MBB Notes -- at Minnesota

 

OPPONENT	#25/23 Iowa at Minnesota
DATE	Tuesday, Jan. 6
LOCATION	Minneapolis, Minn. | Williams Arena
KICKOFF	7 p.m. (CT)
TV	BTN
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: Tuesday's game will be televised on BTN with Cory Provus (play-by-play) and Shon Morris (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• A pair of first-year Big Ten head coaches square off Tuesday when the Hawkeyes travel to Minneapolis to face the Gophers.  Both teams are riding four-game winning streaks.
• The Hawkeyes have won three straight games inside Williams Arena.
• Iowa’s 12-2 start is the best start for the program since the 2020-21 season.  With a win at Minnesota, the Hawkeyes would have their best start since the 2000-01 season (14-2).
• 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 have three of the top 10 most efficient offensive games in program history this season, according to KenPom -- Chicago State (3rd), Robert Morris (6th), SEMO (10th). 
• Iowa ranks in the top 16 nationally in field goal percentage (fourth, .529) and 3-point field goal percentage (21st, .384).
• The Hawkeyes are 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, who has a team-high six 20-point games, is averaging 21 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in six games against Power Five opponents this season.  He has .506/.513/.800 shooting splits, while playing 38.3 minutes per game.
• On the year, Stirtz is averaging 17.8 points with .516/.434/.839 shooting splits, while averaging 5.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals. He ranks in the top nine 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 (1,867) and assists (505) and he is one of six to have 1,500 points and 350 assists. 

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
• The Gophers bring a four-game winning streak into Tuesday’s Big Ten contest in Minneapolis, which has improved their record to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
• Minnesota earned its second Big Ten victory, winning 84-78 at Northwestern on Saturday in Evanston.  Cade Tyson scored a game-high 24 points, including 17 in the second half.
• The Gophers are 8-0 at home this season, which includes a 73-64 victory over Indiana in their Big Ten opener on Dec. 3.  Minnesota’s lone Big Ten loss came at Purdue, 85-57.
• Minnesota has three players averaging in double figures with Cade Tyson leading the way with 22.1 points per game -- second-most in the Big Ten and 10th nationally.  He shoots 52.9 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from 3-point range and 82.4 percent from the foul stripe.  
• Tyson is tops in the Big Ten in free throws made (87) and second in free throw attempts (107)
• Jaylen Crocker-Johnson averages 13 points and team-high 7.1 rebounds, while Isaac Asuma averages 10.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals.
• Minnesota averages 73.5 points, while shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 33.6 percent from long range.  The Gophers are +5.0 on the glass.
• Minnesota is second in the Big Ten in scoring defense (64.8), while ranking third in steals (7.6).
• The Gophers are led by first-year head coach Niko Medved.  Medved is 0-1 against Iowa, falling 90-64 in 2017 while coaching at Drake.

SERIES HISTORY
• Tuesday’s game is the 212th meeing in the all-time series between Iowa and Minnesota.  The Gophers lead the all-time series, 108-103.
• The Hawkeyes have won three straight games in Williams Arena, dating back to the 2021-22 season. Minnesota is 66-38 against Iowa all-time in Minneapolis.
• Iowa has won eight of the last 10 games in the series, but the Gophers won the most recent meeting, winning 72-67 last season in Iowa City.  

 

LAST GAME: IOWA 74, UCLA 61
The Hawkeyes moved to 2-1 in Big Ten play with a 74-61 victory over UCLA on Saturday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  Iowa held the Bruins to 61 points -- its lowest point total of the season.
• Iowa shot 56 percent in the first half as it built a 24-point lead.  After trailing 40-22 at the break, UCLA battled back to within four points twice, including with 3:13 to play.
• The Hawkeyes had four players land in double figures with Bennett Stirtz leading all scorers with 27 points on 8-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers and a 7-of-7 night from the free throw line.
• Alvaro Folgueiras (13), Isaia Howard (11) and Tavion Banks (10) were also in double figures.

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.
• The Hawkeyes finished 10-1 in nonconference play -- the best record in non-league play since the 2021-22 season (10-1).
• Senior Bennett Stirtz is the eighth-most valuable player to his team nationally by Evan Miya.  He has been KenPom’s Game MVP nine times this season -- tied for the second-most in the nation.
• Stirtz has made 15 straight free throws dating back to Dec. 14 against Western Michigan.
• In its last four games, Iowa’s defense is holding its opponents to 53.3 points per game with a .397 (81-of-204) field goal percentage and 19 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 four straight games, where he is averaging 14.3 points on 61.8 percent (21-of-34) shooting.  He has eight 3-pointers in the four-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 six games (and in six games this season). 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, who have won the rebounding battle in four straight games, are 10-1 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 finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting with a season-high two 3-point field goals at Iowa State. He had 16 points and nine rebounds against Bucknell, narrowly missing his second double-double of the season.   
• The Hawkeyes are averaging 34.4 points in the paint this season.  Iowa has scored 50 or more points in the paint in three games, 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 21st nationally) with a .384 3-point field goal percentage.
• Iowa has made 10 or more 3-pointers in four contests and eight or more nine times.
• The Hawkeyes attempted 44 free throws (made 36) in the season-opening win over Robert Morris.  Iowa has made 25 or more free throws in three games this season.
• Iowa has attempted more free throws than its opponent in 10 games this season.  The team shot a season-high 91.7 percent (22-of-24) in the win over UMass Lowell on Dec. 29.