MBB Preview -- vs. Arkansas State

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday to host Arkansas State on at 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court. It is the Educator Appreciation Game.
• Tickets range from $15-35 for adults, $5-10 for youth and $5 for students.

FOLLOW LIVE

Radio: Games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bobby Hansen (color) on the call. 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 includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Friday’s game will be streamed online via B1G+ with AJ Reisetter (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to face Arkansas State in their third home game of the season on Friday. Iowa put up a valiant effort before falling, 92-84, at No. 8 Creighton in its first road contest on Tuesday.
• Iowa is again one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 97.3 points in its first three games. The Hawkeyes are tops in the Big Ten and 11th nationally in scoring average. The team scored 110 points in the season opener against North Dakota — the most in an opener under head coach Fran McCaffery (sixth most in McCaffery era.)
• Three Hawkeyes — Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery and Ben Krikke — have all netted 20-point games this season.
• Junior Payton Sandfort is averaging 16.3 points and a team-best nine rebounds in three games. The Waukee native notched his first career double-double (17 points/12 rebounds) in the win over Alabama State.
• At Iowa is “spreading the wealth” in terms of scoring. The Hawkeyes have had at least four players reach double digits in all three games, including six in double figures against North Dakota in the season opener.
• Iowa’s newcomers have accounted for 127 points (43.5 percent of scoring) in the first three games. Valpo transfer Ben Krikke is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting. Krikke scored 24 points — the most by a Hawkeye this season — in the road game at No. 8 Creighton.
• Share & Take Care: Iowa has 73 assists to 20 turnovers in the first three games of the season, assisting on 65.4 percent of its field goals.
• Iowa has won 85 of its last 91 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• McCaffery is nine wins from becoming the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history. Tom Davis has 271 victories as Iowa’s head coach.

LAST GAME | #8 CREIGHTON 92, IOWA 84

No. 8 Creighton made its first 10 field goals of the second half to down Iowa, 92-84, in a Gavitt Tipoff Games contest on Tuesday in Omaha. The Hawkeyes cut a 17-point second-half deficit to five with 1:26 to play before falling by eight. Graduate Ben Krikke led the way with 24 points — his first 20-point game as a Hawkeye. He made 7-of-9 field goals en route to a 16-point first half and finished with season highs in points, field goals (11) and field goal attempts (18).

FREEMAN NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF WEEK

Forward Owen Freeman was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 13 after averaging 11 points and three rebounds in wins over North Dakota and Alabama State.
• Freeman is Iowa’s first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since the 2019-20 season when CJ Fredrick and Joe Toussaint both earned the distinction.

20 X 3

The Hawkeyes have had three different players reach the 20 point mark in the first three games of the season. Junior Payton Sandfort scored 21 in the season opener against North Dakota, senior Patrick McCaffery scored 22 points against Alabama State and graduate Ben Krikke netted 24 points at No. 8 Creighton.

3 IS FOR ME

Freshman Brock Harding is an instant assist (and highlight reel), as the Illinois native has 14 assists (7.0 p/game) in just 25 minutes of court time this season. He had seven assists in 10 minutes in his first collegiate game and seven more assists in 15 minutes against Alabama State.

SHARE & TAKE CARE

The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten and rank eighth nationally, averaging 23.3 assists per game. Iowa has had 20 or more assists in all three games this season, including a season-high 27 on 32 field goals in the Nov. 10 win over Alabama State.

• On the flip side, Iowa has just 20 turnovers (6.7 p/game) to lead the Big Ten and rank fifth nationally. The 3.50 assist-to-turnover ration is second nationally.
• Iowa didn’t commit a turnover in the second half of the win over Alabama State.

DISTRIBUTING GUARDS

Iowa’s three primary point guards — Dasonte Bowen, Brock Harding and Josh Dix — have a combined 36 assists to eight turnovers over the first three games.
• Bowen has 14 assists and a single turnover in 65 minutes, Harding has 17 assists and six turnovers in 33 minutes and Dix has six assists to one turnover in 56 minutes.
• Add in senior Tony Perkins and Iowa’s point guards have 44 assists to 11 turnovers on the year.
• Harding had 14 assists (seven in each game) in his first two collegiate games in just 25 minutes.
• Bowen is leading the Big Ten (and ranks second nationally) in assist-to-turnover ration at 3.50.

STRONG NEWCOMER DEBUTS

Iowa’s newcomers have accounted for 127 points — 43.5 percent of the team’s scoring — in the first three games of the season.
• Graduate transfer Ben Krikke has reached double figures in all three games, where he is averaging a team-best 18.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting. The Valparaiso transfer The Valpo transfer scored a season-high 24 points (16 in the first half), making 11 of 18 field goals. It was his first 20 point game as a Hawkeye and the 25th 20-point game of his career.
• Freshman Owen Freeman is averaging 10 points, while making 63.2 percent of his shots. This includes a team-high four dunks.
• Freshman Ladji Dembele is averaging six points and 2.3 rebounds. His four 3-pointers are second-most on the team.