Men's Hoops Plays Drake Saturday in Des Moines

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DRAKE (5-5, 0-0) vs. IOWA (5-6, 0-2)
 DATE  Saturday, Dec. 16 | 1:04 p.m. CT
 LOCATION  Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena
 RADIO | LISTEN  Hawkeye Radio Network | Hawkeye All-Access 
 TICKETS  Hy-VeeTix.com
 ONLINE/MOBILE VIDEO  BTN
 LIVE STATS  Live Stats
 LIVE UPDATES  @IowaHoops

THE SETTING
Iowa (5-6, 0-2) will face Drake (5-5, 0-0) on Saturday at The Hy-Vee Classic. Tipoff is set for 1:04 p.m. (CT) at Wells Fargo Arena (15,424). Northern Iowa will face Iowa State in the doubleheader nightcap. Tipoff for that contest will start at 3:30 p.m. (CT).
    Tickets, which range in price from $30-75, are on sale through Hy-VeeTix.com, 844-55-HYVEE, 22 Hy-Vee Stores in Des Moines and Ames, or the Wells Fargo Arena Box Office. Tickets are good for admission to both games of the doubleheader. 
    One of the marquee basketball events in the Midwest, The Hy-Vee Classic sold more than 15,000 tickets each of the last three years.

ON THE AIR
Radio: Iowa games are broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network. Gary Dolphin handles the play-by-play, along with color commentator Bob Hansen. The network includes more than 40 stations that blanket the state of Iowa and include portions of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. The Hawkeye Radio Network coverage includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on BTN (BTN2GO). Wayne Randazzo and Shon Morris will call the action.

HY-CLASSIC PREGAME PEP RALLY
There will be a four-team Spirit Rally prior to Saturday’s game against Drake in Des Moines. The Huddle will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Veterans Memorial Hall in the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center (730 Third Street). The convention Center is located across the street from the Wells Fargo Arena. 
    Admission to the Huddle is free and it includes cash refreshments and concessions, giveaways, live music, and performances by each school’s band and spirit squads. Visit jointheiclub.com for more information.
    In the spirit of the season the event will be collecting gently used or new winter weather items for those in need in central Iowa. Please feel free to bring hats, gloves, mittens, coats and other winter weather gear to the event and we will donate them to Central Iowa Shelter & Services in Downtown Des Moines.

THE HY-VEE CLASSIC STORYLINES
•    Iowa is 4-1 in games played as part of The Hy-Vee Classic in Des Moines. The Hawkeyes beat Drake twice (2013 and 2015) and Northern Iowa twice (2012 and 2016). The Panthers handed Iowa its only defeat in the event in 2014.
•    Iowa has won the last five meetings against Drake, dating back to the 2009 season.
•    Nicholas Baer shares the Wells Fargo Arena record for most blocked shots in a single game with Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere. Baer denied a career-best six shots in Iowa’s win over the Bulldogs in 2015.
•    Four Hawkeyes played against Drake in the 2015 victory in Des Moines: Nicholas Baer (13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 blocked shots), Dom Uhl (7 points, 8 rebounds), Brady Ellingson (5 points), and Ahmad Wagner (2 rebounds, 1 block).
•    Brady Ellingson netted a season-best 16 points at Indiana (Dec. 4). The 16 points are the most by the junior in a Big Ten game since scoring 17 versus Ohio State last season. Ellingson started his first career game at Iowa State.
•    Point guard Jordan Bohannon is averaging 2.8 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the Big Ten and 78th in the country.
•    Iowa has yet to play a regular season game at full strength. At least one Hawkeye has been sidelined for each of the first 11 games of the season.
•    Iowa’s top seven scorers are underclassmen with sophomore Tyler Cook leading the pack, averaging 12.8 points. Freshman Luka Garza leads the squad in rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (1.3), while rookie Jack Nunge leads the team in steals (1.0). Sophomore Jordan Bohannon has dished out a team-best 49 assists.
•    Iowa is 5-0 when scoring 80 points or more and 3-0 when Iowa has fewer turnovers than its opponent this season.
•    Isaiah Moss was named to the Cayman Islands Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 18 points, leading the team in scoring in its first two games of the tournament.
•    Iowa’s 38.7 shooting percentage from 3-point range is second-best in the Big Ten. Iowa shot 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from long distance versus UAB on Nov. 22, which is the best shooting performance of any Big Ten team this season.
•    Fran McCaffery has 393 wins in 22 seasons as a head coach; he is seven victories from reaching the 400-win milestone.

RECENT GRADUATES PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
A number of recent Iowa basketball graduates are playing professionally: Melsahn Basabe (Poland), Anthony Clemmons (Kazakhstan), Gabriel Olaseni (Spain), Jarrod Uthoff (NBA G League: Fort Wayne Mad Ants), Peter Jok (NBA G League: Northern Arizona Suns), Adam Woodbury (NBA G League: Westchester Knicks), and Aaron White (Lithuania).

IOWA SNAPS LOSING STREAK, BEATS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Iowa posted season bests in blocked shots (8) and 3-pointers made (13) en route to a 91-60 convincing victory over Southern University Sunday afternoon in Iowa City.
•    The Hawkeyes did an outstanding job sharing and valuing the basketball. Iowa was credited with 22 assists on 28 field goals and had a season-low seven turnovers.
•    Iowa’s bench scored a season-high 52 points, besting the 49 points the reserves scored against Alabama State (Nov. 12).
•    Freshman Luka Garza posted his second career double-double, netting a career-high 23 points, while equaling a personal best with 13 rebounds in 19 minutes.
•    Sophomore Maishe Dailey tallied nine points, sinking a career best three 3-pointers.
•    Jack Nunge rejected a personal-best four shots to go along with 11 points.
•    Three Jaguars scored in double digits: Aaron Ray (12), Jared Sam (11), and Chris Thomas (10).

SCOUTING DRAKE UNIVERSITY
•    Drake is in a middle of a stretch of playing six of seven games away from home. Iowa had a similar six of seven stretch away from home between Nov. 20 and Dec. 7.
•    Like Iowa, the Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game having lost four of their last five games.
•    Saturday will be Drake’s second straight game against a Big Ten opponent. The Bulldogs lost their last game, 68-67, at Minnesota Monday evening in Minneapolis. Minnesota outscored Drake, 42-18, in the paint, however the Bulldogs outscored the Gophers, 36-15, via the 3-point shot. Reed Timmer was held to 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
•    Four Bulldog starters average in double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Reed Timmer’s 20.7 points per game, followed by Graham Woodward (11.7), De’Antae McMurray (11.6), and Nick McGlynn (10.3).
•    Reed Timmer scored a game-best 25 points the last time Drake played Iowa in 2015. Timmer was 11-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-8 from 3-point range, while also collecting six rebounds, five assists, and zero turnovers.
•    Drake ranks fifth nationally in free throw accuracy (.798, 150-of-188) and 13th in 3-point percentage (.423, 105-of-248). Senior Reed Timmer ranks 10th in the country in 3-point percentage (.523, 33-of-62) and 22nd in free throw percentage (.925, 62-of-67).
•    Drake’s starting five consists of five upperclassmen (four seniors and one junior).
•    Drake and Iowa share two common opponents, Colorado and Chicago State. The Bulldogs lost to Colorado (86-81) in the Paradise Jam and beat Chicago State (79-67). Iowa topped Chicago State (95-62) and will play Colorado on Dec. 22, in South Dakota.
•    First-year head coach Niko Medved is 5-5 in his first season as head coach of Drake. He took over Drake after four successful seasons as head coach at Furman where he guided the program to back-to-back postseason appearances and was named the 2017 SoCon Coach of the Year. Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery also coached in the SoCon (UNC Greensboro, 1999-2005).

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORDS
Iowa holds a commanding 58-10 advantage in the Drake series that began with a 36-13 Iowa victory in 1909. Iowa has won 32 of the last 35 meetings, including the last five. Saturday will be the third meeting between the two schools at a neutral site; Iowa won the first two contests (83-66, in 2013; 70-64 in 2015).

GARZA SHINES IN EARLY SEASON GAMES
Freshman Luka Garza ranks first on the team in rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (1.3), second in free throw attempts (49), and is fifth in scoring (9.0).
    Garza had his best game as a collegiate player in Iowa’s last outing against Southern University on Sunday, registering personal bests in scoring (23) and rebounding (13). He also made his first career 3-pointer and went 8-of-10 from the foul line against the Jaguars.
    Against Chicago State on Nov. 10, Garza became the second Hawkeye in the last 20 years to register 16 points and five rebounds in their debut (Aaron White in 2011).
    Garza followed up that performance against Chicago State (16 points, 5 rebounds) with a double-double against Alabama State. The native of Washington, D.C. had 11 points and a game-best 13 rebounds. Garza is the fifth Hawkeye to post a double-double in either his first or second game over the last 20 years, joining Dean Oliver, Reggie Evans, Devon Archie, and Aaron White. Garza’s efforts in those first two wins garnered the forward Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades.

BACK IN ACTION
Sophomore forward Cordell Pemsl had successful sports hernia surgery in May. Pemsl did not participate in the Prime Time League nor Iowa’s exhibition games overseas.
    Pemsl is averaging 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 10 contests. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, reached double figures for the third time this season, scoring 10 points and snagging eight rebounds before leaving Iowa’s game at Iowa State due to injury. Pemsl did not play in Iowa’s last game against Southern University on Dec. 10. It is hopeful he will return to game action Saturday at Drake.
    Pemsl netted a game-high 15 points in Iowa’s win over Alabama State on Nov. 12. He had a personal-best 14 rebounds and a career-best six assists at Virginia Tech. The 14 boards against the Hokies are the third most by a Big Ten player this season. 
    Pemsl started 14 of 34 games a year ago, averaging 8.9 points and five rebounds per contest. The forward shot a single-season school record 61.7 percent (116-of-188) from the field his during freshman campaign.

COOKIN’ WITH TYLER
Tyler Cook is having a solid start to his sophomore campaign. Cook ranks first in scoring (12.8) and is second in rebounding (6.8). Cook has made a team-best 55 percent of his field goal attempts (minimum 50 attempts). The native of St. Louis has grabbed six or more rebounds in nine of 11 games, including a career-best 12 against Penn State. He had the best game of his collegiate career against UAB on Nov. 22 (29 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and 13-of-16 from the free throw line).
    Cook ranks 13th in the league in rebounding (7.1). He has one double-double to his credit this season (Penn State).
    Not only has Cook done a good job getting to the free throw line, but making his foul shots. Cook ranks 59th nationally in free throw attempts (64) and 72nd in free throw makes (46).

HOME COOKIN’
Iowa is 4-1 in home games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season. The Hawkeyes are shooting the basketball at a 50.7 percent clip through five home contests.

MOSS ELEVATING HIS GAME
Last year as a redshirt freshman playing alongside honorable mention All-American Peter Jok, Isaiah Moss averaged 6.5 points per game. Through 11 games his sophomore campaign, the native of Chicago is averaging 11.6 points per contest, a +5.1 points per game improvement. 
    Moss has netted double figures in eight of 11 games this season. He is shooting 42 percent from the field and has missed only one free throw in 18 attempts.

CONNOR McCAFFERY TO PLAY FRESHMAN SEASON
Freshman guard Connor McCaffery announced his decision earlier this month to play his freshman season on the basketball court. McCaffery will join the baseball team upon conclusion of the basketball season. A decision as to whether or not McCaffery will redshirt baseball this spring will be determined at that time.
    However, the guard’s start to his freshman year started slow. After playing in Iowa’s two exhibition games, McCaffery missed Iowa’s first 10 regular season games. McCaffery sat out the first two games due to a sprained ankle, while missing the following eight outings due to illness (mono).
    McCaffery played his first game of the season on Dec. 10, against Southern University. The guard had five points, three rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 17 minutes of action.

MISSING IN ACTION
Iowa has yet to play a regular season game at full strength. 

• Connor McCaffery: first 10 games (2 games, ankle; 8 games mono)
• Nicholas Baer: first six games (finger)
• Ahmad Wagner: UAB (shoulder)
• Ryan Kriener: Indiana (concussion)
• Cordell Pemsl: Southern University (leg laceration)

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 2,751 games since beginning basketball in 1902. Iowa’s overall record is 1,617-1,134 (.588). Iowa’s 1,617 wins are 39th most among Division I programs. That includes a 1,034-361 (.741) record in home games, a 579-770 (.429) record in contests away from Iowa City, a 762-766 (.499) mark in Big Ten games and a 439-135 (.765) record in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

BOHANNON NAMED CANDIDATE FOR BOB COUSY AWARD
Sophomore Jordan Bohannon is on the 20-player watch list for the 2018 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award. The annual honor recognizes the top point guards in Division I men’s college basketball. A national committee comprised of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
    Bohannon joins Minnesota’s Nate Mason and Bryant McIntosh of Northwestern as the only Big Ten student-athletes on the national list. 
    The native of Marion, Iowa, has had a great start to the 2017-18 campaign, dishing out a team-best 49 assists, and averaging 12.5 points. He is shooting 41 percent (31-of-68) from 3-point range and 85.7 percent (24-of-28) from the free throw line. He is averaging 2.8 3-pointers made per game, which ranks first in the league and 78th in the country.
    Bohannon, one of five players named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, led the Hawkeyes in assists (175) and 3-pointers made (89), and was third in scoring (10.9 ppg). He was one of only two freshmen in the country over the last 25 seasons to register 175+ assists and 85+ 3-pointers. His 89 triples shattered Iowa’s single-season freshman record, besting Matt Gatens’ previous mark of 52 set in 2009. Bohannon’s 175 assists are the most by an Iowa freshman and rank eighth-best by any Hawkeye player in a single season. He finished the season by posting a school-record three straight double-doubles in points and assists (Indiana, South Dakota, and TCU). Bohannon helped lead Iowa to a win at nationally-ranked Maryland, draining eight 3-pointers (8-of-10) — the most by a Hawkeye rookie and one shy of Chris Kingsbury’s school record.

TRIPLE PLAY
Jordan Bohannon finished his rookie season with a flurry, posting a school-record three straight double-doubles in points and assists.
    Bohannon tallied 24 points and 10 assists against Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament on March 9. The native of Marion, Iowa, then registered 19 points and 11 assists against South Dakota on March 15 in the first round of the NIT. Bohannon bested that performance again on March 19, posting personal bests in scoring (25) and assists (13). The 13 helpers are the most by a Hawkeye in a postseason game.

HAWKEYES GO UNDEFEATED IN EUROPE
Iowa finished its European Tour with a perfect record in August notching wins in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. 
    Four Hawkeyes averaged in double figures in the four games. Freshman Luka Garza averaged a double-double (22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds), sophomore Isaiah Moss averaged 12.5 points, Cook averaged 12.3 points, while Ryan Kriener averaged 11.3 points. As a team, the Hawkeyes shot 48.6 percent from the field, out-rebounded their opponents by 18, and had a +5.8 turnover margin.
    Iowa played its first game in Germany, the home of Hawkeye senior Dom Uhl. The native of Frankfurt, Germany, had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block in his homecoming. 
    Garza led the team in scoring in all four games.

HAWKEYE FASTBREAKS
•    Iowa scored 90 points or more nine times in 2016-17. The Hawkeyes netted 90-plus points in four of their five victories.
•    Iowa has won 49 of its last 53 nonconference home games, dating back to 2012.
•    Iowa is one of only three teams to have posted a Big Ten record of .500 or better each of the last five seasons (Michigan State and Wisconsin).
•    Iowa is 70-15 when scoring 80 points or more, the last eight seasons. The Hawkeyes are 67-2 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points, the last eight years.
•    Fran McCaffery and his coaching staff are the first in program history to win 18 games or more in six straight seasons. McCaffery’s 137 victories rank second behind Tom Davis (152) for most in the first seven seasons as Iowa’s head coach. 
•    Fran McCaffery has guided Iowa to upper division finishes in the Big Ten in each of the last five seasons. McCaffery has accumulated 17 first division finishes in 21 years as a head coach.

ON THE HORIZON
Iowa will host Southern Utah on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 8 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes will play their final game before Christmas Break on Friday, Dec. 22 against Colorado in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Both games will be televised on BTN (BTN2GO).
 

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