Game Day Essentials:
No. 15 Indiana (10-3, 1-1) at Iowa (8-6, 0-3)
- Tip Time: 9:00 p.m. Eastern
- Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500), Iowa City, Iowa
- Television: FS1 (Jason Benetti, Bill Raftery)
- Stream: Fox Sports
- IU Radio Network: IU Radio Network
- Point Spread: Iowa is a 1-point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: No. 19 Indiana 77 No. 49 Iowa 76
- Series: Indiana leads 106-80. Iowa won last meeting 80-77 on March 12, 2022
Iowa’s Fran McCaffery:
Fran McCaffery was named the 22nd head coach in program history on March 29, 2010.
Under McCaffery’s leadership, the Hawkeyes have appeared in a postseason tournament nine of the last 10 completed seasons (6 NCAA, 3 NIT). McCaffery guided the Hawkeyes to six of the last eight NCAA Tournaments (2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022) and reached the NIT championship game in 2013.
Over the last three seasons, Iowa has combined to win 68 games, the fourth most over a three-year stretch in program history and the most since 1987-89, including 17 victories over AP Top 25 teams. They have also finished each season ranked in the AP Poll, something that has not been accomplished in over three decades.
In 27 years as a head coach at the Division 1 level, McCaffery has a record of 501-345, including 6-11 in the NCAA Tournament. He was also head coach at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro and Siena.
Iowa’s results and roster:
After beginning the season 7-2, Iowa has lost four of their last five, including three straight. One of those loses was against KenPom No. 345 Eastern Illinois, 92-83, at home.
The Hawkeyes have played eight games against KenPom top 100 teams and are 3-5 in those contests. Iowa is 6-2 at home, and 2-1 at home against high major competition.
Iowa Storylines
• Thursday is the 40th anniversary of the first men’s basketball game played in Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Jan. 5, 1983, versus Michigan State). Iowa has posted a 507-152 (.770) record in the arena the past 39 years.
• Iowa is looking to avoid its first four-game losing streak since dropping its last four contests of the 2018-19 regular season.
• The Hawkeyes have committed a total of just 13 turnovers over the last two games (at Nebraska; at Penn State). Iowa ranks eighth nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.9).
• Filip Rebraca averages team bests in nearly every major statistical category: points (19.2), rebounds (9.0), and blocked shots (1.2) over the last six games. He is shooting a staggering 68 percent (47-of-69) from the field during that span.
• Iowa’s Filip Rebraca and Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis are two of six players nationally to average 14+ points, 8+ rebounds, 1+ blocks, while shooting 60 percent or better from the field.
• Kris Murray has scored 30+ points three times this season (32 at Penn State; 31 vs. Georgia Tech; 30 vs. Omaha). Murray is the only player from a Power 5 conference this season with three 30-point performances. He is one of five Hawkeyes to score 30+ at least three times in the Fran McCaffery era joining Luka Garza (13), Keegan Murray (5), Peter Jok (5), and Devyn Marble (3).
• The Hawkeyes are 5-0 this season when making nine or more 3-pointers in a game.
• Iowa has made 63 more free throws (227) than their opponents have attempted (164).
• Iowa is third in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7), eighth in fewest turnovers per game (10.2), and 20th in fewest fouls per game (13.86) and assists per game (16.9).
• Iowa was without starter Kris Murray for four games in December. Starter Ahron Ulis did not play against Wisconsin (Dec. 11). Connor McCaffery missed the contest against Eastern Illinois (Dec. 21), while Josh Ogundele was unavailable at Penn State (Jan. 1).
• Connor McCaffery has only missed two free throws this season (23-of-25). He had his consecutive free throws made streak of 19 end in Iowa’s last outing at Penn State.
• Fran McCaffery won his 500th game as a collegiate head coach on Dec. 8 and win No. 250 at Iowa on Dec. 17.
• Seven of Iowa’s eight victories this season have come by 16 points or more.
• Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten and 26th nationally in scoring offense (81.1). The Hawkeyes have led the league in scoring five of the last nine seasons, including the last four.
• Kris Murray was named the ESPN Men’s Basketball National Player of the Week and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 5. He amassed 31 points, 20 rebounds, four assists, four 3-pointers, and two blocks in Iowa’s win over Georgia Tech. He is the first Hawkeye to amass 30 points and 20 rebounds in the same game since Bruce King in 1977. Murray is also the only NBA, WNBA, or Division I men’s or women’s player in the last 20 years to total 30+ points, 20+ rebounds, 4+ assists, 4+ 3-pointers, and 2+ blocks in the same game.
SEE ALSO:
Iowa’s 2022-23 KenPom Highlights:
Tempo – No. 48 (Offense No. 8 / Defense No. 323)
Offensive Efficiency – No. 19
- Iowa’s effective FG percentage of 50.5 percent is No. 158 nationally. They are No. 102 nationally in two-point percentage (52.2) and rank No. 257 in three-point percentage (31.7).
- The Hawkeyes take care of the ball, turning it over on just 13.7 percent of possessions, good for No. 3 in the country.
- Iowa forces defenses to account for everyone, as assists occur on 59.1 percent of field goals made, No. 35.
Defensive Efficiency – No. 114
- Iowa ranks No. 167 in overall opponent effective field goal percentage (49.6), including No. 108 in three-point percentage (31.8) and No. 197 in two-point percentage (50.5).
- The Hawkeyes aren’t super active defensively, turning opponents over on just 18.7 percent of possessions, No. 190.
- Playing defense without fouling is a strength, as free-throw attempts account for just 18.5 percent of opponent field goal attempts, No. 4.
- That is the only major KenPom category which Iowa ranks inside the top-100 nationally.
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