MBB Notes: Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series at Iowa State

 

OPPONENT	RV/#23 Iowa at #4/4 Iowa State
DATE	Thursday, Dec. 11
LOCATION	Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum
KICKOFF	7 p.m. (CT)
TV	FS1
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.
TV: Thursday’s game will be televised on FS1 with Kevin Kugler (play-by-play) and Miles Simon (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• It is the second straight year (fourth time all-time) that Iowa will face a top 10 ranked Iowa State team.
• It is the third time in series history that the two teams meet as ranked opponents (Iowa is 23rd in coaches poll and 26th in AP poll).  In 2013-14, ISU was 17th and Iowa 23rd, while in 1987-88, Iowa was No. 7 and Iowa State was 20th.
• The Hawkeyes’ 8-1 start is the best for the program through nine games since the 2000-01 season (9-0).
• Iowa rebounded from its first loss of the season to down Maryland, 83-64, on Dec. 6 in Iowa City.  Four Hawkeyes landed in double figures in the game.
• The Hawkeyes opened the season with seven straight wins -- the best start since 2021-22. Head coach Ben McCollum was the fourth Iowa coach all-time to open his tenure with seven consecutive wins -- the first since Dr. Tom Davis in the 1986-87 season.
• The Hawkeyes are 17th in the nation with a .517 field goal percentage, which includes a .594 effective field goal percentage.  
• Iowa won the Acrisure Classic with victories over Ole Miss and Grand Canyon, while senior Bennett Stirtz was named the tournament MVP after averaging 21 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals with seven 3-pointers.
• Stirtz has a team-high four 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.
• Iowa held Grand Canyon to 46 points -- the fewest allowed since 2010 -- and it was the team’s first win when scoring fewer than 60 points since 2020.
• Stirtz is averaging 18.8 points with .505/.451/.800 shooting splits, while averaging 4.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He ranks in the top seven 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 (1,787) and assists (476) and he is one of six to have 1,500 points and 350 assists. 

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
• The Cyclones bring a perfect 9-0 record into Thursday’s Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series matchup at Hilton Coliseum.  Iowa State is 4-0 at home this season.
• Iowa State has five Power 5 Conference victories this season, downing Mississippi State (96-80), St. John’s (83-82), Creighton (78-60) and Syracuse (85-64) on neutral courts and posting an impressive 81-58 road win at top-ranked Purdue.  
• The Cyclones are leading the nation with a 54.9 field goal percentage and are third in 3-point percentage (.438).  Iowa State also has the No. 1 scoring margin, winning by an average of 30 points per game.
• ISU is also No. 1 in the nation in points per possession, averaging 1.317 per game, while ranking eighth in point per possession defensively (0.899).
• Iowa State also ranks in the top 10 nationally in turnover margin (+8.9, 1st), turnovers forced (19, 2nd), scoring offense (8th, 84.6) and steals (8th, 11.1).
• The Cyclones have four players averaging in double figures with sophomore Milan Momcilovic leading the way with an 18.3 scoring average.  Momcilovic is No. 2 in the nation in 3-pointers per game (4.11), third in total 3s (37) and eighth in 3-point percentage (.536).
• Joshua Jefferson averages 17.6 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists.  He is shooting 56.6 percent from the field.  Tamin Lipsey, who has missed three games because of injury, averages 16.8 points, while Killyan Toure averages 12.0.
• Iowa State has four players with 13 or more steals and the team has 100 steals combined in nine games.  The Cyclones have forced 171 turnovers (19 per game).

SERIES HISTORY
• Thursday’s game is the 79th meeting in the all-time series against Iowa State.  The Hawkeyes won the first 10 meetings, beginning in 1910, and 17 of the first 18 contests. 
• Iowa leads the all-time series, 48-30.
• The Cyclones have won the last two and three of the last four meetings, including two straight in Hilton Coliseum.  Iowa State leads 22-17 all-time in Ames.
• Iowa’s last win in Hilton came in 2019 -- an 84-68 victory.  The win snapped an eight-game losing streak in Ames. 
• It is the second straight year Iowa has faced the Cyclones when they were a top 10 opponent.
• The Hawkeyes are 4-3 against the Terps in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

LAST GAME: IOWA 83, MARYLAND 64
The Hawkeyes notched their first Big Ten victory of the season, downing Maryland, 83-64, on Dec. 6 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Iowa had four players land in double figures with senior Bennett Stirtz leading the way with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting.
• The Terps lost despite making 24 free throws (to Iowa’s six) and Maryland attempted 38 free throws (to Iowa’s 12).
• The Hawkeyes had a 44-20 advantage in paint points and shot 54 percent from the field with nine 3-point field goals.
• Iowa jumped on Maryland in the first half, using a 12-0, 17-2 and 19-4 run to build a 30-13 lead.  
• Junior Cam Manyawu (12 points and seven rebounds), freshman Tate Sage (12 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Cooper Koch (11 points) were also in double digits.

MORE NOTABLES
• Junior Alvaro Folgueiras is averaging 8.3 points, four rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals.  He has 21 assists and seven turnovers in nine games, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from 3-point range.
• 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.  
• Freshman Tate Sage scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with four rebounds and three steals in the Big Ten win over Maryland. He played 20+ minutes for the second time this season.  
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 34.9 points in the paint this season.
• Senior Brendan Hausen has made 10 field goals this season -- all but one coming from 3-point range.  All but four of his attempts have come from distance.
• Iowa is third in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage (.377).  The team has made 10 or more 3-pointers in three contests and eight or more six times.
• Iowa has the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference (12th nationally), allowing 62.6 points per game.  The team has allowed fewer than 65 points five times.
• The Hawkeyes are forcing 15.7 turnovers per games -- tops in the Big Ten.
• Iowa is second in the Big Ten in steals at 8.0 per game and the team has had 10+ steals three times this season.
• 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, is averaging 18.3 makes per game -- sixth-most in the Big Ten.
• Iowa has attempted more free throws than its opponent in seven of nine games this season.