| OPPONENT | Iowa (3-1) vs. Oklahoma (4-0) |
| LOCATION | San Diego, Calif. | LionTree Arena |
| DATE | Thursday, Nov. 23 |
| TIP-OFF | 2:02 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Sports Network |
| TV | FS1 |
The University of Iowa men’s basketball team heads to San Diego for Thanksgiving to compete in the Rady Children’s Invitational. The Hawkeyes open the tournament against Oklahoma on Thursday at 2 p.m. (CT) at LionTree Arena on the campus of UC San Diego.
• Iowa will face either Seton Hall or No. 23 USC on Friday at 5 p.m.
FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Games will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Jon Swisher (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: Thursday’s game against Oklahoma will be televised on FS1 with Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play) and Casey Jacobsen (analyst) on the call. Friday’s game will be televised on FOX.
OPENING TIP
- The Hawkeyes head to San Diego for the Rady Children’s Invitational for Thanksgiving. Iowa is 3-1 overall heading into Thursday’s game against Oklahoma. It is the first meeting against the Sooners since the 1987 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 — a 93-91 Hawkeye victory.
- Iowa swept the Big Ten Conference weekly honors on Nov. 20 when Ben Krikke was selected as the Player of the Week and Owen Freeman the Freshman of the Week. It is the first time Iowa has swept the awards since the 2019-20 season, and Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the distinction in consecutive weeks.
- To no one’s surprise, Iowa is again one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 95 points in its first four games. The Hawkeyes are tops in the Big Ten and eighth nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in all four games, including 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 (2) — have all netted 20-point games this season. Krikke is averaging a team-high 20 points, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten. He is also second in the conference with 34 field goals and third in field goal percentage (.618).
- Iowa is “spreading the wealth” in terms of scoring. The Hawkeyes have had at least four players reach double digits in all four games, including six in double figures against North Dakota and five against Arkansas State.
- Sophomore Dasonte Bowen has 17 assists to one turnover this season to lead the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Iowa’s newcomers have accounted for 160 points (42.1 percent of scoring) in the first four games.
- Share & Take Care: Iowa has 84 assists to 27 turnovers in the first four games, assisting on 62.7 percent of its field goals.
- Iowa has won 86 of its last 92 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
- McCaffery is eight wins from becoming the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history. Tom Davis has 271 victories as Iowa’s head coach.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
- The Sooners, who are receiving votes in the AP Poll, bring a 4-0 record into Thursday’s game, posting home victories over Central Michigan, Mississippi Valley State, Texas State and UTRGV. Oklahoma has won the four contests by an average of 33 points.
- Otega Oweh leads a group of four Sooners in double figures, averaging 15.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. He is shooting 68.6 percent from the floor.
- The Sooners have attempted 98 free throws in four games (24.5 per game), making 79.6 percent.
- Oklahoma’s scoring defense ranks ninth nationally, as the Sooners allow just 55.5 points per contest.
SERIES HISTORY
- Thursday’s game is the sixth meeting all-time between Iowa and Oklahoma with the Hawkeyes leading the series, 3-2. Iowa has won the last two games, including a 93-91 victory in the 1987 NCAA Tournament in a game played in Seattle.
- The Hawkeyes are 2-1 all-time against Seton Hall. Iowa won 83-67 in New Jersey during the 2022-23 season in a game played as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
- Iowa is 5-2 all-time against future Big Ten foe USC. The Hawkeyes have won back-to-back games in the series, winning 66-55 in 1982 in Iowa City and 62-61 in 1983 in Los Angeles.
LAST GAME | IOWA 88, ARKANSAS STATE 74
Graduate Ben Krikke scored a season-high 25 points to lead a group of five Hawkeyes in double figures in Iowa’s 88-74 victory over Arkansas State on Nov. 17. The Hawkeyes shot 46.6 percent from the field, but the team attempted just 12 3-point field goals (two makes) in the win.
KRIKKE: B1G POW
Graduate student Ben Krikke averaged 24.5 points and seven rebounds in games against No. 8 Creighton and Arkansas State to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Nov. 20. The forward had back-to-back 20-point games, shooting 66 percent from the field (21-of-32). He scored 24 points at Creighton and a season-high 25 points against Arkansas State, while also finishing with nine rebounds, a career-high four steals and three blocks.
• It is Krikke’s first Big Ten honor and third of his career. He was a two-time MVC Player of the Week during the 2022-23 season.
FREEMAN: B1G FOW X 2
Forward Owen Freeman is the first Hawkeye to earn back-to-back Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. He earned the distinction on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20.
• The Moline, Illinois, native averaged 11 points and three rebounds in wins over North Dakota and Alabama State before putting up 7.5 points, 2.5 blocks and two rebounds in games against No. 8 Creighton and Arkansas State.
DASONTE’S BIG DAY
Sophomore Dasonte Bowen had the best game of his career against Arkansas State, scoring a career-high 17 points, while finishing with three steals and three assists. Bowen made 4-of-5 field goals and 9-of-10 free throws in the game.
SHARE & TAKE CARE
The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten and ninth nationally, averaging 21 assists per game. Iowa has had 20 or more assists in three of the four 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 27 turnovers (6.8 p/game), fewest in the nation. The team hasn’t committed more than seven turnovers in any game this season.
• Iowa’s 3.11 assist-to-turnover ration is leading the nation.
GET IT AND GO
The Hawkeyes are 17th in the nation in fastbreak points, averaging 19.50 points per game.
P=MAC: 2-2
Senior Patrick McCaffery netted his sixth career 20-point game against Alabama State, making 7-of-12 field goals en route to a 22-point outing. The forward scored eight of Iowa’s first 12 points and 10 of the first 16 over the first 7 1/2 minutes.
• McCaffery is averaging 14 points — second-best on the team — on 58.1 percent shooting in four games. He is also made 18-of-23 attempts from the free throw stripe — the most makes and attempts on the team.
• The Iowa City, Iowa, native is one of three Hawkeyes (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins) to reach double figures in every game.