MBB Notes -- White Out vs. UCLA

 

OPPONENT	UCLA at #25/23 Iowa
DATE	Saturday, Jan. 3
LOCATION	Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
KICKOFF	5 p.m. (CT)
TV	Peacock
RADIO	Hawkeye Radio Network

 

ON THE AIR
Radio: Games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bobby Hansen (color) on the call.  The network includes1 more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and includes portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.  The Hawkeye Radio Network includes a 60-minute pregame show.
Stream: Saturday's game will be streamed on Peacock with Paul Burmeister (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• The Hawkeyes return to Big Ten play Saturday, hosting UCLA on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is 8-0 at home this season and 2-0 all-time against the Bruins in Iowa City.
• Iowa’s 11-2 start is the best start for the program since the 2020-21 season (12-2 record).
• The Hawkeyes have gone 10-1 in nonconference play -- the best record in non-league play since the 2021-22 season (10-1).
• Iowa’s two losses have come against top 10 teams on the road -- at No. 7 Michigan State, at No. 4 Iowa State.
• The Hawkeyes’ last three wins have come by a combined 123 points in victories over Western Michigan, Bucknell and UMass Lowell.
• Iowa had a season-high 19 steals -- tied for the fourth-most in a game in program history -- in the neutral site win over Bucknell on Dec. 20.  Sophomore Isaia Howard had seven steals -- the most by a Hawkeye since 2010 and tied for the fourth-most in school history -- in the contest.
• Iowa ranks in the top 16 nationally in field goal percentage (third, .533) and 3-point field goal percentage (16th, .392).
• Iowa is allowing 60.1 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and fourth-fewest nationally. Iowa has held five opponents under 60 points this season; the past three seasons the team held opponents under 60 points five times combined.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz has a team-high five 20-point games, including a season-high 29 points in the win over Ole Miss, making 9-of-20 field goals and six 3-pointers.  He scored a game-high 25 points in the Dec. 6 win over Maryland.
• Stirtz is averaging 17.1 points with .497/.414/.818 shooting splits, while averaging 5.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He ranks in the top 11 in the Big Ten in points, assists and steals. 
• Amongst active players, Stirtz is the only player nationally ranked in the top 10 in points (1,840) and assists (500) and he is one of six to have 1,500 points and 350 assists. 

SCOUTING UCLA
• The Bruins, who are receiving votes in both polls, bring a 10-3 overall and 2-0 Big Ten record into Saturday’s game in Iowa City.  UCLA has been off since Dec. 23 -- a 97-65 win over UC Riverside.
• UCLA has won three straight games and five of its last six, including wins at Washington (82-80) and at home against Oregon (74-63) to open Big Ten play.  
• The Bruins’ three losses have all come on neutral floors against Arizona (69-65), California (80-72) and Gonzaga (82-72).  
• UCLA has four players averaging in double figures with forward Tyler Bilodeau leading the team in scoring, averaging 19 points on 54.8 percent shooting and a Big Ten-best 92.9 percent from the free throw stripe.
• Skyy Clark averages 14.2 points with a team-high 33 3-pointers and a league-best 49.3 3-point percentage. Donovan Dent averages 12.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals, and Eric Dailey, Jr., averages 10.6 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds.
• UCLA averages 81.7 points per game, while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from 3-point range -- second-best in the Big Ten.  The Bruins allow 68.9 points and limit opponents to 42.2 percent shooting.
• The Bruins force 14.5 turnovers per game -- second-most in the Big Ten -- and have a 4.2 turnover margin, which ranks in the top-30 nationally.

SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday’s game is the 10th meeting all-time between Iowa and UCLA.  The Hawkeyes lead the series, 5-4.
• Iowa is 2-0 all-time against the Bruins in Iowa City, winning 80-63 in the first meeting in 1950 and 88-71 in 1990.  
• After Iowa won the first four meetings all-time, the Bruins have been victorious in four of the last five contests.  UCLA won 94-70 last season in Los Angeles -- the first meeting since 1990.

LAST GAME: IOWA 90, UMASS LOWELL 62
The Hawkeyes closed out nonconference play with a 90-62 victory over UMass Lowell on Monday afternoon inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Iowa shot 58.2 percent from the floor and a season-best 91.7 percent from the free throw line in the victory.
• Iowa had four players land in double figures with Bennett Stirtz leading the way with 22 points and eight assists, giving him 500 assists for his career.  He went 7-of-13 from the field. 
• The Hawkeyes also got double digits from Alvaro Folgueiras (14), Cam Manyawu (14) and Tavion Banks (12).  Manyawu also had nine rebounds and tied a career-high with three blocks.

MORE NOTABLES
• The Hawkeyes are ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll and 23rd in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.  It is the first time Iowa has been in the AP poll since Nov. 21, 2022 (No. 25 ranking). 
• Iowa has been in the Coaches’ Poll in each of the last five weeks and the No. 23 ranking is tied for a season high.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz is the 10th-most valuable player to his team nationally by Evan Miya.  
• In its last three games, Iowa’s defense has held its opponents to 50.6 points per game with a .378 (56-of-148) field goal percentage and 16 total 3-point field goals.
• The Hawkeyes allowed just 39 points -- the fewest since 2013 (vs. UNC Wilmington) -- against Bucknell.   The .597 points allowed per possession was the fewest by the team since 2013.
• Junior Alvaro Folgueiras has scored in double figures in three straight games, where he is averaging 14.7 points on 65.4 percent (17-of-26) shooting.  He has five 3-pointers in the three-game stretch.
• Folgueiras scored 13 points in eight minutes in the first half and led the team with 17 points in the win over Bucknell on Dec. 20.  He made 7-of-10 field goals, including three 3-pointers, to lead the team in scoring for the second time this season.
• Junior Cam Manyawu has scored in double figures in four of the last five games (and in six games this season).  He is averaging 11 points on 68.5 percent shooting (24-of-35) and pulling down 5.6 rebounds per game during the stretch.  He finished with 14 points, nine rebounds (his second game with nine rebounds) and tied a career-high with three blocks in the win over UMass Lowell.   
• Iowa was +20 on the glass in the win over Bucknell, its largest rebounding advantage of the season.  The Hawkeyes are 9-1 when they win the rebounding battle this season.
• Junior Kael Combs tied a career-high, making 6-of-7 field goals in Iowa’s win over Bucknell.  It was his second game in double figures this season.
• Senior Tavion Banks led the team in scoring for the second time this season at Iowa State, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a season-high two 3-point field goals. He had 16 points and nine rebounds against Bucknell, narrowly missing his second double-double of the season.  
• Sophomore Isaia Howard had a breakout game in the win over Grand Canyon, leading all scorers with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with a season-high three 3-pointers. In two games at the Acrisure Classic, Howard averaged 11.5 points and five rebounds, while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.  
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 35.4 points in the paint this season.  Iowa has scored 50 or more points in the paint in three games this season, including a season-high 54 points in the win over UMass Lowell on Dec. 29.
• Senior Brendan Hausen scored a season-high 13 points and made a season-best four 3-pointers on Dec. 14 against Western Michigan. Hausen has made 17 field goals this season with 15 coming from long range.  
• The Hawkeyes made a season-high 14 3-point field goals with six different players making at least one in the win over Western Michigan.  Iowa is third in the Big Ten (and ranks 16th nationally) with a .392 3-point field goal percentage.
• Iowa has made 10 or more 3-pointers in four contests and eight or more eight times.
• The Hawkeyes attempted 44 free throws (made 36) in the season-opening win over Robert Morris.  Iowa, who has made 25 or more free throws in three games this season.
• Iowa has attempted more free throws than its opponent in nine games this season.  The team shot a season-high 91.7 percent (22-of-24) in the win over UMass Lowell on Dec. 29.