Game Notes: Iowa vs. Michigan State

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#6/5 Michigan State (17-2, 8-0) vs. #19/21 Iowa (16-3, 5-3)
 DATE  Thursday, Jan. 24 | 6:01 p.m. CT
 LOCATION  Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,056)
 RADIO | LISTEN  Hawkeye Radio Network | Hawkeye All-Access 
 TICKETS  hawkeyesports.com/tickets
 TV  FS1
 LIVE STATS  Sidearm Stats
 LIVE UPDATES  @IowaHoops

THE SETTING
The top two offenses in the Big Ten square off Thursday in Iowa City when No. 19/21 Iowa (16-3, 5-3) hosts No. 6/5 Michigan State (17-2, 8-0). Tipoff is slated for 6:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,056). Tickets are available for $25 for adults, $10 for youth, and FREE for UI Students at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.
    Iowa announced on Tuesday that there will be free public parking on Thursday. Donor parking for lots closest to the building remain for public parking pass holders.
 
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: Thursday night’s game will be televised nationally on FS1 (FOXSPORTSGO). Tim Brando and Bill Raftery will call the action.
 
COACHES VS. CANCER SUITS & SNEAKERS
Coach McCaffery and staff will wear Nikes on the sidelines during Thursday’s game versus Michigan State. 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.
 
HAWKEYES CRUISE TO WIN OVER ILLINOIS
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 Sunday in Iowa City.
•   Joe Wieskamp (24), Isaiah Moss (21), and Luka Garza (20) led the Iowa offensive attack.
•   Freshman Joe Wieskamp made all of his shot attempts (8-of-8 FG, 6-of-6 3pt FG, 2-of-2 FT). Wieskamp’s 24 points equaled a personal best.
•   Iowa assisted on 29 of its 34 made field goals (85 percent).
•   Iowa drained a triple on five straight possessions over a two-minute span in the second half.
•   Isaiah Moss drained a career-high five 3-pointers, making his first five attempts. The Illinois native finished the contest with a season-best 21 points.
•   The Hawkeyes recorded the second-best shooting from the field of any team in a major-conference game since 2006: 83.0 efficiency field goal percentage.
•   Iowa made 12 of its first 14 3-point attempts. Isaiah Moss, Joe Wieskamp, Jordan Bohannon, and Nicholas Baer combined to shoot 15-of-17 (.882) from long distance.
•   Sunday was the only regular season meeting between Iowa and Illinois.
•   Freshman Ayo Dosunmu led Illinois scoring 15 points and dishing out six assists.
 
WIESKAMP NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Joe Wieskamp was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday.
    Wieskamp (6-foot-6, 205 pounds) helped led Iowa to a pair of victories last week at Penn State (89-82) on Wednesday and at home versus Illinois (95-71) on Sunday.
    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
Michigan State holds a 74-55 advantage over Iowa in the series. The Spartans have won 12 of the last 14 meetings, dating back to 2011. Michigan State beat the Hawkeyes, 90-68, on Dec. 3, in East Lansing, Michigan, earlier this season.
    Iowa holds a 35-25 advantage in games played against Michigan State in Iowa City. Michigan State won last year’s contest played in Iowa City, 96-93. The Hawkeyes’ last victory over Michigan State in Carver-Hawkeye Arena was on Dec. 29, 2015, when Iowa took down the top-ranked Spartans, 83-70. That Hawkeye victory was the program’s third win over a No. 1 ranked team.
    Michigan State, in 1983, won the first basketball game ever played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Michigan State’s 15 wins are the most by any Iowa opponent in the facility.
 
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
•   Michigan State enters Thursday’s game at Iowa on a 12-game win streak, dating back to Nov. 30, 2018. The Spartans have won 20 straight Big Ten regular season games; their last loss to a conference team during the regular season was over a year ago to in-state rival Michigan (82-72) on Jan. 13, 2018. Michigan State has won 12 straight Big Ten road games with its last defeat coming at Ohio State (80-64) on Jan. 7, 2018.
•   Senior Matt McQuaid, who averages 8.4 points and 2.7 rebounds, did not play the last time Iowa and Michigan State met on Dec. 3, in East Lansing due to injury. He has since returned to the lineup. Kyle Ahrens returned to action Monday (12 minutes) versus Maryland after missing the previous two games due to injury. Joshua Langford has missed the last six contests due to injury and is not expected to play on Thursday.
•   Three Spartan starters average double digits: Cassius Winston (18.0), Nick Ward (15.7), and Joshua Langford (15.0). Winston was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday.
•   Thursday will be Michigan State’s fourth time on the road in six games. The Spartans will also play at Purdue on Sunday for five of seven away from the Breslin Center.
•   Michigan State posted a 69-55 triumph over nationally-ranked Maryland on Monday at the Breslin Center. The Spartans shot 46 percent while the Terrapins were held to 34 percent shooting. Five Spartans netted double figures in the win, led by Kenny Goins (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Cassius Winston (14 points, seven assists).
•   The Spartans rank first in the Big Ten in nine statistical categories, including scoring offense (83.8), field goal percentage defense (.366), rebounding margin (+11.1), blocked shots (5.7), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6). Cassius Winston ranks first in the league in assists (7.3), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.9), and fifth in scoring (18.0). Kenny Goins is fourth in the conference in rebounding (9.6), while Xavier Tillman ranks third in blocks (1.8) and fourth in field goal percentage (.622).
•   Tom Izzo is in his 24th season as head coach at Michigan State (591-227, .722).
 
LAST MEETING
Michigan State shot 52 percent from the field in a 90-68 win over Iowa on Dec. 3, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan.
•  Three Hawkeyes scored in double figures: Tyler Cook (15), Isaiah Moss (13), and Jordan Bohannon (11).
•  Starting guard Joe Wieskamp left the game in the second half with a sprained ankle after totaling eight points, four rebounds, two steals, one block, and an assist.
•  Sophomore center Luka Garza grabbed a team-best nine rebounds to go along with seven points and three assists.
•  Iowa held Michigan State to 3-of-12 (.250) from 3-point range.
•  The contest was Iowa’s first true road game of the season.
•  Four Spartans scored in double digits: Nick Ward (26), Kenny Goins (19), Xavier Tillman (14), and Joshua Langford (14).
•  Michigan State assisted on 28-of-31 field goals, including a game-best 12 by point guard Cassius Winston.
•  Both teams attempted at least 30 free throws. The Hawkeyes were 20-of-30 (.667), while the Spartans were 25-of-32 (.781) from the charity stripe.
 
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Last season through eight Big Ten games, Iowa allowed 84.5 points per game, while its opponents shot the basketball at 50 percent from the field and 44.9 percent from 3-point range. This season, the Hawkeyes are allowing 76.2 points through eight league games, and opponents are shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3-point range. That’s an improvement of 8.3 points per game and .049 in shooting percentage and .132 in 3-point percentage defense.
 
COOK ELEVATING HIS GAME
Tyler Cook has led the Hawkeyes in scoring seven of the last 11 games played and has led the squad in rebounding in seven of the 11. 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.
 
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 last Wednesday to put him over 500 rebounds in his career.
 
MOSS FILLIN’ IT UP
Redshirt junior Isaiah Moss has been on fire shooting the basketball the last two games. In Iowa’s two wins last week, Moss made 9-of-10 (.900) from 3-point range and 11-of-18 (.611) overall from the field. 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.
 
MILESTONES APPROACHING FOR BOHANNON
Jordan Bohannon is closing in on joining classmate Tyler Cook in the 1,000-point club. Bohannon is 84 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 Sunday’s win over Illinois.
 
MAKING THE FREEBIES
Iowa has made 69 more free throws than any other Big Ten team. The Hawkeyes have made 395 fouls shots, while Minnesota is second behind Iowa with 326 makes.
    The Hawkeyes are the only team with three players ranked in the top 11 in the league free throw percentage. Jordan Bohannon is second (.862), followed by Luka Garza (fourth, .855) and Connor McCaffery (11th, .794).
 
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 (11.9 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.1 rpg). Wieskamp is shooting at a 45 percent clip from 3-point range (34-of-75) and 51 percent overall from the field (75-of-147).
    Wieskamp led the team in scoring for the fifth time this season in 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.
 
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 2,792 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,642-1,150 (.588). Iowa’s 1,642 wins are 41st most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,050-367 (.741) record in home games, a 586-780 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 771-781 (.496) mark in Big Ten games and a 455-141 (.763) 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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
Thursday will be Iowa’s sixth contest of the season against a nationally-ranked opponent.
    The Hawkeyes are 3-2 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 on in Iowa City and No. 10 Michigan State in East Lansing.
 
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’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 19-3 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 (5.4 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
The Hawkeyes will travel to Minneapolis for their only regular season contest against Minnesota. Tipoff is set for 4:05 p.m. (CT) at Williams Arena. The game will be televised nationally on FS1 (FOXSPORTSGO).
 

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