Game Notes: Iowa at Ohio State

THE SETTING
Iowa (14-7, 4-6) will play its second consecutive road game on Thursday at No. 16 Ohio State (13-5, 6-3). Tipoff is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. (CT) at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

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 game will be televised on FS1. Brandon Gaudin and Jim Jackson will call the action.

GAME #22 STORYLINES
• Thursday is the only regular season meeting between Iowa and Ohio State.
• Jordan Bohannon (1,848) is 11 points from tying and 12 points from surpassing Aaron White (1,859) for third place on Iowa’s all-time scoring chart.
• Thursday is the middle game of three contests in seven days this week for the Hawkeyes and the second of three games in the eastern footprint of the Big Ten (Penn State, Ohio State, Maryland) between Jan. 31-Feb. 10.
• The Hawkeyes are second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82); third in fewest turnovers per game (8.9); and fourth in turnover margin (6.0).
• Iowa ranks No. 24 in the NCAA NET, while Ohio State is ranked No. 19. The Hawkeyes have one Quad 1 and three Quad 2 victories on their resume. Five of Iowa’s seven losses have come to teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this week, with another coming on in double overtime at Penn State on Monday.
• Keegan Murray is fifth in the country in points per game (22.3); 39th in field goal percentage (.551); 45th in blocks per contest (2.05); and 57th in free throws made. Murray is a three-time Big Ten Player of the Week honoree and selected to the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20 List and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Watch List.
• Keegan and Kris Murray have all 13 of Iowa’s top individual scoring games this season. Keegan has 11, including the top four, while Kris has two.
• Iowa is second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally in scoring offense (82.8). The Hawkeyes have ranked first in the Big Ten in scoring offense the last three seasons. The Hawkeyes have led the conference in scoring four of the last eight seasons.
• Kris Murray leads the squad in 3-point accuracy, making 40 percent (26-of-65) of his attempts, while Jordan Bohannon is second (.349, 45-of-129). Bohannon is one of 20 players in NCAA history, and fifth player from a Power 5 Conference, to make 400 triples in a career.
• Jordan Bohannon is Iowa’s career leader in assists (671), free throw percentage (.886) and 3-pointers (409). He is the NCAA all-time leader in games played (164).
• The Hawkeyes have had scoring runs of 10-0 or more a combined 16 times in 21 games.
• Jordan Bohannon (112) and Connor McCaffery (93) rank second and fifth, respectively, in most career wins among active Big Ten players.
• Iowa has been making the most of its trips to the foul line. The Hawkeyes are shooting 77 percent from the foul line. Iowa is tops in the Big Ten and 24th nationally in free throw accuracy. The 330 free throw makes are 15th most in the NCAA.
• 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 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.

PENN STATE OUTLASTS HAWKEYES IN DOUBLE OVERTIME
A game that saw 15 ties and 15 lead changes, Penn State prevailed over Iowa, 90-86, in double overtime Monday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park.
• Monday was Iowa’s first overtime contest of the season; its first double overtime game since Feb. 8, 2017 (at Minnesota); and fourth overtime contest in the Iowa-PSU series.
• Four of the last six Iowa-Penn State games have been decided by seven points or less.
• Connor (4) and Patrick McCaffery (3) combined to make seven of Iowa’s 11 three-pointers. Both Connor and Patrick equaled career highs in 3-pointers made. Patrick tied season bests in scoring (16) and rebounding (7)
• Connor McCaffery scored a season-high 12 points, netting all 12 in the first half. The redshirt senior entered Monday’s game with four 3-point field goals this season, he matched that total sinking 4-of-6 in the first half. Connor left the game with four minutes remaining in regulation with an upper body injury.
• Keegan Murray, who scored all of his game-high 21 points in the second half and overtime sessions, tipped in a Jordan Bohannon missed 3-point attempt at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
• The Hawkeyes sank 11 three-pointers, their highest total in a Big Ten game this season and most since making 11 against Southeastern Louisiana on Dec. 21, 2021.
• Sophomore Ahron Ulis tied a career high with seven made free throws, sinking all seven in the two overtime periods. Ulis also snagged a personal-best five rebounds.
• Both Iowa (21-of-28) and Penn State (18-of-24) shot 75 percent from the foul line.
• Iowa dropped its last two road games by a combined six points (Rutgers; Penn State).
• Hawkeye reserves tallied 36 points, the third highest point total during Big Ten play (46 versus Indiana; 43 versus Illinois).
• John Harrar paced the Nittany Lions with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Seth Lundy contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Greg Lee had 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
The all-time series between Iowa and Ohio State is tied, 82-82. The two teams have split the last 12 meetings, dating back to 2014. The two teams split last season’s two meetings, with each team winning on the road.

Ohio State holds a 50-29 advantage in games played in Columbus. The Hawkeyes snapped a three-game losing streak in Value City Arena last season with a 73-57 victory in Columbus a year ago on Feb. 28 2021.

Iowa and Ohio State have not played an overtime game since 1983, the longest span without an overtime game for an Iowa Big Ten opponent.
The Hawkeyes were the first opponent to win at the Value City Arena (1999).

SCOUTING OHIO STATE
• Ohio State has won three of its last four games, winning three straight against Penn State, IUPUI and Minnesota. The Buckeyes were edged in their last outing at sixth-ranked Purdue (81-78) on Sunday.
• Ohio State trailed the Boilermakers by 20 points with 14:35 left in the second half but clawed all the way back to tie the game with 25 seconds remaining only to have Purdue’s Jaden Ivey drain a 3-pointer with under one second remaining to lose, 81-78. E.J. Liddell (20) and Malaki Branham (20) combined to score 40 of Ohio State’s 78 points. Liddell netted the Buckeyes’ last eight points over the final 1:06 of the game.
• The Buckeyes, who are a perfect 9-0 at home this season, are 3-2 in games decided by five points or fewer.
• Two Buckeyes average double digits in scoring: E.J. Liddell (19.7) and Malaki Branham (10.6). E.J. Liddell ranks 22nd nationally in blocked shots per contest (2.67), 27th in free throw attempts (120, 31st in points per game (19.7), and 37th in free throw made (89). Jamari Wheeler is 13th in the conference in assists per game (3.6) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94).
• Ohio State’s top two 3-point threats are Justin Ahrens (33) and E.J. Liddell (27).
• The Buckeyes rank second in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.480); third in blocks per game (5.0), free throw percentage (.756) and 3-pointers per game (8.6); and fourth in 3-point accuracy (.368).
• Chris Holtmann has led Ohio State to the NCAA Tournament three times (2018, 2019, 2021). In his first season at Ohio State, Holtmann was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Prior to being appointed at Ohio State, Holtmann spent the previous three seasons at Butler.

LAST MEETING AGAINST OHIO STATE
No. 9 Iowa cruised to a 73-57 triumph at fourth-ranked Ohio State on Feb. 28, 2021, winning at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio for the first time since 2014.
• The Hawkeyes held the Buckeyes to their lowest scoring output of 2021. The 57 points are the fewest Iowa has allowed versus a top-5 team away from home since a 58-57 win at No. 2 Indiana on Feb. 16, 1983.
• Luka Garza (24) and Joe Wieskamp (19) combined for 33 points. Garza also pulled down a game-best 11 rebounds. Wieskamp drained five 3-pointers.
• This game was Iowa’s first win on the road with both teams ranked in the AP Top 10 since No. 9 Iowa won at No. 6 North Carolina on Jan. 7, 1989.
• Jordan Bohannon was credited with a game-best five assists to become the program’s all-time assists leader, surpassing Jeff Horner.
• The Hawkeyes were credited with 22 assists and tied a season low with five turnovers.
• Point guard Joe Toussaint tied a season high with seven assists.
• The Buckeyes were led by E.J. Liddell (15 points) and Justice Sueing (12 points).

VALUING THE BASKETBALL
The Hawkeyes rank second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82); third in fewest turnovers per game (8.9); and fourth in turnover margin (6.0).

McCaffery has continued his mastery of limiting turnovers in 2021-22 with 35 assists and only seven turnovers, boasting a robust 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Joe Toussaint’s 2.35 ratio is fifth best in the league and 44th 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. The four turnovers against the Cavaliers are the fourth lowest in any Big Ten/ACC Challenge game.

KEEGAN MURRAY GARNERS NATIONAL ATTENTION
Keegan Murray has been selected to the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20, the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Midseason List, Sporting News Second Team All-American, and has been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times this season (Nov. 22; Dec. 20; Jan. 3).

The Hawkeyes have had a student-athlete named to the Wooden Award Late-Season Top 20 three straight years and four of the last seven seasons. Former Hawkeye Luka Garza was the recipient of the 2021 John R. Wooden Award and was a finalist in 2020 award, while Jarrod Uthoff was a semifinalist in 2016. Garza was also the recipient of the 2021 Lute Olson Award.
Murray and former Hawkeye and All-American Luka Garza are the only Hawkeyes to earn three Big Ten Player of the Week accolades in the same season since the award was started in 1981-82.

Murray powered the Hawkeyes to a 94-75 victory over Utah State on Dec. 18, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Murray exploded for a career-best 35 points. He scored 18 straight Hawkeye points spanning 6:08 in the first half. Murray was six points from the arena record. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, also totaled a game-best seven rebounds and had two steals, one block, and an assist. Iowa was +22 when Murray was on the court against the Aggies.

Murray averaged 26.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 blocks in a pair of wins over N.C. Central and Alabama State. He had a historic stat line against N.C. Central, totaling 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, Murray amassed 26 points, six rebounds, and a career-high four assists. He sank two of Iowa’s school-record 20 3-pointers in a 26-point win.

Murray posted game bests in points (29), rebounds (10), and blocks (3), while also dishing out three assists in Iowa’s 92-71 win over Western Illinois on Dec. 29. He registered his third double-double of the season and shot a blistering 65 percent from the field, making 13-of-20 attempts.

TWICE AS NICE
Sophomores Keegan and Kris Murray rank first and third, respectively, in team scoring. Keegan averages 22.3 points, while Kris averages 10.5 points. Keegan also ranks first on the squad in rebounds per game (8.3), blocks per game (2.0), and free throws made (80), while Kris ranks third on the squad in rebounds per contest (4.5), and first in 3-point accuracy (.400, 26-of-65).

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 (671), 3-pointers made (409), games played (164), and free throw percentage (.886, 335-378). His 409 triples are the most in Big Ten history and 147 more than any other Hawkeye.

Bohannon (164) became the NCAA all-time leader in career games played at Wisconsin on Jan. 6, surpassing Ohio State’s David Lighty (157 games played between 2007-11). Bohannon ranks fourth in career scoring (1,848) and is 12 points from surpassing Aaron White (1,859) for third.

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).

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.

McCAFFERY CLIMBING WINS CHART
Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes have reached 20 wins seven of the last nine seasons. McCaffery and Tom Davis (10) are the only Iowa coaches to win 20 or more games in at least seven seasons.

Among Iowa’s head basketball coaches, McCaffery ranks second in tournament appearances behind Davis (9). Davis is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, while McCaffery is second.

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.

Toussaint ranks 11th in the Big Ten in assists per game (3.8) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.35). He has already surpassed his 3-point field goals made mark from a year ago at the midway point of this season (7).

The native of Bronx, New York, nearly registered his second points-assists double-double of the season on Jan. 3, against Maryland, totaling nine points and posting game bests in assists (9) and steals (3).

Toussaint scored the game-winning bucket with eight seconds remaining at Virginia on Nov. 29.

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.

STEALING THE ROCK
Iowa ranks first in the Big Ten and 58th nationally in steals per game (8.0). The last time a Hawkeye team led the conference in steals was during the 2016-17 season (8.1 per game).

IOWA VS. RANKED TEAMS
Iowa is 0-4 against ranked opponents this season, falling on the road at No. 2 Purdue (77-70), at No. 17 Iowa State (73-53) and at No. 23 Wisconsin (87-78), and at home to No. 6 Purdue (83-73).

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

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.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
• The Hawkeyes are 12-0 this season when outrebounding their opponents and 7-0 when Iowa shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
• Sophomore Keegan Murray has totaled 25 points or more an NCAA-best nine times this season.
• Iowa is 121-28 when scoring 80 points or more, the last 12 seasons. The Hawkeyes are 88-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last 12 years.
• The Hawkeyes own a +7.0 differential in scoring points off turnovers this season.
• 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. He is one of three Big Ten players since the 2002-03 season with six consecutive 20-point games to start the season.
• 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 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 five twins on Division I rosters this season (Arizona State, San Diego State, SIUE, and Wisconsin).
• 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).
• Iowa has won 77 of its last 82 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• 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 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.
• Florida State has won an NCAA-record 13 straight overtime games, dating back to January, 2018. The last team to beat the Seminoles in overtime was Iowa (78-75) on Dec. 2, 2015, in Iowa City. That game featured 21 lead changes.

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.

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.