Iowa MBB -- 2023-24 Final Notes

• The Hawkeyes finished the 2023-24 season with a 19-15 overall record. Iowa qualified and advanced to the NIT Second Round — the 11th postseason appearance under head coach Fran McCaffery.
• Iowa finished 10-10 in the Big Ten regular season to tie for sixth place in the standings. The Hawkeyes have won 10 or more Big Ten games in a school record six consecutive seasons. Iowa has won 10+ Big Ten games in nine of the last 10 seasons under McCaffery and the program has 11 Big Ten upper division finishes in the last 12 years.
• Iowa had all five starters garner All-Big Ten recognition. Owen Freeman became the second player in school history to be named the league’s Freshman of the Year, while Tony Perkins earned second-team honors and Payton Sandfort was a third-teamer. Josh Dix, Ben Krikke and Freeman also earned honorable mention honors.
• The Hawkeyes averaged 83.1 points per game — the third-highest scoring average during the McCaffery era. Iowa has averaged 80+ points per game in four straight seasons for the first time since since 1968-72.
• Sandfort had a team-best 11 20-point games, including scoring a career-high and team season-best 30 points in the NIT win over Kansas State. He made 9-of-14 field goals, including a career-best seven 3-pointers and also tied a career-high with 12 rebounds to notch his fifth double-double.
• Iowa had four 14+ assist games in its history entering the 2023-24 season; Perkins had two of them during the second half of the 2023-24 season.
• Sandfort posted the first triple-double in program history, finishing with 26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks in a win over Penn State on Feb. 27. It was the first 25-10-10-3 game in regulation since Marquette’s Dwyane Wade did so against top-ranked Kentucky in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
• Iowa was the only Division I school in the last 25 years to have a 25-point triple-double by a women’s player (Caitlin Clark) and men’s player (Sandfort) in the same season.
• Freeman had five double-doubles this season– the most by a Big Ten freshman and tied for the eighth-most by a freshman nationally. They were the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Melsahn Basabe (6) in 2010-11, tied for the second-most in program history.
• Iowa had three players — Perkins, Sandfort and Patrick McCaffery — join the 1,000 point club during the 2023-24 season. Krikke surpassed 2,000 career points.
• Perkins was one of nine players nationally with 475+ points, 140+ rebounds, 150+ assists and 50+ steals.
• The Hawkeyes posted four wins over NCAA Tournament teams in 2023-24.
• Iowa led the Big Ten and ranked third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.85). It is the second straight year the program has been third nationally in the category.
• The Hawkeyes were also in the top 20 nationally in assists (ninth, 17.8), fastbreak points (12th, 14.85), scoring offense (12th, 83.1), turnovers per game (18th, 9.6) and free throw percentage (18th, .774).
• Iowa went 13-4 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the 2023-24 season.
• Sophomore Dasonte Bowen entered the transfer portal, while seniors Patrick McCaffery and Tony Perkins entered the portal as graduate transfers.

MORE NOTABLES…

• The Hawkeyes were 27th nationally in pace of play in 2023-24, averaging 74.3 possessions per 40 minutes. Iowa led the Big Ten and ranked 12th nationally, averaging 14.85 fastbreak points per contest.
• Iowa went 3-9 in Quad 1 games, 5-3 in Quad 2, 4-2 in Quad 3 and 6-0 in Quad 4 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes led in the second half in seven of their 10 Big Ten regular season losses.
• Iowa had three different players — Payton Sandfort, Tony Perkins and Brock Harding — record four games with 10+ assists this season.
• The Hawkeyes had the second-best team field goal percentage in the Big Ten at 47.6 percent, ranking 33rd nationally.
• Sandfort led the Big Ten with 94 3-point field goals — 38th nationally — on a league-high 248 attempts. He was third in the Big Ten with a 37.9 3-point field goal percentage. The forward hit two or more 3-pointers in 27 games.
• Iowa was one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 83.1 points in 34 games. The Hawkeyes ranked second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally. The team scored at least 84 points in 19 games.
• Iowa ranked second in the Big Ten and ninth nationally with 17.8 assists per game. Iowa led the Big Ten and rank third nationally with a 1.85 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Senior Tony Perkins started 81 consecutive games dating back to the 2021-22 season to close out his Hawkeye career.
• Iowa played seven games decided by seven or fewer points this season (5-2 record).
• The Hawkeyes have won 90 of their last 96 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa had six players hit the 20-point mark this season (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery, Owen Freeman and Josh Dix).
• Sandfort finished the season ranking eighth in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game.
• Ahoy 100. Iowa 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 went 12-3 when attempting at least 20 free throws, 13-2 when shooting 50+ percent from the field and 10-2 when making eight or more 3-pointers.
• Iowa had at least four players reach double digits in 21 games this season.
• The Hawkeyes went 13-4 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season and are 27-7 in its last 34 home games. It was the sixth straight year the team has won at least 10 home games. Iowa has won at least 10 home games in 12 of head coach Fran McCaffery’s 14 seasons.
• The Hawkeyes 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 had eight games with seven or more assists this season and 13 games with at least five assists. He led the team with 158 assists against 66 turnovers.
• The Hawkeyes led the Big Ten and ranked 18th nationally in free throw percentage, making 77.4 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 made 18-of-19 free throws against Penn State — the most makes and attempts since Peter Jok (22-of-23) vs. Indiana in 2016-17. Sandfort made 16 consecutive free throws after missing his third attempt in the first half, which are the most consecutive makes in a single game in program history.
• Sandfort finished second in the Big Ten and ranked 11th nationally, making 91.1 percent (102-of-112) of his free throw attempts.
• Sandfort was Iowa’s leading rebounder (or tied for the team lead) in 11 games this season. The forward averaged a career-best 6.6 rebounds per game, which ranked 13th in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes earned 11 Big Ten weekly honors this season — Ben Krikke (Player of the Week – 11/20, Owen Freeman (Freshman of Week (11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/18, 1/8, 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/19) and Payton Sandfort (Player of the Week, 3/4). Freeman was the first Hawkeye freshman to earn the award in consecutive weeks and the nine 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 of the last six seasons and 10 of the last 12 years. The program has won 10 or more Big Ten games in a program record six consecutive seasons and nine of the last 10 seasons.