Game Notes: Iowa To Face Minnesota on Christmas Night

THE SETTING
No. 4/5 Iowa (7-1, 1-0) will travel to Minneapolis for its first conference road game of the season against Minnesota (7-1, 0-1). Tipoff is slated for 7:07 p.m. (CT) at Williams Arena.

GAME #9 STORYLINES
• Friday will mark the third time in program history that Iowa will have played a game on Christmas Day. The previous two times were in the state of Hawaii in 1984 against Maryland (L, 70-68) and 1988 versus UC-Riverside (L, 110-92).
• Friday’s contest features two of the conferences top scorers: Iowa’s Luka Garza and Minnesota’s Marcus Carr. Garza leads the league in points per game (29.3) and 30-point efforts (4), while Carr is third in scoring (23.9) and second in 30-point games (2).
• Seven of the last eight meetings between Iowa and Minnesota at Williams Arena have been decided by six points or fewer, dating back to 2012, with the seventh contest a double-digit decision in double overtime in 2017.
• Luka Garza seeks to extend his streak of scoring 20+ points to 18 straight Big Ten games on Friday. Garza’s streak started on Jan. 10, 2020 of last season. The 17-game streak against Big Ten opponents is the longest streak since Ohio State’s Dennis Hopson (17) in 1987.
• Iowa, who has led the Big Ten in scoring each of the last two seasons, is the highest scoring offense in the country, averaging 95.1 points per game.
• Iowa leads the Big Ten in scoring offense (95.1), assists per game (22.6), turnover margin (+6.4), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3); and ranks second in 3-pointers made per game (10.8) and blocked shots per contest (5.5).
• Luka Garza surpassed Greg Stokes and Acie Earl for third place on Iowa’s all-time scoring list in Tuesday’s win over Purdue. Garza is 74 points from passing Aaron White for second and 331 points from Iowa’s all-time leading scorer Roy Marble.
• Junior Joe Wieskamp is 49 points from becoming the 50th Hawkeye to score 1,000 career points.
• Luka Garza, who ranks first in the country in points per game (28.4 ppg), has scored more points (227) than minutes played (217). He has scored 366 points against AP Top 25 teams, the most of any player since the start of the 2019-20 season.
• Jack Nunge has been Iowa’s biggest producer off the bench, averaging 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per outing, which both rank third best on the team.
• Iowa has made 10+ 3-pointers in six of eight games this season. The Hawkeyes have four players who have made 14+ triples: Luka Garza, CJ Fredrick, Jordan Bohannon, and Joe Wieskamp.
• Luka Garza (28.4) and Joe Wieskamp (16.0) combined to average 44.4 points, which is 46.6 percent of Iowa’s offensive production through eight games.
• Iowa has made more free throws (135) than its opponents have attempted (112).
• Iowa returns a large percentage of its production: scoring (81%), rebounding (76%), assists (77%), steals (83%), and blocks (67%). Iowa is one of eight schools from Power 5 conferences to have at least 65 percent of its production return from the previous season.

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: Friday’s game will be televised on Big Ten Network. Dave Revsine and former Boilermaker Robbie Hummel will call the action.

HAWKEYES TOP PURDUE IN CONFERENCE OPENER
Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp combined for 39 points and 18 rebounds to lead Iowa to a 70-55 conference-opening win over Purdue Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
• Luka Garza netted a game-high 22 points. His scoring totals moved the All-American past Greg Stokes and Acie Earl into third place on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart trailing only Aaron White and Roy Marble. Garza extended his streak of scoring 20+ points to 17 straight Big Ten games, dating back to last season.
• Tuesday was the only regular season meeting between Iowa and Purdue.
• Iowa improved to 20-1 over its last 21 contests in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, dating back to last season.
• Jordan Bohannon sank three 3-pointers, including the 300th of his career in the final minute of the game. Bohannon now ranks 10th in Big Ten career 3-pointers made.
• Iowa made 12 3-pointers, make 10+ triples for the sixth time in eight games this season.
• Iowa recorded its first win in a conference opener in five seasons. The last time Iowa won its conference opener was on Dec. 29, 2015, against top-ranked Michigan State (83-70) in Iowa City.
• Iowa shared the basketball, assisting on 21 of its 24 field goals. The Hawkeyes lead the league in assists per game (22.6).
• Purdue entered the game as one of the Big Ten’s leading rebounding teams, averaging 9.8 more rebounds per game. Iowa won the rebounding battle, 37-35.
• The Hawkeyes outscored the Boilermakers, 10-1, at the free throw line.
• Iowa has held two of its last three foes to 55 points or less (Northern Illinois, 53).
• Iowa has won 10 straight games on Dec. 22, dating back to 2005.
• Trevion Williams and Brandon Newman paced the Boilermakers with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

LUKA GARZA CONTINUES WHERE HE LEFT OFF
• Luka Garza has passed nine former players (Dean Oliver, Adam Haluska, Jess Settles, Matt Gatens, Ronnie Lester, Devyn Marble, B.J. Armstrong, Greg Stokes, and Acie Earl) on Iowa’s all-time scoring list in only eight games played so far this year. Only two players in program history have scored more points than Garza (Roy Marble, Aaron White).
• Reached the 30-point plateau four times this season, the most by any player nationally. Garza has topped 30 points nine career times, third most in program history trailing only John Johnson (13) and Fred Brown (10).
• Twice has been named Big Ten Player of the Week this season (Nov. 30 and Dec. 14). Garza was named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 24.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in wins over No. 16 North Carolina, Iowa State, and Northern Illinois. Garza was named Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 33.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in victories over N.C. Central and Southern.
• Garza scored 44 points at Michigan (Dec. 7, 2019) and 41 points versus Southern University (Nov. 27, 2020). He is one of two players in program history to score 40 points or more in two games in a career (John Johnson, 49 and 46).
• He tallied 102 points in three games; that is the most points by any Division I player over his first 3 games of a season since Davidson’s Stephen Curry had 106 in 2008-09.
• Garza is the only Division I player in the last 25 years to score 100+ points on 75.0 percent shooting over any 3-game span. The last NBA player to accomplish that over a 3-game span was Shaquille O’Neal in January, 1996.
• Torched Southern University for 41 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Garza netted 36 first-half points, which is believed to be the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a half in program history. In the first half, Garza made all 12 field-goal attempts and was 10-of-12 from the free throw line.
• His 41 points are the most points scored by a Hawkeye in a single-game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history (1983), besting 36 scored by Adam Haluska (2006) and Rob Griffin (2000). The arena record is 45 points by Brian Quinnett of Washington State in a neutral site contest contested against Loyola Marymount (1986).
• Finished the Southern University contest with a .933 field goal percentage (14-of-15), including a perfect 1.000 (3-of-3) from 3-point range, which is the best single-game mark by a Big Ten player since 1984 (Minnesota’s Tommy Davis, 15-of-16, at Indiana).
• Posted his third double-double of the season and 23rd of his career with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and a season-high four blocks against No. 16 North Carolina.

VALUING THE BASKETBALL
Iowa’s three starting guards rank in the top eight in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio. CJ Fredrick ranks first with a 6.0 ratio (24 assists, 4 turnovers), followed by Connor McCaffery in third with a 3.8 ratio (34 assists, 9 turnovers) and Jordan Bohannon in eighth with a 2.8 ratio (36 assists, 13 turnovers).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Minnesota holds a 106-97 advantage in the series. The 203 meetings are the most Iowa has played against any opponent. The two teams have split the last 10 contests, dating back to 2014.

Last year, Iowa recorded its first season sweep over the Golden Gophers in eight seasons.

The Gophers own a 65-36 advantage in games played at Minnesota. Seven of the last eight meetings at Williams Arena have been decided by six points or fewer, dating back to 2012, with the seventh contest a double-digit decision in double overtime in 2017.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
• Minnesota won all seven nonconference games, including its last outing against Saint Louis (90-82) on Sunday. The Golden Gophers’ lone setback came in its conference opener at nationally-ranked Illinois (92-65) on Dec. 15. All seven of Minnesota’s nonconference contests were played in Williams Arena.
• Three Gophers average double figures in scoring: Marcus Carr (23.9); Both Gach (13.0); and Liam Robbins (11.9). Carr leads the conference in assists (6.0) and also leads the team in steals (1.1), 3-pointers (2.0). Robbins leads the squad in rebounding (6.8) and blocks (2.4).
• Liam Robbins is an Iowa native (Davenport), who transferred to Minnesota after playing his first two seasons at Drake University.
• The Gophers ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocked shots (5.5) and turnover margin (+4.5); and rank last in rebounding margin (-1.63), 3-point field goal percentage (.301) and scoring defense (73.5).
• Richard Pitino is in his eighth season as head coach at Minnesota (134-109, .551). Pitino has led the Gophers to NCAA Tournaments two of the last four seasons.

LAST MEETING VERSUS MINNESOTA
Iowa closed the game on an 11-0 run over the final 5:24 to post a 58-55 win on Feb. 16, 2020 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. It is Iowa’s first win at Williams Arena since Jan. 15, 2015.
• Luka Garza scored a game-best 24 points, scoring Iowa’s first 10 points of the game.
• Iowa registered its sixth victory away from home despite scoring a season-low 58 points.
• Connor McCaffery dished out a game-best seven assists with zero turnovers, to go along with six points and four rebounds in 39 minutes of action.
• Starting shooting guard freshman CJ Fredrick did not play due to injury (ankle). Ryan Kriener started in his place, totaling 10 points, seven rebounds, and rejecting a personal-best four shots.
• Daniel Oturu led the Golden Gophers with 15 points, three blocked shots, and six rebounds. Gabe Kalscheur contributed 12 points in defeat.

IN THE RANKINGS
• The Hawkeyes were ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll three of the first four weeks of the season. The last time Iowa was ranked as high as third nationally was Jan. 25, 2016.
• Iowa’s No. 5 preseason ranking is its highest preseason position in 65 years (No. 4 in the 1955-56 preseason poll). This marks the eighth time in program history that Iowa is ranked in the AP Preseason Top 10: No. 4 in 1954-55, No. 4 in 1955-56, No. 9 in 1981-82, No. 7 in 1983-84, No. 7 in 1988-89, No. 8 in 1995-96, and No. 9 in 2001-02. Iowa last started a season ranked in the AP Poll 15 seasons ago (No. 20 in 2005-06).
• Saturday’s game against Gonzaga was just the second time in program history that Iowa played in a contest pitting No. 1 against No. 3.
• Half of the Big Ten teams (7) are ranked in this week’s AP Top 25, led by No. 4 Iowa. Wisconsin is No. 9, followed by No. 11 Rutgers, No. 12 Michigan State, No. 18 Illinois, No. 19 Michigan, and No. 23 Ohio State.

IOWA HAD 4 BIG TEN STAT CHAMPIONS IN 2019-20
The Hawkeyes had four different players lead the conference in four major statistical categories. Luka Garza was first in points per game (23.9), Joe Wieskamp led all players in free throw accuracy (.856), CJ Fredrick was tops in 3-point field goal percentage (.461), while Connor McCaffery led the league and nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.6).
All four return in 2020-21, along with redshirt senior Jordan Bohannon, who is Iowa’s all-time 3-point leader.

HAWKEYE TRIFECTA
Iowa has had a student-athlete lead the Big Ten in free throw percentage (league games only) each of the past three seasons. Jordan Bohannon led the conference in 2018 (.949) and 2019 (.901), while Joe Wieskamp was first in 2020 (.874).

GARZA RETURNS FOR SENIOR SEASON
All-American Luka Garza has been named to every major preseason All-America list, including headlining the AP Preseason All-America Team. Garza, who is the first Iowa men’s basketball player named to a preseason AP All-American, was the lone unanimous selection, receiving all 64 votes. Below is a sampling of Garza’s preseason recognition:

• Associated Press Unanimous Preseason All-American
• Blue Ribbon First Team Preseason All-American
• CBS Sports First Team Preseason All-American
• USA Today First Team Preseason All-American
• Dick Vitale Preseason Player of the Year
• Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
• NABC Player of the Year Watch List
• Wooden Award Top 50 Watch List
• Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List
• Unanimous All-Big Ten Preseason Team
• Kareem Abdul Jabbar Center of the Year Watch List

EMOTIONAL YEAR FOR NUNGE
It has been a difficult 12 months for forward Jack Nunge. On Nov. 24, 2019, Nunge tore his ACL (right knee) in the fifth game of the 2019-20 season after sitting out the previous season (redshirt). Nearly 12 months to the day later, Nunge’s father (Dr. Mark Nunge) passed away unexpectedly at the age of 53 on Nov. 28, 2020.

Nunge did not play in Iowa’s first two games against N.C. Central and Southern University as the redshirt sophomore was with family back home in Indiana. Nunge returned to Iowa City on Dec. 1, and played in his first game in over a year, tying a career high with 18 points and snagging five rebounds versus Western Illinois (Dec. 3).

Nunge is Iowa’s leading scorer (9.5) and rebounder (6.5) off the bench.

HEALTHY CJ FREDRICK PAYING DIVIDENDS
Last season, CJ Fredrick missed six full games and two second halves due to different injuries (quad, ankle, stress reaction in foot). After undergoing foot surgery this past July, Fredrick entered the 2020-21 season fully healthy.

Fredrick is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (14-of-28), ranking second on the team behind Luka Garza and leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.0).

In Iowa’s last outing against Purdue, Fredrick had a staggering +/- stat of +25 in 34 minutes played.

In his redshirt freshman season in 2019-20, Fredrick was one of only three players nationally — and only player from a major conference dating back to 1993 — with 65+ assists, 32 or fewer turnovers, and shoot 46%+ from 3-point range.

Fredrick was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Jan. 20, 2020), and earned all-tournament honors at the Las Vegas Invitational.

JORDAN BOHANNON RETURNS FOR REDSHIRT SENIOR SEASON
Jordan Bohannon had surgery on his left hip last December after playing in 10 games in 2019-20. The native of Marion, Iowa, had the same procedure successfully performed on his right hip May, 2019. He played in 10 games prior to his latest procedure, averaging 8.8 points and 3.3 assists per game.

Bohannon enters this weekend tied with Wisconsin’s D’Mitrik Trice for most games played among active Division I players with 120.

Bohannon has made a school-record 300 3-pointers and is 74 triples from tying the all-time Big Ten record (374, Jon Diebler). His 300 triples are the most of any active player from a Power 5 conference and rank 10th best in Big Ten history.

A third-team All-Big Ten performer in 2019, Bohannon was credited with a team-best 118 assists, becoming just the seventh Hawkeye to register three 100-assist seasons. He 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.

Bohannon, who ranks fifth in Iowa career assists, is one of seven Hawkeyes to post three 100-assist seasons (Dean Oliver, Jeff Horner, B.J. Armstrong, Andre Woolridge, Mike Gesell, Devyn Marble).

LUKA GARZA HAD HISTORIC SEASON
Luka Garza had a historic season in 2019-20, earning National Player of the Year honors by six major news outlets, recognized as the Big Ten and USBWA District VI Player of the Year, Pete Newell Big Man of the Year and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year, as well as being honored as a unanimous consensus first-team All-American.

The six news outlets to name Garza National Player of the Year include: Sporting News, Basketball Times, Stadium, Bleacher Report, FOX, and ESPN. He is the first Iowa men’s basketball player to earn national player of the year distinction. Garza was also a unanimous consensus first-team All-America selection. He joins former Hawkeyes Murray Wier (1948) and Charles Darling (1952) as the program’s only consensus first team All-Americans. Garza is also the first Hawkeye to win the Abdul-Jabbar and Newell national awards.

Garza (740 points and 305 rebounds) is one of three Big Ten players to ever total 740+ points and 300+ rebounds in a single-season (Purdue’s Glenn Robinson in 1994 and Purdue’s Joe Barry Carroll in 1979). He ranked second nationally with 12 20-point/10-rebound performances, 20-point games (25); third in total field goals made (287) and points per 40 minutes played (29.8), fifth in scoring (23.9), 10th in 30-point games (5), 19th in double-doubles (15) and offensive rebounds per game (3.58), and 34th in rebounding (9.8). His 15 double-doubles are third most in a single-season by a Hawkeye in three decades. Garza averaged 26.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 12 games against AP ranked opponents in 2019-20, including recording 11 straight 20-point performances.

Iowa’s Male Athlete of the Year, Garza finished the 20-game league schedule averaging 26.2 points per game, becoming the first player to average at least 26 points in Big Ten play since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson in 1994 (31.1 ppg). Garza scored a school-record 740 points, breaking the program’s 50-year old record previously set by John Johnson in 1970.

Garza is the only Big Ten player to register seven 25-point/10-rebound performances in the same season in more than 17 years. He produced the two highest point totals in a game by a Big Ten player last season (44 at Michigan; 38 at Indiana).

LUKA GARZA HONORS (2019-20)
•  National POY (Sporting News, Basketball Times, ESPN, Stadium, Bleacher Report, FOX)
•  Unanimous Consensus First-Team All-America
•  NABC Pete Newell Big Man of the Year
•  Naismith Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year
•  Big Ten Men’s Basketball Player of the Year
•  USBWA District VI Player of the Year
•  Naismith, Wooden, Oscar Robertson, and Lute Olson award finalist
•  Iowa Male Athlete of the Year

5 NEWCOMERS TO JOIN ROSTER IN 2020-21
The Iowa basketball program welcome five freshmen to the 2020-21 roster: Keegan Murray, Kris Murray, Josh Ogundele, Tony Perkins, and Ahron Ulis.

Perkins was one of 13 seniors named to the 2020 Indiana All-Star Team. As a senior, Perkins averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals leading Lawrence North to a 25-2 record. He shot 58 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3-point range.

Ulis was the ESCC Player of the Year and named to the AP All-State Class 4A First Team. The three-year starter finished with over 1,500 points, trailing only his brother, Tyler, in the school’s record book.

COOL HAND LUKA
Last season, Luka Garza became the sixth Hawkeye to average 22+ points per game and first in 49 years since Fred Brown averaged 27.6 points per game in 1971. He became the fourth Big Ten player since 1993 to average at least 23 points per game (Glenn Robinson, Shawn Respert, and Carsen Edwards).

Garza finished the 20-game conference schedule averaging 26.2 points per game to become Iowa’s first scoring leader in Big Ten games only since Adam Haluska (21.3 ppg) in 2007. Garza’s 26.2 Big Ten scoring average is the highest by a true center since Minnesota’s Tom Kondla (28.3 ppg) in 1967.

Garza tallied 38 points at Indiana (Feb. 13, 2020). The 38 points were two points shy of matching the Assembly Hall single-game record by an opponent. Garza had the two highest single-game point totals in the Big Ten in 2019-20: 44 at Michigan & 38 at Indiana. He amassed 77 points in two games against Michigan, the most points by any Big Ten player versus a single opponent in regular season conference play over the last 20 seasons.

Garza, who is 12th on Iowa’s career scoring chart with 1,559 points, is the fourth Hawkeye over the last four decades to average better than 20 points per game. He totaled 287 field goals and 530 field goal attempts; two field goals from John Johnson’s record of 289 in 1970 and five attempts from tying Fred Brown’s record of 535 in 1971.

He is one of six Hawkeyes in school history with 1,550 points and 650 rebounds and is the only Iowa player to post those numbers through his junior season. Garza joined Jarrod Uthoff (2015 & 2016) as the only players in program history to total 50+ blocks and 35+ 3-pointers in a season.

Garza is also one of only five Big Ten players since the 2010-11 season to register multiple 30-point/10-rebounds games in the same season.

Garza scored 25 points or more 13 times in 2019-20 (fifth nationally). He controlled 10 rebounds or more in 14 games. He snagged a career-best 18 boards twice in 2019-20.

3 HAWKEYES GRANTED MEDICAL HARDSHIP WAIVERS
Forwards Jack Nunge and Patrick McCaffery, and guard Jordan Bohannon were each granted medical hardship waivers in 2019-20.

Nunge suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his right knee in November. Bohannon had season-ending hip surgery in December, while McCaffery was dealing with residual health and wellness issues related to his thyroid.

FAMILY AFFAIR
Redshirt junior Connor McCaffery and redshirt freshman Patrick McCaffery are one of 16 father/coach and son/player duos in Division I in 2020-21 (Boise State, Connecticut, Detroit Mercy, Illinois, Liberty, Memphis, Michigan State, USC Upstate, Southern, Syracuse, Texas Southern, Utah, Western Illinois, Western Kentucky, and Wright State). Of the 16 schools, the McCaffery’s are the only program with a father/coach and two sons on the roster.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• Iowa is 101-24 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 11 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 81-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 10 years.
• The Hawkeyes opened their season with 93+ points in each of their first six games for the first time in program history.
• Iowa has won 20 of its last 21 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, dating back to last season.
• Iowa’s 53-point win win over Northern Illinois (106-53) tied the 18th largest margin of victory in program history.
• Iowa beat Northern Illinois by 53 points, tying the 18th largest margin of victory in program history.
• The Hawkeyes have won 70 of its last 75 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa is one of six teams from last year’s final AP Top 25 that returns their leading scorer; the other five teams include Baylor, Illinois, Houston, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
• Iowa’s 105 points and 28-point victory on Dec. 11, are the most points scored and the largest margin of victory, respectively, in the 74-game series history with Iowa State.
• Iowa led the Big Ten in scoring offense (77.7) in 2019-20; the Hawkeyes have led the conference in scoring three of the last seven seasons, including the last two years.
• The Hawkeyes sank 17 3-pointers against the Tar Heels. The 17 triples were two shy of a school record (19 against Savannah State on Dec. 22, 2018). Additionally, the 17 3-pointers tie for the third most ever against North Carolina.
• Assistant Coach Billy Taylor has been named to the class of 2021 for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
• Jordan Bohannon joined Bob Hansen, Kevin Boyle, and Mark Gannon as the only Hawkeyes to register four victories over the Cyclones in their career.
• Head Coach Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree five of the last seven seasons, the most over a seven-year span since 1956-62. Garza joins Devyn Marble (2014), Aaron White (2015), Jarrod Uthoff (2016), and Peter Jok (2017) as first team selections.
• As a result of Iowa’s win over No. 16 North Carolina, the Hawkeyes have won six of their last eight ACC/Big Ten Challenge games and four straight Challenge home games.
• Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to 20 wins or more in six of the last eight seasons. He has led Iowa to Big Ten upper division finishes seven of the last eight years. Only Michigan State (8) has more first division finishes than Iowa (7) and Wisconsin (7) since the 2013 season.
• If not for the COVID-19 global pandemic, Iowa would have competed in its 27th NCAA Tournament in 2020, including its fifth appearance in seven seasons.
• The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more Big Ten games five of the last six seasons.
• Iowa has qualified for four NCAA tournaments over the last six completed seasons (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019) and seven postseason tournaments over the last eight completed seasons (4 NCAA; 3 NIT).

McCAFFERY RECORDS WIN NO. 20
Fran McCaffery and the Iowa Hawkeyes have reached the 20-win plateau six of the last eight 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.
McCaffery has taken Iowa to the NCAA Tournament four times, and likely a fifth time last March if not for the postseason cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 is second.

20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
This season is the 20-year anniversary of Iowa’s first Big Ten Tournament championship. The Hawkeyes won four games in four days, knocking off Northwestern (72-55), Ohio State (75-66), Penn State (94-74), and Indiana (63-61). Reggie Evans was voted the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Jarrod Uthoff (NBA Washington Wizards), Devyn Marble (Kazakhstan), Tyler Cook (NBA Denver Nuggets), Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Grand Rapids Drive), Anthony Clemmons (Bosnia), Gabriel Olaseni (Turkey), Peter Jok (Spain), and Aaron White (Greece).LUKA

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 73 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).

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa is 1-1 against ranked teams. The Hawkeyes beat No. 16 North Carolina (93-80) in Iowa City, but fell to No. 1 Gonzaga (99-88) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The Hawkeyes have won seven straight home games against AP ranked opponents. That’s the longest such streak in program history during the AP Poll era (since 1948-49).

Iowa won seven contests against ranked opponents last season, the most by any team nationally and the most by a Hawkeye team in a single-season since 2006 (8).

MEN’S BASKETBALL REPRESENTED ON BIG TEN COALITION
In June 2020, the Big Ten Conference formed the Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition, which includes student-athletes, coaches, athletic directors, chancellors, presidents and other members of the Big Ten family representing all 14 member institutions.

The University of Iowa has 10 representatives on the Coalition, including head coach Fran McCaffery, assistant coach Billy Taylor, and redshirt junior Connor McCaffery.

The Coalition will leverage, support, and complement the extraordinary efforts already taking place across the Big Ten through initiatives on our campuses, as well as through existing conference-wide organizations like the Big Ten Advisory Commission.

ON THE HORIZON
The Hawkeyes will return home to entertain Northwestern on Tuesday, Dec. 29 (8 p.m. CT) in Iowa City before playing a pair of road contests on the East Coast at nationally-ranked Rutgers (Jan. 2) and Maryland (Jan. 7).