| OPPONENT | #25/24 Iowa (4-0) at Clemson (4-1) |
| LOCATION | Niceville, Florida (The Arena) |
| DATE | Friday, Nov. 25 |
| TIP-OFF | 6 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | CBS Sports Network |
The Setting
No. 25/24 Iowa (4-0) will challenge Clemson (4-1) in the semifinals of the Emerald Classic on Friday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at The Arena in Niceville, Florida.
ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Jon Swisher will handle 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 game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network. Brad Johansen and Steve Lappas will call the action.
EMERALD COAST CLASSIC STORYLINES
- Iowa will be making its second appearance in the Emerald Coast Classic. The Hawkeyes lost to Virginia and Memphis in the 2016 event. Former Hawkeye Peter Jok holds the tournament record for most points in a game (42 versus Memphis).
- Iowa’s next six games will be against teams from Power 5 conferences.
- Former Iowa assistant coach Andrew Francis (2011-19) is an assistant coach on Cal. Francis is in his fourth season on the Bears’ sideline.
- Kris Murray is the only Division I player over the last 25 years to have scored 95+ points, grabbed 30+ rebounds, had five or fewer turnovers, shot 60 percent from the field, and 100 percent from the foul line over any four-game span during a season.
- Four Hawkeyes are shooting 57 percent or better from the field: Connor McCaffery (.643), Kris Murray (.625), Filip Rebraca (.583), and Tony Perkins (.571).
- Fran McCaffery is in his 27th season as a head coach and is three wins from 500.
- Tony Perkins has done a phenomenal job directing the Hawkeye offense this season. The junior has 16 assists to only three turnovers, while averaging 13.3 points per game.
- Iowa won 68 games combined over the last three seasons (20 in 2020; 22 in 2021; 26 in 2022). The 68 victories are the fourth most over a three-year stretch in program history and most since winning 77 contests from 1987-89.
- Iowa won four games in four days to capture the 2022 Big Ten Tournament Championship, its third tournament title in program history and first since 2006.
- The Hawkeyes have won 42 games over Big Ten teams — including conference tournament contests — over the past three seasons, second most in the league (Illinois, 47).
- Redshirt senior Connor McCaffery and redshirt junior Patrick McCaffery are one of 22 father/coach and son/player duos in Division I in 2022-23. Of the 22 schools, Iowa and Michigan are the only programs with a father/coach and two sons on the roster.
- After his historic season, Keegan Murray was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the fourth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the highest selection by a Hawkeye in program history.
- Keegan Murray became Iowa’s single-season scoring leader (822 points). After going 117 years without a player scoring 700 points in a single season, the Hawkeyes have had a player score over 700 points in each of the last three seasons: Luka Garza scored 740 in 2020 and 747 in 2021.
- Iowa led the Big Ten and ranked fifth nationally in scoring offense (83.2). The Hawkeyes have led the league in scoring five of the last nine seasons, including the last four.
- The Hawkeyes boasted a 15-3 record in home games in 2021-22. Iowa has won 14+ home contests each of the last four years.
- Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree seven of the last nine years. He has guided Iowa to 20+ wins eight of the last 10 seasons, including four-straight.
SCOUTING CLEMSON
- Last year, Clemson went 17-16 overall and 8-12 in the ACC.
- The Tigers are currently 4-1, after defeating The Citadel in its opener, 80-69, falling to South Carolina, 60-58, beating USC Upstate, 81-70, bouncing Bellarmine, 76-66, and their most recent win against Loyola Maryland on Monday, 72-41.
- Clemson ranks third in the ACC in both assist/turnover ratio (1.48) and assists per game (16).
- Five Tigers average double figures in scoring: Chase Hunter (16.2), Hunter Tyson (12.4), Brevin Galloway (11.8), PJ Hall (10.5), and Alex Hemenway (10.0).
- Clemson has two players who have made 12 or more triples: Hunter (13) and Hemenway (12).
- Junior guard Chase Hunter ranks sixth nationally and first in the ACC in 3-point accuracy (68.4).
- The Tigers current shooting percentages include 47 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3-point range, and 73.4 percent at the charity stripe.
- Clemson has a balanced roster of five freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors, and five seniors.
- Brad Brownell is in his 13th season at the helm of the Tigers. He is the winningest coach in Clemson history, with an overall record of 218-166.
IOWA CRUISES PAST OMAHA
Kris Murray poured in a career-high 30 points, while Connor and Patrick McCaffery combined for 28 points in a 100-64 convincing victory over Omaha on Monday in Iowa City.
- Kris Murray netted 25 first-half points. After missing his first field goal attempt of the game, he proceeded to sink 11 consecutive field goals, including three 3-pointers. The junior finished the contest with a career-high four triples made.
- Iowa was without starting guard Tony Perkins due to injury. Perkins is day-to-day (thigh).
- Kris Murray sank Iowa’s first six field goals of the game and seven of its first eight.
- Murray has scored 22 points or more in each of Iowa’s last three contests. He has totaled 20 points or more five times in his career.
- Patrick McCaffery registered 16 points, making all seven free-throw attempts, while Connor McCaffery’s 12 points were a season best.
- For a span of 16:17 in the first half, Iowa made 18 of its 23 field goal attempts (.732).
- Iowa (12) made nine more 3-pointers than Omaha (3).
- Iowa has scored 83+ points in each of its four games.
- The Hawkeyes led by a season-best 21 points at halftime. Iowa has led by double digits at halftime in each of its first four games.
- No player from Omaha scored in double digits. Dylan Brougham denied a game-best seven shots for the Mavericks.
ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
Iowa leads the all-time series with Clemson, 2-1. The Hawkeyes won the first two meetings in 1962 (Iowa City) and 1981 (Houston), while the Tigers won in 2011 (Iowa City).
Iowa is 6-4 all-time against Cal, having last played the Bears in 1996 (Maui). Iowa’s longest game in program history came against Cal on Dec. 28, 1960; the Hawkeyes outlasted the Bears 83-80 in four overtimes in the Los Angeles Classic.
The Hawkeyes lead the series against TCU, 2-1, having last played the Horned Frogs in the 2017 NIT. Two of the three games against TCU have been decided in overtime.
MAKING THE FREEBIES
Junior Kris Murray has made 15 consecutive free throws, dating back to Iowa’s final game on the 2021-22 season. Murray is a perfect 14-of-14 from the foul line through three contests this year. Senior Filip Rebraca is 11-of-12 (.917) from the foul line through four games.
Senior Filip Rebraca is 13-of-16 (.813) from the foul line through four games.
As a team, the Hawkeyes rank 34th nationally, making 76.8 percent of their attempts.
LEADER OF THE PACK
Connor McCaffery is Iowa’s career leader in assist-to-turnover ratio, amassing a 3.4 ratio in 138 career games (418 assists; 123 turnovers), nearly 1.0 above second-place Andre Banks (2.53). His assist-to-turnover ratio last year was 5.0, while he ranked fourth nationally in 2021 with a 3.73 ratio. In 202, he led the country with a 4.6 ratio.
MURRAY NAMED TO PRESEASON LISTS
Junior Kris Murray has been named to the Big Ten Preseason All-Big Ten Team, the Wooden Award Top 50, and the Karl Malone Award.
It marks the fourth straight season that one or more Hawkeyes have been selected to the preseason all-conference squad, voted upon by a selected panel of media. Joe Wieskamp was selected in 2019 and 2020, Luka Garza was tabbed the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year in 2020, while Kris’ twin brother Keegan was recognized in 2021. Keegan was also the recipient of the 2022 Karl Malone Award.
Murray is averaging a team-best 23.8 points per game this season, he has made all eight free throw attempts, and ranks second on the squad averaging eight rebounds per outing. Murray has increased his scoring average by 14.1 points per game this season compared to last year.
He was Iowa’s leading scorer (9.7) and rebounder (4.3) off the bench last season. He improved his scoring average by 9.1 points and rebounding average by 3.7 per outing. The native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was second on the team in 3-point percentage (.397), blocks per game (0.9) and field goals made (124), third in offensive (1.6) and defensive (2.7) rebounds per contest, and fourth in steals (0.8) per game. Murray made at least one 3-pointer in a team-best 17 consecutive games (Jan. 22-March 13). His 31 blocks and 43 triples rank seventh and eighth, respectively, by a Hawkeye sophomore.
IOWA SCHEDULE NOTES
- The Hawkeyes will play back-to-back conference road games four times.
- Iowa has a stretch of four straight home contests in December (ISU, Wisconsin, SE Missouri State and Eastern Illinois).
- Iowa has seven weekend home contests (three on Saturdays and four on Sundays), including six against Big Ten opponents. The Hawkeyes have home games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on a Saturday or Sunday four of the final six weekends of the regular season.
- The Hawkeyes have a stretch of four of five league home games in early January. Iowa will host Indiana (Jan. 5), Michigan (Jan. 12), Maryland (Jan. 15) and Northwestern (Jan. 18).
- Iowa is scheduled to play at Penn State on New Year’s Day. The Hawkeyes have played on New Year’s Day 10 previous times, most recently in 2017, versus Michigan in Iowa City. Prior to 2017, Iowa’s last New Year’s Day contest was in 1946 versus Saint Louis. The last time the Hawkeyes played a road game on New Year’s Day was at Toledo in 1940.
- Iowa has three trips to the Tri-State Area, traveling to New Jersey twice (Nov. 16 at Seton Hall and Jan. 8 at Rutgers) and New York once (Dec. 6 versus Duke at Madison Square Garden).
- Iowa will play on Super Bowl Sunday for the fourth straight season and sixth time in eight years, playing its only regular season game against Minnesota in Minneapolis on Feb. 12.
- Five of Iowa’s final eight league games will be on the road.
HAWKEYES WELCOME NEWCOMERS
Iowa welcomes four new faces to the 2022-23 roster: Dasonte Bowen, Josh Dix, Dante Eldridge, and Amarion Nimmers.
Bowen and Dix are true freshman, hailing from Boston and Council Bluffs, respectively. Eldridge and Nimmers are non-scholarship student-athletes. Eldridge, a junior, is the son of assistant coach Courtney Eldridge.
ANOTHER SIXTH-YEAR PLAYER
After six seasons and multiple broken records, Jordan Bohannon has exhausted his collegiate eligibility. Bohannon is the program’s career leader in four statistical categories: assists (704), 3-pointers made (455), games played (179), and free throw percentage (.887, 370-417). He sank a school and Xfinity Center record 10 3-pointers at Maryland on Feb. 10, 2022. His 455 triples are the most in Big Ten history and 192 more than any other Hawkeye.
Connor McCaffery decided to utilize his COVID bonus year and return for his sixth season with the Hawkeyes.
McCaffery is averaging seven points and two rebounds per game, and has made 6-of-9 (.667) from 3-point range through four contests.
FRAN MCCAFFERY CONTINUES TO WIN
- With Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament win last March, McCaffery joined Hall of Fame coaches Rick Pitino, Bob Huggins, Eddie Sutton and Lefty Driesell as the only Division I coaches to lead teams to conference tournament titles in four or more different leagues.
- Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to 20 wins or more in eight of the last 10 seasons. He has led Iowa to Big Ten upper division finishes nine of the last 10 years. Iowa, Michigan State, and Wisconsin have each recorded a Big Ten-best nine first division finishes since 2013.
- Fran McCaffery has coached a first-team All-Big Ten honoree seven of the last nine seasons. He has guided Iowa to 20+ wins seven of the last nine seasons and fifth place or better finishes in the Big Ten six of the last eight years.
STAFF CHANGES
Fran McCaffery has a couple changes to his staff following last season. Assistant Coach Kirk Speraw retired and Assistant Coach Billy Taylor left for a head coaching position at Elon. Replacing Speraw and Taylor are Courtney Eldridge and Matt Gatens. Eldridge was on staff the previous six seasons, most recently as director of player development and recruiting director. Gatens is a former Hawkeye and most recently was an assistant coach at Drake.
Tristan Spurlock, who played basketball at UCF, is the new Director of Player Development. Al Seibert’s title changed to Chief of Staff, while Kyle Denning is now the team’s Director of Operations.
PATRICK MCCAFFERY FINISHED LAST SEASON STRONG
Patrick McCaffery netted double figures in scoring 11 of the last 18 games played last season.
He made at least one 3-pointer in 12 of the last 18 games, including sinking multiple triples in six contests during that stretch.
McCaffery has carried that momentum over to his junior season, netting double figures and making multiple triples in each of Iowa’s first two games of the season. McCaffery’s 21 points scored against North Carolina A&T last Friday is a new personal best.
PROFESSIONAL HAWKEYES
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Keegan Murray (NBA Sacramento Kings), Luka Garza (G League Iowa Wolves), Jordan Bohannon (G League Iowa Wolves), Joe Wieskamp (G League Wisconsin Herd), Jarrod Uthoff (Japan), Devyn Marble (Poland), Tyler Cook (G League Salt Lake City Stars), Anthony Clemmons (Turkey), Gabriel Olaseni (Turkey), Ryan Kriener (Matsuyama), Melsahn Basabe (Nicaragua), and Aaron White (Serbia).