MBB Preview -- Minnesota

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team returns home to host Minnesota on Super Bowl Sunday on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game, which is Spirit Squad Day, will tipoff at 2:07 p.m. (CT).
• Tickets are available for $30-85 (adults) and $15-20 (youth).

FOLLOW LIVE

Radio: Sunday’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: Sunday’s game will be televised on BTN with Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Shon Morris (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host Minnesota on Super Bowl Sunday. It is the fifth straight season and the seventh time in nine years Iowa has played on Super Bowl Sunday.
• Iowa downed Minnesota, 86-77 on Jan. 15. The Hawkeyes have won five straight over the Golden Gophers.
• Senior Tony Perkins scored 20+ points in five consecutive games — a first by a Hawkeye since Keegan Murray in the 2021-22 season. Perkins was the first Iowa guard to accomplish the feat since Devyn Marble in 2014.
• Perkins became the 52nd player in Iowa history to surpass the 1,000 career points mark in the victory at Michigan on Jan. 27.
• In Big Ten play, Perkins is seventh in the league in scoring (18.0) and sixth in steals (2.0) and assists (4.6).
• Perkins is currently the only player in the Big Ten (and one of six nationally) with 350+ points, 95+ assists, 90+ rebounds and 40+ steals.
• Graduate Ben Krikke had his seventh 20-point game, finishing with 22 points on 10-of-18 shooting in the road loss at Penn State.
• Junior Payton Sandfort scored back-to-back 20+ point games in consecutive road games at Michigan and at Indiana. He tied his career-high, scoring 26 points in the two games. Sandfort made 11 3-pointers — the most in a two-game stretch in his career.
• Iowa tied a single game free throw percentage school record by making 18-of-18 free throw attempts at Michigan.
• Head coach Fran McCaffery is the winningest coach in program history, winning 274 career games, including 131 Big Ten victories.
• Freeman earned his seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Jan. 29 after averaging 14.5 points and nine rebounds in games against Maryland and Michigan. The seven honors are tied for the second-most in league history.
• Freeman has three double-doubles this season — the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Luka Garza.
• Iowa is one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 84 points in 23 games. The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten and rank 16th nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in 13 games, averaging 93.2 points in wins and 72 points in losses.
• The Hawkeyes are third in the Big Ten and rank ninth nationally, averaging 18.1 assists per game. Iowa is leading the Big Ten and rank fifth nationally with a 1.79 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• 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).

FIRST MEETING | IOWA 86, MINNESOTA 77

The Hawkeyes posted their first road victory of the season, winning 86-77 on Jan. 15 at Minnesota. The Hawkeyes shot 53.8 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle, 37-30. Gradute Ben Krikke tied a season-high, scoring 25 points, while sophomore Josh Dix had a career-high 21, making 7-of-12 field goals. The win was Fran McCaffery’s 272nd as Iowa’s head coach, making him the winningest coach in program history.
• The Gophers’ Dawson Garcia led all scorers with 30 points in the game, making 9-of-17 field goals and going 12-of-15 from the free throw line.

LAST GAME | PENN STATE 89, IOWA 79

The Hawkeyes led 61-54 with 9:54 remaining before Penn State outscored Iowa 35-18 to close out the game in a 89-79 loss in Happy Valley. The Hawkeyes shot 55.9 percent from the floor and won the rebounding battle, 28-26, but the Nittany Lions forced Iowa to commit 18 turnovers. Gradaute Ben Krikke paced the team with 22 points, while Tony Perkins and Patrick McCaffery added 11 points apiece.

MORE NOTABLES…

• The Hawkeyes are 37th nationally in pace of play in 2023-24, averaging 74.8 possessions per 40 minutes.
• Iowa is 0-6 in Quad 1 games, 5-2 in Quad 2, 1-2 in Quad 3 and 7-0 in Quad 4 games this season.
• Senior Tony Perkins has started 70 consecutive games dating back to the 2021-22 season.
• The Hawkeyes have shot 50 percent or better from the field in three of the last four games. Iowa is 10-2 this season when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
• Iowa has attempted just 25 3-point field goals in the last two games — the fewest in a two-game stretch this season. The team has made seven 3s in the two contests.
• Iowa has played three games decided by seven or fewer points this season (1-2 record).
• The Hawkeyes have had six players hit the 20-point mark this season (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix).
• Iowa has three players ranked in the top 16 in the Big Ten in scoring — Perkins (11th), Krikke (14th), Sandfort (16th).
• Since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 10 against
  Michigan, freshman Owen Freeman is averaging 11.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field.
• Ahoy 100. Iowa has reached the century mark in four games this season. The Hawkeyes have scored 100+ points 13 times since the start of the 2021-22 season.
• The team is 7-1 when attempting at least 20 free throws, 10-2 when shooting 50+ percent from the field and 7-1 when making eight or more 3-pointers.
• Iowa has had at least four players reach double digits in 13 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes are 9-3 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and 23-6 in its last 29 home games.
• Iowa has won 89 of its last 95 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• The Hawkeyes have held four opponents under 40 percent shooting this season. The team is undefeated in the four contests.
• Iowa 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 five games with seven or more assists this season and eight games with at least five assists. He is leading the team with 98 assists against 37 turnovers.
• Junior Payton Sandfort has attempted 165 3-point field goals — the most in the Big Ten. He has 64 makes, which lead the league.
• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in free throw percentage, making 77.6 percent of their attempts this season. The team tied a single game free throw percentage (min. 13 makes) school record, making all 18 of its free throw attempts at Michigan on Jan. 27.
• Sandfort has been Iowa’s leading rebounder (or tied for the team lead) in nine games this season. The forward is averaging a career-best 6.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 13th in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have earned eight 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, 1/8, 1/15, 1/29). Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the award in consecutive weeks and the seven honors are a single season school record and tied for the second-most in league history.
• Iowa has 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.
• The Hawkeyes have led the Big Ten and was 18th nationally in scoring offense (80.1). Iowa has led the league in scoring in seven of the last 11 seasons, including six straight years.

ALL EVERYTHING HAWKEYE

Senior Tony Perkins is an all-around guard, leading the team in points, assists and steals. The Indianapolis native is also an all-time Hawkeyes as he is one of eight players all-time to have 1,000+ points, 340+ rebounds, 250+ assists and 120+ steals.
• Perkins is among a group that includes: Roy Marble, Jordan Bohannon, Devyn Marble, Matt Gatens, Jess Settles, Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner.

B1G TONY

Senior Tony Perkins is averaging a team-best 18.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in Big Ten play. The guard is shooting 50.3 percent from the floor and 84.4 percent from the charity stripe.
• During a five-game stretch where he scored 20+ points in five straight games, Perkins averaged 22 points, four assists, 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals, while committing just six turnovers in the five-game stretch. He is shot 54.3 percent from the floor and 86.1 percent from the free throw stripe.
• He scored 20+ points in five straight games for the first time in his career. It’s the first by a Hawkeye since Keegan Murray during the 2021-22 season.
• Perkins is the first Hawkeye guard to have five straight 20-point games since Devyn Marble in 2014.
• The Indianapolis native has scored in double figures in every Big Ten game with six 20-point contests and eight 15+ games. He has six games with three or more steals against league opponents.
• Overall, Perkins has been in double figures in 14 straight games and in 21 of 23 games this season.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Senior Tony Perkins became the 52nd player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points on Jan. 27 at Michigan. Perkins currently has 1,057 points as a Hawkeye, ranking 46th all-time.
• Senior Patrick McCaffery has scored 946 career points. He needs 54 points to become Iowa’s 53rd member of the 1,000 point club.
• Graduate Ben Krikke has scored 1,941 points during his collegiate career. He is 59 points shy of reaching 2,000.