MBB Preview \\ New Hampshire

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team closes out nonconference play Monday, hosting New Hampshire at 6 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The game will be televised on BTN.  
• Tickets are available through the Iowa Athletics Ticket Office for $15-25 for adults and $5-10 for youth.

FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Monday’s game will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Jon Swisher (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.
Television: Monday’s game will be televised on BTN with Jeff Levering (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• The Hawkeyes close out nonconference play, hosting New Hampshire on Dec. 30 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Iowa is 7-1 at home this season and has won eight of its nine non-league contests.
• Iowa rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to post a 95-88 neutral site victory over Utah on Dec. 21 in Sioux Falls.  The Hawkeyes have three second half come-from-behind victories this season.
• The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in consecutive contests and in six games this season.  Iowa shot a season-high 62.7 percent in the victory over New Orleans.
• Iowa is unbeaten this season when shooting at least 50 percent from the field. 
• The Hawkeyes had a 57-point first half against New Orleans and a 59-point second half in the neutral site victory over Utah. 
• Senior Payton Sandfort scored a season-high 24 points, making 8-of-14 field goals to go along with a team-best eight rebounds against the Utes.  It was his team-best fourth 20-point game of the season.
• Sandfort has made 18 consecutive free throws dating back to Nov. 22 in Kansas City.  He is currently has the best career free throw percentage in program history.
• Sophomore Owen Freeman made 10-of-12 field goals to tie a career high with 22 points in the win over New Orleans. He is leading Iowa with a 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 66.1 percent from the field, which ranks second in the Big Ten.
• Junior Josh Dix is averaging 15.7 points and five rebounds, while shooting 55.1 percent from the field (38-of-69) with 12 3-point field goals over his last six games.  He scored 22 points and had a buzzer-beating 3 in the win over Northwestern on Dec. 3.  
• Sophomore Brock Harding has scored in double digits in six of the last seven games. He had a 20-point, 10-assist, four-steal double-double in the win over USC Upstate.  He is the only player in the nation with a 20-point, 10-assist, 4-steal game this season.  Harding is averaging 13 points, 6.4 assists and 2.6 steals over his last seven games.
• The Hawkeyes have made at least eight 3-point field goals in 11 games, including 10+ in six contests. Iowa made 18 in the win over Southern -- the most since 2022 -- and 14 against New Orleans.  Iowa is leading the Big Ten (21st nationally), averaging 10.5 per game.  
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten in assists (19.6, 5th in NCAA) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91, 6th in NCAA). The team has had 20+ assists in five games. 

SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
• The Wildcats bring a 2-12 overall record into Monday’s game in Iowa City.  New Hampshire has lost six straight games dating back to Nov. 23.  Its last win came on Nov. 20 over Endicott - 78-64.
• Anthony McComb III averages a team-best 15.2 points, while Sami Pissis averages 12.5 points and has a team-high 38 assists. Pissis and Davide Poser lead the team with 23 3-point field goals.  
• New Hampshire averages 66.4 points per game, which ranks 327th in the nation, and opponents average 76.5 points.  The team shoots 41.7 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from long range.

SERIES HISTORY

• It is the first all-time meeting in the series between Iowa and New Hampshire.  
• The Hawkeyes are 5-0 all-time against current members of the America East Conference, including a 103-81 victory over UMBC last season. 

LAST GAME: IOWA 95, UTAH 88 

The Hawkeyes rallied from an 11-point second half deficit to down Utah, 95-88, at the Sanford Pentagon on Dec. 21 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Senior Payton Sandfort had a season high 24 points (16 in the second half) and eight rebounds, while four other players reached double figures.
• Iowa shot 53.1 percent from the field, made nine 3-pointers and tied a season-high with 18 free throws. 
• It was Iowa’s first all-time victory over Utah.

MORE NOTABLES

• Head coach Fran McCaffery has the most victories in Iowa history with 289, including a record 137 Big Ten wins.
• Sophomore Seydou Traore has missed the team’s last two games and six total contests this season.  Iowa has been at full strength in just two games this season.
• The Hawkeyes are 7-1 at home this season and the program has won 95 of its last 102 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa is second in the Big Ten, averaging 16.25 fast-break points per contest.  The team had a season-high 38 fast-break points against New Orleans.
• The Hawkeye reserves have outscored their counterparts in nine of the team’s 12 games.  
• Iowa has held 10 of its 12 opponents under 50 percent shooting (and two under 40 percent), has forced at least 18 turnovers in five games and has held four opponents under 70 points.   The Hawkeyes are 97-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points over the past 14+ seasons.
• The Hawkeyes have had five games decided by single digits (2-3 record) and two games decided by a single possession (1-1 record). 
• The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in six victories, including a season-best 62.7 percent in the win over New Orleans on Dec. 15.
• Graduate Drew Thelwell won the 100th game of his collegiate career in Iowa’s victory over USC Upstate on Nov. 26. 
• 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).
• The Hawkeyes have had 10 or more steals in five contests this season. Iowa is third in the Big Ten, averaging 8.4 steals per game.
• Iowa had 11 blocked shots in its win over New Orleans on Dec. 15, the fifth-most in a game under McCaffery.
• The Hawkeyes have had five players hit the 20-point mark in a game this season -- Payton Sandfort (4), Josh Dix (2), Owen Freeman (2), Pryce Sandfort (1), Brock Harding (1).
• Harding has 72 assists to 26 turnovers in 12 games. His six assists per game rank third in the Big Ten and 18th nationally.  He has had five or more assists in nine games and 8+ in three contests.
• Iowa has three players in the top eight in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio -- Drew Thelwell (1st, 4.75), Brock Harding (7th, 2.77) and Josh Dix (8th, 2.75).  Thelwell is third nationally in the category.  As a team, Iowa is No. 1 in the Big Ten (6th nationally) with a 1.91 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• 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 89.4 career free throw percentage (203-of-227), which is the best mark in program history.  He has currently made 18 straight free throws dating back to Nov. 22.