Fran McCaffery provided a cryptic injury update on Iowa sophomore forward Seydou Traore.
As Iowa men’s basketball (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) previewed its Saturday clash vs. Utah (8-2) from the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux City, S.D., the team provided an update to the injury status of sophomore forward Seydou Traore.
Traore, who has been dealing with a lingering ankle issue since the Hawkeyes‘ win over USC-Upstate on Nov. 26, could be unavailable for the tilt against the Utes as the ankle concerns appear to have risen again.
When asked about Traore’s status for the upcoming game, head coach Fran McCaffery gave a rather unsettling answer.
“I don’t know. Not too optimistic,” McCaffery replied.
Traore’s most recent game action occurred in the Hawkeyes’ Dec. 12 loss to No. 3 Iowa State, where he scored six points in 14 minutes off 2-for-4 shooting from the floor, added three rebounds and an assist.
McCaffery was then asked if Traore had suffered any sort of setback recently.
“I guess,” McCaffery responded.
Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In Traore’s first season with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Manhatten, he is averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game in 17.2 minutes of average floor time.
In six games played, Traore is shooting 42.9% from the floor, 25% from beyond the arc, and 61.5% from the charity stripe.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the availability and extent of Traore’s injury, Iowa will have their depth tested again with Saturday’s game vs. Utah on the horizon.
Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. CT tipoff and will be televised on the Big Ten Network and on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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Three stars from Iowa basketball’s 104-57 blowout over New Orleans.
Iowa basketball (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) bounced back from Thursday’s loss against No. 3 Iowa State with a thorough 104-57 thrashing vs. New Orleans (2-7, 0-1 Southland Conference) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday evening.
As expected, the game was never close as the Hawkeyes shot a season-high 42-for-67 (62.7%) from the floor, 14-for-29 (48.3%) from 3-point range, and 6-of-9 (66.6%) from the free throw line. Iowa also outscored the Privateers 46-38 from within the paint and 38-6 on fastbreak points.
Defensively, Iowa forced 15 total turnovers with 11 blocks and nine steals while holding New Orleans to 25-of-67 (37.3%) shooting from the floor and 4-of-24 (16.7%) from deep.
Sunday’s triumph is the largest margin of victory for the Hawkeyes since their 109-61 win over Western Michigan in 2021.
As Iowa got back in their offensive groove, here are three Hawkeyes that stood out during the landslide victory.
Owen Freeman
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Freeman led the team offensively by tying a career-high in points with 22 on a season-best 10-for-12 (83.3 percent) shooting and 2-for-3 (66.6%) from the charity stripe. The sophomore forward also recorded four rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal in his 19 minutes of playing time.
Sunday was his second 20-point game of the season and the fourth of his career, which should not surprise anybody as Freeman has blossomed into a bonafide scoring threat down low for the Hawkeyes over his 43-game career.
Brock Harding
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Harding had a solid game against New Orleans by finishing with 13 points on 5-of-6 (83.3%) shooting from the floor and 3-for-3 from deep. The Moline, Ill, product also tallied six assists, one block, and one steal in 20 minutes.
Harding made his first five shots, including three 3-pointers, to open the game and scored or assisted on seven of Iowa’s first eight field goals. The performance from the sophomore guard is also his seventh game with at least six assists.
Payton Sandfort
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Sandfort had another fabulous game Sunday evening by posting 15 points on 5-of-8 (62.5%) shooting from the field and 3-of-4 (75%) from beyond the arc. The senior forward added five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block during his 20 minutes of play.
Sandfort’s hot night from deep extends his streak of three or more 3-pointers made to four straight games. It is also the sixth time he has accomplished such a feat this season and the 29th time in his career.
While the offensive production is expected from Sandfort, the notable feats accompanying his scoring touch are still worthy of praise, no matter the opponent’s strength.
The Hawkeyes return to action on Dec. 21, when they travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for a neutral site game from the Sanford Pentagon vs. Utah (7-2).
The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT and will be televised on the Big Ten Network (BTN). As always, the game will also air on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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Three stars from Iowa basketball’s Cy-Hawk Series loss.
Iowa basketball (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) suffered a crushing 89-80 loss from Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday night vs. No. 3-ranked Iowa State (8-1, 0-0 Big 12) in the 2024 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
While the Hawkeyes roared out to a 44-37 halftime lead on 58.6% from the field, a dominant Iowa State surge coupled with a troublesome Iowa second-half shooting performance allowed the Cyclones to escape from a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena victorious.
In addition to the poor second-half shooting by the Hawkeyes, being out-rebounded 29-18 by the Cyclones in the final 20 minutes certainly did not help their cause.
As a team, Iowa shot 28-for-63 (44.4%) from the floor, 11-for-28 from three-point territory, and 13-for-15 (86.7%) from the free-throw line. On the defensive side, Iowa collected 34 rebounds (26 defensive) in addition to five steals and four blocks for a combined nine forced turnovers.
While the cold second-half performance doomed the Hawkeyes, here are Iowa’s three stars from Thursday’s game that were difference-makers on the court.
Owen Freeman
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Freeman led the team in points with 16 on 5-for-8 (62.5%) from the field, including a rare 1-for-1 (100%) three-point shooting night. The sophomore forward also converted on 5-of-7 (71.4%) attempts from the charity stripe while recording five rebounds, three steals, and two assists in 26 minutes.
While Freeman was expected to have a bigger role against the Cyclones, his stat line was still more than respectable, especially against a very skilled Iowa State lineup.
Brock Harding
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Harding had another decent showing Thursday night by finishing with 10 points on 4-for-10 (40%) from the field to go along with eight assists, two rebounds, and one steal in 31 minutes.
Although Harding’s stat line does not necessarily pop off the box score, his ability to effectively facilitate the ball throughout the night proved to be well-appreciated by the Hawkeyes, especially in the first half.
Ladji Dembele
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Despite only playing 14 minutes against Iowa State, Dembele had the best shooting night of his Hawkeyes career and tied his season-high in points.
The sophomore forward finished with 11 points off 4-of-4 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. In addition to his perfect shooting night, he also recorded four rebounds and one steal to round out his night.
Dembele’s ability to inject offense off the bench is one that the Hawkeyes will certainly look to utilize moving forward as the schedule becomes more rigorous later in the season.
Iowa will remain home for their next game on Sunday, Dec. 15, vs. New Orleans (2-6, 0-1 Southland Conference) from Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 1 p.m. CT.
The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network as well as through the radio on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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Iowa basketball appears to be returning forward Seydou Traore ahead of its Cy-Hawk Series showdown vs. Iowa State.
It looks like Iowa (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten) has some good injury news ahead of tonight’s Cy-Hawk Series battle against No. 3 Iowa State (7-1).
Neither sophomore forward Seydou Traore or freshman forward Cooper Koch were listed for Iowa as out or questionable on the mandated Big Ten availability report prior to Thursday night’s contest against the Cyclones.
Traore suffered a bad ankle sprain on Nov. 26 against USC Upstate and hasn’t played since. Meanwhile, Koch has missed each of Iowa’s past three games for undisclosed reasons.
“Yeah, it’s just a bad sprain, so you just hope it’s a week or a few extra days rather than two, two and a half weeks, three weeks. You don’t know,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery told the Hawkeye Radio Network of Traore’s injury following Iowa’s win over USC Upstate.
Iowa is more than two weeks beyond when Traore exited Carver-Hawkeye Arena with the ankle sprain against USC Upstate.
These would be big additions for the Hawkeyes against an Iowa State team that is thought to be one of the Big 12 and nation’s finest.
Traore is currently averaging 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 41.9% from the field and 25.0% from 3-point range.
Koch averages 4.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on 50.0% field goal shooting and 44.4% from beyond the 3-point line.
Tipoff between Iowa and Iowa State is set for 6:30 p.m. CT from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be televised on FS1.
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Payton Sandfort called Michigan “one of the best fan bases” and shared a unique interaction with a Wolverine fan in Iowa’s recent contest.
Despite Iowa basketball (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten) suffering their first conference defeat at Michigan (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) on Saturday, senior forward Payton Sandfort shared his appreciation for the friendly Wolverines fan base ahead of Iowa’s Dec. 12 clash vs. No. 3 Iowa State (7-1).
Sandfort, who led the Hawkeyes‘ offensive attack with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-20 (30%) shooting from the floor, praised the generous atmosphere in Ann Arbor and noted the kind words of one Michigan fan who complimented Iowa’s play and team cohesion.
“I got a really nice message from a Michigan fan after the game. That’s one of the best fan bases I’ve been around. They were nice to us the whole game. They were complimenting us walking off the floor.
“But I got a really nice message just about how connected he thought our team was. He said he was sitting courtside and talked about just the leadership that I brought and how hard it looked like all of us were playing. So I shared that with the team, and I think people were really happy with that. It’s nice to get some of those messages every once in a while,” Sandfort said.
A Michigan fan reached out to Payton Sandfort following Iowa’s 85-83 loss to the #Wolverines on Saturday.
While Sandfort and the Hawkeyes did not get a desirable result from their trip to Ann Arbor, it’s great to see the team receiving positive feedback and good sportsmanship from opposing fans. These interactions are truly what makes college basketball a place for growth, no matter the result.
Sandfort is off to another solid start for the Hawkeyes this season. The 6-foot-8, 215 pound forward is averaging 16.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 38.6% from the field and 31.5% from 3-point range.
Iowa returns to action with its in-state battle versus Iowa State on Thursday night in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
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Iowa basketball’s Owen Freeman reveals the moment he realized the intensity of the in-state rivalry with Iowa State.
As Iowa (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten) prepares for Thursday’s annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series clash vs. No. 3 Iowa State (7-1, 0-0 Big 12), Hawkeyes forward Owen Freeman shared the moment when the in-state rivalry became real.
As a sophomore hailing from Moline, Ill., Freeman admitted he did not truly understand the intensity between the Hawkeyes and Cyclones until joining Iowa last season.
When asked when he realized the rivalry’s intensity, he stated it was before the 2023 matchup when an Iowa State fan refused to enter a hotel elevator due to Freeman being an occupant.
“Kinda before the game last year,” Freeman said. “I remember we’re in the hotel and I’m the only one on the elevator. Some guy wearing a Cyclone shirt refuses to get on the elevator because I’m on there.”
Owen Freeman — who’s originally from Illinois — said the Iowa vs. Iowa State rivalry became real to him and a Cyclone fan refused to get on the elevator with him at a hotel in Ames last season. pic.twitter.com/gSXYPyHckH
While the instance is somewhat awkward between the fan and Freeman, the Hawkeyes forward stated that the little nuances of the rivalry are what truly made him understand the hatred between the two programs.
As for Thursday’s matchup against the Cyclones, Freeman will need to be a significant factor on both sides of the court in order for the Hawkeyes to spring the upset.
Freeman is currently averaging team-highs in points (16.8), rebounds (7.0) and blocks (1.6) per game. Freeman is shooting 64.4% from the field during the 2024-25 season.
The 2024 Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series will begin Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT from Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will be broadcast on FS1. As always, the game will also be available on the radio on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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Three stars from Iowa basketball’s 80-79 walk-off win vs. Northwestern.
Iowa men’s basketball (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) earned their first Big Ten conference win of the season Tuesday night vs. Northwestern (6-3, 0-1 Big Ten) on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Josh Dix off an inbound pass with .8 seconds left.
The thrilling victory was a sigh of relief as the Hawkeyes let the Wildcats creep back into the game after leading Northwestern by as many as 15 points early in the second half.
As a team, Iowa shot 30-for-55 (54.5%) from the field and 9-for-23 from three-point territory but missed out on points from the free-throw line by finishing 11-for-19 (57.9%). The Hawkeyes also amassed 26 total rebounds throughout the night.
Iowa’s defense collected 21 defensive rebounds and forced 12 turnovers, including seven steals and two blocks. The Hawkeyes were also able to convert 18 points off those turnovers.
While only shooting 29-for-60 (48.3%) from the field, Northwestern was efficient at the free-throw line by converting on 13-of-16 (81.3%) opportunities and fell two points shy of equaled Iowa’s point production from the paint.
With the Hawkeyes starting off the 2024-25 Big Ten slate on a positive footing, here are the three stars who led Iowa to an exhilarating victory.
Dix was the clear-cut first star of the night with his clutch game-winning three-pointer to snatch an Iowa victory from the gaping jaw of defeat.
Dix finished with 22 points on 9-of-16 (56.25%) shooting, including 3-for-8 (37.5%) from three-point territory, to reach double figures for the second straight game and the fifth time this season.
He also had six rebounds and one assist and was 1-for-1 (100%) from the free-throw line in 38 minutes of game time.
His last-second shot saved Iowa from what would have been a disappointing loss as the Hawkeyes allowed Northwestern to scratch and claw back into the game after leading the Wildcats for much of the game.
Sandfort finished with 20 points on 6-of-14 (42.86%) shooting from the field, including 4-for-9 (44.4%) from deep and a perfect 4-for-4 (100%) from the charity stripe. He also had seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block to round out his 35 minutes on the night.
The performance from Sandfort is a welcoming sight, as he had struggled shooting the ball in his previous two games.
Iowa hopes the successful shooting night for the senior forward continues as they battle conference opponents throughout the season.
Brock Harding
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
While Harding’s 12 points on 6-of-10 (60%) finished fourth in team scoring on Wednesday, his defensive presence was critical throughout the night. The sophomore guard accounted for nearly half of Iowa’s defensive statistics with three steals and one block in 33 minutes. Harding also added eight assists and one rebound to close out his night.
The defensive play from Harding has been a valuable trend throughout the season so far, and one Iowa will look to continue moving forward.
The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday vs. Michigan (7-1, 1-0 Big Ten) from Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in their first true road game of the season.
The game will begin at 1 p.m. CT and be televised on FS1. As always, the game will also be aired through the radio on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.
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Sophomore guard Josh Dix sent Carver-Hawkeye Arena and social media into a frenzy with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer to down Northwestern, 80-79, in Iowa’s Big Ten opener.
Dix led the Hawkeyes with a game-high 22 points. His heroics also saved Iowa from blowing a game that it built a 17-point first-half lead in.
Incredibly, it was almost a carbon copy of Jordan Bohannon’s game-winner against Northwestern from the 2018-19 season. Iowa downed Northwestern by the identical score as Bohannon drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second remaining.
“Your last option is Josh and he made it,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said of the play. “So not surprised. He’s tremendous.”
Iowa improved to 7-1 overall and will travel to Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Here’s the best photos from Iowa’s win over the Wildcats.
Fran McCaffery updated the injury statuses of Cooper Koch and Seydou Traore.
Iowa (6-1) opens Big Ten play on Tuesday with a date against Northwestern (6-2) from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Ahead of its date against the Wildcats, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery provided injury updates on multiple Hawkeyes.
McCaffery said that Iowa sophomore forward Seydou Traore is expected to be a “game-time decision” and that Iowa will be without freshman forward Cooper Koch.
“Yeah, it’s just a bad sprain, so you just hope it’s a week or a few extra days rather than two, two and a half weeks, three weeks. You don’t know,” McCaffery told the Hawkeye Radio Network afterwards.
Traore, a transfer from Manhattan, is averaging 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 41.9% field goal shooting.
The 6-foot-8, 215 pound freshman forward has appeared in six games this season and is shooting 50.0% from the field and 44.4% from 3-point range. Koch is averaging 4.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
McCaffery also said that senior forward Even Brauns will “be fine.” The reserve big also missed Iowa’s date against USC Upstate.
In a positive update, senior forward Payton Sandfort said he is feeling 100% again. Sandfort had been dealing with a wrist injury since Iowa’s 76-66 win over Washington State on Nov. 15.
“I feel comfortable now. I kinda have all my tools back. So I’m good to go,” Sandfort told reporters on Monday.
Iowa tips off against Northwestern at 6 p.m. CT with the game set to stream on Peacock.
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Fran McCaffery provided an injury update on Seydou Traore.
The Iowa Hawkeyes improved to 6-1 with a dominant 110-77 win over USC Upstate on Tuesday night from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Just about everything was working for Iowa as the Hawkeyes rolled up the Spartans to the tune of 60.6% shooting and 46.2% 3-point marksmanship. Iowa racked up 26 fastbreak points, scored 31 points off turnovers and notched 50 points in the paint.
Sophomore guard Brock Harding registered another career-high scoring output with 20 points to lead the Hawkeyes.
The only real downside of the night was seeing sophomore forward Seydou Traore exit early in the first half with a lower right leg injury. The Manhattan transfer got tangled up underneath the Hawkeyes’ basket and left the court unable to put weight down on his right side.
That had some fans fearing the worst, but Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery provided what will be seen as a positive injury update afterwards. Per McCaffery, Traore suffered a “bad sprain” of his right ankle.
“Yeah, it’s just a bad sprain, so you just hope it’s a week or a few extra days rather than two, two and a half weeks, three weeks. You don’t know,” McCaffery told the Hawkeye Radio Network.
Traore is averaging 6.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 41.9% field goal shooting. The 6-foot-7 forward from New York, N.Y., is shooting 25.0% from 3-point distance.
Traore’s athleticism has been a boost on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, so a quick and healthy return would be ideal as Big Ten play arrives.
Iowa returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena when it hosts Northwestern at 6 p.m. CT on Peacock. After its date against Northwestern, Iowa plays Michigan on Dec. 7 and No. 5 Iowa State on Dec. 12.
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