Jan. 26, 2011

• 'Kash' Alexander: All-America Candidate
  
• Vote 'Kash' For Premier Player Award
  
• Women's Basketball - W.I.N. Video
  
• Buy Women's Basketball Tickets
• Iowa and the Big Ten Network
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
  
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

PARDON OUR PROGRESS! As friends of the University of Iowa and fans of the Hawkeyes know, the UI Athletics Department is well into a multi-million dollar revitalization of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This important and exciting project has reduced for this season the number of ticket windows that are operational on game nights. Fans attending the home events of the 2010-11 UI men's basketball, women's basketball and wrestling teams are invited to avoid game night delays by purchasing their event tickets online or in advance of game day. If your schedule doesn't allow for an advance purchase, we recommend you consider arriving at the Arena a little earlier than originally planned. Go Hawks!

Michigan State Game Notes in PDF Format

IOWA CITY, Iowa - THE SETTING
The University of Iowa women's basketball team hosts Michigan State Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Single-game tickets are $9 for adults. Youth (18 and under) are admitted free. UI students are also admitted free with a valid student ID.

PROMOTIONS
Thursday's game is a "Family Four Pack" night. For $20, fans receive four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks.

ON YOUR TELEVISION
Thursday's game will be televised to a local cable audience on KCRG Local 9.2 John Campbell and Amy Herrig will call the action.

AUDIO COVERAGE
Brent Balbinot and Shelley Till will call Thursday's game for the Hawkeye Radio Network. Hawkeye fans can listen to the contest on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City, AM-600 WMT in Cedar Rapids, AM-1040 WHO in Des Moines or on the Hawkeye All-Access page of hawkeyesports.com. Balbinot is in his seventh season as Iowa's play-by-play voice, while Till is in her sixth providing analysis.

ON YOUR COMPUTER
Hawkeye fans can also follow the game via live stats. The live stats link can be accessed under the "Calendar" tab on the front page of hawkeyesports.com or on the women's basketball schedule page.

Thursday's game will also be available at BigTenNetwork.com for a subscription fee.

IOWA HISTORY
Iowa has played 1,054 games since beginning basketball in 1974. Iowa's overall record is 644-411 (.612). That includes a 321-162 (.665) mark in regular season Big Ten contests and a 305-88 (.776) mark in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
The Michigan State Spartans are 18-2 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play. Michigan State's only losses came at the hands of Baylor, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the country, and Ohio State.

In their last game, the Spartans defeated Minnesota, 66-54, in East Lansing. LyKendra Johnson recorded 20 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and four steals to lead Michigan State. Kalisha Keane had 14 points and five steals, while Cetera Washington had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Keane leads the team with 15.9 points per game, followed by Johnson at 11 points per contest. Johnson also leads the team with 8.6 rebounds per game.

As a team, the Spartans are shooting .425 (512-1,205) from the field, including .335 (140-418) from three-ponit distance.

MICHIGAN STATE VS. IOWA NOTES
• Thursday's contest is the 57th meeting between Iowa and Michigan State, with the Hawkeyes leading the all-time series, 32-24. Iowa has won three of the last five meetings, but Michigan State has won 10 of the previous 14 contests. The Hawkeyes are 18-8 in games played in Iowa City.

• Iowa won both meetings last year, including a 77-66 win in Iowa City and a 59-54 victory in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.

• Two of the top rebounding teams in the Big Ten will match up Thursday night. Iowa leads the conference in rebounding (42.3 per game), while Michigan State ranks fourth (41.3 per game). Michigan State and Iowa rank first and second, respectively, in rebounding margin and offensive rebounding.

LAST MEETING
Michigan State's Kalisha Keane hit a three-pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining to give the ninth-ranked Spartans a 63-60 win over Iowa in East Lansing (Jan. 13).

Iowa trailed 60-52 with 2:01 left in the game before scoring eight-straight points, capped by a three-pointer by Kamille Wahlin, to tie the game at 60 with 10 seconds remaining. Michigan State ended Iowa's comeback with the buzzer-beating three-pointer.

Jaime Printy led Iowa with 23 points on 7-11 shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-4 from beyond the arc, and also had seven rebounds. Printy had 18 of Iowa's 28 first half points. Kamille Wahlin added 17 points, three rebounds and three assists.

JOHNSON'S BLOCK PARTY AGAINST MICHIGAN STATE
With three blocks against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament last season, Morgan Johnson set both the school and freshman record for single-season blocks. Thre previous record of 73 was held by Tangela Smith (1994-95). Johnson finished last season with 79 blocks.

IOWA IN THE RANKINGS
The Hawkeyes are ranked No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

Four Iowa opponents are also ranked in the AP and the ESPN/USA Today polls: Michigan State (10/11), North Carolina (15th/14th), Iowa State (23rd/20th) and Ohio State (24th/23rd).

Northwestern is receiving votes.

HAWKEYES DROP GAME AT OHIO STATE
Iowa dropped an 81-67 decision at Ohio State (Jan. 24).

The Hawkeyes led, 33-32, heading into halftime, but the Buckeyes shot lights-out in the second half to seal the win. Ohio State was 13-17 (.765) from the field in the second half, including 5-7 (.714) from three-point distance and 5-7 (.714) from the charity stripe.

Four Hawkeyes scored double figures, led by Kelly Krei's 15 points. Morgan Johnson added 14, Kamille Wahlin chipped in 13 and Jaime Printy had 12. Kachine Alexander finished with nine points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

MORE MILESTONES FOR ALEXANDER
• With 11 rebounds at Ohio State (Jan. 24), Kachine Alexander became just the sixth player in school history, and the first-ever guard, to collect 800 career rebounds.

• Alexander is the sixth player in school history to have 1,000 career points and 800 career rebounds.

• If Alexander records seven more assists, she would be the only player in Iowa history to have 1,000 career points, 800 career rebounds and 300 career assists.

PRINTY AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Iowa has played in five games against opponents ranked in the top 25 this year, and Jaime Printy's numbers in those games have been impressive.

Printy is averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists in Iowa's games against ranked opponents (North Carolina, Iowa State, Ohio State twice and Michigan State). Printy is shooting .439 (25-57) from the field, including .435 (10-23) from three-point distance and .917 (22-24) from the free throw line against ranked foes.

PRINTY HAS A BIG WEEK
Jaime Printy averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in Iowa's two games at Michigan State (Jan. 13) and at home vs. Indiana (Jan. 16).

Printy shot a combined .571 (12-21) from the field, including .700 (7-10) from three-point distance, while only missing one free throw (10-11, .909).

Printy started the week with 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals in Iowa's buzzer-beater loss at Michigan State, scoring 18 of Iowa's 28 first half points.

She followed with a game-high 18 points on 5-10 shooting, including 3-6 from beyond the arc, and eight rebounds in Iowa's 20-point victory over Indiana.

NINE IN A ROW FROM DOWNTOWN
Jaime Printy buried nine-straight three-pointers, starting with Iowa's game at Minnesota (Jan. 5). Printy made her last three-point attempt at Minnesota, was a perfect 2-2 against Ohio State (Jan. 8), a perfect 4-4 at Michigan State (Jan. 13) and made her first two attempts vs. Indiana (Jan. 16) before missing a long-distance shot.

KASH GETS A GRAND
With a layup at the 11:54 mark in the first half against Minnesota (Jan. 5), senior Kachine Alexander became the 27th player in school history to record 1,000 career points.

Alexander currently ranks 24th in career scoring at Iowa with 1,061 points.

JOHNSON BRINGING THE WINDEX
Morgan Johnson tallied 10 or more rebounds for the fourth time this season against Indiana (Jan. 16). Johnson finished the game one-point shy of a double-double, scoring nine points and grabbing 10 boards.

Johnson has recorded double digit rebounds in 10 career games.

JOHNSON AT .500 OR BETTER
When Morgan Johnson takes eight or more shots in a game, chances are she will make at least half of them.

Johnson has attempted eight or more shots in 15 of Iowa's 20 games this year. In those 15 games, Johnson has shot .500 or better 10 times, including two 6-9 (.667) shooting performances against North Carolina and Kansas State.

Johnson has attempted 10 or more shots eight times, shooting. 500 or better in all but two games. Johnson was 8-13 (.615) against Northeastern, 10-16 (.625) against Central Michigan, 8-11 (.727) vs. Iowa State, 9-12 (.750) vs. South Dakota State, 5-10 (.500) vs. Michigan and vs. Ohio State and 7-12 (.583) at Ohio State.

She was 2-12 (.167) vs. James Madison and 4-12 (.333) at Minnesota.

BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
Iowa is one of only four teams in the Big Ten to have four players ranked among the top 30 scorers in the conference.

Iowa, Ohio State, Northwestern and Penn State each have four players ranked. Wisconsin, has three ranked, while the remaining six school have either one or two players ranked.

The Hawkeyes have had at least three players reach double figures in scoring in 17 of the 20 games this year. Five players scored 10 or more points against Bradley. Four players hit double digits against Northeastern, Central Michigan, Kansas State, Minnesota and in both games vs. Ohio State.

HAWKEYES HITTING THE BOARDS
Iowa's rebounding numbers through its first 20 games are impressive. The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in total rebounding (42.3 per game) and rank second in rebounding margin (+5.8), offensive rebounds (14.5 per game) and defensive rebounds (27.9 per game).

Kachine Alexander ranks second in offensive rebounding (3.6 per game) and third in overall rebounding (9.4 per game). Johnson ranks third in offensive rebounding (3.5 per game) Alexander's 18 rebounds against Central Michigan, Nov. 21, are the third most for any Big Ten player this season.

REBOUNDING NUMBERS IMPROVED FROM A YEAR AGO
Iowa's rebounding has improved greatly from a year ago.

Through 20 games last year, Iowa had a -0.1 rebound margin The Hawkeyes were being outrebounded, 756-759, including a 241-253 deficit on the offensive glass.

This year through 20 games, Iowa holds a +5.9 rebounding margin and is outrebounding opponents 847-730. That includes a 290-243 advantage on the offensive glass.

MOVING UP CAREER CHARTS
Four Hawkeyes are currently working their way up the career records lists at Iowa.

• Kachine Alexander ranks second in career double-doubles (29), sixth in career rebounding (803), 11th in career assists (293) and 24th in career scoring (1,061). She needs 25 more rebounds to move past Jennie Lillis for fifth place on the rebounding list and four assists to move past Lillis for 10th on the assists list. She needs seven more double-doubles to take over first place (Lisa Long, 35).

• Morgan Johnson ranks fourth in career blocks (125) and needs 21 more to move past Toni Foster into third place.

• Kamille Wahlin ranks fifth in career three-pointers made (145) and 27th in career scoring (943). She needs 12 more three-pointers to move past Leah Magner into fourth place.

• Jaime Printy ranks seventh in career three-pointers made (129) and needs 10 more to move past Kristi Faulkner for sixth place.