MBB Preview \\ at Wisconsin

The University of Iowa men’s basketball team resumes Big Ten Conference play on the road, facing Wisconsin on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  The game will be televised on FS1.

FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Friday’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.
Television: Friday’s game will be televised on FS1 with Connor Onion (play-by-play) and LaPhonso Ellis (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP

• Iowa closed out nonconference play with a 112-70 victory over New Hampshire on Dec. 30 in Iowa City.  It was the Hawkeyes’ third 100-point game this season and the 112 points are tied for the second most in a game under Fran McCaffery.
• The Hawkeyes made 45 field goals against UNH -- the most in a game under McCaffery.
• 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.
• Iowa has played only two games this season at full strength.
• The Hawkeyes have shot better than 50 percent from the floor in three straight contests and in seven 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 62-point first half in the win over New Hampshire, a 59-point second half against Utah and a 57-point first half against New Orleans.  The team has scored 50+ in three of its last six halves.
• In his first game since Dec. 12, sophomore Seydou Traore had his best game as a Hawkeye, finishing with 14 points, six assists, three blocks and three rebounds in just 20 minutes of court time against New Hampshire.  
• 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 Utah.  It was his team-best fourth 20-point game of the season.
• 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 the team with a 17.1 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 66.1 percent from the field, which ranks second in the Big Ten.  Freeman missed the Dec. 30 game against New Hampshire because of injury.
• Junior Josh Dix is averaging 15 points and 4.6 rebounds, while shooting 56.6 percent from the field (43-of-76) with 13 3-point field goals over his last seven games.  He scored 22 points and had a buzzer-beating 3 in the win over Northwestern on Dec. 3.  
• The Hawkeyes have made at least eight 3-point field goals in 12 games, including 10+ in seven contests. Iowa made 18 in the win over Southern -- the most since 2022 -- and 14 against New Orleans.  Iowa is second in the Big Ten (23rd nationally), averaging 10.5 per game.  
• Iowa is leading the Big Ten in assists (20.2, 2nd in NCAA) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.98, 4th in NCAA). The team has had 20+ assists in six games. 

SCOUTING WISCONSIN
• The Badgers bring a 10-3 overall and 0-2 Big Ten record into Friday’s game.  Wisconsin won eight straight games to open the season, which included a 103-88 win over No. 9 Arizona, before losing three straight in early December.
• Wisconsin is 7-1 at home with its lone loss coming against Michigan (67-64) in its league opener.  The Badgers also lost at No. 19 Illinois, 86-80.
• The Badgers have been off since Dec. 22 -- a 76-53 victory over Detroit Mercy.
• Wisconsin has four players averaging in double figures with John Tonje leading the way at 19.2 points per game (third in the Big Ten), shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range.  The Missouri transfer is 94-of-100 from the free throw stripe.
• John Blackwell (14.2), Max Klesmit (11.2) and Nolan Winter (11.2) also average in double figure.  Klesmit has a team-high 36 assists and 16 steals, while Winter averages a team-best six rebounds.
•  The Badgers average 19.3 points at the free throw stripe and are the best free throw shooting team in the country at 85.1 percent.

SERIES HISTORY

• Friday’s game is the 176th game in the all-time series between Iowa and Wisconsin.  The Badgers lead, 89-86.
• The Hawkeyes have dropped their last three games in Madison.  Iowa’s last win at the Kohl Center came on Feb. 18, 2021 -- a 77-62 victory.
• Iowa won the most recent meeting to snap a four-game losing streak to Wisconsin.  The Hawkeyes won 88-86 in overtime in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
• The Hawkeyes have won three games in Madison during the McCaffery era (2011-12, 2016-17, 2020-21).

LAST GAME: IOWA 112, NEW HAMPSHIRE 70

The Hawkeyes closed out nonconference play with a 112-70 rout of New Hampshire on Dec. 30 in Iowa City.  Iowa had six players land in double figures and 12 Hawkeyes score in the game.
• Senior Payton Sandfort scored a team-high 15 points, while freshman Cooper Koch (14) and sophomore Ladji Dembele (12) posted career highs.  Sophomore Seydou Traore finished with 14 points, six assists, three blocks and three rebounds in his first game since Dec. 12.
• The Hawkeyes’ 112 points are tied for the second most points in a game during the Fran McCaffery era and Iowa’s 45 field goals are the high water mark under McCaffery.

MORE NOTABLES

• Head coach Fran McCaffery has the most victories in Iowa history with 290, including a record 137 Big Ten wins.
• Sophomore Owen Freeman missed Monday’s game against New Hampshire -- the second game he has missed this season. Iowa has been at full strength in just two games this season.
• Friday’s game at Wisconsin is just Iowa’s second true road game of the season.  The Hawkeyes had a look at the buzzer in an 85-83 loss at Michigan on Dec. 7.  (Iowa is 2-1 in three neutral site games this season.)
• Freshman Cooper Koch (14 points) and sophomore Ladji Dembele (12 points) posted career highs in scoring in the win over New Hampshire.  Koch made 4-of-7 field goals, including three 3-pointers.
• The Hawkeyes are 8-1 at home this season and the program has won 96 of its last 103 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
• Iowa is second in the Big Ten, averaging 17.54 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 10 of the team’s 13 games.  Iowa got 57 points from its reserves in the 112 point outburst against New Hampshire on Dec. 30.  
• Iowa has held 11 of its 13 opponents under 50 percent shooting (and two under 40 percent), has forced at least 18 turnovers in six 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 seven victories and better than 60 percent three times, 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 fourth in the Big Ten, averaging 8.5 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 76 assists to 29 turnovers in 13 games. His 5.8 assists per game rank fourth in the Big Ten and 31st nationally.  He has had five or more assists in nine games and 8+ in three contests.
• Iowa has two players in the top seven in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio -- Drew Thelwell (2nd, 4.20), Brock Harding (7th, 2.62). Thelwell is third nationally in the category.  As a team, Iowa is No. 1 in the Big Ten (4th nationally) with a 1.98 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Iowa went 3-0 to win the team title at the Kenny Arnold Challenge.