Game preview: Iowa men’s basketball hosts UMBC on Wednesday
By Hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team returns home to host UMBC on Wednesday on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. (CT).
• Tickets range from $15-35 for adults, $5-10 for youth and $5 for students.
FOLLOW LIVE
Radio: Wednesday’s game will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Gary Dolphin (play-by-play) and Bobby Hansen (color) on the call. 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 includes a 60-minute pregame show.
TV: Wednesday’s game will be televised on BTN with Jason Ross, Jr. (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (color) on the call.
OPENING TIP
- The Hawkeyes return home to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host the first of two games to close out nonconference play. Iowa is 4-1 at home this season where they average 95.8 points in the five contests.
- Freshman Owen Freeman notched his first career double-double, finishing with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in Iowa’s 88-52 victory over Florida A&M on Dec. 16. It was the first double-double by an Iowa freshman since Joe Wieskamp in 2018.
- Freeman was recognized as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for a school-record fourth time on Dec. 18. He is one of 16 players in Big Ten history to earn the league’s freshman of the week honors at least four times.
- The Hawkeyes were +14 on the glass against FAMU (47-33) — its largest rebounding margin of the season.
- Iowa is 5-1 this season when attempting at least 20 free throws and 4-1 when making eight or more 3-pointers.
- Ahoy 100. Iowa hit the century mark for the second time this season, scoring 103 points in the Nov. 29 victory over North Florida. The Hawkeyes have scored 100+ points 11 times since the start of the 2021-22 season.
- The Hawkeyes have had four different players hit the 20-point mark this season (Ben Krikke, Tony Perkins, Payton Sandfort, Patrick McCaffery).
- Iowa has three players averaging in double figures and five players averaging at least 9.8 points. The team has had at least four players reach double digits in seven games this season.
- Krikke, who is leading the team with an 16.7 scoring average, has made a team-high 72 field goals and is shooting 58.1 percent from the floor.
- Iowa is one the nation’s top offensive teams, averaging 85.1 points in 11 games. The Hawkeyes are second in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally. The team has scored at least 84 points in seven games, including 110 points in the season opener against North Dakota.
- The Hawkeyes are third in the Big Ten and 18th nationally, averaging 18.2 assists per game. Iowa is second in the league and 11th nationally with a 1.74 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- McCaffery is five wins from becoming the winningest coach in Iowa basketball history. Tom Davis has 271 victories as Iowa’s head coach. With his next Big Ten victory, McCaffery will also have the most league wins (127) in program history.
- Iowa is one of 10 teams in the country to make the last four NCAA Tournaments and one of only three Big Ten teams to accomplish the feat (Purdue, Michigan State).