| OPPONEN | Iowa (8-5, 0-2) at No. 23 Wisconsin (9-3, 1-0) |
| LOCATION | Kohl Center | Madison, Wis. |
| DATE | Tuesday, Jan. 2 |
| TIP-OFF | 6:01 p.m. (CT) |
| RADIO | Hawkeye Radio Network |
| TV | BTN |
The University of Iowa men’s basketball team opens the 2024 calendar year with a Big Ten road game at No. 23 Wisconsin on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center. The game will tipoff at 6 p.m. (CT) and be televised on BTN.
FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Tuesday’s game will be 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: Tuesday’s game will be televised on BTN with Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Laphonso Ellis (color) on the call.
OPENING TIP
- The Hawkeyes resume Big Ten play on Tuesday at No. 23 Wisconsin. Iowa is 0-2 in Big Ten play after dropping a pair of games at Purdue and at home against Michigan during the early portion of the league schedule in December.
- Tuesday’s meeting with the Badgers will be the Hawkeyes’ third game against a ranked opponent this season — all coming on the road.
- Graduate Ben Krikke notched his team-leading fifth 20 point game this season against Northern Illinois. The forward is Iowa’s leading scorer, averaging 17 points per game, which ranks 10th in the BIg Ten.
- Iowa had three players — Payton Sandfort, Krikke and Brock Harding — post double-doubles in the victory over UMBC — a first for the program since 2013. Harding had his first career double-double — the first points-assists double-double since 2021.
- Harding finished the game with a career-high 12 assists — the most by a freshman since Jordan Bohannon’s 13 in 2017.
- Iowa had a different freshman post double-doubles in consecutive games (Owen Freeman/Brock Harding) for the first time since the 2016-17 season (Tyler Cook/Jordan Bohannon).
- Freeman notched his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in Iowa’s 88-52 victory over Florida A&M on Dec. 16. It was the first double-double by an Iowa freshman since Joe Wieskamp in 2018.
- Iowa finished with 33 assists — a season-high, the second-most assists in school history and the eighth-most in the nation this season — against UMBC on Dec. 20. The team committed just four turnovers in the game — a season low.
- The Hawkeyes are +32 on the glass in their last three games, including a season-best +14 against FAMU on Dec. 16.
- Iowa is 5-1 when attempting at least 20 free throws, 6-1 when shooting 50+ percent from the field and 5-1 when making eight or more 3-pointers.
- Ahoy 100. Iowa hit the century mark for the second straight game and fourth time this season, scoring 103 points against NIU on Dec. 29. The Hawkeyes have scored 100+ points 13 times since the start of the 2021-22 season.
- Iowa is one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 87.8 points in 13 games. The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten and rank ninth nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in nine games, averaging 97.3 points in wins and 72.8 points in losses.
- The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally, averaging 19.7 assists per game. Iowa is leading the league and is fourth nationally with a 2.03 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- McCaffery is three wins from becoming the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history. Tom Davis has 271 victories as Iowa’s head coach. With his next Big Ten victory, McCaffery will also have the most league wins (127) in program history.
- Iowa is one of 10 teams in the country to make the last four NCAA Tournaments and one of only three Big Ten teams to accomplish the feat (Purdue, Michigan State).
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
- The Badgers, who have been off since Dec. 22, bring a 9-3 record into the New Year. Wisconsin has won eight of its last nine games dating back to Nov. 17.
- Wisconsin’s three losses came at No. 1 Arizona (98-73), at Providence (72-59) and against No. 9 Tennessee (80-70). The Badgers also have a 75-64 victory over No. 3 Marquette and a Big Ten road win at Michigan State.
- The Badgers are 6-1 in home games at the Kohl Center in 2022-23 with the lone loss coming against the Vols.
- Wisconsin has three players averaging in double figures and five averaging at least nine points. AJ Stoor leads the team in scoring, averaging 15 points per game. Steven Crowl averages 12.8 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds, while shooting 60.2 percent from the field. Tyler Wahl averages 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds, while John Blackwell (9.3) and Chucky Hepburn (9.0) average at least nine points.
- Hepburn is the team’s top distributor with 47 assists to go along with 20 steals.
SERIES HISTORY
- Tuesday’s game is the 174th meeting in the all-time series with Wisconsin leading 87-86.
- The Badgers have won the last three meetings, including two wins in Madison. Wisconsin won 64-52 in the most recent game in Madison in Feb. 2023.
- Prior to the three-game losing streak, Iowa had won four straight game and six of eight overall.
LAST GAME | IOWA 103, NIU 74
After giving up 48 points in the first half, the Hawkeyes buckled down, limiting NIU to 26 points on 29 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes en route to a 103-74 victory on Friday in Iowa City. Iowa had six players finish in double figures with Ben Krikke leading the way with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Tony Perkins tied a career-high with eight assists, while freshman Pryce Sandfort netted a career high 12 points with three 3-point field goals. Iowa shot 50 percent from the field for the seventh time this season.
MORE NOTABLES…
- The Hawkeyes are 14th nationally in pace of play in 2023-24, averaging 77.2 possessions per 40 minutes.
- Iowa has had four different players hit the 20-point mark this season (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery).
- Iowa has had at least four players reach double digits in nine games this season.
- Iowa is 6-1 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and 20-4 in its last 23 home games.
- Iowa has won 89 of its last 95 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
- The Hawkeyes are 6-1 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
- In its last two games, Iowa has scored 122 points in the paint — 66 vs. UMBC and 56 against NIU.
- The Hawkeyes had a season-high 15 steals and nine blocks in the win over NIU. Iowa turned the 15 thefts into a season-best 38 fastbreak points.
- Iowa has held three opponents under 40 percent shooting this season. The team is undefeated in the three contests.
- The Hawkeyes held Florida A&M to 52 points on Dec. 16 in Des Moines — the fewest points allowed since giving up 51 points to Portland State in 2021.
- Senior Tony Perkins has 22 assists to three turnovers over Iowa’s last three games and he tied a career high with eight assists against NIU on Dec. 29. He is leading the team with 48 assists this season.
- Freshman Owen Freeman was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a school-record fourth time on Dec. 18. He is one of 16 players in Big Ten history to earn the league’s freshman of the week honors at least four times.
- Junior Payton Sandfort has attempted 85 3-point field goals — the most in the Big Ten. He has 32 makes — second-most in the conference.
- Sandfort has made four 3-point field goals in four games this season. The junior has made two or more 3-pointers in each of his last eight games.
- The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, making 74.9 percent of their attempts this season.
- Sandfort has been Iowa’s leading rebounder (or tied for the team lead) in six games this season. The forward is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
- The Hawkeyes have earned five Big Ten weekly honors this season — Ben Krikke (Player of the Week – 11/20) and Owen Freeman (Freshman of Week (11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/18). Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the award in consecutive weeks and the four honors are a single season school record.
- Sophomore Dasonte Bowen has 41 assists to nine turnovers this season. His 4.56 assist-to-turnover ratio is third in the Big Ten and sixth nationally. Iowa has four players ranked in the top 11 in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio.
- The Hawkeyes have placed fifth or better in the Big Ten standings in five straight and 10 of the last 11 years, and the program has won 10 or more Big Ten games in eight of the last nine seasons.
- Iowa led the Big Ten and was 18th nationally in scoring offense (80.1). The Hawkeyes have led the league in scoring in seven of the last 11 seasons, including six straight years.
KRIKKE, PAYTON, HARDING: 3 DUBS
The Hawkeyes had three players tally double doubles in Iowa’s 103-81 victory over UMBC on Dec. 20 — Payton Sandfort (18 points, 10 rebounds, Ben Krikke (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Brock Harding (10 points, 12 assists).
• It is the first time since 2013 that Iowa has had three double-doubles in the same game. Jarrod Uthoff, Melsahn Basabe and Gabe Olasani each posted points-rebounds double-doubles in a win over Farleigh Dickinson.
A DOZEN DIMES
Brock Harding became the second consecutive Hawkeye freshman to post a double-double, finishing with 10 points and a career-high 12 assists against UMBC on Dec. 20.
• Harding’s 12 assists are the most by an Iowa freshman since Jordan Bohannon’s 13 against TCU in the 2017 NIT.
• The points-assists double-double is the first by a Hawkeye since Joe Toussaint in 2021.
• Harding is the 21st player with a 10+ assists game in school history.
• Owen Freeman and Harding are the first freshmen duo to post a double-double in back-to-back games since Tyler Cook and Bohannon in the 2016-17 season.