Game Notes: Iowa at Iowa State

THE SETTING
Iowa (7-2) travels to Ames, Iowa, for a Thursday game at No. 17 Iowa State (8-0). Tipoff for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series contest is set for 8:01 p.m. (CT) at Hilton Coliseum.

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: Thursday’s Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Rich Hollenberg and Fran Fraschilla will call the action.

IOWA CORN CY-HAWK SERIES STORYLINES
• Iowa has won four of the last five meetings against the Cyclones. The Hawkeyes snapped an eight-game losing skid in Hilton Coliseum two years ago, posting an 84-68 win in Ames.
• Jordan Bohannon, Bob Hansen, Kevin Boyle, and Mark Gannon are the only Hawkeyes to win four games over the Cyclones.
• Iowa has limited its turnovers in each of the first nine games. The Hawkeyes are tops in the country in fewest turnovers per game (7.9) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.25); and fourth in turnover margin (8.2).
• Keegan Murray ranks first in the country in points per game (23.9) and 82nd in rebounds per game (8.0). Murray totaled 19 points, two blocks, three steals, and two rebounds in Iowa’s last outing versus Illinois after missing the Big Ten opener at Purdue (ankle).
• The Hawkeyes have had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined 12 times in nine games.
• Thursday concludes a stretch of playing three of four games on the road for Iowa.
• Tony Perkins leads the squad in 3-point accuracy, making 53.8 percent (7-of-13) of his attempts, while Kris Murray ranks second (.520, 13-of-25).
• 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.
• Iowa has been making the most of its trips to the foul line through nine games. The Hawkeyes are shooting 78.4 percent from the foul line. Iowa is second in the Big Ten and 24th nationally in free throw accuracy. The Hawkeyes have made (152) more free throws than their opponents have attempted (143).
• 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).
• 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.
• 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 CORN CY-HAWK SERIES
Iowa enters this week with a 9-4 advantage in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The Hawkeyes have clinched victories in soccer, wrestling, volleyball, football, while the Cyclones have won men’s and women’s cross country.

There are three events scheduled for this week with each event worth two points in the standings: women’s basketball (Wednesday), men’s basketball (Thursday), and women’s swimming and diving (Friday). All three events will take place in Ames.

ILLINOIS HOLDS ON TO BEAT HAWKEYES IN IOWA CITY
Illinois outrebounded Iowa by 29 (52-23) in an 87-83 victory over the Hawkeyes Monday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.
• Monday was just Iowa’s third home loss in 23 games, dating back to the start of last season.
• The country’s leading scorer, Keegan Murray, returned to the lineup after missing Iowa’s last game at Purdue (ankle). Murray netted 17 of his team-best 19 points over the final 19 minutes, including a stretch of 12 straight points.
• Iowa, who ranks fourth in the country in fewest turnovers per game, committed just four turnovers, equaling a season low (Virginia).
• Iowa’s bench accounted for 43 of the team’s 83 points.
• The Hawkeyes scored 26 points following 18 Illinois turnovers.
• Tony Perkins scored 13 of his personal-best 16 points in the first half. The sophomore guard has reached double figures in scoring five of the last seven contests.
• The Hawkeyes had a game-best 14-0 scoring run in the first half. Iowa has had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined 12 times in nine games.
• Alfonso Plummer (21) and Jacob Grandison (21) combined for 42 of Illinois’ 87 points. Kofi Cockburn posted a double-double (17 points, 18 rebounds), while Trent Frazier contributed 18 points.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a 47-27 advantage in the Iowa State series. Iowa has won four of the last five meetings. The Hawkeyes snapped an eight-game losing skid in Hilton Coliseum two years ago, posting an 84-68 win in Ames.

The home team has won 15 of the last 18 in the series, dating back to 2004, with the Cyclones winning in Iowa City in 2010 and 2015 and the Hawkeyes winning in Ames in 2019.

The Cyclones own a slim, 19-18, advantage in games played at Ames. Iowa State has won eight of the last nine meetings in Hilton Coliseum.

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• Iowa State has won all eight of their games by an average of 15 points to start the season. The Cyclones are 5-0 at home this season.
• Iowa State notched wins over Xavier (82-70) and Memphis (78-59) in the Preseason NIT and most recently won at Creighton (64-58) last Saturday.
• Three Cyclones average double figures in scoring: Izaiah Brockington (16.0), Gabe Kalscheur (12.1), and Tyrese Hunter (11.6). Brockington also leads the squad in rebounding (7.5), while Hunter averages a team-best 5.4 assists.
• The Hawkeyes have faced seniors Kalscheur and Brockington before in different uniforms. Kalscheur transferred to the Cyclones after playing three seasons at Minnesota. Brockington played the previous two seasons at Penn State.
• Iowa State ranks 14th in the country in turnover margin (+5.6); 15th in steals per game (10.3); and 19th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.265). Individually, Hunter ranks 11th nationally in steals (2.75) and 27th in assists (5.4) per contest.
• T.J. Otzelberger is in his third stint in Ames, but his first as head coach. Previously, he was lead recruiter and bench coach for Greg McDermott, Fred Hoiberg and Steve Prohm. Otzelberger left Iowa State in 2016, spending three seasons as head coach at South Dakota State. Prior to returning to Iowa State, Otzelberger was the head coach at UNLV for two seasons.

LAST MEETING VERSUS IOWA STATE
Iowa posted a convincing 105-77 triumph over Iowa State on Dec. 11, 2020, in Iowa City. The win was Iowa’s fourth in the last five games in the series, including three straight.
• Iowa’s 105 points and 28-point victory are the most points scored by either team and the largest margin of victory, respectively, in the 74-game series history.
• All-American Luka Garza netted 34 points (25 second-half points) on an efficient 13-of-14 shooting from the field, including 6-of-7 from 3-point range. That is the most points scored by a Division I player who has played less than 20 minutes in a game over the last 25 seasons.
• Garza scored 21 straight Iowa points spanning 5:15 in the second half. He drained a career six 3-pointers, five in the second half and four on four consecutive possessions spanning 2:13.
• Iowa shot a white-hot 54 percent from the field, while the Cyclones shot 44 percent.
• The Hawkeyes forced 17 Iowa State turnovers, while committing only seven turnovers.

VALUING THE BASKETBALL
The Hawkeyes rank first in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.25) and fewest turnovers per game (7.9) and fourth in turnover margin (8.2) through nine games.

McCaffery has continued his mastery of limiting turnovers in 2021-22 with 22 assists and only two turnovers, boasting a staggering 11 assist-to-turnover ratio. Joe Toussaint’s 3.7 ratio is tops in the league and 19th nationally.

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).

At Virginia and versus Illinois, the Hawkeyes committed a season-low four turnovers, tying the third fewest total in a single-game in the Fran McCaffery era.

TWICE AS NICE
Sophomores Keegan and Kris Murray rank first and third, respectively, in team scoring. Keegan averages 23.9 points, while Kris averages 11.3 points. Keegan also ranks first on the squad in rebounds per game (8.0), blocks per game (2.3), and free throws made (40), while Kris ranks third on the squad in rebounds per contest (5.6), and second in 3-point accuracy (.520, 13-of-25).

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 (650), 3-pointers made (385), games played (152), 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 six games played from becoming the NCAA all-time leader (157 by Ohio State’s David Lighty, 2007-11).

He ranks sixth in career scoring (1,721) and is 48 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.

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 at Virginia last Monday night.
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 ninth in the Big Ten in assists per game (4.1) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.7). He has already surpassed his 3-point field goals made mark from a year ago through nine games this season (4).

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.

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 is 0-1 against ranked opponents this season, falling at No. 2 Purdue (77-70) last Friday night.

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 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 topped the century mark in three of its first five 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 115-27 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 seven of their last nine, including four straight, Big Ten/ACC Challenge games.
• Virginia has allowed 75+ points at home only six times under head coach Tony Bennett. Iowa has accounted for two of those six (75 in 2021 and 75 in 2013).
• The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more Big Ten games six of the last seven seasons.
• 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).
• Jordan Bohannon, Bob Hansen, Kevin Boyle, and Mark Gannon are the only Hawkeyes to win four games over the Cyclones.