Iowa Men's Basketball Off to its Worst Start in 80 Years

Bret Feddern — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:37:03 -0500

Hawkeye basketball continues to make history this season.

Unfortunately, it's for playing basketball they would rather forget.

Iowa started off the season by losing its first two games, something the team had not done since 1970. Then, they gained their first win of the season with a 68-46 throttling of last year's Mid-American Conference champions, Bowling Green.

Freshman Eric May went 4-for-4 from behind the arch and led all Hawkeyes with 16 points. Anthony Tucker picked up 13 points and nine assists in the win, as well.

The victory was a turning point for the team, Coach Todd Lickliter said.

Sadly, that turning point resembled a car turning into oncoming traffic at a high rate of speed.

After the victory over the Bowling Green Falcons, Iowa headed to Kansas City for the second portion of the 2009 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic, where Texas and Wichita State awaited.

The trip to Kansas City started with a loss to No. 3 ranked Texas by a score of 85-60. Iowa kept it close in the first half, and even tied the game with a 70-foot buzzer-beater from freshman point guard Cully Payne to make the score at 38-38 at halftime.

But, Texas hit 66 percent of its second-half shots and went on a 17-0 run during the game’s final 20 minutes to seal Iowa's fate. The Hawkeyes shot just 32 percent in the game.

Texas's Damion James and Dexter Pittman combined for 25 points, 20 rebounds, and six blocked shots against the Hawkeyes.

The day after the Texas loss came the 74-57 loss to Wichita State in the consolation game.

The Shockers made five three point baskets in the game's first 10 minutes and grabbed nine offensive rebounds to help them maintain a comfortable lead for most of the game. Their bench outscored Iowa's 29-9.

The Hawkeyes lost all four of its CBE Classic games, averaging just over 54 points a game and shooting just over 35 percent.

"This has been a very, very demanding opening schedule," Lickliter reminded reporters after the Wichita State game.

Lickliter has a point. The Hawkeye Nation will need to have a little patience this year and remember that the bulk of Iowa's team is in their first year of college. While it is clear the freshman have some talent, they are still very green to college basketball and are learning as they go.

Iowa is now 1-4 on the season, its worst start since 1929 when the Hawkeyes began the season 1-6.

The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday, November 28 against North Carolina Central, when former Hawkeye basketball legend Kenyon Murray makes his debut as Basketball Analyst for the Big Ten Network while calling the game.

Hopefully Iowa can give Murray a memorable game to call.

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Iowa Hawkeyes-Duquesne Dukes: Iowa Suffers Second Straight Home Loss

Bret Feddern — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:07:25 -0500

Iowa Hawkeye football started the 2009 season with a nine-game, history-breaking win streak that won't soon be forgotten.

The men's basketball team has started the 2009 season making a little history of its own. Although, this history can't be forgotten by fans quick enough.

The Hawkeyes lost their second straight game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena Tuesday night, the first time since 1931 that Iowa has lost its first two home games of the season. It also marked the first time Iowa has started a season with two consecutive losses since 1970.

Adding insult to injury, it was the first time ever that Duquesne has won a game in a Big Ten arena.

Duquesne overcame second half shooting troubles and held off a late Iowa rally to win, 52-50. Damian Saunders had 16 points, 16 rebounds, and six steals for the Dukes. Bill Clark contributed 20 points, including the game winning three-pointer with 11.7 seconds left.

Anthony Tucker led the Hawkeyes in scoring with 16 points, but did so shooting 30 percent from behind the three point line.

"It's pretty frustrating," Tucker told reporters after the game. "I thought we played well enough to win, defensively. But we just have to generate some offense from somewhere."

Tucker wasn't the only Iowa player to struggle offensively. Matt Gatens, the Hawkeyes' top returning scorer and rebounder from last season, was only 2-of-12 from the floor.

As a team, Iowa shot 32 percent from the field, a dismal 22 percent from behind the arc, and 8-of-15 from the free throw line.

Despite poor shooting, the Hawkeyes tried to make a game of it late. Iowa rallied from an 11-point deficit to take the lead, 50-49, on a three-point play with 41 seconds left, but Clark's three point play with .8 seconds left on the clock sealed Iowa's fate in this game.

"I hope that they don’t get discouraged because they don’t deserve it," Hawkeyes coach Todd Lickliter expressed after the game. "If we fight, we’ll get better."

Iowa has another chance to improve on Friday at 8 p.m. CST, when the Hawkeyes face Bowling Green at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Read more Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball news on BleacherReport.com

Bleacher Report - Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball

Iowa Men's Basketball Off to its Worst Start in 80 Years

Iowa Hawkeyes-Duquesne Dukes: Iowa Suffers Second Straight Home Loss