OMAHA – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team hits the road for the first time this season, traveling west on I-80 on Tuesday for a Gavitt Tipoff Games matchup at No. 8 Creighton. The game will tipoff at 9:10 p.m. (CT) at the CHI Health Center and it will be televised live on FS1.
Tuesday’s game is the 26th meeting in the all-time series, dating back to 1922. Iowa leads the all-time series, 14-11. The Hawkeyes last faced Creighton in 2011 — an 82- 59 Bluejay victory in Des Moines. The two teams met in the 2001 NCAA Tournament, where Iowa won 69-56 in Long Island, New York. This is Iowa’s first road game at Creighton since 1999.
SCOUTING CREIGHTON
• The Bluejays bring a 2-0 record into Tuesday’s game, winning their first two games by an average of 40 points per game.
• Four Creighton players are averaging in double figures with Trey Alexander leading the way with a 20.5 scor- ing average on 71.4 percent shooting. Alexander also averages 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals.
• The Bluejays have made 30 3-pointers and are shoot- ing 58.7 percent in their first two games, while being +23 on the glass.
• Creighton has a 6-foot-7 guard (Baylor Scheierman), a 6-foot-9 forward (Mason Miller) and a 7-foot-1 center (Ryan Kalkbrenner).
• Creighton received four first place votes and was picked to finish second in the Big East Conference standings in 2023-24. Three players — Kalkbrenner (unanimous first), Alexander (first) and Scheierman (second) were preseason all-conference selections.
• The Bluejays are coached by former Northern Iowa and Iowa State head coach Greg McDermott, who is a native of Cascade, Iowa.
In two games, Iowa is averaging 104 points, while allowing 67.5 points. The Hawkeyes scored 110 points in the season opener against North Dakota — the most in an opener under head coach Fran McCaffery (sixth most in McCaffery era.)
Junior Payton Sandfort is averaging a double-double (19 points, 10.5 rebounds) in Iowa’s first two games. The Waukee, Iowa, native notched his first career double-double (17/12) in the win over Alabama State.
Iowa is “spreading the wealth” in terms of scoring. Six Hawkeyes landed in double figures in the opener and four against Alabama State. Five Hawkeyes are averaging in double figures and 10 players are playing between 12.8 and 24.5 minutes per game.
Iowa’s newcomers have accounted for 83 points (40.9 percent of scoring) in the first two games. Valpo transfer Ben Krikke is third on the team in scoring (15.5 points/6.0 rebounds), while freshman forward Owen Freeman is averaging 11 points. Freshman guard Brock Harding has 14 assists in 25 minutes.