MBB Notes - Black Out vs. No. 7/8 Nebraska

 

OPPONENT	#7/8 Nebraska at RV/#25 Iowa
DATE	Tuesday, Feb. 17
LOCATION	Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
KICKOFF	8 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 Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Shon Morris (color) and Andy Katz (sideline) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• Iowa will face its second straight ranked opponent, hosting Nebraska on Tuesday inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.  The Hawkeyes have won three straight overall in the series and 10 of the last 11 over the Huskers in Iowa City. 
• The Hawkeyes are in the midst of a stretch where they will face five Quad 1 opponents in the final seven games of the season.  
• Iowa has 18 wins and eight in Big Ten play, surpassing the 2024-25 win totals.  The Hawkeyes are 12-2 at home this season.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz has scored 30+ points three times in the last five games and 20+ points in seven of the last eight games (14 times this season).  He scored 122 points over a four game stretch from Feb. 1-11, the most since Luka Garza (126) in 2020-21 and the most in four straight Big Ten games since downtown Freddy Brown in 1971 (122).
• His 36 points against Northwestern are the most by a Hawkeye since Luka Garza in 2021 and are tied for the fourth-most in a game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history.
• Stirtz shared the Big Ten Player of the Week honor on Feb. 2 and Feb. 9. He is the first Hawkeye since Keegan Murray in 2021-22 to earn the accolade in consecutive weeks. He also named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week of Feb. 10.
• Stirtz was named to the Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 list on Feb. 10.
• Stirtz is second in the Big Ten in scoring in league-only games, averaging 23.3 points to go along with  four assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals with a .531/.400/.822 shooting clip. He has three 30-point and nine 20-point contests in league play.
• Iowa ranks 17th nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 50.1 percent.  The team also is 16th in effective field goal percentage (.575).
• The Hawkeyes are allowing 64.9 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and 13th-fewest nationally. Iowa has held six opponents under 60 points this season.
• Iowa has held all but one opponent below its team season scoring average on the year.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA

• The Huskers are 2-3 in their last five games, dropping the team’s record to 22-3 overall and 11-3 in Big Ten play.  Nebraska opened the season with 20 consecutive wins before suffering its first loss at Michigan (75-72) on Jan. 27.
• Nebraska is 6-1 in true road games this season and has 10 combined Quad 1 & Quad 2 victories.  
• The Huskers have four players averaging in double figures and five players averaging at least 9.6 points for a team that averages 79.4 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 36 percent from long range.
• Former Hawkeye Pryce Sandfort leads the team in scoring (17.5 points) and 3-point field goals (88), while averaging 4.6 points on 46.9 percent shooting from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range.  He is leading the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game (3.52), total 3s (88), 3-point attempts (219) and is second in 3-point percentage.
• Reink Mast averages 14.3 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds, freshman Braden Frager adds 11.8 points and 3.7 rebounds off the bench, and Jamarques Lawrence chips in 10.6 points with 94 assists, while Sam Hoiberg averages 9.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals, while shooting 54.4 percent from the floor. Hoiberg has a 5.50 assist-to-turnover ratio -- tops in the nation -- while also leading the Big Ten in steals.
• Nebraska is fourth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.95) and 13th in assists (18.4).  
• The Huskers allow 66 points per game, 19th-fewest nationally.  Nebraska’s field goal percentage defense of 39.8 percent ranks 20th in the nation, while the 3-point percentage is 22nd (29.9).
• Nebraska averages 11 3-point field goals per game to rank 12th in the NCAA.  

SERIES HISTORY
• Tuesday’s game is the 43rd meeting all-time between Iowa and Nebraska, dating back to 1907.   The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 27-15.
• Iowa has won three straight and six of the last eight in the series, dating back to the 2019-20 season.  
• The Hawkeyes swept the season series during the 2024-25 campaign, winning 97-87 in overtime in Iowa City and 83-68 in Lincoln in a Big Ten Tournament qualifying elimination game.
• Iowa is 18-4 against the Cornhuskers in Iowa City.  The Hawkeyes have won 10 of the last 11 meetings, dating back to the 2012-13 season.
• Tuesday is the first of two meetings between the two teams.  The second game will be held March 8 in Lincoln.

 

LAST GAME: PURDUE 78, IOWA 57
Purdue led by 11 points at the break and opened up a 20-point lead four minutes into the second half en route to a 78-57 win over Iowa on Feb. 14 in Iowa City.   The Hawkeyes shot a season-low 37.7 percent from the field and Purdue out-rebounded Iowa, 38-30.  Senior Bennett Stirtz was the only player in double figures, scoring 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

IOWA'S BENNETT STIRTZ IS...
• eighth among active players (all levels) with 2,127 career points.  He eclipsed the 2,000-point mark on Feb. 1 at Oregon.
• the only player in the nation with 505+ points, 115+ assists, 60+ 3s, 60+ rebounds and 35+ steals.
• one of two players in the nation with 505+ points, 115+ assists,  60+ rebounds and 35+ assists.
• the only player in the Big Ten (one of three power conference players) with 505+ points and 115+ assists.
• looking to become the first Hawkeye in 26 years to lead the team in scoring, assists and steals.  Dean Oliver led the team in all three categories during the 1999-00 season. (The last player to lead the team in points and assists was Devyn Marble during the 2012-13 season).

IOWA IS... 
• 16-2 when scoring 70+ points this season.  The two losses were at No. 5 Purdue and at Maryland.
• 14-1 when allowing fewer than 69 points this season.
• 14-0 when shooting more free throws than its opponents.
• 14-0 when leading with 10 minutes to play.
• 14-1 when having a higher field goal percentage.
• 13-2 when out-rebounding its opponent.
• 15-2 when leading at halftime.
• 11-0 when junior Alvaro Folgueiras scores in double figures.

STIRTZ: BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN POW
Senior Bennett Stirtz was named the Big Ten Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks, earning the distinction on Feb. 2 & Feb. 9.
• Stirtz earned his first honor on Feb. 2 after leading Iowa to wins over USC and Oregon.  The guard averaged 26 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting 66.7 percent from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range and was 10-for-10 from the free throw line. 
• He scored a then career-high 32 points on 12-of-15 shooting with four 3-pointers, seven assists, two steals and zero turnovers in the road win at Oregon.  Against USC, he finished with 20 points, three steals, three rebounds and two assists in the one-point win.  Stirtz made two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to send the Hawkeyes to the victory.
• Stirtz earned his second straight honor after averaging 29 points, 3.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in wins over Washington and Northwestern.  He had .606/.571/.833 shooting splits during the week.  He was also named the USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Feb. 10.
• He finished with 22 points and five assists in the 10-point road win in Seattle before scoring a career-high 36 points on 12-of-20 shooting, 4-of-6 from 3-point range and making all eight free throws in the home win over Northwestern.  They were his fifth and sixth-straight 20-point contests.
• Stirtz is the first Hawkeye since Keegan Murray in 2022 to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks.

MOST WINS BY A FIRST-YEAR HAWKEYE
Through 25 games, Iowa’ Ben McCollum has the third-most wins by a first-year head coach in program history with 18 victories.

Dr. Tom Davis (1986-87) - 30
Bucky O’Connor (1951-52) - 19
Ben McCollum (2025-26) - 18