MBB Preview — at Michigan State

 

OPPONENT	Iowa (15-11, 7-8) at Michigan State (17-9, 9-6)
LOCATION	Breslin Center | East Lansing, Mich.
DATE	Tuesday, Feb. 20
TIP-OFF	6 p.m. (CT)
RADIO	Hawkeye Radio Network
TV	BTN

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team hits the road, heading to East Lansing on Tuesday to face Michigan State at the Breslin Center at 6 p.m. It is the only meeting between the two squads during the regular season.

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 streamed live on Peacock with Noah Eagle (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• Iowa begins a two-game road trip, heading to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Tuesday night at the Breslin Center. The Hawkeyes have won four of the last five meetings over the Spartans.
• The Hawkeyes picked up their first win over a nationally ranked opponent this season and their first Quad 1 win in the overtime victory over No. 20 Wisconsin on Feb. 17. Iowa will play four Quad 1 games in its final five regular season contests.
• Iowa has led in the second half in each of its last three road losses — at Indiana (68-66 with 1:42 left), at Penn State (63-56 with 8:38 to play) and at Maryland (54-44 with 12:09 remaining). Iowa is 2-7 on the road this season.
• The Hawkeyes rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit — the largest second-half comeback win since 1987 — to defeat Minnesota, 90-85, on Feb. 11 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes trailed 62-42 with 16:11 to play.
• Freshman Owen Freeman finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, a career-high six assists and four blocks in Iowa’s overtime win over No. 20/21 Wisconsin. It is the only game with at least 20-12-6-4 in the nation this season and one of eight since 2010-11.
• It was Freeman’s fifth double-double — the most by a Big Ten freshman and tied for the third-most by a freshman nationally. They are the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Melsahn Basabe (6) in 2010-11. Freeman is one of two Power 6 freshmen with five double-doubles.
• Senior Tony Perkins is currently the only player in the Big Ten, one of two from a Power 6 Conference (and one of five nationally) with 400+ points, 100+ assists, 100+ rebounds and 45+ steals. He ranks in the top seven in the Big Ten in points, assists and steals.
• Senior Patrick McCaffery is 23 points shy of becoming Iowa’s 53rd 1,000 point scorer in program history.
• Junior Payton Sandfort has a Big Ten-best 70 3-point field goals on a league-high 187 attempts, while ranking second in the Big Ten with a 37.4 3-point field goal percentage. The forward has hit two or more 3-pointers in 21 games.
• Head coach Fran McCaffery is the winningest coach in program history, winning 276 career games, including 133 Big Ten victories.
• Freeman earned his eighth Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 12 after averaging 13 points and 9.5 rebounds against Penn State and Minnesota. The eight honors are the second-most in league history, trailing only Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger.
• Iowa is one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 83.7 points in 26 games. The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten and rank 14th nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in 15 games, averaging 92.6 points in wins and 71.5 points in losses.
• The Hawkeyes are third in the Big Ten and rank 13th nationally, averaging 17.6 assists per game. Iowa is leading the Big Ten and rank fourth nationally with a 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE

• Michigan State has won three straight games to improve to 17-9 overall and 9-6 in Big Ten play. The Spartans started the season with four wins in its first nine games.
• Since losing back-to-back Big Ten games to Wisconsin and at Nebraska, the Spartans have won 13 of their last 17 contests. Michigan State has won three straight games, five of six and eight of its last 10 heading into Tuesday against Iowa.
• The Spartans are 13-2 in home games at the Breslin Center this season with the only two losses coming against James Madison (79-76 in OT) in the season opener and against Wisconsin (70-57 on Dec. 5). Michigan State has won nine straight home games.
• Four Spartans are averaging in double figures with guard Tyson Walker leading the way with an 18.4 scoring average, ranking fifth in the Big Ten. Walker also has a team-best 49 steals, ranking third in the league.
• Malik Hall (12.7), Jaden Akins (11.2) and A.J. Hoggard (11.2) also average in double digits. Hoggard has a team-high 133 assists, Atkins is the top 3-point shooter, making 53 on the year, and Mady Sissoko averages a team-best 5.7 rebounds.
• The Spartans are third in the Big Ten in scoring defense (65.8) and third in field goal percentage defense (.403) — 23rd nationally.

SERIES HISTORY

• Tuesday’s game is the 137th meeting in the series that began in 1937 in East Lansing. Michigan State leads, 77-59.
• The Hawkeyes have won four of the last five meetings, including a 112-106 overtime victory on Feb. 25, 2023, in Iowa City.
• Iowa rallied from 11 points down with 55 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime before prevailing 112-106. The Hawkeyes were the fourth team to ever win when down 11+ with less than a minute left.
• The Hawkeyes’ last win in East Lansing came in 2021, winning 88-58. Iowa fell 63-61 at Breslin last season.

 

LAST GAME | MARYLAND 78, IOWA 66

Senior Tony Perkins’ layup with 1.3 seconds remaining sent Iowa to an 88-86 overtime victory over No. 20/21 Wisconsin on Feb. 17 in Iowa City. It was the Hawkeyes’ first win over a ranked opponent this season and the team’s first Quad 1 win.
• Freshman Owen Freeman posted a double-double, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. He went 6-of-6 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free throw line.
• The Hawkeyes had four players scored 17 or more points — Perkins (18), Payton Sandfort (17) and Josh Dix (17). Iowa shot 52.6 percent from the floor and went 24-of-30 from the free throw stripe — its sixth game with 20 or more free throws this season.

MORE NOTABLES…

• The Hawkeyes are 34th nationally in pace of play in 2023-24, averaging 74.5 possessions per 40 minutes. Iowa is tops in the Big Ten and 18th in the country, averaging 14.88 fastbreak points per contest.
• Iowa is 1-7 in Quad 1 games, 5-3 in Quad 2, 2-1 in Quad 3 and 7-0 in Quad 4 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes have played the 28th best strength of schedule in the nation.
• Senior Tony Perkins has started 73 consecutive games dating back to the 2021-22 season.
• The Hawkeyes have shot 50 percent or better from the field in four of the last seven games. Iowa is 11-2 this season when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
• Iowa has played five games decided by seven or fewer points this season (3-2 record).
• For the first time this season, Payton Sandfort isn’t Iowa’s leading rebounder. Freshman Owen Freeman overtook Sandfort for the team lead following his 12 rebound effort against Wisconsin. Freeman averages 6.6 rebounds per game; Sandfort 6.4.
• Iowa is 11-3 at home this season, marking the sixth straight year the Hawkeyes have won at least 10 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa has won at least 10 home games in 12 of head coach Fran McCaffery’s 14 seasons.
• 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 two players ranked in the top 14 in the Big Ten in scoring — Perkins (13th, 15.5), Sandfort (14th, 15.2).
• Since joining the starting lineup on Dec. 10 against
  Michigan, freshman Owen Freeman is averaging 11.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, while shooting 65.3 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 9-1 when attempting at least 20 free throws, 11-2 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 16 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes are 11-3 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and 25-6 in its last 30 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 108 assists against 46 turnovers.
• The Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten and rank 15th nationally in free throw percentage, making 77.7 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 6.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 14th in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have earned nine 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, 2/12). Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the award in consecutive weeks and the eight honors are a single season school record and 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 Hawkeye as he is one of eight players all-time to have 1,000+ points, 350+ rebounds, 265+ assists and 125+ steals.
• Perkins is among a group that includes: Roy Marble, Jordan Bohannon, Devyn Marble, Matt Gatens, Jess Settles, Dean Oliver and Jeff Horner.
• Perkins is currently leading the Hawkeyes in points, assists and steals. He would be the first player since Oliver in 2000 to lead the team in all three categories.

20-12-6-4

Freshman Owen Freeman displayed his versatility in Iowa’s 88-86 overtime victory over No. 20/21 Wisconsin on Feb. 17. The forward finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks, becoming the first player in the nation with at least 20-12-6-4 in a game this season.
• Freeman is one of eight players since 2010-11 to post at least 20 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. Three of those players resided in the Big Ten — Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ and Purdue’s Trevion Williams.
• Freeman had a stellar game in the win over Minnesota, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four assists. He’s one of two players nationally to have at least 17-14-4-4 this season.

OWEN –>> SLIME

Forward Owen Freeman is the first Hawkeye freshman since Fran McCaffery’s first season in Iowa City to post at least five double-doubles. Freeman has the most double-doubles since Melsahn Basabe had six in 2010-11.

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 1,102 points as a Hawkeye, ranking 39th all-time.
• Senior Patrick McCaffery has scored 977 career points. He needs 23 points to become Iowa’s 53rd member of the 1,000 point club.
• Graduate Ben Krikke has scored 1,962 points during his five-year collegiate career. He is 38 points shy of reaching 2,000 career points.