Game Notes: Iowa vs N.C. Central

THE SETTING
Iowa (2-0) hosts North Carolina Central (0-2) on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 8:05 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,056). Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for youth and UI Students. Terrace Club tickets are also available for purchase for $36.25. Iowa is 2-0 all-time against North Carolina Central with both previous contests being played in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes won in 2009 (78-68) and 2020 (97-67).

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 Big Ten Network. Jeff Levering and former Hawkeye Jess Settles will call the action.

GAME #3 STORYLINES
• North Carolina Central makes its second appearance inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in as many years. The Eagles opened last season against the Hawkeyes on Nov. 25, 2020.
• Jordan Bohannon was a combined 9-of-13 from 3-point range in two games last week. Bohannon has totaled 373 triples; he is one shy of the Big Ten all-time record held by Ohio State’s Jon Diebler (2008-11).
• Iowa is the only Division I program with two sets of brothers on the 2021-22 roster, with one being identical twins. Connor and Patrick McCaffery are two years apart, while Keegan and Kris Murray are identical twins. The Murray twins are one of four twins on Division I rosters this season (Arizona State, San Diego State, and SIUE).
• Iowa has won 72 of its last 77 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa returns an average percentage of its production from a year ago: scoring (39%), rebounding (43%), assists (68%), steals (60%), and blocks (40%).
• The Hawkeyes lost four major contributors to last season’s team: consensus national player of the year Luka Garza, second-team All-Big Ten Joe Wieskamp, guard CJ Fredrick, and forward Jack Nunge. Garza and Wieskamp were each picked in the second round of the NBA Draft by Detroit and San Antonio, respectively. Fredrick and Nunge transferred.
• Jordan Bohannon is back for his sixth season. He is Iowa’s career leader in assists (641), free throw percentage (.887), games played (145), and 3-pointers (373).
• Redshirt senior Connor McCaffery ranked fourth in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio last season (3.7) and ranked first nationally in 2020 (4.6).
• Iowa has won 14 home games each of the last three seasons. The Hawkeyes have averaged just over 13 home victories since Fran McCaffery’s arrival in Iowa City in 2011.
• True freshman Keegan Murray was one of only five players nationally — and only bench player — to amass 200+ points, 35+ blocks, 25+ steals, and 15+ 3-pointers in 2020-21.
• Iowa broke three school single season records in 2021: fewest turnovers per game (9.5), assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02), and 3-pointers made (301).
• Iowa ranked first in the Big Ten in scoring offense for the third straight season; Iowa’s 83.7 points per game average in 2021 is its highest since the 1988-89 season (89.6). The Hawkeyes have led the conference in scoring four of the last eight seasons.
• Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree six of the last eight seasons. He has guided Iowa to 20+ wins seven of the last nine seasons and fifth place or better finishes in the Big Ten five of the last seven years.
• Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to 20 wins or more in seven of the last nine seasons. He has led Iowa to Big Ten upper division finishes eight of the last nine years. Iowa, Michigan State, and Wisconsin have each recorded a Big Ten-best eight first division finishes since 2013.

HAWKEYES OVERWHELM KANSAS CITY
Four Hawkeye starters scored nine points or more en route to a convincing 89-57 Iowa victory over Kansas City Friday evening in Iowa City.
• Sophomore forward Keegan Murray led the Hawkeyes in scoring and reached 24+ points for the second straight game, netting a game-best 25 points. Murray had a personal 10-0 scoring spurt spanning 3:04 of the second half.
• Jordan Bohannon sank a team-best three 3-pointers.
• Filip Rebraca snagged a game-high 13 rebounds, to go along with nine points.
• Four Hawkeye starters scored nine points or more.
• The Hawkeyes had two scoring runs of 10-0 or more. Iowa closed the first half on a 10-0 run and scored 15 straight midway through the second half. Iowa has had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined five times in two games.
• Iowa scored the first seven points of the game and 10 of the first 12.
• Iowa dominated the Roos on fast break points (26-4) and in the paint (58-32).
• Iowa improved to 3-0 all-time against Kansas City.

TOUSSAINT RETURNS TO STARTING LINEUP
Joe Toussaint shined last Tuesday in his first start since a true freshman in 2019. The native of Bronx, New York, was all over the floor against Longwood tallying nine points, four assists, and four of Iowa’s six steals. He had a game-high six assists and two steals in Friday’s triumph over Kansas City. Toussaint started 20 of Iowa’s 31 games in 2019. His role changed to coming off the bench last year with a roster filled with upperclassmen.

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
• North Carolina Central is located in Durham, North Carolina and competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). Last season, the Eagles went 5-9 overall and finished sixth with a 3-5 record in league play.
• The Eagles play their first four games of the season on the road. NCCU opened with a 70-60 loss at Richmond, followed by a 90-51 setback at No. 12 Memphis.
• NCCU has one player averaging double figures in scoring: Alex Caldwell (11.5 ppg). Kris Monroe leads the squad in rebounding (5.5 rpg). The Eagles averaged six 3-pointers made, 9.5 steals, and 23.5 turnovers in its first two outings.
• NCCU’s roster of 16 is comprised of five seniors, six juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman.
• Redshirt senior Nicolas Fennell is the team’s returning leading scorer (7.8 ppg) after starting all 12 games in 2021. Fennell totaled 12 points and seven rebounds in last year’s game against the Hawkeyes.
• The Eagles are coached by Levelle Moton, who is in his 13th year at NCCU. He owns a 186-158 career record and has led NCCU to four MEAC tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances (2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2013-14). Moton played for the Eagles from 1992-96, becoming the school’s third all-time leading scorer (1,714 points).

MURRAY TWINS DOMINATE SEASON OPENER
Sophomore Keegan and Kris Murray combined for 40 points, 14 rebounds, seven blocks shots, and two assists in Tuesday’s season opener against Longwood. The identical twins were efficient shooting the basketball, shooting a combined 15-of-19 (.789) from the field, including 5-of-8 (.625) from 3-point range, and 5-of-6 (.833) from the free throw line. Keegan posted career bests in scoring (24), 3-pointers (3), and blocks (5), while Kris registered career bests in scoring (16), rebounds (7), 3-pointers (2), and blocks (2). The twins combined for 31 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, and three steals in Friday’s triumph over Kansas City.

2021-22 SCHEDULE NOTES
• Iowa plays its first six regular season games at home on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• The Hawkeyes will play back-to-back games away from home five times in 2020-21. beginning with the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Virginia on Nov. 29, and the Big Ten opener at Purdue on Dec. 3.
• Iowa’s final two games of the regular season will be on the road at Michigan (March 3) and at Illinois (Dec. 6). It marks the second time in three seasons that the Hawkeyes will be on the road for their final two contests.
• Iowa will host a three-game Big Ten homestand in mid-February hosting Nebraska (Feb. 13), Michigan (Feb. 17), and Michigan State (Feb. 22).
• The Hawkeyes’ conference opener will be on Monday, Dec. 6 versus border-rival Illinois.
• Iowa has won 14 home games each of the previous three seasons.

VALUING THE BASKETBALL
Iowa ranked first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02) last season. The Hawkeyes had two players ranked high nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. Connor McCaffery was fourth in the country with a 3.73 ratio (112 assists; 30 turnovers), while Jordan Bohannon was 13th with a 3.07 ratio (135 assists; 44 turnovers).

Iowa had teammates who recorded 10-assist/0-turover games in consecutive games in 2020-21. Connor McCaffery and Jordan Bohannon were the first Division I duo from the same team to accomplish the feat in the last 10 years. McCaffery had 10 assists and zero turnovers at Maryland, while Jordan Bohannon was credited with 14 assists and zero turnovers versus Minnesota.

JORDAN BOHANNON HOLDS 4 IOWA ALL-TIME RECORDS
Jordan Bohannon, competing in his sixth season, is the program’s career leader in four statistical categories: assists (641), 3-pointers made (373), games played (145), and free throw percentage (.887, 292-329). His 373 triples are second most in Big Ten history behind Ohio State’s Jon Diebler (374) and 111 more than any other Hawkeye.

Bohannon, an honorable mention all-conference honoree in 2021, is one of 30 Division I players over the last 25 years to make 75+ 3-pointers in four seasons.

Bohannon ranked first in the league in 3-point accuracy (.394) and second in 3-pointers made per game (2.58) in 2021. He was second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.07) and fourth in assists per contest (4.4).

Bohannon’s 80 3-pointers in 2021 are fourth most and his 135 assists are ninth most by a senior in program history.

Eighty percent of his made field goals last season were 3-pointers (80-of-100). He is one of only three Division I players since the 1992-93 season to amass more than 625 assists and 360 3-pointers.

Bohannon is one of only three Hawkeyes to post four 100-assist seasons (Jeff Horner, Dean Oliver). He has accumulated seven points-assists double-doubles, the most in school history. Bohannon registered a school-record eight games with 10 or more assists.

KEEGAN MURRAY TABBED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Sophomore forward Keegan Murray has been named to the 2021-22 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year.

It marks the third straight season that one or more Hawkeyes have been selected to the preseason list, voted upon by a selected panel of media. Joe Wieskamp was selected in 2019 and 2020, while Luka Garza was tabbed the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year in November, 2020.

Murray is one of the league’s top emerging players after being named to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team a year ago. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native was one of only five players nationally — and only bench player — to amass 200 points, 35 blocks, 25 steals, and 15 3-pointers. He was the team’s leading scorer (7.8) and rebounder (5.5) off the bench in conference play. Murray led team in blocks 12 times and steals five times. The 6-foot-8 forward was second on the team in steals (26) and ranked 11th in the Big Ten in blocked shots per game (1.26). His 39 blocks tie for fourth most by a freshman in program history.

Murray totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocks, three assists, and a steal in Iowa’s first-round victory over Grand Canyon to become the first Hawkeye ever to stuff the stat sheet with those numbers in an NCAA Tournament contest.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• Iowa is 111-26 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 12 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 85-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 12 years.
• The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more Big Ten games six of the last seven seasons.
• Iowa advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2006.
• Jordan Bohannon, Bob Hansen, Kevin Boyle, and Mark Gannon are the only Hawkeyes to win four games over the Cyclones.
• The Hawkeyes have won six of their last eight ACC/Big Ten Challenge games.
• Iowa has won an NCAA Tournament game each of its last four tournament appearances.
• Iowa has qualified for five NCAA tournaments over the last seven completed seasons (2014-16, 2019, 2021) and eight postseason tournaments over the last nine completed seasons (5 NCAA; 3 NIT).
• Iowa earned a No. 2 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, matching its highest seed ever in NCAA Tournament history (No. 2 seed in the 1987 Tournament).

GIVE ME THREE OF THESE, PLEASE
Iowa established a new single-season 3-point field goals made record last season, sinking 301 to best the previous benchmark of 300 set four seasons ago in 2017. Iowa made 38.6 percent of its attempts (301-of-780), its highest percentage since the 1996-97 season (218-of-543). Iowa’s 38.6 percentage from long distance in 2020-21 is impressive considering the Hawkeyes attempted 237 more attempts than the 1997 squad. The school record for 3-point percentage in a single-season is 41.5 percent (188-of-453) in 1987-88; that team attempted 327 fewer 3-point shots.

QUIET CONFIDENCE
Small forward Keegan Murray, who was named to the five-player All-Big Ten Freshman Team, played with a quiet confidence when his name was called coming off the bench last season.
He ranked fourth on the team in rebounding (5.1), second in blocks (39), and sixth in 3-pointers made (16) a year ago. He was the team’s leading scorer (7.8) and rebounder (5.5) off the bench in league play.

Murray played in all 31 games, including four starts. He was one of only five players nationally — and only bench player — to amass 200+ points, 35+ blocks, 25+ steals, and 15+ 3-pointers. Murray scored in double figures seven times as a true freshman.

His 39 blocks tie for fourth most by a freshman in program history. Murray led the team in blocks 12 times and steals five times.

Murray totaled 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocked shots, three assists and one steal in Iowa’s first round win over Grand Canyon. No Hawkeye has posted that stat line in any NCAA Tournament game, and the four blocked shots were a career high.

Murray and his twin, Kris, gained a year of experience following high school graduation playing at DME Academy in Florida in 2019-20 prior to arriving in Iowa City. The Murray twins are legacy Hawkeyes; their father Kenyon played for head coach Tom Davis for four seasons (1993-96).

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Fran McCaffery has the most experienced coaching staffs in the country. The Iowa men’s basketball staff has 75 years of combined collegiate head coaching experience and more than 125 years of collegiate coaching under their belts.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,874 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,694-1,180 (.589). Iowa’s 1,694 wins are 36th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,084-374 (.743) record in home games, a 610-806 (.431) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 802-805 (.499) mark in Big Ten games and a 488-148 (.767) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Joe Wieskamp (NBA San Antonio Spurs), Luka Garza (NBA Detroit Pistons), Jarrod Uthoff (Japan), Devyn Marble (Israel), Tyler Cook (NBA Chicago Bulls), Anthony Clemmons (Italy), Gabriel Olaseni (Turkey), Ryan Kriener (Matsuyama), Bakari Evelyn (Germany), Peter Jok (France), Melsahn Basabe (Puerto Rico), and Aaron White (Serbia).