Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball

Iowa Hawkeyes
2023–24 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Iowa
All-time record1,700–1,181–1 (.590)
Head coachFran McCaffery (14th season)
ConferenceBig Ten
LocationIowa City, Iowa
ArenaCarver-Hawkeye Arena
(Capacity: 15,400)
Student sectionHawks Nest
ColorsBlack and gold
 
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate
NCAA tournament runner-up
1956
NCAA tournament Final Four
1955, 1956, 1980
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1955, 1956, 1980, 1987
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1955, 1956, 1970, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1999
NCAA tournament round of 32
1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021
NCAA tournament appearances
1955, 1956, 1970, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Conference tournament champions
2001, 2006, 2022
Conference regular season champions
1923, 1926, 1945, 1955, 1956, 1968, 1970, 1979

The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team is part of the University of Iowa athletics department.

The Hawkeyes have played in 29 NCAA Tournaments, had eight National Invitation Tournament appearances, won eight Big Ten regular-season conference championships and won the Big Ten tournament three times. Iowa has played in the Final Four on three occasions, reaching the semifinals in 1955 and 1980 and playing in the championship game against the University of San Francisco in 1956.

Iowa basketball was widely successful in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s with a program resurgence under Lute Olson and the tenures of George Raveling and Tom Davis. Under Olson, the Hawkeyes won their last Big Ten regular season championship and went to the 1980 Final Four.

They currently play in 15,400-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with Iowa women's basketball, wrestling, and volleyball teams.

Prior to playing in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which opened in 1983, the Hawkeyes played in the Iowa Armory and the Iowa Field House, which is still used today by the school's gymnastics teams. In 2006, the Hawkeyes accumulated a school-record 21 consecutive wins at home before losing to in-state rival Northern Iowa.

Three Iowa head coaches have been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as coaches: Sam Barry, Ralph Miller, and Lute Olson. A fourth Hawkeyes head coach, George Raveling, is a member in the Hall's contributor category.

History

Early years (1901–1922)

The roots of Iowa basketball lie in 1901, when Ed Rule coached the Hawkeyes to a 10–2 record in their very first season of varsity basketball. Earlier, when the sport was evolving and still in a club format, Iowa played the University of Chicago club in the first five-on-five college game on January 18, 1896. Rule coached the Hawkeyes in four non-consecutive seasons (1901–02, 03–04, 05–07), leading Iowa to a 37–15 record under his watch. Even today, Rule's winning percentage stands as the best among head coaches in Iowa basketball history.

Coach Ed Rule, 1907

Aside from Rule's tenure, the Hawkeyes were coached by: Fred Bailey (1902–1903), John Chalmers (1904–1905), John Griffith (1907–1910), Walter Stewart (1910–1912), Floyd Thomas (1912–1913), Maury Kent (1913–1918), Edwin Bannick (1918–1919), and James Ashmore (1919–1922). In the era of multiple sport coaches, Chalmers (24–8), Griffin (2–4), Kent (assistant) and Ashmore (assistant) also were Coaches of Iowa Hawkeyes football. Kent pitched briefly for the Brooklyn Dodgers and coached the Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team (42–26), as did Chalmers (24–6), Stewart (16–12), Ashmore (23–20) and Griffith (9–6). From 1902 to 1923, the best Iowa basketball finished in conference play was fifth on three separate occasions. Iowa began play in the Western Conference (1902–1917) which evolved and changed its name to the Big Ten Conference beginning in 1917–1918.

Sam Barry era (1922–1929)

In 1922, Sam Barry was hired as Iowa's 10th head coach. In Barry's first season, 1923, Iowa went 13–2 overall and won the Big Ten championship for the first time in school history. The winning did not stop there: the Hawkeyes also tied for the Big Ten championship in 1926, along with Indiana, Michigan, and Purdue. Barry also coached the Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team, going 19–15 from 1923 to 1924. Before Barry continued his Hall of Fame career at the USC in 1929, he authored a handbook on the sport, Basketball: Individual Play and Team Play, featuring Iowa players and facilities. 62–54 at Iowa, Barry remained at USC until his premature death in 1950 at age 57. Barry was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank
1922–23 Iowa Sam Barry 13–2 11–1 T-1st
1923–24 Iowa Sam Barry 7–18 4–8 9th
1924–25 Iowa Sam Barry 6–10 5–7 7th
1925–26 Iowa Sam Barry 12–5 8–4 T-1st
1926–27 Iowa Sam Barry 9–8 7–5 T-4th
1927–28 Iowa Sam Barry 6–11 3–7 T-7th
1928–29 Iowa Sam Barry 9–8 5–7 7th
Totals 62–54 (.534) 43–39 (.524)

Rollie Williams era (1929–1942)

Following Barry in the line of Hawkeye coaches was Rollie Williams, who would coach Iowa on two occasions, from 1929 to 1942 and in 1951. Williams' winning percentage of 51.5% (139–131), and his long tenure at Iowa allowed him to become the winningest coach in Iowa history until Lute Olson, Tom Davis and Fran McCaffery surpassed him.

Early during Williams' head coaching tenure, in 1929, Iowa's teams were suspended from participation in the Big Ten for violating conference rules. After a Big Ten investigation uncovered an illegal slush fund and possible recruiting violations, Iowa relented to the Big Ten's demands and was eventually reinstated into the conference on February 1, 1930. Fourteen players, including four on the basketball squad, were declared ineligible as a result of the Big Ten's findings.

Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner for Iowa Hawkeyes football, also played basketball at Iowa. Starting for Coach Williams in 1937–38 as a sophomore, Kinnick finished 2nd on the team and 15th in Big Ten scoring with 75 total points (6.3 points per game) that season, his only hoops season.

Williams left the Hawkeyes in 1942 during World War II to enter military service in the Navy. He would return to Iowa after his tour of duty and coached one final season in 1950–51, after illness had forced Pop Harrison away from the sideline the previous season.

Overall Williams had a 42-year tenure at the University of Iowa (1924 to 1966), working in various coaching capacities and moving into athletic administration at Iowa after his coaching career.

Coach Rollie Williams, 1941. Iowa yearbook
Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank
1929–30 Iowa Rollie Williams 4–13 0–0* 10th
1930–31 Iowa Rollie Williams 5–12 2–10 10th
1931–32 Iowa Rollie Williams 5–12 3–9 T-8th
1932–33 Iowa Rollie Williams 15–5 8–4 T-3rd
1933–34 Iowa Rollie Williams 13–6 6–6 T-5th
1933–35 Iowa Rollie Williams 10–9 6–6 6th
1935–36 Iowa Rollie Williams 9–10 5–7 T-6th
1936–37 Iowa Rollie Williams 11–9 3–9 T-8th
1937–38 Iowa Rollie Williams 11–9 6–6 T-5th
1938–39 Iowa Rollie Williams 8–11 3–9 10th
1939–40 Iowa Rollie Williams 9–12 4–8 8th
1940–41 Iowa Rollie Williams 12–8 4–8 8th
1941–42 Iowa Rollie Williams 12–8 10–5 T-2nd
1950–51* Iowa Rollie Williams 15–7 9–5 3rd
Totals 139–131 (.515) 69–90 (.434)

Pops Harrison era (1942–1950)

Just as the country emerged from the depression, so did Iowa's basketball fortunes. Following a rocky 7–10 season in 1943, Pops Harrison led the Hawkeyes to their third overall Big Ten title (and first unshared title) in 1945.

Murray Weir was the centerpiece of Pops Harrison's teams from 1944 to 1948, as Wier was a starter in all four-year season, playing under coach Harrison and developed into a prolific scorer, leading the NCAA in scoring. In 1944–45, the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten Conference season championship. The Hawkeyes finished second to the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten during Weir's his senior season of 1947–48.

Murray Wier was a consensus first-team All-American in 1948.

Wier led the Hawkeyes in scoring in 1946–47 and 1947–48 with 15.1 and 21.0 points per game. Weir's 21.0 ppg led the NCAA in scoring in 1947–1948, with Wier becoming the first officially recognized Major College division scoring leader. Weir was a first team all–Big Ten selection and was selected as the Big Ten's Most Valuable Player. Weir was named a 1948 consensus first team All-American.

In the following decade, from 1946 to 1956, the Hawkeyes had but one non–winning season in 1948–49, Harrison's last full season as head coach. Illness forced Harrison miss a good portion of the 1949–50 season, coaching in 11 games.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank
1942–43 Iowa Pops Harrison 7–10 3–9 9th
1943–44 Iowa Pops Harrison 14–4 9–3 T-2nd
1944–45 Iowa Pops Harrison 17–1 11–1 1st
1945–46 Iowa Pops Harrison 14–4 8–4 T-3rd
1946–47 Iowa Pops Harrison 12–7 5–7 6th
1947–48 Iowa Pops Harrison 15–4 8–4 2nd
1948–49 Iowa Pops Harrison 10–10 3–9 8th
1949–50 Iowa Pops Harrison 9–2* 1–1* Inc*
Totals 98–42 (.700) 46–38 (.548)

Bucky O'Connor era (1949–1958)

After playing and graduating from Drake University, O'Connor first came to Iowa from Boone Junior College in Boone, Iowa. He began at Iowa as the freshman basketball coach and Head Golf Coach in 1948. In 1950, O'Connor took over after the first two coaches of the 1949–50 season stepped down. He became the official coach in the 1951–52 season. Following short tenures by O'Connor in 1950 and Rollie Williams (with O'Connor assisting) for the entire 1950–51 season, in subbing for the ill Pops Harrison, O'Connor became Iowa's permanent coach in 1951. O'Connor would hold that position and achieve great success, until his death on April 22, 1958.

Chuck Darling was an early prominent player under O'Connor. Darling was a Consensus first–team All-American in (1952), along with being named 1952 First–team All-Big Ten. Darling was the 1st Round pick (#8 overall) of the Rochester Royals in the 1952 NBA draft. He played instead for the AAU Phillips 66ers in order to remain an amateur. He later played in the 1956 Olympics.

Carl Cain, 1956. Cain's number is retired at Iowa. He was an Olympic gold medalist as a member of the 1956 US Olympic basketball team.

The Fabulous Five / back to back Final Fours

In 1952–53, Iowa finished second in the Big Ten behind the efforts of a starting lineup fully composed of sophomores nicknamed the "Fabulous Five:"Sharm Scheuerman, Bill Seaberg, Carl Cain, Bill Schoof, and Bill Logan.

As juniors in 1954–55, Iowa, with the "Fabulous Five" won the Big Ten outright and eventually finished fourth in the nation. Iowa advanced to the Final Four of the 1955 NCAA tournament, defeating the Penn State 82–53 and Marquette 86–81 to advance.

In 1955–56, as seniors, Iowa again won the Big Ten outright and advanced to the Final Four of the 1956 NCAA tournament. They defeated Morehead State 97–83 and Kentucky and Coach Adolph Rupp 89–77 to advance to the Final Four. There, they defeated Temple 83–76 to advance to the NCAA Championship game. In the NCAA Final, Iowa lost to the San Francisco Dons with Bill Russell 83–71. San Francisco ended the season undefeated.

Despite losing in the championship game, for the only time in school history, the Hawkeyes recorded consecutive Big Ten championships. Scheuerman, Seaberg, Cain, Schoof, and Logan, all members of the "Fabulous Five", had their jerseys retired in 1980.

1956 USA Basketball Olympians

Chuck Darling and Carl Cain were members of the 1956 United States men's Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Hall of famers Bill Russell and KC Jones were fellow team members. Darling averaged 9.3 points per game in the Olympics.

O'Connor's death

On April 22, 1958, at the age of 44, O'Connor died in a car accident near Waterloo, Iowa, killed in a collision with a truck on Highway 218. O'Connor, who had once coached Iowa's Golf team, was on his way to Waterloo to play golf before a speaking engagement with the Sports of Sorts Club in Waterloo.

Bucky O'Connor, 1956. O'Connor died in 1958. He coached the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Fours. University of Iowa yearbook.
Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1949–50 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 6–5* (15–7) 5–5* (6–6) 5th
Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1950–51 Iowa Rollie Williams 15–7 9–5 3rd
Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1951–52 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 19–3 11–3 2nd
1952–53 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 12–10 9–9 6th
1953–54 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 17–5 11–3 2nd
1954–55 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 19–7 11–3 1st NCAA FINAL FOUR
1955–56 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 20–6 13–1 1st NCAA RUNNER-UP
1956–57 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 8–14 4–10 8th
1957–58 Iowa Bucky O'Connor 13–9 7–7 6th
Totals 114–59 (.659) 71–41 (.634)*
  • Includes Second Half of 1949–50 Season

Sharm Scheuerman era (1958–1964)

After graduating from Iowa, Scheuerman had been hired as an assistant coach under Bucky O'Connor. Scheuerman was hired as head coach in 1958 after O'Connor was killed. At age 24, Scheuerman became the youngest head basketball coach in Big Ten Conference history. In six years as the Hawkeyes' head coach, Scheuerman's teams compiled a record of 72–69. Bob King was an assistant under Scheuerman from 1960 to 1962. Scheuerman resigned after the 1963–1964 season and entered private business. He later became an announcer for Iowa telecasts.

Coach Sharm Scheuerman, 1962. University of Iowa yearbook

A two-time All-American at Iowa, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee and 5 x NBA Champion and Coach, Don Nelson, played for Iowa and Coach Scheuerman from 1959 to 1962. Nelson has the most wins as a coach in NBA history and his #19 is retired by the Boston Celtics.

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Don Nelson, 1962. Nelson was an All-American at Iowa. University of Iowa yearbook.

Scheuerman recruited Naismith Hall of Fame player Connie Hawkins to Iowa in 1960. After enrolling at Iowa as a freshman, Hawkins was named in an investigation into gambling and point-shaving in his native New York City. Hawkins had borrowed and repaid $200 from former NBA player Jack Molinas and was questioned by the FBI without legal representation. He was banned and never played collegiately again, before embarking on a professional career. He eventually sued the NBA who had banned him, winning a $1.6 million settlement and reinstatement. Hawkins' #42 was retired by the Phoenix Suns.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1958–59 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 10–12 7–7 T-5th
1959–60 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 14–10 6–8 T-6th
1960–61 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 18–6 10–4 T-2nd
1961–62 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 13–11 7–7 T-4th
1962–63 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 9–15 5–9 8th
1963–64 Iowa Sharm Scheuerman 8–15 3–11 9th
Totals 72–69 (.511) 38–46 (.452)

Ralph Miller era (1964–1970)

Iowa enjoyed 5 years of success under Ralph Miller from 1965 to 1966 through 1969–70, winning two Big Ten conference titles during that span. Miller joined the Hawks as head coach after completing a successful stint as head coach at Wichita State.

The 1967–68 team tied for the Big Ten Title with Ohio State with a 10–4 conference record, and a 16–9 overall record. This team was led by Sam Williams, a high-scoring forward who led the Big Ten in scoring that year.

The 1969–70 team was arguably the greatest team in Iowa basketball history. Known as the "Six-Pack" (because only 6 players played most of the minutes), this team stormed through the Big Ten with a perfect 14–0 record, one of the few Big Ten teams ever to go undefeated in the conference. The team averaged over 100 points in conference play, highlighted by a 108–107 victory in West Lafayette over Purdue late in the season to clinch the outright title. Rick Mount of Purdue scored 61 points in that game in a losing effort.

John Johnson, Iowa 1970. Johnson was the #7 overall pick in the 1970 NBA draft. University of Iowa yearbook.

The Six-Pack team was led by John Johnson and "Downtown" Fred Brown, who both enjoyed long and successful NBA careers after playing for the Hawkeyes, Johnson was the 1st round pick (#7) overall of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1970 NBA draft. Glenn "the Stick" Vidnovic and Chad Calabria also were Six-pack members. Iowa averaged almost 80% accuracy as a team from the free throw line for the season.

Miller left Iowa after the 1969–70 season to accept the head coaching job at Oregon State, where he coached until 1989. Miller was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1964–65 Iowa Ralph Miller 14–10 8–6 5th
1965–66 Iowa Ralph Miller 17–7 8–6 3rd
1966–67 Iowa Ralph Miller 16–8 9–5 3rd
1967–68 Iowa Ralph Miller 16–9 10–4 1st
1968–69 Iowa Ralph Miller 12–12 5–9 8th
1969–70 Iowa Ralph Miller 20–5 14–0 1st NCAA SWEET 16
Totals 95–51 (.651) 54–30 (.643)

Dick Schultz era (1970–1974)

Miller and Scheuerman's assistant (and Iowa's baseball coach), Dick Schultz, succeeded Miller as head coach in 1970. A dual coach, Schultz had previously coached the Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team, going 129–106 from 1963 to 1970. Schultz was 41–55 overall during his four-year run as coach, with "Downtown" Freddie Brown and Kevin Kunnert becoming First Round NBA Draft Picks.

Brown was the 1st round pick (#6 overall) of the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1971 NBA draft and Kunnert was the 1st round pick (#12 overall) of the Chicago Bulls in 1973 NBA draft.

Schultz resigned in 1974, after four second-division finishes in the Big Ten and a 41–55 overall record. Schultz later became the executive director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 1988 to 1993. He then became executive director of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) from 1995 to 2000.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1970–71 Iowa Dick Schultz 9–15 4–10 7th (T)
1971–72 Iowa Dick Schultz 11–13 5–9 8th (T)
1972–73 Iowa Dick Schultz 13–11 6–8 6th (T)
1973–74 Iowa Dick Schultz 8–16 5–9 7th
Totals 41–55 (.427) 20–36 (.357)

Lute Olson era (1974–1983)

Iowa hired Long Beach State coach Lute Olson to replace Schultz in 1974. After progressive improvements from 1975 to 1977, Olson coached the Hawkeyes to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1979 to 1983. The 1978–79 squad earned a share the Big Ten Title.

1980 Final Four

Olson's tenure was highlighted by an appearance in the Final Four in 1980 on a team led by Ronnie Lester, with a supporting cast of Kenny Arnold, Steve Waite, Steve Krafcisin, Vince Brookins, Kevin Boyle, Bobby Hanson, and Mark Gannon. Iowa started 7–0 on the season when Lester was injured early in the season at Dayton, not returning until the regular season finale.

Nineteen regular season wins earned Iowa a No. 5 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament (then, a 48-team field). In the four tournament wins that took Iowa to the Final Four, All-American Lester dished out 26 assists while committing only seven turnovers along with 51 points. Iowa opened by defeating Virginia Commonwealth 86–72 and No. 4 seed NC State 77–64. In a huge upset, Iowa knocked off No. 1 seed Syracuse 88–77, setting up a matchup in the Elite Eight with No. 3 Georgetown. Iowa earned an improbable Final Four trip to Indianapolis on March 16, 1980, defeating John Thompson's Georgetown squad 81–80. Iowa overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, making 17 of their final 21 shots and going 15–15 from the free-throw line. The winning basket was Steve Waite's three-point play in the closing seconds.

In the semi-final game against Denny Crum's Louisville team, Lester scored the first 10 points for Iowa. But after eight minutes of play he reinjured his knee and exited the game, ending his Iowa career. In Lester's absence, Louisville bested Iowa by only eight points, 80–72 and went on to win the Tournament, defeating UCLA, led by Larry Brown, in the final. Lester's value to his team was evident in the numbers. Not counting the Louisville game, they were 15–1 with Lester and 8–9 without him. Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who played two seasons at Michigan State, once claimed Lester the toughest opponent he ever faced in the Big Ten. Lester was drafted 10th overall in the 1980 NBA draft, but the knee issues limited him in the NBA. He donated $100,000 to the University of Iowa in 2009.

Career at Iowa

After Olson coached the Hawkeyes to the 1980 Final Four, Iowa made the next three NCAA Tournaments. They advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 1983 NCAA tournament, his final season at Iowa. Then nicknamed "The House That Lute Built", Carver-Hawkeye Arena opened on January 5, 1983, replacing the Iowa Field House. After the 1982–1983 season, Olson left Iowa for the University of Arizona. Olson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1974–75 Iowa Lute Olson 10–16 7–11 7th
1975–76 Iowa Lute Olson 19–10 9–9 5th
1976–77 Iowa Lute Olson 20–7 12–6 4th
1977–78 Iowa Lute Olson 12–15 5–13 8th
1978–79 Iowa Lute Olson 20–8 13–5 T-1st NCAA first round
1979–80 Iowa Lute Olson 23–10 10–8 4th NCAA Final Four
1980–81 Iowa Lute Olson 21–7 13–5 4th NCAA first round
1981–82 Iowa Lute Olson 21–8 12–6 2nd NCAA second round
1982–83 Iowa Lute Olson 21–10 10–8 T-2nd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Total 167–91 (.651) 91–71 (.562)

George Raveling era (1983–1986)

When Lute Olson left for Arizona, George Raveling came to Iowa from Washington State, where he coached from 1972 to 1983. Raveling immediately recruited Michigan high school stars B. J. Armstrong, Bill Jones, and Roy Marble, Springfield, Illinois' Lanphier High School teammates Ed Horton and Kevin Gamble, as well as USC transfer Gerry Wright, and Les Jepsen, all of whom would go on to play in the NBA. During Raveling's three years with the Iowa program, the Hawkeyes made two trips to the NCAA Tournament, after his first Iowa team finished 13–15. Like Sam Barry decades before, Raveling left Iowa (after the 1985–86 season) to take the head coaching position at the University of Southern California after compiling a record of 55–38 at Iowa. Raveling was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1983–84 Iowa George Raveling 13–15 6–12 T-7th
1984–85 Iowa George Raveling 21–11 10–8 5th NCAA first round
1985–86 Iowa George Raveling 20–12 10–8 6th NCAA first round
Totals 55–38 (.591) 26–28 (.481)

Tom Davis era (1986–1999)

Dr. Tom Davis was hired after George Raveling departed. Davis coached the Hawkeyes for 13 seasons from 1986–87 to 1998–99. Davis had coached Lafayette (1971–1977), Boston College (1977–1982) and Stanford (1982–1986) prior to Iowa. Davis is Iowa's all time victory leader with 269 wins.

Davis utilized a full court press defense and rapid continuous substitution. In 1986–1987, the Hawkeyes won their first 18 games and obtained the No. 1 ranking in the AP and UPI polls for the first time in school history. Iowa, with future NBA players Brad Lohaus, B. J. Armstrong, Ed Horton, Kevin Gamble, Bill Jones and Roy Marble, along with Jeff Moe won a school-record 30 games. Iowa finished 14–4 in the Big Ten and advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

In the 1987 NCAA tournament #2 seed Iowa defeated Santa Clara 96–76, UTEP 84–82 and Oklahoma 93–91 to advance to the Elite Eight. In the Western Regional Final Iowa lost to #1 seed UNLV 84–81 after having a 16-point halftime lead. Kevin Gamble, who had hit the winning shot against the University of Oklahoma to send the Hawkeyes to the Elite Eight, shot a 3–pointer as time expired, but the shot bounced off the rim.

Retaining B. J. Armstrong, Ed Horton, Bill Jones and Roy Marble, the Hawkeyes began the 1987–88 season ranked in the top five by most polls and publications. Iowa advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, avenging their loss to UNLV in the Second Round 106–89, before losing 99–79 to former coach Lute Olson's Arizona Wildcats.

On January 16, 1993, Iowa player Chris Street, a junior averaging 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds on Iowa's 12–2 team, was killed in an accident with a snow plow in Iowa City. His # 40 was retired by Iowa.

In all, Davis led the Hawkeyes to nine NCAA Tournaments, winning every First Round game in the process. In his final season, Iowa advanced to the Sweet Sixteen before losing to eventual National Champion UConn. Under Davis the Hawkeyes also made two appearances in the National Invitational Tournament. He is the all–time winningest coach in Iowa history with 269 wins. He would later come out of retirement to rebuild the Drake University program before being succeeded at Drake by his son Keno Davis.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1986–87 Iowa Tom Davis 30–5 14–4 3rd NCAA Elite Eight
1987–88 Iowa Tom Davis 24–10 12–6 3rd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1988–89 Iowa Tom Davis 23–10 10–8 4th NCAA second round
1989–90 Iowa Tom Davis 12–16 4–14 T–8th
1990–91 Iowa Tom Davis 21–11 9–9 T–5th NCAA second round
1991–92 Iowa Tom Davis 19–11 10–8 5th NCAA second round
1992–93 Iowa Tom Davis 23–9 11–7 T–3rd NCAA second round
1993–94 Iowa Tom Davis 11–16 5–13 T–9th
1994–95 Iowa Tom Davis 21–12 9–9 T–7th NIT third round
1995–96 Iowa Tom Davis 23–9 11–7 4th NCAA second round
1996–97 Iowa Tom Davis 22–10 12–6 T–2nd NCAA second round
1997–98 Iowa Tom Davis 20–11 9–7 T–5th NIT first round
1998–99 Iowa Tom Davis 20–10 9–7 T–3rd NCAA Sweet Sixteen
Totals 269–140 (.658) 125–105 (.543)

Steve Alford era (1999–2007)

Steve Alford, a former All-American as an Indiana Hoosier and a member of the Olympic gold-winning 1984 United States basketball team, arrived at Iowa after coaching Southwest Missouri State University to the 1999 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. In his first game as coach of the Hawkeyes, Iowa defeated the defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Connecticut Huskies in Madison Square Garden. Iowa finished 14–16.

During his second year (2000–01) the Hawkeyes' roster included Indiana transfer Luke Recker and Reggie Evans, who would lead the Big Ten Conference in rebounds and double-doubles during his two seasons with Iowa, as well as Iowa Mr. basketball 1997 Dean Oliver. However, after a knee injury sidelined Recker, the Hawkeyes dropped six of their last seven conference games, finishing 23–12 for the regular season[clarification needed] and 7–9 in the Big Ten Conference regular season. Despite the setback, they battled back and won the Big Ten Conference tournament with four straight wins against Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, and Indiana. This earned them a #7 seed in the 2001 NCAA tournament, where they defeated Creighton in the first round but lost to Kentucky in the second round.

The Hawkeyes' conference record dropped to 5–11 during the 2001–02 season, but they defeated Purdue, Wisconsin, and Indiana in the Big Ten tournament before losing to Ohio State in the finals. The Hawkeyes played in the 2002 National Invitation Tournament, losing to LSU in the first round to finish with a 19–16 record. This was the first of three straight seasons that the Hawkeyes played in the NIT under Alford.

Iowa won the first two rounds of the 2003 tournament against Valparaiso and Iowa State before losing to Georgia Tech, finishing with a 17–14 record. In 2004, they returned to the NIT, losing to St. Louis in the first round to complete the season at 16–13. Their 9–7 conference record marked the first winning Big Ten Conference record under Alford.

The Hawkeyes finished 21–12 with a 7–9 conference record in the 2004–05 regular season. They won their first two Big Ten tournament games against Purdue and Michigan State before losing the third game to Wisconsin, 59–56. They earned an at-large invitation to the 2005 NCAA tournament as a #10 seed, where they lost 76–64 to Cincinnati in the first round. During the season, leading scorer Pierre Pierce was dismissed from the team amid charges of sexual abuse; Pierce ultimately served one year in prison.

During the 2005–06 season, the Hawkeyes went undefeated at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time in school history and finished in a second-place tie with Illinois with an 11–5 conference record, one game behind Ohio State. However, the Hawkeyes defeated Minnesota, Michigan State, and Ohio State to win the Big Ten tournament and finish 25–8 going into its third NCAA Tournament under Alford. They were ranked No. 11 nationally and seeded #3 in the Atlanta Regional of the 2006 NCAA tournament, but lost in a first-round upset to #14 seed Northwestern State 64–63, leaving Alford with only one NCAA Tournament win since taking over at Iowa. The game was lost on a last-second shot, and the Hawkeyes would not return to the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament until 2014–15.

During the 2006–07 season, Alford led the Hawkeyes to an 8–6 non-conference record (which included a home loss to Drake for the first time in 40 years) and a 9–7 record in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa was not invited to the post-season, marking the first time since the 1976–77 season that a Hawkeye team with a winning record (17–14) failed to make either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.

At the conclusion of the 2006–07 season, Alford resigned from the University of Iowa to accept the coaching position at the University of New Mexico.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
1999–00 Iowa Steve Alford 14–16 6–10 T–7th
2000–01 Iowa Steve Alford 23–12 7–9 T–6th NCAA second round
2001–02 Iowa Steve Alford 19–16 5–11 T–8th NIT 1st Round
2002–03 Iowa Steve Alford 17–14 7–9 T–8th NIT Elite Eight
2003–04 Iowa Steve Alford 16–13 9–7 4th NIT 1st Round
2004–05 Iowa Steve Alford 21–12 7–9 7th NCAA 1st Round
2005–06 Iowa Steve Alford 25–9 11–5 T–2nd NCAA 1st Round
2006–07 Iowa Steve Alford 17–14 9–7 T–4th
Total 152–106 (.589) 61–67 (.477)

Todd Lickliter era (2007–2010)

Following Alford's departure, Butler coach and reigning NABC Coach of the Year Todd Lickliter was hired. The graduation of Adam Haluska and the transfer of leading scorer Tyler Smith to Tennessee created a void. The 2007–2008 Hawkeyes would finish 13–19 for the season, including 6–12 in the Big Ten. The 2008–09 Hawkeyes would improve slightly to 15–17. The 2009–10 Hawkeyes dropped to 10–22. After experiencing the worst three-year run in the program's history, Lickliter was fired on March 15, 2010.

Year School Coach Record Conference Big Ten Rank Postseason
2007–08 Iowa Todd Lickliter 13–19 6–12 8th
2008–09 Iowa Todd Lickliter 15–16 5–13 10th
2009–10 Iowa Todd Lickliter 10–22 4–14 9th
Total 38–57 (.400) 15–39 (.278)

Fran McCaffery era (2010–present)

Coach Fran McCaffery came to Iowa from Siena in 2010. In his 23rd season as a head coach at Iowa, Lehigh (1985–1988), UNC-Greensboro (1999–2005) and Siena (2005–2010), McCaffery has a career record of 424–308 (.583).

Iowa's attendance increased by 20 percent from the previous year. McCaffery guided Iowa to two victories over top–50 RPI teams, including sixth–ranked Purdue.

In 2012 the Hawkeyes were 4–3 against teams ranked in the AP top 25. For the second consecutive year, the Iowa Men's Basketball program saw a marked uptick in attendance inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa's average attendance for all home games for the 2011–12 season was 11,841, the conference-only attendance was 13,254 per game.

During the 2012–2013 season Iowa finished the regular season with a 20–11 record, including an 11–2 non conference and 9–9 conference record. Coach McCaffery also earned his 300th career win as a head coach on March 9, 2013, with a 74–60 win over Nebraska. In postseason play they defeated Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament before falling to the #3 seeded Michigan State Spartans in the second round. The Hawkeyes went on to earn a #3 seed in the 2013 NIT tournament where they would go advance to the championship game for the first time in school history before losing to Baylor (74–54). Iowa's 25 win total was the most by the team since setting the same mark in the 2005–2006 season.

During the 2013–2014 season, Iowa achieved a non-conference record of 11–2, including a runner-up finish in the 2013 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and a loss to in–state rival Iowa State. The Hawkeyes finished the Big Ten Conference season with a 9–9 record and a regular season record of 20–12. The Hawkeyes were seeded sixth in the Big Ten Conference tournament but lost to No. 11-seeded Northwestern 67–62, a team that the Hawkeyes had twice beaten by 26 points in two conference season games. The Hawkeyes played in the 'first four' during the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, playing Tennessee in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This was their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2005–2006 season.

Fran McCaffery, 2010

The 2014–2015 Hawkeyes finished their non–conference schedule 9–4, with losses to #10 Texas (71–57) and #23 Syracuse (66–63) in the 2K Classic. Additional non-conference losses came at the hands of rivals #14 Iowa State (90–75) and UNI (56–44). McCaffery led Iowa to a 12–6 record in the Big Ten, including memorable wins over #20 Ohio State (71–65) and #17 Maryland (71–55). McCaffrey's Hawkeyes were upset in the second round of the Big Ten tournament by Penn State (67–58), but still finished tied for third in the conference. Iowa earned a 7th seed in the NCAA Tournament and beat Davidson (83–52) in the Round of 64 before bowing out to Gonzaga (87–68) in the third round. McCaffery's Hawkeyes finished 22–12 on the year.

During the 2015–16 season, the University of Iowa reached a new peak during the McCaffery era, twice defeating Michigan State during the regular season, attaining a 19–4 overall record and a No. 3 Associated Press rankings. However, the Hawkeyes lost seven of their last 10 games, including a 68–66 loss to 12th-seeded Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Conference tournament, a team the Hawkeyes had defeated handily a month earlier and would not play in the post–season. As a result of the late–season swoon, the Hawkeyes fell to No. 25 in the final Associated Press rankings. Seeded seventh in the NCAA Division I tournament's South regional, the Hawkeyes used a buzzer-beating tip-in to defeat Temple 72–70 in overtime. The Hawkeyes lost to second–seeded Villanova in the second round, 87–68, to end the season 22–11.

After the 2015–16 season graduated 4 senior starters, Iowa got off to a rocky start to the 2016–17 campaign, going 3–5 with losses to Seton Hall (91–83), Virginia (74–41), Memphis (100–92), Notre Dame (92–78), and Nebraska–Omaha (98–89). The Hawkeyes turned things around in December and ended non-conference play with five straight victories, including wins over in-state rivals #25 Iowa State (78–64) and UNI (69–46). Iowa finished non-conference play 8–5 on the year. The Hawkeyes went 10–8 in conference play, with wins over Michigan (86–83), #17 Purdue (83–78), Ohio State (85–72), #24 Maryland (83–69), Indiana (96–90), and #22 Wisconsin (59–57). McCaffery's Hawkeyes were invited to the NIT post-season tournament and defeated South Dakota (87–75) before losing in overtime to eventual champion TCU (94–92), finishing their season 19–15. Senior Peter Jok lead the Big Ten in scoring (19.9 ppg) and was first-team all–conference.

Luka Garza was Sporting News Player of the Year in 2020.

The 2017–18 season was a disaster for the Hawkeyes. After losing the Big Ten leading scorer, Peter Jok, a young Iowa team struggled to find their identity. Coach McCaffery's eldest son, Connor, joined the team as an ESPN four–star recruit out of local Iowa City West, but battled a series of ailments, including mononucleosis, which lead to being granted a medical redshirt year. Iowa finished the season 14–19, 4–14 in Big Ten play in a three-way tie for 11th place. As the No. 12 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated Illinois before losing to Michigan in the second round.

In 2018–19 a young Iowa team won the 2K Sports Classic early in the season, defeating #13 Oregon (77–69) and UCONN (91–72) in back–to–back nights at Madison Square Garden. The Hawkeyes would go undefeated in non–conference play, with wins over in–state rivals Iowa State (98–84) and UNI (77–54). They also scored a whopping 68 points in the first half of a 105–78 win over Alabama State and beat Savannah State by 46 (110–64). Iowa's season featured several thrilling contests, including a 1-point victory over Pitt (69–68), and buzzer-beating wins in back–to–back games against Northwestern (80–79) and Rutgers (71–69). Iowa just missed a chance to make it three last–second victories in a row, but a shot as time expired rimmed out against #24 Maryland (66–65). Other notable regular season victories for Iowa included wins over #24 Nebraska (93–84), #16 Ohio State (72–62), and #5 Michigan (74–59). The Hawkeyes ended the regular season on a 4–game losing streak. In the Big Ten tournament, Iowa defeated Illinois before falling to Michigan. The Hawkeyes earned the No. 10 seed in the South Regional in the NCAA Tournament. In the first round, the Hawkeyes came from behind to upset seventh-seed Cincinnati (79–72). Then, Iowa faced off against second seed Tennessee in the Round of 32. The Hawkeyes came back from a 25-point deficit in the first half to send the game to overtime, which was won by Tennessee.

The 2019–20 season saw Iowa complete a 9–2 non-conference schedule with notable wins over rival Iowa State (84–68), and #12 ranked Texas Tech (72–61). The Iowa squad was led by standout center Luka Garza, who averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds en route to numerous accolades. Garza would go on to win the Big Ten Player of the Year, Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year, Pete Newell Big Man Award, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, and consensus All-American honors while leading the Hawkeyes to a 20–11 record that featured conference wins over #12 Maryland (67–49), #19 Michigan (90–83), #24 Rutgers (85–80), #19 Illinois (72–65), #25 Ohio State (85–76), and #16 Penn State (77–68). The 2019–20 season ended abruptly with the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus without a postseason being played. McCaffery's younger son, Patrick, another ESPN four–star recruit, joined the team as a freshman but took a medical redshirt while recovering from the residual effects thyroid cancer treatment.

Season School Coach Overall Big Ten Big Ten Rank Postseason
2010–11 Iowa Fran McCaffery 11–20 4–14 10th
2011–12 Iowa Fran McCaffery 18–17 8–10 7th NIT 2nd Round
2012–13 Iowa Fran McCaffery 25–13 9–9 6th NIT Runner-Up
2013–14 Iowa Fran McCaffery 20–13 9–9 6th NCAA Play-in Round
2014–15 Iowa Fran McCaffery 22–12 12–6 3rd(T) NCAA 2nd Round
2015–16 Iowa Fran McCaffery 22–11 12–6 3rd(T) NCAA 2nd Round
2016–17 Iowa Fran McCaffery 19–15 10–8 5th(T) NIT 2nd Round
2017–18 Iowa Fran McCaffery 14–19 4–14 11th(T)
2018–19 Iowa Fran McCaffery 23–12 10–10 6th NCAA 2nd Round
2019–20 Iowa Fran McCaffery 20–11 11–9 5th(T) NCAA Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19
2020–21 Iowa Fran McCaffery 22–9 14–6 3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2021–22 Iowa Fran McCaffery 25–9 12–8 5th NCAA 1st Round
2022-23 Iowa Fran McCaffery 19-14 11-9 5th NCAA 1st Round
Total 261- 176 (.600) 115–109 (.513)

Iowa basketball coaches

The Hawkeyes have had 22 coaches in their 118-year history. Fran McCaffery is the current Iowa coach. Two coaches have been named Big Ten Conference Coach-of-the-Year since it officially began in 1975: Lute Olson in 1979 and Tom Davis in 1987. Four Iowa coaches have been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Sam Barry, Ralph Miller, Lute Olson and George Raveling.

Head-to-head Big Ten records since 1949–50

Note: Through 2020–21 season Source: Iowa Hawkeyes Head-to-Head Results

Team Total meetings Overall record Win %
Illinois 128 61–67 .477
Indiana 128 58–70 .453
Michigan 129 52–77 .403
Michigan State 129 55–74 .421
Minnesota 130 71–59 .546
Northwestern 126 94–32 .746
Ohio State 128 66–62 .516
Purdue 123 56–67 .455
Wisconsin 171 86–85 .503
Penn State 50 32–18 .640
Nebraska 24 15–9 .625
Maryland 12 5–7 .417
Rutgers 11 9–2 .818

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Hawkeyes have appeared in the NCAA tournament 29 times. Their combined record is 31–31.

Year Seed Round Opponent Results
1955 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game
Penn State
Marquette
La Salle
Colorado
W 82–53
W 86–81
L 73–76
L 54–75
1956 Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship Game
Morehead State
Kentucky
Temple
San Francisco
W 97–83
W 89–77
W 83–76
L 71–83
1970 Sweet Sixteen
Regional third place Game
Jacksonville
Notre Dame
L 103–104
W 121–106
1979 No. 4 Second Round No. 5 Toledo L 72–74
1980 No. 5 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Third Place Game
No. 12 VCU
No. 4 NC State
No. 1 Syracuse
No. 3 Georgetown
No. 2 Louisville
No. 6 Purdue
W 86–72
W 77–64
W 88–77
W 81–80
L 72–80
L 58–75
1981 No. 3 Second Round No. 6 Wichita State L 56–60
1982 No. 6 First Round
Second Round
No. 11 Northeast Louisiana
No. 3 Idaho
W 70–63
L 67–69 OT
1983 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 10 Utah State
No. 2 Missouri
No. 3 Villanova
W 64–59
W 77–63
L 54–55
1985 No. 8 First Round No. 9 Arkansas L 54–63
1986 No. 11 First Round No. 6 NC State L 64–66
1987 No. 2 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
No. 15 Santa Clara
No. 7 UTEP
No. 6 Oklahoma
No. 1 UNLV
W 99–76
W 84–82
W 93–91 OT
L 81–84
1988 No. 5 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 12 Florida State
No. 4 UNLV
No. 1 Arizona
W 102–98
W 104–86
L 79–99
1989 No. 4 First Round
Second Round
No. 13 Rutgers
No. 5 NC State
W 87–73
L 96–102 2OT
1991 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 East Tennessee State
No. 2 Duke
W 76–73
L 70–85
1992 No. 9 First Round
Second Round
No. 8 Texas
No. 1 Duke
W 98–92
L 62–75
1993 No. 4 First Round
Second Round
No. 13 Northeast Louisiana
No. 5 Wake Forest
W 82–69
L 78–84
1996 No. 6 First Round
Second Round
No. 11 George Washington
No. 3 Arizona
W 81–79
L 73–87
1997 No. 8 First Round
Second Round
No. 9 Virginia
No. 1 Kentucky
W 73–60
L 69–75
1999 No. 5 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
No. 12 UAB
No. 4 Arkansas
No. 1 Connecticut
W 77–64
W 82–72
L 68–78
2001 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 Creighton
No. 2 Kentucky
W 69–56
L 79–92
2005 No. 10 First Round No. 7 Cincinnati L 64–76
2006 No. 3 First Round No. 14 Northwestern State L 63–64
2014 No. 11 First Four No. 11 Tennessee L 65–78 OT
2015 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 Davidson
No. 2 Gonzaga
W 83–52
L 68–87
2016 No. 7 First Round
Second Round
No. 10 Temple
No. 2 Villanova
W 72–70 OT
L 68–87
2019 No. 10 First Round
Second Round
No. 7 Cincinnati
No. 2 Tennessee
W 79–72
L 77–83 OT
2021 No. 2 First Round
Second Round
No. 15 Grand Canyon
No. 7 Oregon
W 86–74
L 80–95
2022 No. 5 First Round No. 12 Richmond L 63–67
2023 No. 8 First Round No. 9 Auburn L 75–83

*Following the introduction of the "First Four" round in 2011, the Round of 64 and Round of 32 were referred to as the Second Round and Third Round, respectively, from 2011 to 2015. Then from 2016 moving forward, the Round 64 and Round of 32 will be called the First and Second rounds, as they were prior to 2011.

Historical NCAA tournament seeding

The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.

Years → '79 '80 '81 '82 '83 '85 '86 '87 '88 '89 '91 '92 '93 '96 '97 '99 '01 '05 '06 '14 '15 '16 '19 '21 '22 '23
Seeds → 4 5 3 6 7 8 11 2 5 4 7 9 4 6 8 5 7 10 3 11 7 7 10 2 5 8

NIT results

The Hawkeyes have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) eight times. Their combined record is 10–8.

Year Round Opponent Result
1995 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
DePaul
Ohio
Penn State
W 96–87
W 66–62
L 64–67
1998 First Round Georgia L 93–100
2002 First Round LSU L 61–63
2003 Opening Round
First Round
Second Round
Valparaiso
Iowa State
Georgia Tech
W 62–60
W 54–53
L 78–79
2004 First Round Saint Louis L 69–70
2012 First Round
Second Round
Dayton
Oregon
W 84–72
L 97–108
2013 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
Indiana State
Stony Brook
Virginia
Maryland
Baylor
W 68–52
W 75–63
W 75–64
W 71–60
L 54–74
2017 First Round
Second Round
South Dakota
TCU
W 87–75
L 92–94OT

Individual honors

Retired numbers

The following Hawkeye players have had their numbers retired by the University of Iowa; the number 46, retired to honor Sharm Scheuerman, is currently prohibited from use under NCAA rules.

Bill Logan (left) and Carl Cain are some of the Hawkeyes to have their numbers retired.
Iowa Hawkeyes retired numbers
No. Player Pos. Tenure No. ret. Ref.
12 Ronnie Lester PG 1976–80 1980
21 Carl Cain G 1953–56 1980
22 Bill Seaberg G 1953–56 1980
23 Roy Marble SG 1985–1989 2022
31 Bill Logan C 1953–56 1980
33 Bill Schoof C 1953–56 1980
40 Chris Street PF 1990–93 1993
41 Greg Stokes PF 1981–85 1985
46 Sharm Scheuerman G 1953–56 1980
55 Luka Garza C 2017–21 2021

Honored jerseys

The jersey was retired but the number is still active for use.

Iowa Hawkeyes honored jerseys
No. Player Pos. Tenure Hon.
10 B. J. Armstrong PG 1985–89 1992

All-American selections

Each year, numerous publications and organizations release lists of All-America teams, hypothetical rosters of players considered the best in the nation at their respective positions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) uses officially recognized All-America selectors to determine the consensus selections. Over time, the sources used to determine the consensus selections have varied. Currently, the NCAA uses four "major" selectors to determine consensus All-Americans: the Associated Press, The National Association of Basketball Coaches, the United States Basketball Writers Association and Sporting News magazine. Since 1984, the NCAA has applied a standardized point system to those teams designated as "major" All-American teams to determine consensus teams. The point system consists of three points for first team, two points for second team and one point for third team. No honorable mention or fourth team or lower are used in the computation. The top five totals plus ties are first team and the next five plus ties are second team. Many other publications and organization compile their own "minor" All-America teams in addition to the selectors listed here.

Through the 2023 season, 16 Iowa players have earned 21 All-America selections. Of Iowa's 21 All-Americans, 5 were First-team All-American selections – all 5 were consensus First team selections. Those voted consensus (whether First or Second team) are listed in bold in the table below; 8 total.

Key

 First-team selection 

 Second-team selection 

 Third-team selection 

Year Player Remarks
1934 Ben Selzer
1944 Dave Danner
1944 Dick Ives
1945 Dick Ives 2nd
1945 Herb Wilkinson
1946 Herb Wilkinson 2nd
1946 Dick Ives 3rd
1947 Herb Wilkinson 3rd
1948 Murray Wier
1952 Charles Darling
Year Player Remarks
1962 Don Nelson
1968 Sam Williams
1970 John Johnson
1971 Fred Brown
1979 Ronnie Lester
1997 Andre Woolridge
2016 Jarrod Uthoff
2020 Luka Garza
2021 Luka Garza 2nd
2022 Keegan Murray
Year Player Remarks
2023 Kris Murray

Big Ten honorees

Big Ten Most Valuable Players

The Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball was awarded from 1946 to 2007 by the Chicago Tribune to the college basketball player determined to be the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference. Three Hawkeyes won the Big Ten MVP award:

Year Player
1948 Murray Wier
1952 Charles Darling
1968 Sam Williams

Big Ten Players of the Year

Since 1985, the Big Ten Conference has named the Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. The Hawkeyes' first recipient of this award was Luka Garza, who was so honored in both 2020 and 2021.

Year Player
2020 Luka Garza
2021 Luka Garza

Big Ten Conference tournament Most Valuable Players

Since 1998, the Big Ten Conference has held an annual basketball tournament at the end of its regular season. Every year, the Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament crowns a tournament MVP, and three Hawkeyes have won the annual honor:

Year Player
2001 Reggie Evans
2006 Jeff Horner
2022 Keegan Murray

Other annual awards

Coaches and media of the Big Ten also make annual selections for additional individual honors:

Big Ten Conference Award Recipient(s) and year received
Defensive Player of the Year Acie Earl (1992); Erek Hansen (2006)
Sixth Man of the Year Doug Thomas (2006); Gabe Olaseni (2015); Nicholas Baer (2017); Payton Sandfort (2023)
Freshman of the Year Jess Settles (1994); Owen Freeman (2024)

All-conference selections

Through the 2023 season, Iowa has had 121 All-Big Ten selections, including 39 first-team selections. 34 players were multiple All-Big Ten selections, and nine players were three-time All-Big Ten selections.

Key

 First-team selection 

 Second-team selection 

 Third-team selection 

Year Player Remarks
1939 Ben Stephens
1942 Milt Kuhl
1944 Dave Danner
1945 Herb Wilkinson
1945 Clayton Wilkinson
1946 Herb Wilkinson 2nd
1947 Herb Wilkinson 3rd
1948 Murray Wier
1950 Frank Calsbeek
1951 Frank Calsbeek 2nd
1951 Charles Darling
1952 Charles Darling 2nd
1952 Bob Clifton
1953 McKinley Davis
1954 Carl Cain
1955 Bill Logan
1955 Carl Cain 2nd
1955 Bill Seaberg
1955 Sharm Scheuerman
1956 Carl Cain 3rd
1956 Bill Logan 2nd
1956 Bill Seaberg 2nd
1958 Dave Gunther
1959 Dave Gunther 2nd
1961 Don Nelson
1962 Don Nelson 2nd
1963 Dave Roach
1964 Jimmy Rodgers
1965 Chris Pervall
1965 George Peeples
1966 George Peeples 2nd
1966 Chris Pervall 2nd
1967 Sam Williams
1968 Sam Williams 2nd
1968 Chad Calabria
1970 John Johnson
1970 Fred Brown
1970 Glenn Vidnovic
1971 Fred Brown 2nd
Year Player Remarks
1972 Kevin Kunnert
1972 Rick Williams
1973 Kevin Kunnert 2nd
1974 Candy LaPrince
1976 Scott Thompson
1976 Dan Frost
1976 Bruce King
1977 Bruce King 2nd
1978 Ronnie Lester
1979 Ronnie Lester 2nd
1980 Kevin Boyle
1980 Steve Krafcisin
1981 Kevin Boyle 2nd
1981 Vince Brookins
1982 Michael Payne
1982 Kenny Arnold
1982 Kevin Boyle 3rd
1983 Greg Stokes
1983 Bob Hansen
1984 Greg Stokes 2nd
1984 Steve Carfino
1985 Greg Stokes 3rd
1986 Gerry Wright
1987 Roy Marble
1987 Brad Lohaus
1988 Roy Marble 2nd
1988 B. J. Armstrong
1989 Ed Horton
1989 B. J. Armstrong 2nd
1989 Roy Marble 3rd
1990 Les Jepsen
1991 Acie Earl
Year Player Remarks
1992 Acie Earl 2nd
1993 Acie Earl 3rd
1993 Val Barnes
1994 James Winters
1994 Jess Settles
1995 Chris Kingsbury
1995 Jess Settles 2nd
1995 Andre Woolridge
1996 Jess Settles 3rd
1996 Andre Woolridge 2nd
1996 Russ Millard
1997 Andre Woolridge 3rd
1997 Ryan Bowen
1998 Ryan Bowen 2nd
1999 Dean Oliver
2000 Dean Oliver 2nd
2001 Reggie Evans
2001 Dean Oliver 3rd
2002 Reggie Evans 2nd
2002 Luke Recker
2003 Chauncey Leslie
2004 Jeff Horner
2004 Pierre Pierce
2005 Greg Brunner
2006 Greg Brunner 2nd
2006 Adam Haluska
2006 Jeff Horner 2nd
2007 Adam Haluska 2nd
2007 Tyler Smith
2008 Tony Freeman
2012 Matt Gatens
2013 Roy Devyn Marble
2014 Roy Devyn Marble 2nd
Year Player Remarks
2014 Aaron White
2015 Aaron White 2nd
2015 Jarrod Uthoff
2016 Jarrod Uthoff 2nd
2016 Peter Jok
2017 Peter Jok 2nd
2019 Tyler Cook
2019 Jordan Bohannon
2020 Luka Garza
2020 Joe Wieskamp
2021 Luka Garza 2nd
2021 Joe Wieskamp 2nd
2022 Keegan Murray
2023 Kris Murray
2023 Filip Rebraca
2024 Tony Perkins
2024 Payton Sandfort

Team awards

Most Valuable Players

The Iowa Most Valuable Player Award was presented annually to an Iowa player or players from 1946 to 2007:

Year Player(s)
1946 Herb Wilkinson
1947 Murray Wier
1948 Murray Wier
1949 Charlie Mason
1950 Frank Calsbeek
1951 Frank Calsbeek
1952 Charles Darling
1953 Herb Thompson
1954 Carl Cain
1955 Bill Seaberg
1956 Carl Cain
1957 Dave Gunther
1958 Dave Gunther
1959 Dave Gunther
1960 Don Nelson
1961 Don Nelson
1962 Don Nelson
1963 Jerry Messick
1964 Jimmy Rodgers
1965 Jimmy Rodgers
1966 Dennis Pauling
1967 Gerry Jones
1968 Sam Williams
1969 John Johnson
1970 John Johnson
1971 Fred Brown
Year Player(s)
1972 Kevin Kunnert
Rick Williams
1973 Kevin Kunnert
1974 Candy LaPrince
1975 Dan Frost
1976 Scott Thompson
1977 Bruce King
1978 Ronnie Lester
1979 Ronnie Lester
1980 Ronnie Lester
1981 Vince Brookins
1982 Kevin Boyle
1983 Bob Hansen
1984 Steve Carfino
1985 Greg Stokes
Michael Payne
1986 Andre Banks
1987 Kevin Gamble
Roy Marble
1988 B. J. Armstrong
Bill Jones
Roy Marble
1989 B. J. Armstrong
Ed Horton
Roy Marble
1990 Les Jepsen
1991 Acie Earl
James Moses
Year Player(s)
1992 Acie Earl
1993 Acie Earl
1994 James Winters
1995 Jess Settles
Andre Woolridge
1996 Jess Settles
Andre Woolridge
Russ Millard
1997 Andre Woolridge
1998 Ryan Bowen
1999 Jess Settles
Kent McCausland
Dean Oliver
2000 Dean Oliver
Jacob Jaacks
2001 Dean Oliver
Reggie Evans
2002 Reggie Evans
Luke Recker
2003 Chauncey Leslie
2004 Jeff Horner
Pierre Pierce
2005 Jeff Horner
Greg Brunner
2006 Jeff Horner
Greg Brunner
Erek Hansen
2007 Adam Haluska

Chris Street Award

The Chris Street Award, named in honor of former Hawkeye Chris Street, has been presented annually since 1993 to “a Hawkeye player who best exemplifies the spirit, enthusiasm, and intensity of Chris Street”:

Year Player(s)
1993 Wade Lookingbill
1994 Jess Settles
1995 Jim Bartels
1996 Jess Settles
1997 Ryan Bowen
John Streif (Trainer)
1998 Darryl Moore
1999 Jason Bauer
Jess Settles
2000 Ryan Luehrsmann
Jason Price
2001 Dean Oliver
2002 Duez Henderson
2003 Jeff Horner
2004 Brody Boyd
Greg Brunner
2005 Adam Haluska
2006 Adam Haluska
2007 Tony Freeman
Year Player(s)
2008 Cyrus Tate
2009 Jarryd Cole
2010 Devan Bawinkel
2011 Jarryd Cole
2012 Matt Gatens
2013 Eric May
2014 Roy Devyn Marble
2015 Aaron White
2016 Anthony Clemmons
Mike Gesell
Jarrod Uthoff
Adam Woodbury
2017 Peter Jok
2018 Jordan Bohannon
2019 Nicholas Baer
2020 Luka Garza
Ryan Kriener
2021 Luka Garza
Jordan Bohannon
Year Player(s)
2022 Keegan Murray
Connor McCaffery
2023 Kris Murray
Filip Rebraca

Hawkeyes inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Year Player(s) Inducted as a:
1979 Sam Barry Coach
1988 Ralph Miller Coach
1993 Connie Hawkins* Player
2002 Lute Olson Coach
2009 C. Vivian Stringer Women's Coach
2012 Don Nelson Coach
2015 George Raveling Contributor

* Did not play varsity basketball at Iowa

Iowa Hawkeye Olympians

Year City Olympian Medal
1956 Summer Olympics Melbourne Carl Cain
1956 Summer Olympics Melbourne Chuck Darling
1984 Summer Olympics Los Angeles George Raveling

Hawkeyes in the NBA

Source: NBA & ABA Players Who Played For Iowa

Draft Year Round/Pick Player Selected by Professional career
1989 NBA draft 1 / 18 B. J. Armstrong Chicago Bulls 1989–2000
1998 NBA draft 2 / 55 Ryan Bowen Denver Nuggets 1998–2010
1971 NBA draft 1 / 6 Fred Brown Seattle SuperSonics 1971–1984
FA FA Matt Bullard Houston Rockets 1990–2002
FA FA Tyler Cook Cleveland Cavaliers 2020–2022
1998 NBA draft 1 / 21 Ricky Davis Charlotte Hornets 1998–2010
1989 NBA draft 1 / 19 Acie Earl Boston Celtics 1993–1997
FA FA Reggie Evans Seattle SuperSonics 2002–2015
1987 NBA draft 3 / 63 Kevin Gamble Portland Trail Blazers 1987–1998
2021 NBA draft 2 / 52 Luka Garza Detroit Pistons 2021–20??
1959 NBA draft 8 / 56 Dave Gunther San Francisco Warriors 1959–1962
1983 NBA draft 3 / 54 Bob Hansen Utah Jazz 1983–1992
FA FA Connie Hawkins* Pittsburgh Pipers 1961–1976
1989 NBA draft 2 / 39 Ed Horton Washington Bullets 1989–1990
1990 NBA draft 2 / 28 Les Jepsen Golden State Warriors 1990–1992
1970 NBA draft 1 / 7 John Johnson Cleveland Cavaliers 1970–1982
FA FA Bill Jones New Jersey Nets 1988–1989
FA FA Noble Jorgensen Tri-Cities Blackhawks 1946–1953
1973 NBA draft 1 / 12 Kevin Kunnert Chicago Bulls 1973–1982
1980 NBA draft 1 / 10 Ronnie Lester Portland Trail Blazers 1980–1986
1987 NBA draft 2 / 45 Brad Lohaus Boston Celtics 1987–1998
2014 NBA draft 2 / 56 Devyn Marble Denver Nuggets 2014–2016
1989 NBA draft 1 / 23 Roy Marble Atlanta Hawks 1989–1994
FA FA Bill Mayfield Golden State Warriors 1980–1981
2022 NBA draft 1 / 4 Keegan Murray Sacramento Kings 2022-20??
2023 NBA draft 1 / 23 Kris Murray Portland Trail Blazers 2023-20??
1962 NBA draft 3 / 17 Don Nelson* Chicago Zephyrs 1962–1976
FA FA Dean Oliver Golden State Warriors 2002–2003
1966 NBA draft 4 / 35 George Peeples Indiana Pacers 1966–1973
FA FA Jared Reiner Chicago Bulls 2005–2007
FA FA Guy Rucker Golden State Warriors 2002–2003
1985 NBA draft 2 / 33 Greg Stokes Philadelphia 76ers 1985–1990
FA FA Jarrod Uthoff Dallas Mavericks 2016–2020
FA FA Murray Weir Detroit Pistons 1947–1951
2021 NBA draft 2 / 41 Joe Wieskamp San Antonio Spurs 2021–20??
1968 NBA draft 3 / 35 Sam Williams Milwaukee Bucks 1968–1970

Hawkeyes in international basketball

Facilities

Iowa's men's basketball team plays their home games at Carver–Hawkeye Arena, a 15,500-seat multi-purpose indoor arena located in Iowa City, Iowa. It opened in 1983 and is also the home of the university's wrestling, women's basketball, and volleyball teams.

Prior to playing in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Hawkeye men's basketball team played in Close Hall (1902–1905) and then the first Iowa Armory (1905–1922), which was located where the UI Communications Center building currently sits, across the street from the Library on the East Side of the Iowa River. Iowa moved to the second Iowa Armory (1922–1926), and then to the Iowa Field House (1926–1982), which was built directly beside the second Iowa Armory, which was incorporated into the Field House. The Iowa Field House is still used today for classrooms, offices and as home to Iowa gymnastics teams.

Arenas

First game Last game Home arena Capacity
1901 1905 Close Hall 500
February 24, 1905 1922 First Iowa Armory 2,500
January 8, 1922 1926 Second Iowa Armory 4,500
December 4, 1926 December 11, 1982 Iowa Field House 13,365
January 5, 1983 current Carver–Hawkeye Arena 15,500
Total 117 seasons 5 venues Average capacity: 8,997

University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame

The following Iowa men's basketball players/coaches have been inducted into the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Some were inducted as players in multiple sports where noted:

Players, Inducted:

Coaches:

  1. ^ Stewart also coached Iowa basketball, but was inducted as an athlete.

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-21 01:03 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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