Game Notes: Iowa at #2 Purdue

THE SETTING
Iowa (7-0, 0-0) will remain on the road to face second-ranked Purdue (7-0, 0-0) in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday in both team’s Big Ten opener. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:03 p.m. (CT) at Mackey Arena. The game is sold out. Iowa and Purdue are two of 18 teams undefeated in the country.

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 Big Ten opener will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network. Brandon Gaudin, Robbie Hummel, and Andy Katz will call the action.

BIG TEN OPENER STORYLINES
• Friday will mark the second straight season that Iowa will play its Big Ten opener against the Boilermakers. The Hawkeyes won last year’s opener (70-55) in Iowa City.
• Friday will feature the top two scoring teams in the country; Iowa ranks first (94.0), while Purdue is second (92.4).
• The Hawkeyes are 6-9 all-time against teams ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll. Iowa’s last victory over a second-ranked team was on Dec. 15, 2001, when No. 15 Iowa won at No. 2 Missouri (83-65). The last time an unranked Iowa team upset a No. 2 team was March 10, 1991, over No. 2 Ohio State (80-69).
• The last time Iowa started a season 7-0 was the 2013-14 season. The last time a Hawkeye team started a season 8-0 was the 2000-01 season.
• Iowa has limited its turnovers in each of the first seven games. The Hawkeyes rank fourth in the country in turnovers per game (8.3). Iowa also ranks first in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3).
• Jordan Bohannon sank his 375th career 3-pointer on Nov. 18, to surpass Ohio State’s Jon Diebler (2008-11) to become the Big Ten’s all-time 3-point leader.
• Sophomore forward Keegan Murray is one of three Big Ten players since the 2002-03 season with six consecutive 20-point games to start the season.
• Keegan Murray ranks first in the country in points per game (24.6), 49th in rebounds per game (8.9), and 46th in free throw percentage (.857).
• Iowa has been making the most of its trips to the foul line through seven games. The Hawkeyes are shooting 81 percent from the foul line, making 124-of-153 attempts. Iowa is second in the Big Ten and fifth nationally in free throw accuracy.
• Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree six of the last eight years. 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.
• 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).
• Jordan Bohannon is back for his sixth season. He is Iowa’s career leader in assists (648), free throw percentage (.890), games played (150), and 3-pointers (385). He ranks sixth in career scoring (1,713), surpassing B.J. Armstrong last game.
• 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.

IOWA WINS AT VIRGINIA IN BIG TEN/ACC CHALLENGE
Iowa led by as many as 21 points but needed a Joe Toussaint pull-up jumper with eight seconds remaining to lift the Hawkeyes to a 75-74 triumph at Virginia on Tuesday night.
• Junior point guard Joe Toussaint scored his 10th point of the game on a pull-up jumper with eight seconds remaining to reclaim the lead. Patrick McCaffery blocked Kadin Shedrick’s game-winning put-back attempt at the buzzer to preserve the victory.
• The Hawkeyes have won seven of their last nine, including four straight, Big Ten/ACC Challenge games.
• Jordan Bohannon led all scorers with a season-high 20 points. He equaled a season-best with six 3-pointers. Bohannon sank his first four 3-point field goals of the first half.
• Keegan Murray finished with 18 points and a game-best nine rebounds.
• Iowa scored 44 first-half points, the most points Virginia has allowed in the first half at home in 13 years under head coach Tony Bennett.
• Virginia has allowed 75+ points at home only six times under Tony Bennett. Iowa has accounted for two of those six (75 on Monday and 75 in 2013).
• Iowa committed a season-low four turnovers, tying the third fewest total in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era and fourth lowest total in any Big Ten/ACC Challenge game. The four turnovers are the fewest by a Hawkeye team since three turnovers versus Temple on March 18, 2016, in the NCAA Tournament.
• Iowa made 10 3-pointers, marking the fourth time this season and third time in four contests that the Hawkeyes made 10 or more triples in a game.
• The Hawkeyes had a 15-0 scoring run in the first half. Iowa has had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined 10 times in seven games.
• Iowa improved to 3-1 all-time against Virginia and 2-0 in games played in Charlottesville.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Purdue holds a 92-77 advantage in the series. The Boilermakers have won four of the last five in the series. Iowa snapped Purdue’s four-game win streak over the Hawkeyes with a victory in the only meeting last season in Iowa City.

The Boilermakers hold a 61-22 advantage in games played in West Lafayette. Purdue has won 10 of the last 11 games over the Hawkeyes inside Mackey Arena. Iowa’s last victory at Mackey Arena came on Jan. 2, 2016 (70-63).

SCOUTING PURDUE
• Purdue has won all seven of its games by an average of 28.3 points. The Boilermakers are 5-0 at Mackey Arena, scoring 92+ points in all five home contests.
• Four Boilermakers average in double figures: Zach Edey (16.9), Jaden Ivey (15.4), Sasha Stefanovic (12.9), and Trevion Williams (12.3). Caleb Furst leads the squad in rebounding, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game.
• Purdue is the only Division I team over the last decade to score 80+ points on 50% FG shooting and 35% 3-point shooting over a seven game stretch in a single season. The Boilermakers have shot 39 percent or better from long distance in all seven games.
• Four Boilermakers have made 13 or more 3-pointers this season: Stefanovic (22), Brandon Newman (16), Isaiah Thompson (14), and Ivey (13).
• Purdue won its Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest over Florida State (93-65) Tuesday night in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers shot a blistering 59 percent (35-of-59) from the field and outrebounded the Seminoles by 11 (36-25). Ivey paced the Boilermakers with 18 points, bolstered by shooting 4-of-6 from long distance.
• Purdue ranks second in the country in 3-point accuracy (.442), scoring offense (92.4), and field goal percentage (.545); third in rebound margin (+16.0); sixth in assists per game (19.7); and eighth in fewest fouls per game (12.9). Individually, Edey ranks fifth nationally in field goal percentage (.738); Stefanovic is 31st in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.4) and 41st in 3-pointers per game (3.1).
• Matt Painter is in his 17th season as head coach at Purdue (362-184, .663). Painter has guided the Boilermakers to 12 NCAA Tournaments.

LAST MEETING VERSUS PURDUE
Luka Garza and Joe Wieskamp combined for 39 points and 18 rebounds to lead Iowa to a 70-55 conference-opening win over Purdue on Dec. 22, in Iowa City.
• Garza netted a game-high 22 points, while Wieskamp contributed 17 points.
• 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.
• 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 won 10 straight games on Dec. 22, dating back to 2005.
• Trevion Williams (14 points) and Brandon Newman (11 points) paced the Boilermakers.

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).

McCaffery has continued his mastery of limiting turnovers in 2021-22 with 20 assists and only two turnovers through seven games. His 10.0 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks first in the Big Ten and second in the country. Joe Toussaint’s 3.75 ratio is third in the league and 25th nationally.

In Iowa’s last outing at Virginia, the Hawkeyes committed a season-low four turnovers, tying the third fewest total in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era. The four turnovers are the fewest by a Hawkeye team since three versus Temple on March 18, 2016, in the NCAA Tournament.

TWICE AS NICE
Sophomores Keegan and Kris Murray rank 1-2 in team scoring. Keegan averages 24.6 points, while Kris averages 11.7 points. Keegan also ranks first on the squad in rebounds per game (8.9), blocks per game (2.3), and free throws made (36), while Kris ranks third on the squad in rebounds per contest (6.0), and first in 3-point accuracy (.611, 11-of-18).
The Murray’s combined for a season-high 43 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and one block against Alabama State on Nov. 18.

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 (648), 3-pointers made (385), games played (150), and free throw percentage (.890, 299-336). His 385 triples are the most in Big Ten history and 123 more than any other Hawkeye.

He is eight games played from becoming the NCAA all-time leader (157 by Ohio State’s David Lighty, 2007-11). He ranks sixth in career scoring (1,713), surpassing B.J. Armstrong last game. Bohannon is 56 points from surpassing Greg Stokes (1,768) for fifth.

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.

TOUSSAINT RETURNS TO STARTING LINEUP
Junior Joe Toussaint has been a good floor general so far this season. After starting 20 games in 2019, his role changed to coming off the bench last year with a roster filled with upperclassmen.

The native of Bronx, New York, scored the game-winning bucket with eight seconds remaining in Iowa’s last outing at Virginia. He was all over the floor in the opener versus Longwood tallying nine points, four assists, and four of Iowa’s six steals. Against Alabama State, he totaled a career-high 11 assists and a season-high 11 points.

Toussaint ranks third in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.3) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.75). He has already matched his 3-point field goals made mark from a year ago through seven games this season (3).

KEEGAN MURRAY TABBED BIG TEN CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Keegan Murray was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Nov. 22. He shared the honor with Purdue forward Trevion Williams.

Murray averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks in a pair of convincing victories. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was a combined 19-of-35 (.543) from the field and 13-of-15 (.867) from the foul line.

Murray had a historic stat line against N.C. Central on Nov. 16. The forward totaled 27 points, 21 rebounds, and four blocks against the Eagles. He became the fourth Hawkeye over the last five decades, and first since 1977, to score 20+ points and grab 20+ rebounds in a game.

Against Alabama State on Nov. 18, Murray amassed 26 points, six rebounds, and a career-high four assists. Murray sank two of Iowa’s school-record 20 3-pointers in a 26-point win.

SPOTLIGHTING KEEGAN MURRAY’S DOMINATING EFFORT
Keegan Murray posted 27 points, 21 rebounds, four blocks, and two assists in Iowa’s win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 16. He accomplished something that has not been done in over four decades by a Hawkeye.

Murray is the first Hawkeye to total 25+ points and 20+ rebounds in a game since Bruce King in 1977. King had 31 points and 21 rebounds vs. Ohio State in 1977.

Murray is one four players over the last five decades to post a 20-20 game: Kevin Kunnert (24-23) vs. Illinois in 1972; Fred Haberecht (29-20) vs. Wisconsin in 1975; Bruce King (42-20) vs. Pittsburgh in 1976; Bruce King (31-21) vs. Ohio State in 1977.

The last Big Ten player to have a 20-20 performance was Purdue’s Trevion Williams at Michigan on Jan. 9, 2020 (36-20).

Murray is the first Hawkeye since Greg Brunner in 2006 to grab 20+ rebounds in a game; Brunner had 23 against Minnesota on Jan. 18, 2006. Murray is the first major conference player with 27+ points, 21+ rebounds, and 4+ blocks since Kansas State’s Michael Beasley versus Sacramento State on Nov. 9, 2007.

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa was 8-5 versus ranked teams in 2020-21. The eight victories tied Illinois and Kansas for third most by any team in the country during the 2020-21 season (Baylor, 11; Oklahoma State, 9). Additionally, the eight wins are the most by a Hawkeye team since 2006 (8).

The Hawkeyes won 15 games over ranked foes the previous two seasons, the most in the country.

Iowa won seven contests against ranked opponents in 2019-20, the most by any team nationally.

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).

KEEGAN MURRAY TABBED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Sophomore forward Keegan Murray was 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
• Keegan Murray and Kansas State’s Michael Beasley (2007-08) are the only two players from a major conference to score 24+ points in each of their first five games of the season over the last 15 years.
• 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.
• Iowa posted school single-game records in 3-pointers made (20) and attempted (44) against Alabama State on Nov. 18, besting the previous records of 19-of-43 against Savannah State on Dec. 22, 2018. Iowa’s 20 3-pointers made equals the Carver-Hawkeye Arena record (20 by Purdue on Jan. 20, 2018).
• The Hawkeyes have topped the century mark in three of six games (Longwood, Alabama State, Western Michigan). The last time an Iowa team scored 100+ points in three of its first five games was the start of the 1997-98 season.
• Iowa is 115-26 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 12 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 87-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 12 years.
• 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.
• The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more Big Ten games six of the last seven seasons.
• Jordan Bohannon, Bob Hansen, Kevin Boyle, and Mark Gannon are the only Hawkeyes to win four games over the Cyclones.
• 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).

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.