Rivalry Saturday with Ohio State - Michigan; while basketball enjoys a good Thanksgiving

Michigan-Ohio State tied at the half on ABC ...
Ann Arbor, MI -- The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry is tied 21-21 at the half in the Big House in Ann Arbor.  Does rival Michigan knock out coach Urban Meyer, and the Buckeyes, out of the BCS title game race and win streak?  The Buckeyes are going for 24 wins in a row, under Meyer, including 15 straight in the Big Ten.

Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst's statement on Coach Pelini's job status ...

Lincoln, NE -- "My approach has always been to not comment publicly about our coaches until their full seasons are complete, as I strongly believe it is unfair and counter to best practices.  However, given the volume of unfounded speculation and conjecture about our head football coach, I want to reaffirm what I have said many times since I have arrived at the University of Nebraska -- that I positively respect, appreciate and support our football student-athletes, coaches and staff, as we do everyone in the Husker family.  We very much look forward to our upcoming bowl game and Coach Pelini continuing to lead our program in the future." - Nebraska AD


Arizona wins 72-66 in Pre-Season NIT over Duke on hardwood on Friday ...
NEW YORK – Does anyone wonder if the Arizona Wildcats can eventually turn into Final Four contenders now? More

Creighton falls on Friday night in The Wooden Legacy to San Diego State 86-80 ... 
Fullerton, CA -- Creighton (5-1) will play for third-place in a 5:30 pm Central contest against George Washington (5-1) on Sunday in a game that will air on ESPNU. More

Iowa advances to Finals on Friday night to face Villanova in the Battle 4 Atlantis
Paradise Island, Bahamas --* Iowa will play Villanova for the Battle 4 Atlantis championship Saturday at approximately 8:30 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC Sports Network on DirecTV 220. More

Black Friday Challenge Answered

Linebackers lead the charge during a 3-touchdown rout at Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The challenge was issued on Black Friday in 2012. In University of Iowa football terms, it was a dim moment that Nov. 23 day as the Hawkeyes limped out of Kinnick Stadium with a 13-7 loss to Nebraska and a record of 4-8.

"This is significant," Iowa linebackers coach LeVar Woods said, 371 days later. "A year ago they challenged themselves and we challenged them to move forward."

University of Iowa linebackers
Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey
jar the football loose from Nebraska
running back Ameer Abdullah
on Nov. 29 in Lincoln, Neb.

This is in reference to the entire Hawkeye team, but specifically the senior linebackers. They are the best group of linebackers assistant Jim Reid has been around in 41 years of coaching. They combined for 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles on a sunnier Black Friday 2013, as the Hawkeyes thumped an eight-win Nebraska team on its home turf by three touchdowns.

They helped the Iowa  secure second place in the Big Ten Conference Legends Division with a record of 8-4 overall, 5-3 in the league.

"Their effort (at Nebraska) was exactly the same as their effort every single game this year and more importantly, every single practice this year from spring practice on," Reid said. "I'm not sure I have ever been around a more intense, hard-working, focused group as I have been around in James (Morris), Anthony (Hitchens), and Chris (Kirksey). They are remarkable guys."

"Their effort (at Nebraska) was exactly the same as their effort every single game this year and more importantly, every single practice this year from spring practice on. I'm not sure I have ever been around a more intense, hard-working, focused group as I have been around in James (Morris), Anthony (Hitchens), and Chris (Kirksey). They are remarkable guys." Jim Reid UI linebackers coach

All three senior linebackers played a part in causing or securing at least one turnover against the Cornhuskers. Hitchens and Morris had interceptions, Kirksey and Morris forced fumbles.

It was one of those games when head coach Kirk Ferentz's buddy Bill Belichick would have said, "Stats are for losers, the final score is for winners."

In a game that was dominated by the Hawkeyes on Tom Osborne Field, the final statistics showed Nebraska with advantages in first downs (20-14) and total yards (288-281). The final score of 38-17 showed the worst whipping of a Nebraska team on its own soil since Missouri defeated the Cornhuskers 52-17 in 2008.

"It's exciting for us, we just want to help the team win," Morris said. "We want to play well and you can feed off it when all the guys are playing well. Maybe we did a little bit of that today."

First it was Hitchens with an interception and 18-yard return on Nebraska's opening possession.

"As soon as I saw Hitch get an interception I was so excited," Kirksey said. "We always said Hitch was going to get one some time."

For Hitchens, it was the first pick of his career.

Morris followed with his fourth interception of the season (and sixth career) to end Nebraska's second drive.

"Then when James got his, I was like, `OK, it's my turn. I have to get one.'" Kirksey said.

What Kirksey got was the most important turnover of the final quarter. Iowa was leading 24-17 with more than 10 minutes remaining and the Cornhuskers were 60 yards from a tying touchdown. Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah -- with 1,568 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season -- darted up the middle and veered left before running into a Hitchens road block. Kirksey whizzed in from the side and jarred the ball loose before Hawkeye Louis Trinca-Pasat recovered. Iowa went on to record its first win in Lincoln since 1943.

"Hitch made a great play," said Kirksey, who until post-game interviews thought his teammate forced the fumble. "I was there with him containing the ball carrier."

And knocking the ball free.

"Every minute of every day since last year they worked their butts off to get to where they are now," Woods said. 

"They compete every day in practice to see who can make the most plays and get the most turnovers. It's always great for a defense when your senior leaders are the ones making the plays and showing the way."

They did it in the final regular season game of their final season... on a big stage... against an excellent opponent.

"We wanted to make sure we left it all on the field," Morris said. "I think some of the turnovers were a result of that effort and intensity."

More Basketball tonight with Iowa and Creighton, after Iowa's historic win at Nebraska 38-17 in Lincoln

Creighton meets San Diego State tonight, while Iowa faces UTEP on the hardwood!

• The #23 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-0) will face UTEP Miners (4-2) Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT). The game can be seen live on the NBC Sports Network (DirecTV 220) from NASSAU, Bahamas 
• #20 Creighton (5-0) continues a stretch of four games in six days when it takes on San Diego State (3-1) on Friday at 8:30 pm Central in championship bracket action at the Wooden Legacy from Fullerton, CA.

Hawkeyes Down Nebraska, 38-17

Iowa scores final 14 points to finish regular season with an 8-4 record

Lincoln, NE -- Make room for the Heroes Trophy in Iowa City.

The Iowa football team downed Nebraska, 38-17, in the Hy-Vee Heroes Game to take possession of the Heroes Trophy for the first time in program history. The victory is the Hawkeyes' first win over the Huskers since 1981 and first in Lincoln since 1943.

The Hawkeyes finished with 281 yards of total offense, rushing for 155 yards on 44 carries and 126 through the air. Nebraska gained 288 yards (89 on the ground and 199 passing). Iowa forced the Huskers into three turnovers that led to 14 points. Senior Christian Kirksey paced Iowa with 11 tackles, including a sack, while seniors Tanner Miller and James Morris had 10 tackles apiece.

Rudock completed 9-of-15 attempts for 126 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the third quarter with a leg injury. Running backs Mark Weisman and Jordan Canzeri combined for 131 yards and two touchdowns. 

Weisman had 72 yards on 24 carries with two scores, while Canzeri had 59 yards on just six attempts. Senior tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz had three catches for 23 yards and a score.

Ron Kellogg III completed 19-of-37 attempts for 199 yards and a touchdown, but was picked off twice. Running back Ameer Abdullah rushed for 85 yards on 23 carries -- nearly 49 yards below his season average. Kenny Bell made seven catches for 67 yards.

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final 7 7 10 14 38 0 3 7 7 17  Stat Comparisons  First Downs 14 20  Rushing Att.-Yds 44-155 37-89  Passing Yds 126 199  Passing (C-A-I) 9-17-2 19-37-2  Total Offense 61-281 74-288  Punts-Avg. 7-40.3 6-37.8  Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1  Penalties-Yds 2-20 5-42  Time of Possession 30:59 29:01  3rd-Down Conversions 6-of-15 3-of-14  4th-Down Conversions 0-of-1 1-of-3  Iowa Statistical Leaders  Passing CMP ATT YDs TD  Jake Rudock 9 15 126 2  Rushing CAR YDs AVG TD  Mark Weisman 24 72 3.0 2  Receiving REC YDs AVG TD  C.J. Fiedorowicz 3 23 7.7 1  Defense S-A TOTAL SACKS INT  Christian Kirksey 4-7 11 1 0  Nebraska Statistical Leaders  Passing CMP ATT YDs TD  Ron Kellogg III 19 37 199 1  Rushing CAR YDs AVG TD  Ameer Abdullah 23 85 3.7 1  Receiving REC YDs AVG TD  Kenny Bell 7 67 9.6 0  Defense S-A TOTAL SACKS INT  Michael Rose 7-9 16 0 0

After trailing 14-3 at the break, Nebraska looked like different team coming out of the locker room, moving 75 yards over 11 plays. Abdullah opened the series with three rushes for 19 yards to the 44 before Kellogg III found Bell underneath for 12 yards into Iowa territory.

The Huskers moved into the red zone via consecutive completions of 10 and 13 yards to the 16 before Abdullah scored four plays later on a 5-yard run up the middle, making the score 14-10. Nebraska gained 58 yards its first five possessions; the Huskers had 134 yards on their final drive of first half and first drive of second half.

With the momentum on Nebraska's side, the Hawkeyes used an eight-play, 70-yard drive to provide an answer. On third-and-3 from its own 24, Rudock had all day in the pocket before connected with junior Kevonte Martin-Manley for a 36-yard gain to the Nebraska 40.

Two plays later Iowa gained 27 yards via a pair of Husker penalties. The first was a 12-yard pass interference call and second was a 15-yard un-sportsmanship penalty on Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini. After a pair of Weisman rushes to the 13, Iowa missed a golden opportunity when Martin-Manley dropped a touchdown pass in the end zone, forcing the Hawkeyes to settle on Mike Meyer's 31-yard field goal to make the score 17-10.

Iowa head coach
 Kirk Ferentz led the
Hawkeyes a 38-17 win
 at Nebraska -- the first win
 in Lincoln since 1943.

Iowa's took advantage of a Pelini gamble to push the lead to 24-10. On fourth-and-3 from its own 32, Nebraska punter Sam Foltz was stopped for an 8-yard loss on a fake punt. On the first Iowa play offensively, Rudock connected with a diving Martin-Manley for a 24-yard touchdown pass. It was Martin-Manley's fourth touchdown catch on the year.

Nebraska used a 10-play, 71 yard drive to cut the lead to 24-17 on its first drive of the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-3 from the Iowa 15, Kellogg III connected with Quincy Enunwa for a 15-yard touchdown reception.

After a three-and-out by the Iowa offense, the Hawkeye defense set up forced its third turnover. Abdullah rushed up the middle where he was sandwiched by senior linebackersAnthony Hitchens and Kirksey. Kirksey knocked the ball out from the back side of the play where junior Louis Trinca-Pasat recovered at the 39.

Canzeri burst for a 37-yard gain on a zone read play down to the Nebraska 2. On the next play, Weisman scored his second touchdown of the game to give the Hawkeyes a 31-17 lead with 9:17 remaining.

Iowa scored its final touchdown with a five-play, 27 yard drive after Nebraska turned over on downs. The Hawkeyes ran on all five plays before redshirt freshman C.J. Beathardscored on a naked boot leg to push the Iowa lead to 38-17.

Iowa's defense forced turnovers on the first two Nebraska drives, but came away empty-handed. The Huskers used a flea-flicker on the first play of the game for a 25-yard gain to the 40, and two plays later Kellogg III had a 12-yard completion to Enunwa to move into Iowa territory.

The Huskers had a 32-yard completion to Taariq Allen negated when the wide receiver was called for illegal touching. On the next play, Hitchens intercepted a pass intended for Brandon Reilly and returned the pick 18 yards to the Nebraska 44.

Iowa moved the ball 20 yards down to the 24 yard line via five rushes, but the drive was thwarted when Weisman was stopped on fourth-and-1.

On the second play of the ensuing Nebraska drive, Iowa's defense struck again when Kellogg III's attempt was intercepted Morris, giving the Hawkeyes a first-and-10 from the 25. Iowa capitalized on the short field, moving the 25 yards over seven plays to take a 7-0 lead.

Canzeri started the drive with a 10-yard burst up the middle on his first carry of the game, and senior Don Shumpert snagged a third-and-4 pass attempt to give Iowa a first-and-goal from the 4. After consecutive 3-yard losses, Rudock connected with Fiedorowicz on a diving 10-yard touchdown catch. It was Fiedorowicz's sixth touchdown reception this season, five of which have come on third down.

Sophomore punter Connor Kornbrath helped swing the field position with back-to-back punts to the 1 and 3 yard line. Iowa came away empty-handed after taking over at the Nebraska 39, but on its next drive, the Hawkeyes scored via a three-play, 41-yard drive.

Rudock opened the series with a 29-yard completion to Canzeri out of the backfield down to the 12 yard line. On the next carry, Weisman broke three tackles en route to gaining 11 yards in a play that was initially ruled a touchdown. After calling the play dead at the half yard line, Weisman burst off left tackle untouched to give Iowa a 14-0 advantage.

Nebraska sustained its only first half drive on the next series, moving 59 yards over 11 plays. Kellogg III found tight end Jake Long wide open on the Iowa sideline for 18 yards to the Iowa 33 and Imani Cross for 14 yards on the next play into the red zone. The Hawkeyes buckled down, forcing the Huskers to settle for Pat Smith's 33-yard field goal, making the score 14-3 with 31 seconds to play in the first half.

Iowa (8-4, 5-3) now awaits its bowl fate when the official announcement comes Dec. 8.

Creighton advances in The Wooden Legacy with opening round win; while Iowa wins in Battle 4 Atlantis on Thanksgiving

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Devin Brooks had 23 points off the bench and Doug McDermott added 27 as No. 20/18 Creighton routed previously unbeaten Arizona State by an 88-60 score to open play at the DirecTV Wooden Legacy on Thursday night.

Creighton improved to 5-0, while Arizona State fell to 6-1. Creighton advances to play San Diego State on Friday at 8:30 pm Central in a winner's bracket game. The Aztecs defeated College of Charleston, 72-52, earlier in the day.

Iowa Rallies Past Xavier in OT

Hawkeyes don't grab first lead until overtime before downing Muskateers, 77-74

NASSAU, Bahamas -- It's not about how you start, but how you finish. The University of Iowa men's basketball team overcame a 15-point second half deficit to down Xavier, 77-74, in overtime in its first game in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

"With the team we have out there, we're so deep and versatile, we're in any game, whether we're down 20 at home or down 10," said junior Gabriel Olaseni. "We always have the ability to come back because we have so many guys and coach trusts us.

"We always thought we could win this game."

Senior Roy Devyn Marble
 scored 30 points to lead
 Iowa to a 77-74 overtime victory over Xavier.

After ending regulation tied at 69, the Hawkeyes took their first lead via a pair of Olaseni free throws. The Muskateers knotted the game at 73 on a fast-break layup by Justin Martin with 2:21 remaining, but sophomore Mike Gesell had a quick answer, putting the Hawkeyes back on top with a short floater just 14 seconds later.

1st 2nd OT Final #23 Iowa (6-0) 30 39 8 77 Xavier (5-1) 37 32 5 74 • Box Score   |  Attendance: 2,258  Statistical Leaders  •Roy Devyn Marble - 30 points, 10-23 FG, 4-10 3PT  •Zach McCabe - 11 points, 3 rebounds  •Gabriel Olaseni - 10 points, 11 rebounds, 8-9 FT  Stats at a Glance IOWA XU  FG Percentage 35.3 39.1  3-Point FG Percentage 26.1 25.0  FT Percentage 67.6 64.3  Total Rebounds 45 49  Points in the Paint 29 38  Points off Turnovers 22 19

An Aaron White put-back layup following a pair of Hawkeye misses made the score 77-73 with 1:34 remaining before Xavier's James Farr made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to make it a three-point game with 1:17 left. Iowa survived three Muskateer 3-point attempts in the final 10 seconds to hold on for its sixth win to start the season.

Senior Roy Devyn Marble scored a season-high 30 points -- one shy of a career-high -- making 10-of-23 field goal attempts and four 3-pointers. The guard made just 6-of-11 free throw attempts before sitting the final six minutes because of severe cramping.

"The thing I liked about him was how aggressive he was from the start," said UI head coach Fran McCaffery. "We were clearly sideways offensively, and we couldn't get anything to fall, couldn't get a 3 to fall, were fumbling the ball and got down 11-2. It didn't seem like it was going to be our night offensively. Then he puts us on his back and goes for 30."

Senior Zach McCabe scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, White scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Olaseni notched a his first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 11 rebounds. He was 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

"Everybody that was out there contributed," said Marble. "I knew they were going to get it done, even though I went out. I told them to keep being aggressive."

Iowa shot 35.3 percent from the field, making 24-of-68 attempts. The Hawkeyes went 6-of-23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range and was 23-of-34 (67.6 percent) from the free throw line.

Xavier shot 39.1 percent (25-of-64) from the floor, 6-of-24 (25 percent) from long range and 64.3 percent (18-of-28) from the free throw stripe. The Muskateers won the rebounding battle, 49-45, but committed 19 turnovers. Justin Martin paced Xavier with 15 points, and he was one of four Muskaeteers in double digits.

Xavier led 37-30 at the break and extended its lead to 41-30 a minute into the second half. The Muskateers pushed their lead to a game-high 15 points (47-32) on a three-point play by Semaj Christon with 15:56 remaining and led 55-42 with 12:13 to go.

"In the huddle there was no panic," said McCaffery. "There was 15:56 to go, so there was plenty of time (left). We just have to keep chipping away at it. It can't go from 15-to-22; it has to go from 15-to-8. That's what happened."

With 10 minutes to play, Marble drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 10 (55-45) and ignite a 12-0 Hawkeye run to cut the lead to 55-54 with 7:21 to play. White followed with a fast-break dunk and Marble hit a second triple to make the score 55-50. Two Marble free throws cut the lead to three before senior Melsahn Basabe's fast-break dunk made it a one-point game.

Iowa trimmed the lead to one point a second time (60-59) before clawing its way back to even the game at 67 via a Gesell jumper with 1:41 to play. After two Isaiah Philmore free throws put the Muskateers back on top, an Olaseni layup evened the game at 69 with 54 seconds to play.

Xavier missed two layups before turning the ball over on its final possession of regulation, giving the Hawkeyes the ball with 24 seconds to play. Iowa went to McCabe, but his shot was blocked by Matt Stainbrook with six seconds to go, sending the game to overtime.

Iowa came out of the gates slow, falling behind 11-2 to start the game. The Hawkeyes trailed 37-30 at the half, and Xavier added to its lead with two free throws and the ball before a second came off the clock in the second half when McCaffery was whistled for a technical foul heading into the locker room at the break.

"Last year, I don't think we would have been able to pull (a game like this) out," said Marble. "I was on the bench and I told the guys these are the games we have to win. When we came out, they were ready to finish the game."

The Hawkeyes (6-0) will face the winner of the Tennessee/UTEP game Saturday at 6 p.m. (CT). The game can be seen live on the NBC Sports Network.

Creighton Feasts On Sun Devils at Wooden Legacy

Arizona State scored first before Creighton answered with a 7-0 run that included hoops from McDermott, Will Artino and Jahenns Manigat. McDermott continued his hot hand, scoring 10 of CU's next 13 points as the Jays built up a 20-9 lead. Two more buckets from Brooks made it 24-9 at the second media timeout, an eerie similarity to last season's 27-9 hot start by the Bluejays.

The Sun Devils fought back, getting a trio of three-pointers during a 9-0 run to close within 30-24 before Brooks took over. The reserve guard helped bring CU's offense back to life, scoring the next eight points, to allow the Jays to extend its lead back to double-figures.

Creighton would lead 45-31 at the break, getting 16 points from McDermott and 13 more from Brooks. The Jays shot 55.2 percent in the opening half, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc, and outrebounded ASU 19-17. ASU was led by nine points by Jahii Carson in the first half.

Manigat buried a three-pointer on CU's first possession of the second half, Austin Chatman followed with two foul shots, and Manigat a reverse lay-up to make it 52-31 with 18:08 to play. ASU quickly sliced the deficit in half, scoring the next 10 points in a span of 1:49, to make it 52-41.

Just as he did in the first half, Brooks rose to the occasion off the bench. The Harlem, N.Y., native scored seven points in just over a minute, pushing CU's lead to 61-42 and forcing a Sun Devil timeout.

Creighton continued to apply pressure, as Wragge had a pair of three-pointers surrounded by four McDermott points as the lead reached 73-51 with 7:36 left.

McDermott led all scorers with 27 points, including a perfect night in 10 attempts at the line. In the process, he became CU's first player in 45 years (Bob Portman) to open a season with five straight games of 20 or more points. Brooks had a career-high 23 points in just 19 minutes of work, sinking of 9-of-11 field goal attempts, and 4-of-4 shots from long-range. The Bluejays shot 53.4 percent on the night, including 12-of-25 (48 percent) from long-range, and also sank 14-of-16 attempts from the line.

ASU was paced by 15 points from All-America candidate Jahii Carson, though Carson made just 5-of-12 attempts and had five turnovers. Jermaine Marshall and Richie Edwards both had 12 points for the Sun Devils. Jordan Bachynski, who entered the game with six straight double-doubles, got in early foul trouble and finished with season-lows four points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. The Sun Devils made 37.9 percent of its shots from the field and were 9-of-20 at the line.

NOTES: Creighton extended its streak of games with a three-pointer to 650 when Jahenns Manigatdrilled a triple with 17:33 left in the first half ...Creighton has won 60 straight games when building a double-digit lead at any point, including tonight ...The loss was the second-largest at ASU under seventh-year coach Herb Sendek ... Isaiah Zierden had a key four-point play late in the first half, just the fourth in 115 games with Greg McDermott as CU coach ... Doug McDermott has now scored 20 or more points in seven straight games dating to last season. 

It's Happy Thanksgiving: Yes, we can talk College Basketball now

College Basketball has been on, since early November, but as a big College Football fan ... it a little ahead of our natural sports clock.

Today is Thanksgiving, so we are thankful our two teams, #20/18 Creighton and #23 Iowa, tip-off with basketball games this evening. As the Thanksgiving arrives, the blending of both basketball with football is easier to enjoy.

Packers @ Lions to kickoff the Thanksgiving afternoon ... than the Hawkeyes and Bluejays in the evening on the hardwood!

It's time for a little business: College Basketball over the Thanksgiving holidays!

Creighton all-American, senior forward Doug McDermott,
an Iowa native, leads the Jays upward in the two College Basketball polls,
after jumping off to a 4-0 start in 2013-14.

The Creighton basketball team has a historic season in 2013-14, as coach Greg McDermott, along with all-American son, Doug, help transition the Jays from the MVC to the Big East Conference. The Jays have picked up back to back solid wins at St. Joseph's and vs. Tulsa, after two cupcakes to open the season at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

 Doug McDermott became Creighton's first player to open the season with four straight 20-point performances since Cyril Baptiste in 1969-70. Creighton is now 44-0 all-time in home games on or before Nov. 26th

Tonight on ESPN2 at 10 p.m., the undefeated Creighton Jays (4-0) will  play in The Wooden Legacy against the undefeated Arizona State Sun Devils (6-0) in a rematch of last year's Holiday week tournament in Las Vegas.

Iowa senior SG
Roy Devyn Marble
leads the Hawkeyes
against Xavier with a
6 p.m. tip off on NBC Sports.

Prior to Creighton-Arizona State, the undefeated Iowa Hawkeyes (5-0) will square off with Xavier Musketeers (5-0) in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis from Paradise Island, The Bahamas on NBCSports (DirecTV 220) at 6 p.m.  Butler, Creighton and Xavier are all new members of the Big East Conference in 2013-14.

"We're playing very well, but we've beaten teams everybody expected us to beat," said Iowa coach Fran McCaffery of Iowa's 5-0 start. "Now we're playing teams that people aren't sure if we're going to beat. (I want us) to go out and play well against those teams and compete in a way that exemplifies our capability moving forward."

For the first time this season, Iowa will square off against competition that can match-up athletically and depth-wise. The Hawkeyes have 10 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game.

"This is a field where you have more teams like us in terms of they have 10 good players," said McCaffery. "It is going to be an interesting three days for us."

Below is a team-by-team rundown of the Battle 4 Atlantis field. Iowa will play Xavier today, UTEP or Tennessee on Friday and one team from the group of Kansas, Villanova, Wake Forest and Southern California on Saturday

"I am very excited," said sophomore transfer Jarrod Uthoff, who played at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. "It should be a great test for us, playing Xavier, Tennessee or UTEP, and if we win those two, probably Kansas."

Plenty of teams this week will be looking to move up into the polls.  Iowa, Kansas and Creighton all will seek to remain or stay at a high level.

Xavier (5-0)
Xavier is currently 5-0 after downing Abilene Christian, 93-65, on Nov. 25. The Muskateers are led by guard Semaj Christon, who averages 16.4 points and five assists per game. Christon was a 2012-13 Kyle Macy Freshman All-American. Matt Steinbrook averages 10.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and has 13 blocks. Xavier has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last eight seasons, which includes three trips to the Sweet 16 and one Elite Eight appearance.

Tennessee (3-1)
The Volunteers have reeled off three-straight victories since falling to Xavier, 67-63, in their regular-season opener. Tennessee has three players averaging in double digits with Jordan McRae leading the team with a 21.5 scoring average. Jarnell Stokes (11.5 points, 8.3 rebounds) and Antonio Barton (10.8 points) also average 10+ points. The Vols have played in the postseason in each of the past eight years, which includes back-to-back appearances in the National Invitation Tournament under head coach Cuonzo Martin.

UTEP (3-2)
The Miners bring a 3-2 record to the Bahamas with both losses coming to New Mexico State. UTEP has four players averaging in double figures with McKenzie Moore leading the team with 14 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists, while Vince Hunter adds 10.2 points and 7.4 rebounds. The Miners are led by former Iowa State head coach Tim Floyd.

Kansas (4-0) - Ranked #2 nationally
The Jayhawks are currently ranked second in both the Coaches' and Associated Press polls and bring a 4-0 record into the Battle 4 Atlantis. Kansas defeated fourth-ranked Duke, 94-83, in the Champions Classic on Nov. 12. The Jayhawks are led by freshman Andrew Wiggins (16.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and sophomore Perry Ellis (16.8 points, seven rebounds). Kansas has made 24-straight NCAA Tournament appearances -- the longest streak nationally -- and won nine-straight Big 12 regular season titles.

Villanova (4-0)
The Wildcats bring a 4-0 record into the tournament following an 84-80 victory over Delaware on Nov. 22. Villanova has three players averaging in double figures with JayVaughn Pinkston pacing the team at 20.3 points per game. James Bell averages 18 points and seven rebounds, while Darrun Hilliard chips in 14 points to go along with a team-best 17 assists. The Wildcats have played in the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last eight seasons.

Wake Forest (5-0)
The Demon Deacons are 5-0 this season under fourth-year head coach Jeff Bzdelik. Wake Forest has four players averaging double digits with Codi Miller-McIntyre leading the way with 18.6 points and 24 assists. Big man Devin Thomas averages 14.4 points and an ACC-best 11.6 rebounds. The Demon Deacons haven't played in the NCAA Tournament since 2010.

Southern California (4-1)
The Trojans have reeled off four-straight victories since falling 78-65 to Utah State in their season debut. USC has three players averaging in double figures with Byron Wesley pacing the squad with 19.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. The Trojans are led by first-year head coach Andy Enfield, who led Florida Gulf Coast to the Sweet 16 last season.

Two Big East programs, Xavier and Villanova are among the Battle 4 Atlantis participants, so Creighton fans may want to take a sneak peak of two teams that will be coming to CenturyLink during the conference schedule in 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday and the holiday, shopping weekend!

• Creighton at The Wooden Legacy
• Iowa at the Battle 4 Atlantis
• Iowa @ Nebraska in the Heroes Game III on Friday at 11 a.m. on ABC for College Football