Iowa Hawkeyes Basketball

The Iowa Hawkeyes have suspended head men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery for two games.

The Athletic's Scott Dochterman shared Iowa's full press release about the decision:

Following No. 22 Iowa's 90-70 road loss to the unranked Ohio State Buckeyes on Tuesday at Value City Arena, McCaffery unleashed an expletive-laden rant toward one of the referees.

"You cheating motherf--ker," he said, per Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade. "You're a f--king disgrace."

With 4:08 left in the second half, Iowa guard Connor McCaffery, the head coach's son, received a technical foul after arguing a separate foul call. Then referees assessed Fran a technical foul at the 3:10 mark after he walked onto the court to voice his frustration with the officiating.

According to ESPN.com, reporters asked the elder McCaffery about his conversation with the referee in the hallway of Value City Arena. McCaffery declined to go into detail, saying, "I can't talk about that."

McCaffery's suspension could prove costly for the Hawkeyes. At 10-7 they sit sixth in the Big Ten, and he'll be out for games against Rutgers and the 19th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers. 

Any hope of earning a top-four seed for the Big Ten tournament—thus automatically qualifying for the quarterfinals—is likely gone at this point for Iowa. The team sits two games back of the No. 17 Maryland Terrapins.

Iowa men's basketball head coach Fran McCaffery reportedly used profane language toward an official after his team's 90-70 loss at Ohio State on Tuesday.

Kyle Rowland of the Toledo Blade reported the exchange (warning: tweet contains profanity):

The Hawkeyes trailed by only three points early in the second half before OSU pulled away en route to its 20-point victory.

After the game, McCaffery was asked about the reported interaction with an official but declined comment, per Rowland:

McCaffery hasn't been immune to past outbursts. He was ejected after getting two technicals against Maryland last season for coming onto the court and arguing with refs. Chad Leistikow of Hawk Central highlighted some other incidents.

"Over the years, McCaffery has publicly screamed at his players, nose to nose," Leistikow noted. "He's slammed a chair at Michigan State. He's been suspended for bumping an official at Wisconsin."

McCaffery also got angry with a scoreboard operator during a game against Michigan, as Leistikow noted. Furthermore, Iowa did not shake hands with North Dakota players or coaches after a December 2016 win, per C.L. Brown, then writing for ESPN.

Dan Wolken of USA Today called for Iowa to take action against the coach:

The counterargument is that McCaffery isn't the only coach prone to outbursts, technical fouls and cursing at officials. What McCaffery reportedly did Tuesday isn't even the worst incident in the Big Ten this year.

That doesn't make what has occurred right, though.

Whichever end one falls on regarding McCaffery, No. 22 Iowa dropped to 21-7 overall and 10-7 in Big Ten play. Ohio State improved to 18-10 and 8-9 in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes host Rutgers on Saturday. 

Iowa Hawkeyes broadcaster Gary Dolphin has been suspended for the remainder of the 2018-19 basketball season after making racially insensitive comments about Maryland Terrapins forward Bruno Fernando, according to Hawk Central's Chad Leistikow. 

Dolphin apologized for his offensive remarks in a statement, per Leistikow:

"During the broadcast, I used a comparison when trying to describe a talented Maryland basketball player. In no way did I intend to offend or disparage the player. I take full responsibility for my inappropriate word choice and offer a sincere apology to him and anyone else who was offended. I wish the Iowa Hawkeye players, coaches and fans all the very best as they head into the final stretch of the season. I will use this as an opportunity to grow as a person and learn more about unconscious bias."

Dolphin's initial comments came following No. 24 Maryland's 66-65 road victory over No. 21 Iowa, which saw Fernando record 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"Twelve threes on 22 made baskets. That's some pretty good long-range shooting," Dolphin said of Fernando on Tuesday, according to Leistikow. "And then Fernando was King Kong at the end of the game."

Fernando had four points, including the game-winning basket with 11 seconds remaining, and two rebounds in the final 30 seconds of the game to complete the upset.

Leistikow noted that this is not the first time Dolphin has been subject to discipline this season. The longtime radio announcer was suspended for two games back in November following his "hot mic" comments about Iowa guard Maishe Dailey.

Dolphin would go on to issue a public apology to Dailey on social media:

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta mentioned in November that there was "ongoing tension" between Dolphin and Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery.

Dolphin's suspension pertains only to Hawkeyes basketball games. He also holds play-by-play responsibilities during football season.

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For more news and analysis on Iowa basketball, go to HawkeyeInsider.com. 

Madness was in favor of the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday.

Tied with the Temple Owls as the clock ticked down in overtime, Adam Woodbury tipped a missed jumper in to beat the buzzer and seal the 72-70 win at the Barclays Center.

Respect has been hard to come by for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team. Even early in the second half, up 18 points.

“We might have a game,” ESPN commentator Jim Calhoun said after a Michigan State Spartans dunk got him and the Breslin Center crowd riled up.

Calhoun admitted a few minutes earlier Thursday night that he had seen the Hawkeyes play only twice this season on film.

The former UConn coach won’t be the only one paying more attention. A 76-59 road win means head coach Fran McCaffery’s team has swept the season series with the No. 4 Spartans and thrust itself into a new stratosphere.

The secret’s out on a squad that’s about to take a big leap from No. 16.

Speaking of 16: This is a program that hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 1999. The Elite Eight since 1987. Go back seven more seasons to find a Final Four appearance.

And now, in an open Big Ten, McCaffery sports an excellent shooting, fearless group that can produce mismatches all over the place and plays with terrific freedom.

That was evidenced right after Calhoun’s comment, when 6’9” Jarrod Uthoff smoothly buried a three-pointer (step-back, no less) to extend the lead back to 21 points. From that point, the storyline became less about Michigan State’s shocking troubles and more about Iowa’s potential.

Two wins against the Spartans. A 17-point rally in the second half to win at Purdue. The Hawkeyes extended their winning streak to six games and continued an undefeated start in Big Ten play (4-0) after bucking KenPom.com’s 27 percent chance to win at MSU.

Denzel Valentine’s game-opening three? Eron Harris’ monster baseline dunk a few minutes in? All of that Michigan State home-court intimidation?

Nothing but toughness in return from Iowa. Even Spartans head coach Tom Izzo appreciated it to a degree, per the Gazette's Scott Dochterman:

Talk about a big, ongoing year for Iowa. We’re used to only talking about the state every four years because of the presidential election cycle. But in football, the Hawkeyes found themselves in the Rose Bowl, and on the hardwood, the school is no longer taking a backseat to Iowa State, which entered the season with Final Four aspirations (and won this year’s meeting by a point Dec. 10).

Iowa quietly made the round of 32 last year. The difference in this next step is the better shooting, including a 40 percent mark from three-point range. Its big guys being able to hit them is special.

A balanced team that plays “inconclusive” defense, per KenPom.com—meaning McCaffery could mix it up a lot—can still be shifty (like the way it trapped MSU star Valentine often). But it can also knock teams out.

The only trick has been getting attention while surrounded by national-profile mainstays such as the Spartans, Wisconsin and even the ongoing fired-or-not circus at Indiana with head coach Tom Crean. And the sizzling surge over the past couple of years at Maryland has only buried Iowa's headlines more.

These Hawkeyes have to be viewed less cynically—or more favorably, if you prefer—after slamming the door quickly on the idea that the first win against MSU was a fluke.

Valentine missed that one Dec. 29 because of knee surgery. This was the Spartans star’s second game back. He started it strong, but eventually MSU lacked confidence and carried confusion.

Iowa won for the first time at East Lansing since 1993. That was the fabled win after star Chris Street died in a car accident.

This win wasn’t mythical, just matter of fact.

It hardly mattered that senior guard Mike Gesell (25 points in the first meeting) picked up two fouls in the opening three minutes.

Iowa kept attacking.

Peter Jok is about to take a new popularity leap after scoring 23 points. The 6’6” junior was a big part of Iowa's hitting six of its first eight three-point attempts.

The 6’9” sophomore Dom Uhl, like Jok, will start having more and more puns played off his name. This team's no Jok, uh, joke. And there could be some more minutes Uhl-logged even as the holidays have ended...and on it goes.

But seriously, Iowa entered the night shooting 5 percentage points higher on effective field-goal percentage, per KenPom.com, and was better at taking care of the ball.

It frustrated MSU into 16 turnovers. A squad that was winning by an average of 21 points had Izzo looking like he was working with a team full of freshmen.

But cool-headed Iowa’s just one more team in the mix. Already this week, Kansas, Maryland and Duke have lost. Iowa’s no more invincible, even as it approaches the Top 10.

But it is now a factor.

And the genius of McCaffery may finally be coming through in a premier conference. He’s taken three different teams in one-bid conferences to the NCAA tournament. That's hard to do.

But also realize this: Two of those programs (North Carolina-Greensboro in 2001; Siena in 2010) haven’t been back to the tournament since he left.

So McCaffery’s used to beating the odds against his league. Right now, they look to be in his favor. This is his sixth season at Iowa, and his teams have gotten consistently better in the Big Ten—from 10th in his first year to tied for third last season.

There’s no reason to slow down now.

“It just shows how good we are, and how good we can be,” Jok said to the ESPN crew afterward.

No might about it.

Tyler Cook is a talented power forward who could have gone to a number of established basketball powers, but the Missouri native elected to stay in the Midwest and join the Iowa Hawkeyes. 

He announced his intentions on Twitter on Wednesday:

ITS A GREAT DAY TO BE A HAWKEYE‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/e6tG7vjukz

— Tyler Cook (@KingCook_25) September 24, 2015

Jeff Borzello of ESPN confirmed the news.

The 6’8”, 240-pound Cook is a 4-star prospect in the class of 2016, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He checks in as the No. 2 overall prospect from the state of Missouri and the No. 74 overall player in his class.

He chose the Hawkeyes over the likes of Florida, Missouri and Arkansas, but he also received interest from Kansas and Illinois, among others.

Cook commented on his decision, per Brian Snow of Scout.com: “Yes sir I am an Iowa Hawkeye. I just loved everything about the school. I have had the longest relationship with them. They have recruited me for two-and-a-half years, and the visit really was confirmation that it was the right place to me so I committed tonight."

Derek Young of Scout.com noted Cook was the top target for coach Fran McCaffery in the 2016 recruiting class and the type of player Iowa needs to compete against the best Big Ten teams and at a national level for deep NCAA tournament runs.   

Cook will likely see the floor right away for the Hawkeyes as an athletic force on the blocks. He is a strong finisher at the rim—fans will be treated to plenty of rim-rattling dunks during his collegiate career—but also has enough touch to finish outside the paint.

What's more, Cook’s size and strength will help him control the glass on both ends of the floor.

Cook joins Cordell Pemsl, Jordan Bohannon and Ryan Kriener in Iowa’s 2016 class. The other three prospects are all 3-star recruits, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and will form a solid core of contributors around Cook.

Pemsl checks in at 6’7” and Kriener at 6’9”, so it was clear Iowa was trying to add power and size in this recruiting cycle to compete with the physicality of perennial Big Ten powers such as Michigan State and Wisconsin. Bohannon is the point guard who will be tasked with getting the ball to the talented forwards as they develop together.

As long as Bohannon finds Cook, Iowa should remain competitive in the Big Ten.

The No. 22 Michigan State Spartans (23-7, 12-5 Big Ten) continued their domination of No. 24 Iowa (20-10, 9-8 Big Ten) in the Breslin Center, beating the Hawkeyes, 86-76.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Iowa has now gone 18 games without winning in East Lansing:

Perhaps the Hawkeyes should be advised down the road that college basketball games are played over two halves. In the first half, they jumped out to a 41-39 lead. Roy Devyn Marble led the team with 16 points.

Iowa was moving the ball extremely well, befuddling the Michigan State defense. Eleven assists were recorded on its 15 made first-half field goals.

Halftime couldn't have come at a worse time for the Hawkeyes, though, or a better time for the Spartans. Tom Izzo was able to get his team into the locker room and hit the reset button. It's clear that whatever he said worked, as Michigan State outscored Iowa, 47-35, in the second half.

MSU's second-half resurgence was best illustrated by the performance of Keith Appling.

Appling looked to be laboring quite a bit in the first half. It's no secret that he's been battling a wrist injury for the past month.

As somebody who handles the ball quite a bit, Appling helps set the tone offensively for Michigan State. So when he's off his game, the team struggles in a major way. It's been one of the biggest reasons a team that started out 18-1 lost six of its next 10 games.

Appling was scoreless at halftime, and not coincidentally, the Spartans were down two points.

Then, as the second half wore on, ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman noted that Appling's confidence grew and he became more of a focal point for the offense:

With the Spartans up, 50-45, five minutes into the second half, Appling hit a three-pointer—just his 33rd made field goal from downtown all season. While it didn't spark a huge run, Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis believes there's no doubt that the bucket signaled a sea change in the game:

Appling would add another three to the box score, eventually finishing with 12 points and three assists.

Iowa got as close as two points, 53-51, with 13:23 remaining. Then Michigan State went on a 24-8 run. The Hawkeyes seemed stuck in quicksand, as the harder they tried to fight their way out of their predicament, the deeper they sank.

With a little under five minutes to go, it was clear they had completely lost control of the game. Zach McCabe and Travis Trice got their arms locked up battling for position. With play dead, McCabe suddenly yanked his arm, sending Trice to the court.

College Basketball Talk's Rob Dauster thought the senior forward should have been sent to the showers:

McCabe would only pick up a technical foul, but it was his fifth foul of the game, so he was effectively ejected. Russell Byrd was actually ejected for leaving the bench during the on-court mini-scuffle immediately following McCabe's takedown.

That was an ugly moment from what was an otherwise stellar senior night for Appling and Adreian Payne. Payne was second on the team in scoring, shooting 5-of-12 from the field for 14 points.

Trice had a very good game as well, leading MSU with 17 points and adding three assists.

Michigan State had already lost the Big Ten regular-season title coming into Thursday night, so the only thing left for the Spartans between here and the NCAA tournament is strengthening their seed. It will be interesting to see what this team's capable of.

With Appling healthy, it can be one of the best teams in the country. According to Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News, Izzo isn't closing the door on a trip to Dallas:

As that 4-6 stretch not too long ago demonstrated, however, it doesn't take much for the Spartans to turn into a pedestrian squad really quick.

Key Player Grades

Travis Trice, Michigan State: B+

Pretty much the only thing people will be talking about regarding Travis Trice's performance in this game is that altercation with Zach McCabe. It's a shame, too, as Trice came off the bench to have a huge impact.

He shot 4-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc. The junior guard was also a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.

Next game, Trice might want to wear some elbow pads.

Keith Appling, Michigan State: A-

Make sure this game goes into the Michigan State archives, as you don't often see Keith Appling hitting two three-pointers in the same game.

In all seriousness, the senior star ignited the Spartans in the second half. It's clear for everyone to see how much better this team is when Appling is healthy and able to lead the offense. He doesn't need to score in bunches; he just needs to be the facilitator.

Roy Devyn Marble, Iowa: B

Roy Devyn Marble was a non-factor in the second half. After that scintillating performance in the first half, he would only go on to score 24 points in the game. Marble can take solace in the fact that he's now gone five games in a row with 20-plus points:

The senior guard was the biggest victim of Michigan State's increased defensive pressure.

Of course, it didn't help that Aaron White was Iowa's next-leading scorer with 10 points. It was a one-man show for the Hawkeyes and that's not enough to get it done against a team as good as the Spartans.

What's Next?

Michigan State wraps up the regular season on the road on Sunday in Columbus against Ohio State. Although the Buckeyes are no longer ranked, that will be a tricky game for the Spartans.

The Hawkeyes finish at home on Saturday when they welcome in Illinois for Senior Day.

IOWA CITY, Ia. — Iowa star Roy Devyn Marble nearly went all Richard Sherman on the media inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Reporters threw around words like "surprised" and "validated" after No. 17 Iowa had bullied 10th-ranked Michigan for 40 minutes in a 85-67 win, and Marble wasn't about to buy in to some kind of 'this came out of nowhere' narrative.

"It isn't like I had a lucky game," he said, referencing his 26 points.

"Validate?" he later snapped back. "... I don't feel like I need validation or we need validation from anybody. We know how good we are and we know what it takes to be successful."

But on the last two Tuesdays at home, the Hawkeyes had missed opportunities to put themselves in the Big Ten title race and remain in the national conversation.

First, they lost to an undermanned Michigan State—down two starters—in overtime. This past Tuesday, Ohio State avenged Iowa's win in Columbus in early January.

"I just had a talk with Coach yesterday, and the headline was 'Ohio State upsets Iowa,'" senior Zach McCabe said. "My freshman year there was no chance in the world that you'd ever see something like that."

Fair or not, the Hawkeyes were settling in to a "nice little story." The sense that maybe they were just good but not great was starting to develop.

It's easy to question the team that hasn't been here before.

And it has been eight years since Iowa played in the NCAA tournament, back to the Steve Alford era.

When Fran McCaffery and Marble arrived four years ago, his first team won only four games in the Big Ten. 

Last season, a 9-9 conference record and a run to the NIT title game showed progress, but that's second-class citizen stuff in the Big Ten.

That has made this season—with the rankings and the sell-outs (now eight) and ESPN in-house for a Saturday game—the arrival.

And with all that, the expectations have been like nothing they've ever experienced. 

"People want you to take outstanding leaps, and that isn't how it works," Marble said. "Even me as a player, (Aaron) White and all these guys that have gotten better year to year, it takes time and it takes practice. We're not going to just win every game and do like what Syracuse is doing. They do this every year. We're still a team learning and a program trying to find that mix of guys that can come in year to year and produce 20 to 30-win seasons."

Well, even Marble could be selling this team short.

Because, yes, it will be great progress to win 20 games this year and to get in the tournament, but the reason losses to Michigan State and Ohio State were sold as disappointments was because this team has the look of a squad that could go on a run in March.

That's what we saw on Saturday as the Hawkeyes dominated the Big Ten's first-place team—a team that had won 11 of 12 games—in every which way.

"We ran into a buzzsaw today," Michigan coach John Beilein said. "This is the way they were playing first semester no matter who they were playing against."

At that time, the Hawkeyes were looking like a smart Final Four sleeper pick.

Still, they've become respected for their quality loses—Villanova, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, all by single digits—than their quality wins. 

On Saturday, that finally changed. 

It's time to no longer be surprised. No need for validation. The Hawkeyes are no longer a second-class citizen in the Big Ten. 

We get it, Roy. Props. 

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.