• 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 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 posted back-to-back wins over Michigan and Indiana for the first time since 2007.
• 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
Sunday will be Iowa’s 12th contest against a ranked opponent. The Hawkeyes are 5-6 against ranked teams this season, beating No. 13 Oregon, No. 24 Nebraska, No. 16 Ohio State, No. 5 Michigan, and No. 22 Cincinnati. Iowa lost to No. 22 Wisconsin, No. 10 Michigan State, No. 6 Michigan State, No. 24 Maryland, No. 21 Wisconsin, and No. 10 Michigan.
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 2,807 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,649-1,156 (.587). Iowa’s 1,649 wins are 36th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,053-370 (.740) record in home games, a 590-785 (.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.
