MBB Preview \\ B1G Opener vs. Northwestern

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team opens Big Ten Conference play Tuesday, hosting Northwestern at 6 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• Tickets are $23.20-55 for adults and $12.60-17.90 for youth.

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.
Online: Tuesday’s game will be streamed on Peacock with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes hit the century mark for the first time this season in a 110-77 victory over USC Upstate on Nov. 26 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa shot a season-high 60.6 percentage, making 43-of-71 field goals. The 43 FG are tied for the most in a game under Fran McCaffery.
• Iowa has won 12 of the last 14 and 17 of the last 21 meetings over Northwestern, including nine straight from 2018-23.
• The Hawkeyes have held all seven of their opponents under 50 percent shooting, has forced at least 18 turnovers in five games and has held three opponents under 70 points. The Hawkeyes are 96-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points over the past 14+ seasons.
• Iowa limited Rider to a single 3-point field goal on Nov. 19 in Iowa City — the fewest 3-pointers the program has allowed in nearly a decade (0 vs. Alcorn State on Dec. 9, 2014).
• Iowa has won 94 of its last 100 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Sophomore Brock Harding has posted a career-high in consecutive games, including a 20-point, 10-assist, four-steal double-double in the win over USC Upstate. It was his second career double-double and second 10+ assist game.
• Harding is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 assists and four steals over his last two games, while shooting 60.7 (17-of-28) from the field and 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from 3-point range.
• Sophomore Owen Freeman has posted two double-doubles and is averaging a team-best 17.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, while shooting 63.4 percent from the floor.
• Iowa has at least one player (five different players) score 20 or more points in six of the team’s seven games.
• Splash Brothers… Payton and Pryce Sandfort have combined to make 30 3-point field goals in Iowa’s first seven games. Both brothers have made 15 3s, which are 11th-most in the BIg Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have made at least eight 3-point field goals in six games, including 10+ in four contests. Iowa made 18 in the win over Southern — the most since 2022. Iowa is third in the Big Ten (29th nationally), averaging 10.6 per game.
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten in assists (20.7) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.81). The team has had 20+ assists in four games. The team is fourth in the nation in assists and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio.

LAST GAME: IOWA 110, USC UPSTATE 77

The Hawkeyes shot a season-best 60.6 percent and made 12 3-point field goals en route to a 110-77 victory over USC Upstate on Nov. 26 in Iowa City. Iowa led 14-0 in the game and scored a season-high 55 points in the first half.
• Four players reached double digits and a total of 12 players scored. Sophomore Brock Harding had a career-high 20 points, 10 assists and four steals and redshirt junior Riley Mulvey scored a career-best 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
• Iowa had 24 assists, forced 19 turnovers and had 12 steals in the game. The team scored 26 points off the 19 turnovers and finished with 50 points in the paint.

MORE NOTABLES

• Head coach Fran McCaffery has the most victories in Iowa history with 286, including a record 136 Big Ten wins.
• The Hawkeyes are 5-0 at home this season and have yet to play a true road game. Iowa is 1-1 on neutral courts in Moline and Kansas City.
• Iowa has had one game decided by single digits — a nine-point neutral site loss against Utah State in Kansas City.
• The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in three victories, including a season-best 60.6 percent (43-of-71) in the win over USC Upstate. The 43 field goals are tied for the most makes in a game under McCaffery.
• Graduate Drew Thelwell won the 100th game of his collegiate career in Iowa’s victory over USC Upstate.
• The Hawkeyes have had 10 or more steals in four consecutive games and in five contests this season. Brock Harding has eight steals in the last two games and Drew Thelwell has 10 steals over his past three contests. Iowa is third in the Big Ten, averaging 9.6 steals per game.
• The Hawkeye reserves combined for a season-high 48 points in the Hawkeyes’ home win over USC Upstate on Nov. 26. Iowa had 12 players score in the game. Iowa’s reserves have outscored its counterparts in six of seven games this season.
• Redshirt junior Riley Mulvey scored a career-high 11 points, making all four of his field goal attempts in 11:47 of court time against USC Upstate.
• Graduate Drew Thelwell finished with 15 points — his Hawkeye high — and had four steals and three assists in the win over USC Upstate. He has been in double figure four times off the bench.
• The Hawkeyes have had five players score 20 points in a game this season — Payton Sandfort (2), Pryce Sandfort (1), Josh Dix (1), Owen Freeman (1), Brock Harding (1).
• Sophomore Brock Harding has 42 assists to 14 turnovers in seven games. His 6.0 assists per game ranks fourth in the BIg Ten and 19th nationally.
• Iowa has three players in the top seven in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio — Drew Thelwell, third, 4.17; Josh Dix, seventh, 3.00; Brock Harding, seventh, 3.00.
• Iowa went 3-0 to win the team title at the Kenny Arnold Challenge.
• Senior Payton Sandfort is rated as the No. 47 best player in the nation by ESPN.com. He is also tabbed as the 17th-best wing in college basketball by the Field of 68.
• Sandfort is tabbed as the third-best wing in the nation by College Basketball Report, Owen Freeman is rated as the fifth-best sophomore by CBR and Josh Dix is ranked as the No. 24 shooting guard by CBR.
• Sandfort currently has an 88.7 career free throw percentage (188-of-212), which is tied for the best mark in program history.

BROCK’S BREAKOUT

Sophomore Brock Harding has had a pair of breakout performances, posting career-highs in scoring in consecutive games against Utah State and USC Upstate. The guard is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 assists and four steals in his last two games, while shooting 60.7 percent from the floor.
• The Moline, Illinois, native, scored 20 points (on 9-of-15 shooting) and had 10 assists and four steals against the Spartans to record his second career double-double. It was Harding’s first career 20 point contest and second career game with 10+ assists.
• He was a bright spot in a neutral site loss against Utah State, scoring 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting with a career-best three 3-pointers. He also had five assists and four steals in 33 minutes.
• The 2023 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year has been in double figures twice this season and five times in his career. He is averaging 9.7 points, six assists and 2.6 steals, while shooting 50.9 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from 3-point range.
• Harding is second in the Big Ten in steals (2.57), fourth in assists (6.0) and seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.00)
• He has at least five assists in six of the team’s seven games and has had at least one steal in all seven games and 3+ in four contests.

OWWWWEEEEN 

Sophomore Owen Freeman had a 20th birthday to remember when he returned to his hometown of Moline and produced a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double in Iowa’s neutral site victory over Washington State. Freeman made 9-of-15 field goals, which were a career-high.
• Freeman notched his second double-double, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds against Utah State on Nov. 22. He made 9-of-12 field goals and had three blocks.
• The Moline, Illinois, native has two double-doubles this season — ranking fifth in the Big Ten — and seven in his career. He also has three career 20-point games.
• In six games (he missed the South Dakota game because of illness), Freeman is leading the team in scoring (17.5), rebounds (8.3) and blocks (13). He has scored 15+ points in every game. He is the only Hawkeye to reach double figures in every game he has played.
• Freeman ranks sixth in the Big Ten in rebounding (8.3) and seventh in scoring (17.5). He is fourth in field goal percentage (.634), fifth in field goals (45) and sixth in blocks (13).
• Freeman has shot 60 percent or better from the field in five of his six games, including 75 percent (9-of-12) against Utah State on Nov. 22 in Kansas City.

P$$$$$

Senior Payton Sandfort has reached double figures in six of seven games this season where he is second on the team in scoring (15.6) and rebounding (5.9), while averaging four assists per game.
• The Waukee, Iowa, native finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in the season opening win over East Texas A&M and he scored 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting with six rebounds in the win over Rider.
• Sandfort has two 20-point games this season and 20 for his career and has six career double-doubles.
• He has the most 3-point attempts in the Big Ten this season (54).