The Daily Iowan Pregame - 12.18.2020

The Daily Iowan

PREGAME

Men’s b-ball edition SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 IOWA VS. GONZAGA THE SANFORD PENTAGON

No. 1 vs.

No. 3

GONZAGA AND IOWA CLASH IN SIOUX FALLS FOR ONE OF THE PREMIER MATCHUPS OF THE MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL SEASON.

2 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

REMEMBER WHEN...

Iowa Roster 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 13 15 20 22 23 24 30 55

F G F G G G G G G F F F C G G C HC AC AC AC

Michael Baer Joe Toussaint Jack Nunge Jordan Bohannon Ahron Ulis C.J. Fredrick Joe Wieskamp Tony Perkins Austin Ash Keegan Murray Kris Murray Patrick McCaffery Josh Ogundele Nicolas Hobbs Connor McCaffery Luka Garza

6-7 6-0 6-11 6-1 6-3 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-8 6-8 6-9 6-10 6-2 6-5 6-11

215 190 245 175 190 195 212 210 175 215 215 200 285 200 205 265

JR. SO. SO. SR. FR SO. JR. FR. SO. FR. FR. FR. FR. JR. JR. SR.

6-7 6-4 6-10 6-5 6-1 6-7 7-0 6-5 6-7 7-0 6-8 6-3 6-7 6-9 6-4 6-5 6-3

205 205 235 193 180 205 235 180 210 260 225 185 220 225 200 185 190

FR. FR. SO. JR. SR. SO. SO. JR. FR. FR. SO. JR. SR. FR. FR. JR. FR.

Fran McCaffery Kirk Speraw Sherman Dillard Billy Taylor AP Ranking: No. 3 Record: 6-0

Gonzaga Roster

Carlos M. Trevino/The Daily Iowan Iowa’s Roy Marble looks to pass during a practice on February 16, 1987.

Saturday’s No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 1 Gonzaga men’s basketball matchup will be the second time in the history of the Hawkeye program that Iowa is involved in a topthree showdown. The first time came in 1987 when a top-ranked Iowa team defeated No. 3 Indiana, 101-88, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to move to 18-0 on the season.

That game was the first time a Bobby Knight coached Indiana team had allowed 100 or more points. “That’s why it was a terrific college basketball game,” Iowa head coach Tom Davis told reporters after the Hawkeye-record 18th straight win. “We couldn’t put them away [until the end], but I didn’t expect anything but that from Indiana.” The headline of the sports front in the next day’s Daily Iowan said “18-0 Hawks outgun Hoosiers.” No. 2 Indiana defeated No. 7 Iowa a month later in Assembly Hall and went on to win the National Championship. The 1986-87 men’s basketball season was one of the best in Publisher: Jason Brummond Executive Editor: Sarah Watson Pregame Editor: Robert Read Managing Editor: Alexandra Skores Managing Digital Editor: Kelsey Harrell

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Iowa history. The team, led by Davis, finished 30-5 (144 in the Big Ten) and was a second seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team was led by the program’s all-time leading scorer, Roy Marble, as well as B.J. Armstrong, Kevin Gamble, and Brad Lohaus. As sophomores, Marble and Armstrong led the Hawkeyes in scoring that season with 14.9 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. Iowa eventually lost to top-seeded UNLV at the Kingdome in the Regional Final by a score of 84-81. The 86-87 season was the last time the Hawkeyes were ranked No. 1 in the country. But Iowa could reach that ranking again with a win over Gonzaga on Saturday. The Daily Iowan conducted a one-on-one interview with Armstrong and talked to the former NBA guard about playing on the top-ranked team in the country in 86-87, Iowa’s matchup with Gonzaga, what he’s seen from Luka Garza, and more. Go to page eight to read the interview.

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G G F G G G F G F C F G F F G G G HC AC AC AC

0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 20 21 22 23 24 30 32 35 55

Julian Strawther Jalen Suggs Drew Timme

Andrew Nembhard

Aaron Cook

Martynas Arlauskas

Pavel Zakharov Joel Ayayi Colby Brooks Oumar Ballo Anton Watson Matthew Lang Corey Kispert Abe Eagle Evan Inglesby Will Graves Dominik Harris

Mark Few Tommy Lloyd Roger Powell Jr. Brian Michaelson AP Ranking: No. 1 Record: 3-0

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The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020 - 3

ON THE LINE Matchups No. 3 Iowa vs.

No. 1 Gonzaga

No. 22 Louisville vs.

No. 13 Wisconsin No. 20 Ohio State vs. No. 22 North Carolina

No. 13 Illinois vs.

No. 19 Rutgers

No. 9 Creighton vs. UConn

Robert Read

Austin Hanson

Isaac Goffin

Chris Werner

Kade Overton

PREGAME EDITOR (18-19)

SPORTS EDITOR (24-13)

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR (20-17)

SPORTS REPORTER (25-12)

DITV SPORTS DIRECTOR (19-18)

John Bohnenkamp Jason Brummond

GONZAGA *Ducks*

IOWA Fran’s face will be red with joy, not rage.

IOWA Let those 3-pointers fall.

IOWA I can’t disrespect Luka like that.

IOWA Luka Garza, the NCAA’s best 3-point shooter.

IOWA Big stage for the Hawkeyes, and they’ll deliver.

GONZAGA Let’s hope for a March rematch.

WISCONSIN This Wisconsin team is pretty good at scoring points.

WISCONSIN This matchup would be competitive in football too.

LOUISVILLE Next time you’re in Louisville, eat at Roosters.

LOUISVILLE I’ve watched the Badgers play once this year and they lost.

WISCONSIN Big Ten vs. everybody.

WISCONSIN Badgers are always pesky, especially at home.

LOUISVILLE Wisconsin’s pace would not do well in the Derby.

NORTH CAROLINA Tar Heels get another big win, this time in men’s basketball.

NORTH CAROLINA I thought Ohio State wasn’t good at basketball.

OHIO STATE Buckeye guard Jimmy Sotos went to my high school.

OHIO STATE I saw Jimmy Sotos play in high school.

OHIO STATE Do I have to say it again?

NORTH CAROLINA Buckeyes will have a problem with the Tar Heels’ frontcourt.

NORTH CAROLINA Ohio State is focused on football.

ILLINOIS Seeing these rankings is weird after picking football games all season.

ILLINOIS The Illini aren’t what we thought they were.

ILLINOIS Are you happy, mom?

ILLINOIS I saw Ayo Dosunmu play in high school.

ILLINOIS A team this good won’t slip up again, right?

RUTGERS Illinois has been inconsistent, and the Scarlet Knights are at home.

ILLINOIS Two basketball schools, apparently.

CREIGHTON Wish Doug McDermott worked out on the Bulls.

CREIGHTON The Bluejays haven’t been relevant since Dougie McBuckets.

CREIGHTON Storrs, Connecticut, is in the middle of nowhere.

UCONN I’m in Albany right now and a UConn player is from Albany.

CREIGHTON Pretty much an Iowa team right?

UCONN If only because the Huskies are at home.

CREIGHTON The pride of college athletics in all of Nebraska.

SPORTS WRITING COACH (23-14)

PUBLISHER (25-12)

4 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

March Madness in December The Hawkeyes and Bulldogs clash in a top-three regular season showdown that could be a preview of things to come.

ROBERT READ robert-read@uiowa.edu Shortly after Iowa’s blowout Dec. 13 victory over Northern Illinois, the Hawkeye men’s basketball Twitter account sent out the final score, along with a caption: “And now we set our sights on Gonzaga.”

But in reality, sights have been set on this game since it was officially scheduled on Oct. 19, even when it wasn’t the team’s top focus.

“Playing this game is something everybody on the team has looked forward to,” Iowa guard Connor McCaffery said. “Now that it’s here, we’re going to be locked in.”

For a nonconference matchup in December, Saturday’s game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the fanless Sanford Pentagon has all the intrigue it could.

Gonzaga is No. 1 and Iowa is No. 3 in the Associated Press Poll.

The Hawkeyes have the nation’s best player in Luka Garza, and a loaded roster featuring seven players with starting experience. Corey Kispert was a preseason All-American for the No. 1 Zags, and Jalen Suggs is a likely lottery pick in next year’s NBA draft.

The matchup may be the premier game of the regular season across college basketball.

And the winner will likely stay, or emerge, as the No. 1 team in the country.

“When you make a decision to play college basketball, you hope for opportunities like this on this kind of stage,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said. “And that’s what we have. So I’m happy for the guys. And I think they’re mature and smart enough to recognize the challenge before us.”

“This is what you dream about as a kid working out,” Garza said. “It’s what I’ve worked toward my whole career.”

This is a dream matchup for Garza, and it’s one the Iowa men’s basketball program has worked to be a part of.

Iowa’s No. 5 preseason ranking was its highest in 65 years.

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa guard Joe Wieskamp drives to the rim during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and North Carolina at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 8.

The Hawkeyes are 6-0 this season, and premier programs in college basketball goes in this week’s poll, the No. 3 Hawkeyes re- back decades. The Zags have reached No. 1 in ceived a first-place vote for the first time the nation in five of the last nine seasons, insince 2015. The last time Iowa was involved cluding each of the last three. in a top-three showdown was in 1987, when The Zags were the top-ranked team in the the Hawkeyes country heading defeated the into the season, Hoosiers at and have stayed Carver-Hawkthere through eye Arena. three weeks of Matchup: No. 3 Iowa vs. No. 1 Gonzaga McCaffery play. Mark Few, took over a flat Gonzaga’s 22Where: Sanford Pentagon Hawkeye proyear head coach When: 11 a.m. Saturday on CBS gram 11 seawith a record Iowa players to watch: Luka Garza, Joe sons ago and of 602-124, has Wieskamp has since built already led his it back up to team against two Gonzaga players to watch: Drew Timme, prominence. top-15 opponents Jalen Suggs On the flip this season in side, Gonzaga’s Kansas and West run as one of the Virginia.

GAME FACTS

And there could have been another.

Gonzaga has only played three games this season. The Zags were forced to pause activities through Dec. 14 and cancel five games, including their Dec. 5 matchup with No. 2 Baylor, because of positive COVID-19 tests within their program.

The Hawkeyes will be the first opponent the Zags see on the floor in more than two weeks.

“They would be a handful in a normal situation,” Few said Monday on his radio show.

“But we’re basically coming off a layoff where we haven’t done anything… Then oh by the way, you have to game plan for the best offense in college basketball right now.”

Iowa and Gonzaga share high rankings in the AP poll, as well as in the KenPom efficiency metrics. That ranking system has Iowa as the top offense in the country, with Gonzaga right behind at No. 2.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020 - 5

“They have shooters and slashers, they have so many good players, are a veteran bunch, and lose nothing when they go to the bench,” Fran McCaffery said.

“They share it, they play it fast and move it. There’s a reason they’re ranked No. 1.”

Garza leads all of men’s college basketball with 29.2 points per game and a 69.1 shooting percentage from the field.

Gonzaga also poses two of the top scoring threats in the country in Drew Timme, Garza’s matchup in the post, with 23.3 points per game, and Kispert with 22.3.

“Both teams push the ball, both teams have shooters, and both teams score on the inside,” Garza said. “Both teams are really aggressive offensively. They’re just looking to attack. You definitely see similarities.”

Slowing down these two top offenses will be a challenge for both teams.

“If you want to keep teams out of the 100s, transition is the first thing you have to guard,” Connor McCaffery said.

“There are games where I don’t think we’ve played well on offense and we scored 95. It comes from playing fast and having a good game plan. If we can slow them down in transition, that will be key.”

On the Gonzaga side, Iowa is equipped with Wieskamp, C.J. Fredrick, and Jordan Bohannon as sharpshooters on the perimeter, but the game plan all comes down to attempting to defend Garza. In the past, opposing teams have

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa guard Jordan Bohannon looks to pass during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Iowa State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 11.

stuck as many as five players in the paint in an effort to slow the center down, or they attack him with varying double teams and try to get the ball out of his hands.

Even with that attention, whether it’s

Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa guard C.J Fredrick dribbles during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and North Carolina at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 8.

in the paint or on the perimeter, Garza, a senior, has scored at will for most of the past two seasons.

“It’s great for college basketball that he came back,” Few said. “He’s having an extraordinary type of year so far with the numbers he’s posting, where he’s scoring. The last couple games he’s been pickin’ and poppin’ 3’s. And those things looked automatic.”

So far this season, the Hawkeyes defeated a North Carolina team ranked in the top 20 by 13 points at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and have blown every other team it has played out by more than 20 points.

Iowa’s players believe the team is among the elites in college basketball this season.

Saturday’s game isn’t a win-or-gohome game, and it isn’t even a conference game. But it’s an opportunity for the Hawkeyes to make a statement that they are a top-tier team in college basketball.

That Iowa is in the same class as a team like Gonzaga.

“If we want to be the No. 1 team, our

focus and preparation needs to resemble that of a No. 1 team,” Connor McCaffery said. “If we want to be the No. 1 team, it’s a different type of mindset.

We need to realize that early on, and I think we will.”

On Bohannon’s “The Standpoint” podcast episode released this week, the show’s guest and former Duke basketball player and current ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said, with no hesitation, that Iowa is a Final Four-caliber team. Gonzaga has been that for most of the last decade.

Saturday’s matchup is a March Madness preview in December.

And the No. 1 spot in the country is on the line.

“They have the same goals and plans that we have,” Bohannon said. “So there’s a lot of similarities between the both of us. I think it’s definitely going to be a sneak peak of what a Final Four, National Championship game could like like between us two. Hopefully we play up to our potential.

“At the end of the day we think we’re the best team in the country. And we want to go out there and show it.”

6 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

#3 IOWA vs.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19 | SANFORD PENT

HAWKEYES STARTING FIVE

G Jordan Bohannon 6-1, 175, Senior

G C.J. Fredrick

6-3, 195, Sophomore

G Joe Wieskamp 6-6, 212, Junior

G Connor McCaffery 6-5, 205, Junior

• Holds all-time Hawkeye program record for career 3-pointers

• Last season’s most accurate 3-point shooter in the Big Ten

• Second-leading scorer for Iowa this season behind Garza

• Versatile piece of the lineup who can guard and score on nearly anyone

• The team’s leading passer this year with most assists per game

• One of the team’s premier perimeter defenders

• Career 39.3 percent shooter from 3-point range

• Led the country in assist-to-turnover ratio last season

C Luka Garza 6-11, 265, Senior

• Leading men’s college basketball in points per game and field goal percentage Hannah Kinson/The Daily Iowan Iowa center Luka Garza takes a shot at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 11.

• Second in the Big Ten in blocks

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020 - 7

#1 GONZAGA

TAGON | SIOUX FALLS, SD | 11:00 AM | CBS

BULLDOGS STARTING FIVE

G Jalen Suggs

G Joel Ayayi

6-4, 205, Freshman

6-5, 180, Junior

• Was nationally ranked the fifth top recruit by ESPN and is a highly prized NBA prospect • Currently leads team in assists per game

• Leading team in both rebounding and steals • West Coast Conference tournament most outstanding player last season

F Corey Kispert 6-7, 220, Senior

• Named on many preseason All-American lists

F Anton Watson 6-8, 225, Sophomore

• Doesn’t score much, but anchors the Bulldog defense with a strong presence in the post

• Profilic shooter with 43.8 percent on 3-pointers • A developing talent in last year his first year as a starter

F Drew Timme

6-10, 235, Sophomore

• Career 61.6 percent shooter from the field • Gonzaga’s top scorer and leading the team in blocks for the second staight season

Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports Gonzaga forward Drew Timme is fouled at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on Dec. 11.

8 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

ONE ON ONE WITH The Hawkeyes may shoot to No. 1 in the AP rankings with a win over Gonzaga. DI Sports Editor Austin Hanson spoke with B.J. Armstrong, a member of the last Iowa men’s basketball team to be the top-ranked team in the country, about this year’s team.

AUSTIN HANSON

austin-hanson@uiowa.edu The Daily Iowan: I wanted to start by asking you about your time at Iowa. What do you remember? What were some of your favorite moments as a Hawkeye?

B.J. Armstrong: I just have fond memories about the people I met in Iowa. When I came there as an 18-year-old kid from Detroit, I really didn’t know what to expect on my visit to Iowa. I’d never been to the state before. My fondest memories are just the people. I met wonderful people there. People that are still friends of mine to this day.

Just being on campus and experiencing that culture and everything college had to offer.

I just had a great time there. I had some great teammates, coaches, professors, and just the people overall. I always consider Iowa home for me. It’s my second home, and my wife’s always considered it that. It was a great experience for me and my family. I’m just very happy that I had an opportunity to come there and to go to school and be able to participate in sports and everything that Iowa had to offer.

DI: I wanted to talk to you about the 1987 team because that was the last time Iowa was No. 1 in the nation, and I wanted to ask you what you remember about that season.

B.J. ARMSTRONG

look at this challenge that they have coming up. They play Gonzaga coming up here, and that’s going to be a big challenge for them in a lot of ways. This season presents challenges within itself, and you’re going to have to stay in the moment and you can’t look too far ahead at what it’s going to be at the end of the season because when you’re playing, a loss here, something happens there, and it can really change your season. I think it’s important for this team to stay focused, enjoy this process, continue to build on what they know they have to do internally as a team. I like their talent. They have a very talented group. A lot of things have to fall your way. Being on good teams, you understand that. You just don’t look too far ahead.

Armstrong: We had terrific leadership, especially from our seniors, which were Kevin Gamble and Brad Lohaus. We were a very deep team. We had great depth at every position. We were a close-knit group. I think it all started from our coaches. Coach [Tom] Davis and the staff, they kind of set the tone with us. Our leadership was impeccable that year. Kevin was fabulous. Brad Lohaus was fabulous. So, our seniors, to me, are kind of what set us apart, and the younger guys just fell in line. You know myself, and Roy Marble, Ed Horton, Bill Jones, Jeff Moe. We were experienced. We were battle-tested. Kevin, in my opinion, was the best player on the team that year. He and all the other seniors just really did a terrific job, I thought. That’s why we were able to play, and we had stability. When things got tough, our guys, they were always there for us. They were kind of the foundation of that group.

DI: Obviously in the NBA and in college you played on a lot of good teams, other than staying focused on the task at hand, what would your advice be to this year’s Iowa team.

DI: There are some parallels that can be drawn between that team and the 2020-21 Hawkeyes. When you’ve watched Iowa this season, what have you seen from them so far?

Armstrong: They do two things really well. They defend and they really share the ball with one another. The ball is always moving. They really play an unselfish style of play. That’s a thing that’s really stood out to me when I’ve watched them this year is how well they move the ball. If a guy doesn’t have a shot, he moves it right on. They always seem to get the ball to the guy with the best shot. They pass up good shots for great shots. The unselfishness of this team on the defensive end and on the offensive end the way they play, those are the things that really stand out. Obviously they have a great player in Luka. He is kind of an anchor for them. He’s able to score, draw double-teams, facilitate, and he passes the ball. I think that’s a great combination with what they have. Their unselfishness, to me, is really what stands out. I’ve had a chance to watch them numerous times this year, and they have a really good team this year.

I think the expectations are warranted because of the way they play, the style they play. But defensively, they give maximum effort and they share the ball with each other. You’re watching a team play the right way because that’s what they do. It gives you a chance. I really like how they’ve played in the early part of the season. But, like every team, they’ll have to continue to improve, and I really like what I’ve seen thus far.

Scott Norris/The Daily Iowan BJ Armstrong takes a shot against the Wisconsin Badgers on March 10, 1988.

DI: As the season continues, what do you think the ceiling is for this Iowa team?

Armstrong: When you’re playing as a team, and you have a good team, you have to have an understanding of just taking it day-by-day. Right now you can’t look too far ahead because you have to enjoy the process, the ups and downs of what that’s going to bring. With the early success that they’ve had, I think the early challenge of the season is to be able to meet those expectations because now they’re not like sneaking up on anybody. All the teams are going to play and give their maximum effort versus this team because of their ranking because they have a player up for National Player of the Year, they have great individual talent, they have a great team, and they have a high ranking. I think, before we get to the end of the season, let’s first understand how to meet those challenges because this is new for this group.

Before I look to the end of the season, let’s

Armstrong: Just enjoy this moment.

They’ve worked hard. They’ve worked to get to this position. Enjoy this process because you never can take for granted when you’re going to have a special group. They have an opportunity to really make some memories here. They have an opportunity to really do something special. They have leadership.

They have a great team. They’ve got good guard play and excellent interior play, obviously. They have a lot of depth. They have a really, really good team. So, just enjoy it.

Enjoy this moment and continue to build every single game. As you get further and further down the line, you’ll begin to see those goals that you were thinking about early in the season, they’ll all happen because you stayed in the moment. I think the best advice I could give them is just stay focused. You can’t win the game on paper. You can’t win a game because you’re supposed to win a game. You have to go out there and do it. They have a good team and they look like they’re very focused. They’re shooting the ball well. They shoot it with range. They have a good mix of interior and what they’re doing on the exterior with their players. I’m a huge fan of what the Hawkeyes are doing and how they’re playing early in the season.

Go to dailyiowan.com to read the full interview.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020 - 9

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10 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

BY THE NUMBERS

BY ROBERT READ

robert-read@uiowa.edu The No. 3 Iowa men’s basketball team has played up to its ranking through six games this season, and the numbers back that up.

The 6-0 Hawkeyes have scored 93 points or more in every game this season and won every game by at least 13 points. Iowa also brings experience into its matchup with Gonzaga. The Hawkeyes have seven starters back from last season’s team.

Here are the Iowa numbers that stand out heading into the premier game of the regular season.

No. 1 and No. 2 — KenPom offensive rankings for Iowa and Gonzaga The two best offenses in men’s college basketball clash in Sioux Falls on Saturday.

Iowa and Gonzaga are ranked first

and second, respectively, in KenPom’s offensive rating system this season. The Hawkeyes rank first in offensive efficiency averaging 119 points per 100 possessions, right in front of the Zags at 118.

Gonzaga is also in the top-15 in KenPom’s defensive metrics, while Iowa is down at 75th.

The Hawkeyes are second in the country scoring 100.5 points per game this season, while the Zags are tied for eighth at 93. Gonzaga is hitting 55.28 percent of its shots from the field, while Iowa is hitting 50.97. Basically, there are going to be a lot of points scored on Saturday.

And a lot of those points will be scored

by Garza, the current favorite to win National Player of the Year. Through six games, the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American is leading the country with a 29.2 points per game average.

Go to dailyiowan.com to read the full story.

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Shivansh Ahuja/The Daily Iowan Iowa guard Joe Wieskamp lays the ball up during a men’s basketball game between Iowa and Iowa State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Dec. 11. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cyclones, 105-77, for their fifth win of the season.

The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020 - 11

HAWKEYE HISTORY The Iowa men’s basketball program has three victories against AP top-ranked teams, and is going for win No. 4 on Saturday.

ROBERT READ Dating back to the 1949-50 season, the Iowa men’s basketball program is 3-20 against teams ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll.

Saturday’s matchup against topranked Gonzaga is Iowa’s opportunity to reach win No. 4.

Two of the program’s 23 meetings against the top team in the AP poll came in the 1950s, and the remainder occurred as follows: five of them in the 1960s, six in the 70s, three in the 90s, three in the 2000s, and three in the 2010s. In seven of these contests, Iowa was also ranked.

Before the No. 3 Hawkeyes compete

Nichole Harris/The Daily Iowan Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery reacts to a call made during a men’s basketball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Illinois Fighting Illini on Feb 2. against the No. 1 Zags in Sioux Falls, The Daily Iowan looks back at the previous matchups Iowa had against the top teams in the nation.

The losses Iowa’s first matchup against a No. 1 team came in the 1953 regular season finale when the team fell, 68-61, to Indiana. The Hawkeyes have lost to a topranked Hoosiers team on seven different occasions, with most of those meetings occurring when Bob Knight was Indiana’s head coach.

Ohio State (four), UCLA (two), Duke (two), and Illinois (two) are other topranked teams Iowa lost to on more than one occasion in the program’s history.

The Hawkeyes have twice lost to the nation’s top team in the NCAA Tournament. Iowa suffered an 84-81 loss to UNLV in the Regional Finals in 1987, a defeat that still stings for most Hawkeye fans who witnessed it. In 1992, Iowa lost to Duke, 75-62, in the tournament’s second round.

The Hawkeyes lost their first five

games against a No. 1 team. In 1965, Iowa defeated a John Wooden-led UCLA team to break that streak.

The wins Iowa won one of the more shocking games of the 1964-65 men’s college basketball season by defeating No. 1 UCLA, 87-82, at Chicago Stadium. The Bruins had won 44 of their previous 45 games before falling to the Hawkeyes.

The victory over the Bruins came right at the start of their dynasty. UCLA won its second consecutive National Championship in 1965, and the program won it all in 10 out of the next 12 seasons starting in 1964.

Iowa lost to UCLA in 1971 and 1974.

The next win in Hawkeye program history over a top-ranked team came 34 years later in Steve Alford’s first game as Iowa’s head coach. Alford’s team won, 70-68, at Madison Square Garden in its first game of the 1999-2000 season over No. 1 UConn, the team that won the National Championship the season prior.

Iowa’s most recent victory over a No.

1 team came in 2015, when the Hawkeyes defeated Michigan State, 83-70, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game marks the last time Iowa competed against a topranked team.

Ralph Miller, Alford, and Fran McCaffery are the only Iowa coaches to ever beat a top-ranked team while leading the Hawkeyes. McCaffery, who just won his 200th game as Iowa’s head coach, could become the first head Hawkeye to do it twice.

Competing against top-ranked teams under McCaffery In 2011, McCaffery’s first season as Iowa’s head coach, the Hawkeyes fell to No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus, 70-48.

Two seasons later, the Hawkeyes lost to the Hoosiers, 73-60, at Assembly Hall.

The Hawkeyes’ 2015 victory over the top-ranked Spartans was the team’s third in a stretch of nine straight wins that eventually elevated Iowa to No. 3 in the nation. Iowa point guard Mike Gesell led all scorers with 25 points in the game. Peter Jok followed him with 19 of his own.

12 - The Daily Iowan - PREGAME - Iowa City, Iowa - Friday, December 18, 2020

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