Tag: Josh Dix

Three stars from Iowa basketball’s dramatic 80-79 win vs. Northwestern

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.

Josh Dix

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.

Payton Sandfort

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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Best photos of Iowa basketball’s buzzer-beating win over Northwestern

A picture-perfect night.

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 provides injury update on Iowa G Josh Dix

Fran McCaffery updated Josh Dix’s injury status after the Hawkeyes’ win over Rider.

Iowa men’s basketball throttled the Rider Broncs 83-56 Tuesday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but the Hawkeyes played without the presence of starting guard Josh Dix.

Dix, who was listed out on the official game day availability report with an injured wrist, appeared to have sustained the minor setback in the second half of Iowa’s Nov. 15 victory over Washington State.

So far, the junior point guard has averaged 12.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 29 minutes per game through four starts this season. Dix has also shot 52% from the field, 44% from 3-point range, and a perfect 100% from the free throw line.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

In head coach Fran McCaffery’s postgame media availability following Tuesday night’s victory, he provided reporters with promising updates on the status of Dix moving forward as the team prepares for Friday’s matchup vs. Utah State from Kansas City, MO.

“Yeah, [he’s] day-to-day,” McCaffery answered. “Hopefully, he’ll play Friday. I can’t say for sure. It’ll be up to him.”

While Utah State (4-0) boasts an astonishing average of 104.0 points per game on 55.7% from the field and 44.3% from deep through four contests this season, the Hawkeyes should be able to keep pace with the Aggies regardless of Dix’s availability.

Tipoff of the NABC Hall of Fame Classic from Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network and through the air on the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

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Iowa basketball without starting guard vs. Rider

Iowa basketball will be without starting guard Josh Dix vs. Rider per its Big Ten availability report.

Per its Big Ten availability report, Iowa basketball will be without starting guard Josh Dix versus Rider on Tuesday night.

Dix injured his wrist in Iowa’s 76-66 Friday night win over Washington State. Afterwards, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery commented on the severity of Dix’s wrist injury.

“Hopefully Josh’s injury will be taken care of relatively quickly. We’ll have to see,” McCaffery said.

Dix played 23 minutes against Washington State, scoring just two points and missing both of his field goal attempts.

On the season, the 6-foot-6 guard is averaging 12.3 points, 4.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. Dix is shooting 51.5% from the field, 44.4% from 3-point distance and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

The Council Bluffs product has scored 414 points, grabbed 113 rebounds, dished out 103 assists, come away with 31 steals and blocked 15 shots during his Hawkeye career. Dix owns career averages of 6.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

Dix has started 24 games over the past two seasons for the Hawkeyes and has appeared in 69 games over the course of his Iowa career. Dix inked with Iowa as a three-star signee and was rated as the nation’s No. 24 shooting guard and as the top player in Iowa according to 247Sports.

Iowa freshman forward Chris Tadjo was also listed out on Iowa’s availability report versus Rider. Tadjo has been listed out since the Hawkeyes’ Nov. 12 date versus South Dakota.

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Three stars in Iowa basketball’s win vs. South Dakota

As Iowa readies for Washington State on Friday, a look back at three stars from Tuesday night’s 96-77 win vs. South Dakota.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (3-0) earned another dominant win against the South Dakota Coyotes by a score of 96-77 on Tuesday night from Carver-Hawkeye Arena thanks to contributions from up and down the lineup.

While the Coyotes kept the game close by only trailing 42-36 at halftime, the Hawkeyes were able to slam the door shut in the second half to improve to 3-0 on the campaign.

As a team, Iowa shot 37-for-68 (54.4%) from the field, 13-for-31 (41.9%) from 3-point range, and 9-for-12 (75%) from the free throw line.

The impressive shooting performance from the Hawkeyes has been a trend over the first three games and one that head coach Fran McCaffery would certainly like to continue.

Even with an all-around team effort, three Hawkeyes stood out to help guide Iowa to victory.

Josh Dix

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dix powered the Hawkeyes’ offensive attack by contributing 23 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 27 minutes played. He had an impressive shooting performance of 8-for-10 from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.

Dix’s outstanding mid-range jumper and confident 3-point shot shined for Iowa Tuesday night, especially in the second half as the Hawkeyes pulled away from the Coyotes.

Ladji Dembele

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dembele had a career-high in both points and rebounds versus South Dakota, finishing with 11 points on a 5-for-8 shooting night and eight total rebounds in 22 minutes.

The sophomore forward showed off a confident mid-range jump shot that the Hawkeyes will look to utilize moving forward, especially as the scheduled competition gets more challenging.

Seydou Traore

Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Traore made his season and Hawkeye debut on Tuesday night, posting 12 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and an assist in 22 minutes. He shot 5-for-9 from the field, which included 2-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Traore, originally scheduled to receive minutes off the bench, was thrust into the starting lineup when forward Owen Freeman missed with an illness. Although he served as a fill-in for Freeman, Traore delivered a much-needed sense of athleticism to the Hawkeyes game.

One of his many highlights from Tuesday night’s win over South Dakota was an emphatic alley-oop slam off a beautiful Brock Harding pass with about 14:29 left in the second half that expanded a growing Hawkeyes lead to 61-43.

While Traore didn’t have one of the most impressive stat lines of the evening, he is a perfect fit for what the Hawkeyes want to run on both ends of the floor and has a very high ceiling moving forward.

Iowa’s next game will be against Washington State (3-0) as part of the John Deere Quad Cities Hoops Showdown from Moline, Ill., inside Vibrant Arena at the Mark.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network as well as the Hawkeyes Radio Network.

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Iowa Hawkeyes exploring options at PG entering 2023-24 men’s college basketball season

Ahead of the 2023-24 men’s college basketball season, Iowa is exploring a number of different options at point guard.

The point guard position will be a key battle to watch as the season unfolds for Iowa basketball. With star forward Kris Murray graduating to the NBA, selected in the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers, the Hawkeyes will have to forge a new identity on offense. All of that starts at point guard.

Incumbent starter Tony Perkins is back for his senior season in Iowa City. In his first full season as a starter, Perkins showed some promise. The Indianapolis native averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game on 44.0% field goal shooting.

He will be heavily pushed for playing time by some hungry underclassmen, namely sophomore Dasonte Bowen. Bowen, out of Boston, Mass., averaged 3.1 points in just 9.4 minutes of average floor time.

When asked about the point guard situation, head coach Fran McCaffery boasted about all four of his potential options at the position.

“We do have a lot of options at that position. I think we’ll see Tony there at times. I think Dasonte and Brock (Harding) and Josh Dix can all play that position. Normally you don’t have that many options,” McCaffery said.

Bowen is the player expected by most to really make a push for the starting role this season. He showed some great flashes in limited playing time at the end of last season.

Coach McCaffery talks a lot about pushing the pace, and Bowen is one of the most dynamic threats the Hawkeyes have running downhill. The 6-foot-2, 183 pound guard showed some special athleticism last season and can add a new element to the offense. The ability to hit shots from outside and be more than just a slasher will be huge for the Brewster Academy product.

It’s exciting to hear that true freshman Brock Harding will push for some playing time. He’s a really exciting prospect, we’ll just have to see if that’s just preseason coach talk, though.

As a youngster, he might not get his chance quite yet. Word around Iowa City is that he has made a seamless transition to college, though.

Josh Dix is an interesting name to see thrown in at point guard. With his height and shooting ability, most would project him as a shooting guard. However, if Iowa is looking to surround new star transfer big man Ben Krikke with shooters, Dix at the one is something they can definitely tinker with.

The 6-foot-5, 200 pound guard from Council Bluffs, Iowa, averaged 2.0 points per game in 9.2 minutes of average floor time last season.

However, the most interesting option may not come from one of these new faces. It’s important to keep an eye on returning starter Perkins and how his game has progressed this offseason.

In what Perkins expects to be his last season at Iowa, he likely morphs into the leader of this team. He’s talked about gunning for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and with his athletic profile, that’s certainly attainable.

If he can find more consistency in his game, and maybe hit some more shots from deep, Perkins could be an invaluable member of this starting rotation.

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PHOTOS: Iowa men’s basketball roasts Bethune-Cookman to open 2022-23 season

All five starters finished in double-figure scoring, including Tony Perkins’ game-high 16. Here were the best photos from the season opener.

Iowa wasted no time illustrating promise for the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season. All five Hawkeye starters finished with double-figure scoring, including point guard Tony Perkins who finished with a game-high 16 points on 7-of-9 field goal shooting.

“Tony Perkins has aggressiveness. He has skills. He is shooting the ball outside. He is driving the ball. He always had a pull-up game. He is getting to the rim. We put the ball in his hands a little bit more, so now he has more space, and he is even more effective.

“Five assists and one turnover, that is the thing that impressed me the most. When you put him at the point, you are going to have to give it up, and he does. But he did that from the first day he got here. He said, yeah, he was a scorer, he was a scoring guard, but you can put the ball in his hands. He will just get better,” Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said of Perkins’ performance.

Filip Rebraca also recorded his 20th career double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“He is aggressive offensively, he is aggressive in his ball-screen defense, he is aggressive in post defense. He is aggressive on the glass and running the floor. He is taking the ball, dribbling it, driving it and finishing the play, posting hard.

“Quite frankly, all the stuff he did when he was at North Dakota. He was dominant. For us he was really good. His role was different. We got to keep him here, and now he has taken charge. That’s what I wanted him to do. It was always in there, and now you’re seeing it,” McCaffery said of Rebraca.

Meanwhile, Kris Murray had 14 points, Payton Sandfort had 13 and Patrick McCaffery finished with 12.

With the win, Iowa begins its season 1-0. The Hawkeyes have now won 12 consecutive season openers, 78 of their last 83 nonconference home games and improved to 92-3 when holding opponents to fewer than 61 points during McCaffery’s tenure.

There are plenty of takeaways and Hawkeye social media was certainly delighted to have Iowa basketball back. It was a fun night from inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Take a look back at the season debut that was through these sensational still photos.

Iowa Hawkeyes safely in the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Joe Lunardi’s summer Bracketology

A summer Bracketology? You better believe it, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are safely in the 2023 NCAA Tournament per ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year!

While we are nowhere near the start of the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season, it’s still right in season for ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi to start piecing together his March bracket.

In his most recent version of Bracketology, Iowa is in with one of the last four byes of the tournament, landing as the No. 10 seed in the East region. The Hawkeyes’ opening date would be against seventh-seeded Saint Louis with a likely date against No. 2 seed Texas looming after that.

Iowa is one of seven Big Ten teams that Lunardi currently has making the Big Dance. That’s tied for tops nationally of any conference according to Lunardi’s projections, joining the Big 12, Big East and SEC as seven-bid leagues.

In addition to Iowa, Lunardi has No. 7 seed Purdue and No. 8 seed Ohio State in the West region, No. 6 seed Illinois and No. 8 seed Michigan State in the East region and No. 4 seed Indiana and No. 7 seed Michigan in the South region.

For the Hawkeyes, Lunardi is expecting a bit of regression from the past two seasons. Iowa was a No. 2 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and a No. 5 seed last year entering March Madness after winning the Big Ten Tournament title over Purdue, 75-66.

Over the past two seasons, Iowa basketball has lost their star player. Luka Garza was possibly the greatest player in Hawkeyes history, a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American. He graduated on to the NBA at the end of the 2020-21 season.

Then, Keegan Murray broke out and was also a consensus first-team All-American. He also probably should have been won the Big Ten Player of the Year last year. Instead, he goes down as Iowa’s highest-ever draft pick, going fourth to the Sacramento Kings in the 2022 NBA draft.

That’s two straight years that Iowa has to replace a historic player. While that’s routine for a team like Duke that rules the top-10 player recruiting list every year, it is a tough task for a team like Iowa. There are a lot of returning pieces coming back, including potential breakout star Kris Murray.

“Well, first of all, I’m really excited for him. First time in his life that he hasn’t played with his brother. He accepted the challenge of coming back,” Head Coach Fran McCaffrey said in a recent interview about the returning Murray. “As I said before, he bet on himself. A lot of guys, if they have a two-way, they take it. He could’ve gone to a two-way if he wanted, but he wanted to come back. He loves his teammates and he wants the responsibility that’s going to be placed on him. And he’s ready for it, he’s worked hard for it and I’m excited for him.”

The Hawkeyes open their 2022-23 season on Nov. 7 at home against SWAC opponent Bethune-Cookman.

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Iowa Hawkeyes men’s hoops frosh Josh Dix updates his progress from scary injury

After suffering a broken tibia and broken fibula, Iowa Hawkeyes guard Josh Dix is rehabbing very nicely and expects to be fully ready soon.

Iowa Hawkeyes 2022 signee Josh Dix suffered a scary injury that ended his high school career. On Jan. 21 with his Council Bluffs Lincoln squad leading Le Mars 52-33 and 1:45 remaining, Dix went up to block a shot, found his legs tangled and wound up landing awkwardly.

What resulted was Dix suffering a broken tibia and broken fibula, the same injury Paul George suffered in 2014. Naturally, that put his true freshman season—or at least the start of it—in question with the Hawkeyes.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery said he’s expecting Dix back, full-go to start the month of September. On Tuesday, Dix met with the Iowa media and discussed the injury, his rehab and when he expects to fully integrate into the Hawkeyes’ rotation.

Everything Iowa Hawkeyes’ Fran McCaffery had to say in previewing his 2022-23 roster

With summer workouts taking place, Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery met and discussed his roster for the 2022-23 season.

The Iowa Hawkeyes’ 2021-22 men’s basketball season was a memorable one. Iowa rifled through the 2022 Big Ten Tournament, winning four games in four days to capture the program’s third all-time conference tournament title.

Overall, Iowa ended the season 26-10 (12-8 Big Ten). Over the past three seasons, the Hawkeyes have combined to win 68 games and finished each season ranked in the final Ferris Mowers Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Now, after enjoying one of the national player of the year candidates each of the past three seasons in Luka Garza for two and Keegan Murray last year, it’s time to turn the page onto the 2022-23 men’s basketball season.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery caught up with reporters to update the health of incoming signee Josh Dix, talk about Kris Murray’s upcoming season and a number of other topics pertaining to his 2022-23 men’s basketball roster.