Game Notes: Top 25 Showdown in Iowa City

THE SETTING
No. 10 Iowa (7-2, 1-1) returns home to host No. 19 Northwestern (6-1, 3-0) on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:07 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Due to the pandemic, there will be no general admission admittance for this game.

GAME #10 STORYLINES
• Tuesday marks the first time in the 180-game series history that Iowa and Northwestern will play with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
• Iowa has won seven straight home games against ranked opponents, dating back to last season. That is the longest such streak in program history during the AP Poll Era (since 1948-49).
• Tuesday is Northwestern’s first visit to Carver-Hawkeye Arena since Iowa rallied from a 15-point deficit with 4:15 remaining to upend the Wildcats, 80-79, on Feb. 10, 2019. Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining. Bohannon netted 13 of his 15 points in the final 3:20 of the game.
• Tuesday features the top two 3-point shooting teams in the Big Ten; Iowa ranks first in triples made per game (10.7) while Northwestern ranks second (10.0).
• Luka Garza seeks to extend his streak of scoring 20+ points to 19 straight Big Ten games on Friday. Garza’s streak started on Jan. 10, 2020 of last season. His 18-game streak is the longest by any player against Big Ten competition in over three decades.
• Joe Wieskamp is 35 points from becoming the 50th Hawkeye to score 1,000 career points.
• Luka Garza scored his 1,000th conference point on Friday at Minnesota. Garza joins Roy Marble, Ronnie Lester, and Greg Stokes as the only Hawkeyes to reach the milestone. Garza has tallied 54 points in two Big Ten contests this season; 496 in 20 games in 2019-20; 243 in 19 contests in 2018-19; and 223 in 18 games in 2017-18.
• 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), rebounding (43.0), turnover margin (+5.78), 3-pointers made per game (10.67), and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3); ranks second in assists per game (22.0); and third in blocked shots per contest (5.0).
• Luka Garza is 42 points from passing Aaron White for second and 299 points from Iowa’s all-time leading scorer Roy Marble.
• Luka Garza, who ranks first in the country in points per game (28.8 ppg), has scored more points (259) than minutes played (256). 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 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per outing, which both rank third best on the team.
• Iowa has made 10+ 3-pointers in seven of nine games. The Hawkeyes have four players who have made 17+ triples: Luka Garza, CJ Fredrick, Jordan Bohannon, and Joe Wieskamp.
• Luka Garza (28.8) and Joe Wieskamp (15.8) combined to average 44.6 points, which is 46.8 percent of Iowa’s offensive production through nine games.
• Iowa has made more free throws (162) than its opponents have attempted (141).

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: Tuesday’s game will be televised on FS1. Kevin Kugler and former Hawkeye Jess Settles will call the action.

MINNESOTA EDGES HAWKEYES IN OVERTIME
Minnesota made a season-high 17 3-pointers en route to a 102-95 overtime win over Iowa on Christmas Night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis.
• Luka Garza registered his fifth double-double of the season and 25th of his career (32 points and 17 rebounds). Garza extended his streak of scoring 20+ points to 18 straight Big Ten games, dating back to last season, the longest streak by a player in over three decades.
• CJ Fredrick tallied a career-high 23 points, bolstered by 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. The five triples equal a personal best.
• Iowa led by seven points (80-73) with 44 seconds remaining in regulation. The Gophers made all four free throw attempts and Marcus Carr sank two step back 3-pointers, including the game-tying triple with 5.7 seconds left to send the game to overtime.
• Luka Garza and CJ Fredrick combined to score Iowa’s first 17 points of the second half.
• Iowa dominated the glass, outrebounding the Gophers by 17 (55-38). The Hawkeyes controlled a season-high 27 offensive rebounds, scoring 22 second-chance points.
• Marcus Carr (30), Brandon Johnson (26), and Liam Robbins (18) combined for 74 points. Johnson made 8-of-10 (.800) from 3-point range, including all four attempts from long distance in the extra session.
• Friday marked the third time Iowa played a game on Christmas Day (1984 and 1988).

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 nine 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 five times this season, the most by any player nationally. Garza has topped 30 points ten career times, tying Fred Brown for second most in program history trailing only John Johnson (13).
• 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).
• 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).
• Recorded his fifth double-double of the season and 25th of his career in Iowa’s last outing at Minnesota. Garza scored a game-high 32 points and snagged a season-best 17 rebounds.
• Posted a double-double (16 points and 14 rebounds) to go along with 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 6.5 ratio (26 assists, 4 turnovers), followed by Connor McCaffery in second with a 4.4 ratio (40 assists, 9 turnovers) and Jordan Bohannon fifth with a 3.0 ratio (39 assists, 13 turnovers).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a 119-60 advantage over Northwestern in the series. The Hawkeyes have won 11 of the last 14 meetings, including four straight.

Iowa holds a dominate 69-18 advantage in games played in Iowa City, including a 29-4 record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have won the last six contests played against the Wildcats in Iowa City, dating back to 2013. Iowa’s 29 wins over Northwestern in Carver-Hawkeye Arena are the most over any other opponent.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
• Northwestern is in first place in the Big Ten boasting a 3-0 record for the first time since the 1967-68 season.
• Northwestern rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit to upend No. 23 Ohio State on Saturday, 71-70. The Wildcats were outrebounded by 14 (40-26) and outscored 17-2 in second chance opportunities, but made two more 3-pointers than the Buckeyes.
• Northwestern’s lone setback this season came at home to Pittsburgh (71-70) on Dec. 9. The Wildcats led by five (70-65) with 87 seconds left, by the Panthers scored the final six points, including the game-winning basket with five seconds left.
• Northwestern ranks first in the league 3-point field goal percentage defense (.275), second in scoring defense (62.3), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.93), 3-pointers made (10.0), and 3-point field goal percentage (.422); third in field goal percentage defense (.378) and assists (20.1).
• Boo Buie ranks third in the Big Ten in assists (5.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.08), fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.43), and second on the team in scoring (14.4). Miller Kopp is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.1 points per contest.
• Chris Collins is in his eighth season as a head coach, all at Northwestern (115-120, .489). Collins led the Wildcats to their first-ever NCAA Tournament in 2017.

LAST MEETING VERSUS NORTHWESTERN
Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures in a 75-62 victory over Northwestern on Jan. 14, 2020, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston.
• Big Ten leading scorer Luka Garza led all scorers with 27 points. He scored Iowa’s first 10 points of the game and netted 14 straight points in the second half.
• Iowa recorded assists on 24 of its 26 field goals. Bakari Evelyn tied a career high with seven assists, while CJ Fredrick tied a personal best with five dimes to go along with 11 points and two steals.
• Connor McCaffery led the Hawkeyes in rebounding for the first time in his career, controlling seven rebounds to go along with eight points.
• Two Wildcats scored in double figures: Miller Kopp (15 points) and Pete Nance (11). Nance also grabbed a game-best 10 rebounds.

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.
• Nine of the 14 Big Ten teams are ranked in this week’s AP Top 25, led by No. 6 Wisconsin. Iowa is No. 10, followed by No. 14 Rutgers, No. 15 Illinois, No. 16 Michigan, No. 17 Michigan State, No. 19 Northwestern, No. 21 Minnesota, and No. 25 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.

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 (8.4) and rebounder (5.9) 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 ranks first on the team in 3-pointers made (19) and percentage (.559, 19-of-34) and leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (6.5). He ranks third on the squad in scoring (10.4).

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 121.

Bohannon has made a school-record 301 3-pointers and is 73 triples from tying the all-time Big Ten record (374, Jon Diebler). His 301 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 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.
• 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.
• Luka Garza scored 20+ points in 19 straight games (Jan. 10-Dec. 3, 2020), including 16 straight against Big Ten opponents, breaking the school’s 49-year old record. The 16-game streak against Big Ten opponents is the longest streak since Ohio State’s Dennis Hopson accomplished the feat in 1987. Garza scored 20+ points in 19-of-20 Big Ten games in 2019-20.
• 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 play a pair of road contests on the East Coast at No. 14 Rutgers (Jan. 2) and Maryland (Jan. 7).