MBB Notes - at Penn State

 

OPPONENT	Iowa at Penn State
DATE	Saturday, Feb. 28
LOCATION	University Park, Pa. | Bryce Jordan Center
KICKOFF	11 a.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: Saturday’s game will be televised on BTN with Jason Horowitz (play-by-play) and Austin Johnson (color) on the call.

OPENING TIP
• Iowa notched its first 20-win season since 2021-22 in its 74-57 victory over Ohio State on Wednesday in Iowa City. 
• It is head coach Ben McCollum’s 15th straight 20-win season and he is now one of two Hawkeye head coaches (Dr. Tom Davis) to win at least 20 games in year one.
• Iowa posted a signature victory, downing No. 9 Nebraska, 57-52, on Feb. 17 in Iowa City. It was the program’s first top 10 home win since 2019.
• Iowa is in the midst of a stretch where it is facing five Quad 1 opponents in a seven-game stretch to close out the regular season. 
• Senior Bennett Stirtz has scored 30+ points three times and 20+ points in 10 of the last 11 games (17 times this season; tied for second-most in Big Ten). 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 is second in the Big Ten in scoring in league-only games, averaging 23.3 points to go along with 3.7 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals with a .527/.393/.833 shooting clip. He has three 30-point and 12 20-point contests in league play.
• Over his last 10 games, Stirtz has played 40 minutes six times and has been on the court for all but 5:05 of the possible 400 minutes of game action.
• Stirtz has been named to the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year Late-Season Team, the Wooden Award Late Midseason Top 20 and the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Top 10 lists.
• Junior Alvaro Folgueiras scored a season-high 20 points, making 8-of-10 field goals, to go along with four rebounds and five assists in Iowa’s win over Ohio State.  The Hawkeyes are 12-1 when Folgueiras lands in double figures.
• Iowa ranks 21st nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 49.6 percent.  The team also is 21std in effective field goal percentage (.569).
• The Hawkeyes are allowing 64.8 points per game -- the fewest in the Big Ten and 12th-fewest nationally. Iowa, who has held two of its last three opponents to season lows in points, has held eight opponents at 60 points or less this season -- the most since 2014-15.
• Iowa has held all but two opponents below its team season scoring average on the year.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
• The Nittany Lions opened the season with eight wins in their first nine games, but the team has won just three times since Dec. 9.  Penn State is 11-17 overall and is last in the Big Ten with a 2-15 league mark.    
• Penn State has been off since Feb. 21 -- an 87-64 loss at Nebraska.  The Nittany Lions’ two Big Ten wins came against Minnesota (77-75) and at Washington (63-60).  
• The team is 8-7 overall at home, but just 1-7 in Big Ten play.
• The Nittany Lions have three players averaging in double figures -- Freddie Dilione V. (13.9), Kayden Mingo (13.9) and Josh Reed (11.2).  Mingo also leads the team in assists (109) and steals (55), which are second-most in the league.
• Penn State averages 74.9 points, while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from long range.  The team averages 11.14 fastbreak points, ranking fifth in the conference.
• Defensively, Nittany Lions opponents average 79.5 points, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3-point land.  Opponents also are +3.8 on the glass (33.5-29.7).  
• The Nittany Lions average 7.3 steals per game -- tops in the Big Ten -- and force 12.39 turnovers per contest.
• Penn State is getting outscored by 130 points in the first half this season.  

SERIES HISTORY
• Saturday’s meeting is the 57th meeting all-time between Iowa and Penn State, dating back to 1955.  The Hawkeyes lead the series, 35-21.
• Iowa has won two straight, five of the last eight and six of the last 10 meetings against the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes have won the two most recent meetings in Iowa City, winning 90-81 in 2024 and 76-75 last season.
• The Nittany Lions are 15-10 against Iowa in University Park.  Penn State has won three straight and five of the last six in Happy Valley dating back to the 2014-15 season.

LAST GAME: IOWA 74, OHIO STATE 57
After falling behind 14-2 in the first five minutes, Iowa outscored Ohio State, 35-9, to close out the half to run away with a 74-57 victory on Wednesday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena to secure the 20th win.  The Hawkeyes held the Buckeyes to a season-low 57 points, including just 23 points in the first half.  Iowa held leading scorer Bruce Thornton scoreless in the opening 20 minutes and allowed him to score 10 points in the game -- 10 below his average.
• Iowa shot 57.4 percent from the field and had a 44-18 advantage in points in the paint.  The team had four players land in double figures with Bennett Stirtz leading the way with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting (3-of-6 3-point).  Junior Alvaro Folgueiras netted 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go along with four rebounds and five assists, junior Cam Manyawu had 12 points and seven rebounds and Tavion Banks added 10 points.

IOWA'S BENNETT STIRTZ IS...
• seventh among active players (all levels) with 2,197 career points.  He eclipsed the 2,000-point mark on Feb. 1 at Oregon.
• the only player in the nation with 575+ points, 125+ assists, 70 3-pointers, 65+ rebounds and 40+ steals.
• one of two players in the nation with 575+ points, 125+ assists,  65+ rebounds and 40+ steals.
• the only player in the Big Ten (one of two power conference players) with 575+ points and 125+ assists.  
• is the sixth Hawkeye all-time to have 500 points and 100 assists in a single season, joining B.J. Armstrong, Roy Devyn Marble, Ronnie Lester, Dean Oliver and Andre Woolridge.
• averaging 23.3 points in Big Ten play this season.  In the last 20 years, only Luka Garza (26.2 ppg.) in 2019-20 averaged more points than Stirtz in Big Ten contests.
• the first Hawkeyes since Keegan Murray (2021-22) to record 500+ points, 60+ 3-pointers and 35+ steals.  He is the first Iowa guard to do it since Matt Gatens (2011-12).
• 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... 
• 17-3 when scoring 70+ points this season.  The three losses were at No. 5 Purdue, at Maryland and at No. 24 Wisconsin.
• 16-1 when allowing fewer than 69 points this season.
• 15-0 when shooting more free throws than its opponents.
• 16-0 when leading with 10 minutes to play.
• 15-1 when having a higher field goal percentage.
• 15-2 when out-rebounding its opponent.
• 17-3 when leading at halftime.
• 12-1 when junior Alvaro Folgueiras scores in double figures.

MARQUEE WIN; RANKED DUB
Iowa’s 57-52 victory over No. 9 Nebraska on Feb. 17 snapped the program’s 13-game losing streak to ranked opponents, dating back to the 2023-24 season.
• The win was the program’s first over a ranked foe since beating No. 20 Wisconsin on Feb. 17, 2024.  
• It was the first win over a top 10 ranked opponent since March 13, 2022, (No. 9 Purdue) and the first home win over a top 10 ranked foe since downing No. 5 Michigan on Feb. 1, 2019.
• It was Iowa’s 75th win all-time against a top 10 opponent.
• Senior Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points in the victory, becoming the first Hawkeye since Mike Gesell against No. 1 Michigan State to tally 25+ points in a win against a top 10 opponent (Dec. 29, 2015).

MOST WINS BY A FIRST-YEAR HAWKEYE
Ben McCollum is one of two Hawkeye head coaches to win 20 games in their first season with the program. 

Dr. Tom Davis (1986-87) - 30
Ben McCollum (2025-26) - 20