Hawk Talk Monthly — December | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Fight For Iowa | Game Notes (PDF)
| MINNESOTA (4-4, 0-0) vs. IOWA (6-3, 0-1) |
| DATE | Monday, Dec. 9 | 7:01 p.m. CT |
| LOCATION | Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena |
| RADIO | LISTEN | Hawkeye Radio Network | Hawkeye All-Access |
| TV | BTN |
| LIVE STATS | Sidearm Stats |
| LIVE UPDATES | @IowaHoops |
THE SETTING
After playing its last four games away from Iowa City the last two weeks, Iowa (6-3, 0-1) returns home to host Minnesota (4-4, 0-0) on Monday. Tipoff is slated for 7:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,056). Tickets are $25 for adults, and $10 for youth and UI students.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Monday’s Big Ten home opener will be televised nationally on BTN. Kevin Kugler and Robbie Hummel will call the action.
BIG TEN HOME OPENER STORYLINES
• Luka Garza leads the Big Ten and is 11th nationally in points per game (22.7). In Iowa’s last outing at Michigan, Garza scored a career-high 44 points, which are the most points ever scored in a single-game by an Iowa big man, third most in program history, most points by an opposing player in Crisler Center history only behind Rudy Tomjanovich’s 48 points versus Indiana in 1969, and the most points scored by a Hawkeye since guard John Johnson poured in a school-record 49 points against Northwestern in 1970.
• Luka Garza reached the 1,000-point threshold with a free throw in the first half of Friday’s contest at Michigan. Garza’s accomplishment will be recognized at midcourt prior to Monday’s game against Minnesota.
• The Big Ten’s top two scorers square off Monday night in Iowa’s Luka Garza (22.7 ppg) and Minnesota’s Daniel Oturu (17.5 ppg).
• Iowa’s three defeats have come to teams with a combined 26-1 record (DePaul, San Diego State, Michigan).
• The Golden Gophers are making their first road trip since Nov. 15 at Utah. Iowa will be playing its first home game since Nov. 24 versus Cal Poly.
• Monday will be Minnesota’s Big Ten opener and have not played a game in a week since beating Clemson on Monday, Dec. 2 in Minneapolis.
• Jordan Bohannon is nine assists from becoming the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists. Bohannon, Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, is 17 points from tying former teammate Tyler Cook for 20th on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart.
• Connor McCaffery has 41 assists and only seven turnovers, tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (5.9). Over the last seven games, McCaffery has 35 assists and only four turnovers.
• After both missing Iowa’s road game at Syracuse, CJ Fredrick (quad) and Cordell Pemsl (back) returned to action in the Hawkeyes’ last outing at No. 4/5 Michigan Friday night.
• Iowa has led the Big Ten in scoring offense two of the last six years, including last season.
• 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).
• 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.
MICHIGAN OUTLASTS HAWKEYES IN ANN ARBOR
Despite Luka Garza’s 44-point scoring outburst for the Hawkeyes, No. 4/5 Michigan won Friday night’s Big Ten opener, 103-91, at the Crisler Center.
• Junior Luka Garza became the 49th Hawkeye to score No. 1,000 points, reaching the 1,000-point milestone after netting a career-high 44 points against the Wolverines. Garza’s 44 points are the most by an Iowa big man, third most in a single-game in program history, and are the most scored by a Hawkeye in a single-game since guard John Johnson poured in a school-record 49 points against Northwestern on Feb. 24, 1970.
• Luka Garza’s 44 points are the most scored by a visiting player in Crisler Center history, besting Ohio State’s Dennis Hopson’s 39 points on Jan. 8, 1987. The 44-point outburst is the second highest scoring output by any player in Crisler Center history (48 by Rudy Tomjanovich vs. Indiana on Jan. 7, 1969).
• Luka Garza made 17 field goals, tying Bruce King (vs. Michigan on Jan. 31, 1976) for third most in a single-game in Iowa history. Garza’s 32 attempts tie three others (Fred Brown, Murray Wier and Charles Darling) for fourth most in Iowa history.
• Luka Garza’s 27 first-half points are the most by a Hawkeye in a half since Jarrod Uthoff had 30 at Iowa State (Dec. 10, 2015).
• Connor McCaffery netted 12 points, scoring in double figures for the second time in three games.
• Michigan made seven more 3-pointers and nine more free throws than the Hawkeyes.
• Six Wolverines scored 12 points or more, led by Franz Wagner’s 18 points. Michigan shot 55 percent from the floor, including 42 percent from 3-point range.
MORE ON GARZA’S HISTORIC EFFORT AT MICHIGAN
Luka Garza scored all 44 of his points against the Wolverines at the free throw line and inside the 3-point arc. Garza is the first Big Ten player to score 40 points or more without making a 3-pointer since Jared Sullinger tallied 40 points without a triple against IUPUI in 2010.
Garza’s 44 points are believed to be the most in a game by a Big Ten player since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson scored 44 against Kansas on March 24, 1994.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Minnesota holds a 106-95 advantage in the series. The 201 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent.
The two teams have split the last 10 contests, dating back to 2013. The Gophers won last year’s lone contest, 92-87, in Minneapolis.
Six of the last eight meetings, dating back to 2014, have been decided by six points or less with another contest decided by 12 points in double overtime.
Iowa holds a 57-41 advantage in games played in Iowa City and a 21-10 advantage at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won 12 of the last 17 meetings in Iowa City, including five of the last six.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
• Minnesota is 4-4 overall, with its four victories coming at Williams Arena. The Gophers are 0-3 away from Minneapolis, including 0-2 in true road contests.
• Monday will be Minnesota’s Big Ten opener. The Gophers last played on Dec. 2, beating Clemson (78-60) in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Marcus Carr (24) and Daniel Oturu (21) combined for 45 points. Minnesota made six more 3-pointers than the Tigers.
• The Golden Gophers rank first in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made per game (9.6), and fourth in assists (16.4), blocked shots (5.4), 3-point field goal percentage (.353) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3).
• Four starters average double figures in scoring: Daniel Oturu (17.5), Marcus Carr (14.4), Gabe Kalscheur (12.1), and Payton Willis (12.0). Oturu ranks first in the league in rebounding (10.9); second in scoring (17.5) and blocked shots (3.4); and third in double-doubles (4). Carr is second in the conference in assists (6.6), while Willis (2.9) and Kalscheur (2.8) rank first and second in 3-pointers made per game, respectively.
• Richard Pitino is in his seventh season as head coach at Minnesota (116-96, .547). In 2018-19, Pitino led the Golden Gophers to their second NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons.
LAST MEETING
In the only regular season meeting between two teams, Minnesota outlasted Iowa, 92-87, on Jan. 27, 2019, at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
• Minnesota led by as many as 16 points in the second half. Iowa trimmed the deficit to four points with 90 seconds remaining but were unable to get any closer.
• Luka Garza poured in 25 points and three 3-pointers. Isaiah Moss contributed 23 points, while Tyler Cook chipped in with 18 points.
• Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field: Minnesota (.571, 32-of-56); Iowa (.542, 32-of-59). The Golden Gophers (31) attempted 10 more free throws than the Hawkeyes (21).
• Jordan Murphy led the Golden Gophers with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Amir Coffey contributed 23 points and five assists.
McCAFFERY’S JOIN LIST OF BROTHERS ON SAME TEAM
Redshirt sophomore Connor McCaffery and freshman Patrick McCaffery are one of 16 brothers nationally who are playing on the same Division I team this season. The McCaffery’s at Iowa join brothers playing at Oklahoma State, Ohio, Northwestern State, Vermont, Pepperdine, Eastern Washington, Mount St. Mary’s, Navy, Maryland, Coppin State, Boston College, Robert Morris, Ohio State, SIUE, and The Citadel.
Iowa is one of 13 father/coach and son/player duos in Division I in 2019-20 (Cal Poly, Central Connecticut State, Davidson, Detroit Mercy, Illinois, Oregon State, Portland, Syracuse, Texas Southern, UT Martin, Utah, and Wright State. Of the 13 schools, the McCaffery’s are the only program with a father/coach and two sons on the roster.
NUNGE SUFFERS TORN ACL
University of Iowa men’s basketball sophomore Jack Nunge suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his right knee in Sunday’s home game versus Cal Poly. The injury occurred late in the first half as Nunge was driving to the basket.
“All of us feel for Jack,” said McCaffery. “This is an unfortunate setback for a young man who spent countless hours in the gym and weight room last year preparing for this season. Jack has the full support of his teammates and coaches during his recovery.”
Nunge (6-foot-11, 245 pounds) started Iowa’s first five games, averaging six points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. The native of Newburgh, Indiana, redshirted last season.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN…
Over the next six weeks, Iowa will play games in three different time zones, seven different states, and travel 8,362 total miles.
Iowa is in the middle of a stretch playing eight of 10 games away from Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will play six of seven contests against teams who finished in the Top 100 of the NCAA NET Ranking a year ago from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21 (Texas Tech, Syracuse, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa State, and Cincinnati).
GARZA PRODUCING BOTH INSIDE AND OUT
Luka Garza has been Iowa’s bell cow the first nine games. The junior is producing both inside and out, ranking second on the squad in 3-point percentage (.429, 9-of-21) and is third in field goal efficiency (.559, 80-of-143).
Garza has scored 25 points or more in three games (44 at Michigan; 30 vs. Oral Roberts; 29 vs. North Florida) and has controlled eight rebounds or more in all nine contests in 2019-20.
Garza leads the team in 10 statistical categories: scoring (22.7), rebounding (9.8), double-doubles (4), offensive rebounding (3.7), defensive rebounding (6.1), blocked shots (1.3), field goals made (80) and attempted (143), free throws made (35) and attempted (54).
The native of Washington, D.C., leads the Big Ten in scoring (22.7 ppg), ranks third in double-doubles (4), and is fourth in rebounding (9.8 rpg). Garza made 12 of his final 13 field goal attempts in the win over the Ospreys on Nov. 21.
Garza has grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds in three games this season (SIUE, North Florida, and Texas Tech).
Garza registered 30 points and 10 rebounds against Oral Roberts, becoming the first Hawkeye since Peter Jok in 2016 to total at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a game.
GET TO KNOW THE NAME — CJ FREDRICK
Redshirt freshman CJ Fredrick has made an impact on this team, just eight games into his collegiate career. Fredrick was named to the Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 13 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds. The native of Cincinnati, Ohio, did not play at Syracuse (Dec. 3) due to a sore left quad, however returned to the starting lineup in Iowa’s last outing at Michigan (Dec. 6), scoring six points and dishing out a team-best five assists.
Fredrick is third on the team in scoring (10.5) and ranks third in the Big Ten in 3-point accuracy (.520, 13-of-25), is second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5), 11th in field goal percentage (.577, 30-of-52), and 13th in assists (3.5).
Fredrick led Iowa in scoring in three games (DePaul, Cal Poly, and San Diego State).
2 HAWKEYES NAMED TO PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
Junior Luka Garza and sophomore Joe Wieskamp have been named to preseason watch lists.
Garza is one of 20 players named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List. The honor recognizes the top center in college basketball. Garza has been a force over the first month of the 2019-20 season, leading the Big Ten in scoring (22.7), and scoring his 1,000th career point in a 44-point effort at No. 4/5 Michigan last Friday. The 44 points are the most by an Iowa big man in program history and ranks third most in school history (49 and 46 points by John Johnson).
Wieskamp is one of 20 players named to the Jerry West Award Watch List. The honor recognizes the top shooting guard in men’s college basketball. Wieskamp was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team last season. Wieskamp ranks second on the team in scoring (10.7) and rebounding (5.3).
Both lists will be narrowed down to 10 in mid-February and then five finalists will be selected in March that will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar and West and the selection committees.
GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE
Iowa has earned 210 free throw attempts through nine games. Iowa’s 23.3 average ranks 33rd in the country. The Hawkeyes have made more free throws (153) than their opponents (145) have attempted (+8). Jordan Bohannon, who has led the Big Ten in free throw accuracy each of the last two seasons, leads the conference again so far this year (12-of-12), while Connor McCaffery ranks seventh (.875).
BOHANNON JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
Jordan Bohannon is nine assists from becoming the sixth Hawkeye to amass 1,000 points and 500 assists. Bohannon, Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, Hawkeye senior enters Monday’s Big Ten home opener versus Minnesota with 282 3-pointers; Ohio State’s Jon Diebler (2008-11) is the Big Ten all-time leader in triples made (374).
WIESKAMP NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Sophomore shooting guard Joe Wieskamp is one of 10 men’s basketball players selected to the 2019-20 Preseason All-Big Ten team as selected by a media voting panel.
Wieskamp was named to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team a season ago, leading the team the team and finishing second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.424, 59-of-139). He ranked third on the team in scoring (11.1) and steals (32), and second in rebounding (4.9). The Muscatine, Iowa, native joins Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and Maryland’s Jalen Smith as the only underclassmen recognized on the 10-player team. Wieskamp is the third Hawkeye in the last five seasons to be named Preseason All-Big Ten (Peter Jok, 2016; Jarrod Uthoff, 2015).
GARZA JOINS ELITE COMPANY
Luka Garza has put up numbers that few Hawkeyes have done through their sophomore season. Garza joins Aaron White, Jess Settles, and Tyler Cook as the only Hawkeyes to total more than 800 points and 350 rebounds through their sophomore year.
Garza’s sophomore campaign started with surgery in early September to remove a benign cyst in his abdomen. The native of Washington, D.C., recovered in time to start the season opener and have another stellar season for the Hawkeyes. Garza was an honorable mention all-conference honoree and was voted the MVP of the 2K Empire Classic in New York City.
BOHANNON RECOVERS FROM HIP SURGERY
Senior guard Jordan Bohannon has been recovering from hip surgery in May. Bohannon entered the 2019-20 season with 96 consecutive starts, which tied for the eighth-longest active streak in the country. The streak was snapped in Iowa’s opener versus SIUE, playing 19 minutes off the bench.
Bohannon (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) suffered the injury early his junior season and managed the injury until the end of the season.
A third-team All-Big Ten performer last season, Bohannon was credited with a team-best 118 assists, becoming just the seventh Hawkeye to register three 100-assist seasons. The native of Marion, Iowa, is one of 10 Division I basketball players since 1992, to total at least 79 3-pointers and 118 assists in each of his first three seasons. As a junior, Bohannon ranked third on the team in scoring (11.6 ppg) and led the Big Ten in free throw accuracy during league play. Bohannon is Iowa’s all-time leader in 3-point field goals made (275). Last season, Bohannon netted 85 points over the final two minutes of regulation and two minutes of overtime to rank among the nation’s best.
Bohannon became the seventh Hawkeye to register three 100-assist seasons (Dean Oliver, Jeff Horner, B.J. Armstrong, Andre Woolridge, Mike Gesell, Devyn Marble).
FRESHMAN GAINING CONFIDENCE
Freshman Joe Toussaint is gaining confidence with each game played. The native of New York ranks fifth on the team in scoring (7.2) and is fourth in assists (2.1).
Against North Florida, Toussaint shined, scoring seven of his 10 points and dishing out three of his four assists in highlight fashion over the final 20 minutes. The native of Bronx, New York, equaled a personal best with 13 points, including sinking all nine free throw attempts, against San Diego State in Las Vegas on Nov. 29.
RYAN KRIENER TAKES THE NEXT STEP
Ryan Kriener registered single-season bests in nearly every statistical category as a junior last year. His scoring (5.7) and rebounding (3.0) averages improved, along with his shooting percentages. Kriener tallied double figures seven times in 2018-19.
The native of Spirit Lake, Iowa, is off to a good start in 2019-20 ranking second off the bench in scoring (6.1) and fourth overall in rebounding (4.1). He is first on the team in field goal accuracy, making 20 of his 33 attempts (.606) and is 14-of-20 (.700) from the charity stripe.
McCAFFERY’S JOIN LIST OF BROTHERS ON SAME TEAM
Redshirt sophomore Connor McCaffery and freshman Patrick McCaffery are one of 16 brothers nationally who are playing on the same Division I team this season. The McCaffery’s at Iowa join brothers playing at Oklahoma State, Ohio, Northwestern State, Vermont, Pepperdine, Eastern Washington, Mount St. Mary’s, Navy, Maryland, Coppin State, Boston College, Robert Morris, Ohio State, SIUE, and The Citadel.
Iowa is one of 13 father/coach and son/player duos in Division I in 2019-20 (Cal Poly, Central Connecticut State, Davidson, Detroit Mercy, Illinois, Oregon State, Portland, Syracuse, Texas Southern, UT Martin, Utah, and Wright State. Of the 13 schools, the McCaffery’s are the only program with a father/coach and two sons on the roster.
3 HAWKEYES RETURN AFTER REDSHIRT YEAR
Forwards Jack Nunge and Cordell Pemsl, along with guard CJ Fredrick are on this season’s roster after redshirting a year ago.
Nunge saw action in all 33 games as a freshman, ranking second on the team in blocked shots (25), fourth in steals (21), and fifth in scoring (5.7). However, Nunge will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in Iowa’s fifth contest of the season. Pemsl played in two nonconference games before undergoing a procedure to remove hardware near his knee last December. He has played in 68 career games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Fredrick was the 2018 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year his senior year at Covington Catholic High School.
Joining the three redshirts on the roster this season will be newcomers: Bakari Evelyn, Joe Toussaint, Patrick McCaffery, and Aidan Vanderloo. Evelyn is a graduate transfer from Valparaiso, while Toussaint, McCaffery and Vanderloo (walk-on) are true freshmen.
2019-20 SCHEDULE NOTES
• Iowa will play 14 games against teams who finished in the Top 50 of the NCAA NET Rankings last season. Furthermore, the Hawkeyes will play six of seven games against teams who finished in the Top 100 of the NCAA NET Ranking a year ago from Nov. 28 to Dec. 21 (Texas Tech, Syracuse, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa State, Cincinnati).
• Iowa will play games in three different time zones and ten states, including games in Las Vegas, Chicago, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, and New York.
• From Nov. 28-Jan. 4, the Hawkeyes will travel 8,362 total miles (Las Vegas, Syracuse, Ann Arbor, Ames, Chicago, Philadelphia).
• Iowa’s first five games of the season will be played at home at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, from Friday, Nov. 8 to Sunday, Nov. 24. The last time Iowa opened with five straight home games was the 2013-14 season.
• Iowa will visit the Palestra in Philadelphia on Jan. 4, for a Big Ten game against Penn State. It will mark the Hawkeyes’ first visit to the historic building since 1961. Fran McCaffery played inside the Palestra for three years while a guard at Penn (1980-82).
• Iowa will open Big Ten play versus Michigan in Ann Arbor on Dec. 6. The last time the Hawkeyes opened league play against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor was the 1968-69 season.
• Iowa will play three straight Big Ten home games for the first time since 2003. The Hawkeyes will host Michigan on Jan. 17; Rutgers on Jan. 22; Wisconsin on Jan. 27.
• Iowa’s Big Ten home opener will be against Minnesota on Dec. 9. The last time the Hawkeyes hosted the Golden Gophers in their first league home game was the 1995-96 season.
• The Hawkeyes will play Cincinnati for the second straight season on Dec. 21 (Chicago), after beating the Bearcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last March in Columbus. Four of the previous nine meetings against Cincinnati have come on a neutral floor.
• Iowa will host nine weekend home games in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, including five Big Ten games on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
PATRICK McCAFFERY GRANTED #22
Patrick McCaffery has been granted uniform No. 22 to wear by All-American Bill Seaberg (1954-56) in honor of his friend Austin “Flash” Schroeder, who passed away in 2015.
McCaffery started wearing No. 22 when his father was the coach at Siena and it was the number of his favorite Siena player, Ryan Rossiter. McCaffery has worn that number for each team he has played for at every level. It also was the number that Schroeder wore in baseball.
Cancer touched both of their lives. McCaffery had surgery on March 19, 2014, to remove a tumor on his thyroid. On that same day, while on a family spring break trip to Mexico, Austin discovered a large lump in his groin. Two days after Patrick’s surgery, doctors informed his family that the tumor was malignant. A second surgery was scheduled in April. That month, Schroeder started chemotherapy for T-Cell lymphoma. Schroeder was 15 when he passed away on April 28, 2015.
Seaberg’s No. 22 hasn’t appeared for 63 seasons and 1,845 games. McCaffery wrote Seaberg a letter, explaining what No. 22 means to him. Seaberg agreed to let McCaffery wear it, with the stipulation that it return to retired status after McCaffery’s playing career ends at Iowa.
McCaffery played in Iowa’s first two games, however has missed the last six contests.
HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• Iowa ranks seventh nationally in assists per game (17.7), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5), 33rd in free throw attempts per game (23.3), and 39th in scoring offense (80.4).
• Luka Garza and CJ Fredrick were named to the 2019 Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• Iowa played in front of its fourth largest crowd for a regular season game on Dec. 3, at Syracuse (20,844).
• Iowa finished runners-up at the Las Vegas Invitational, beating No. 12 Texas Tech in the semifinals and falling to undefeated San Diego State in the championship game.
• Luka Garza netted a career-high 30 points, bolstered by sinking 12 field goals against Oral Roberts (Nov. 15). The 12 field goals made ties four former Hawkeyes for most in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era (Peter Jok, Jarrod Uthoff, Matt Gatens, and Isaiah Moss). Garza is the seventh Hawkeye to score 30 or more points in a single game in the McCaffery era. Garza is the first Hawkeye to total 29 or more points in back-to-back games (Oral Roberts, North Florida) since Matt Gatens in 2011-12.
• Jordan Bohannon is the 10th player in all of Division I basketball since 1992, to post at least 79 triples and 118 assists per season in each of his first three seasons.
• Luka Garza netted a career-high 30 points, making 12 field goals, including two 3-pointers, and four free throws. The 12 field goals made ties four former Hawkeyes for most in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era (Peter Jok, Jarrod Uthoff, Matt Gatens, and Isaiah Moss). Garza is the seventh Hawkeye to score 30 or more points in a single game in the McCaffery era.
• Iowa won 21 games in the 2018-19 regular season, matching the highest total in 13 seasons (2015 and 2016).
• Iowa posted five victories over nationally-ranked opponents in 2018-19, equaling Iowa’s highest total in the Fran McCaffery era and the most since 2006 (8).
• Iowa has won its last three NCAA Tournament first round games (2015 vs. Davidson; 2016 vs. Temple; and 2019 vs. Cincinnati).
• Riley Till and Michael Baer earned Dean’s List recognition for their academic achievements in the Fall of 2018.
• Iowa has won 63 of its last 68 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa is 90-22 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 10 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 74-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 10 years.
• 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 HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,817 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,655-1,160 (.588). Iowa’s 1,655 wins are 36th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,057-371 (.740) record in home games, a 592-788 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 776-789 (.496) mark in Big Ten games and a 462-145 (.761) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
LUTE OLSON ENSHRINED IN HALL OF FAME
Former Iowa head men’s basketball coach Lute Olson was enshrined in the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City on Nov. 24. Olson coached Iowa for nine seasons (1974-83), taking the Hawkeyes to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including the 1980 Final Four. He left as the Hawkeyes’ winningest coach — his 165 wins now rank third most in school history. Olson was instrumental in the vision and construction of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened on Jan. 5, 1983. Olson went on to coach at the University of Arizona for 25 years (1983-2008).
FRAN McCAFFERY SIGNS FIRST GRAD TRANSFER
Fran McCaffery enters his 10th season as head coach of the Hawkeyes and signed his first graduate transfer this past July. Bakari Evelyn, a native of Detroit, played the previous two seasons at Valparaiso (2017-18) and his freshman year at Nebraska (2016).
Last season at Valparaiso, Evelyn tied for first on the team in 3-pointers made (48), ranked second in assists (68) and fifth in scoring (8.4 ppg). He led the team in steals and assists in six games, and scoring three times.
As a sophomore, Evelyn was a Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer Team selection and was named co-MVP of the Savannah Invitational. He was the only Crusader to start all 32 games, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and first in assists (93).
Evelyn saw limited action in 18 games as a freshman at Nebraska.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 72 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 125 years of collegiate coaching under their belts.
Iowa is one of two programs nationwide who have four current/former Division I head coaches on their active coaching staffs (Pitt).
RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Jarrod Uthoff (NBA G League: Memphis Hustle), Nicholas Baer (NBA G League; Raptors 905), Tyler Cook (NBA; Cleveland Cavaliers), Devyn Marble (NBA G League; Santa Cruz Warriors), Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Grand Rapids Drive), Anthony Clemmons (Monaco), Gabriel Olaseni (Turkey), Melsahn Basabe (Slovakia), Peter Jok (France), and Aaron White (Italy).
McCAFFERY RECORDS WIN NO. 20
Last season, Fran McCaffery and the Iowa Hawkeyes reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth time in seven seasons. 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 or more victories over a span of six of seven seasons.
McCaffery has taken Iowa to the NCAA Tournament four times. Among Iowa’s head basketball coaches, McCaffery ranks third in tournament appearances behind Davis (9) and Olson (5). Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, while McCaffery moved past Olson into second place earlier this season.
ON THE HORIZON
For the fifth time in six games, Iowa will play a contest away from Iowa City. The Hawkeyes play at in-state rival Iowa State on Thursday. Tipoff is set for 7:01 p.m. (CT) at Hilton Coliseum with the game being televised on ESPN2.
