March Madness has arrived: NCAA and NIT Men's Brackets are announced for 2019

Cedar Rapids, IA -- It has been a long winter, since 2019 began mid-January, with snow, ice and plenty of flooding now in the Heartland of America. Though, St. Patrick's Day 2019 welcomes March Madness and the beginning of spring this week. Despite the harsh winter and recent flooding, March Madness should bring some outstanding hoops, with both the NCAA and NIT brackets set.

• Iowa and Iowa State punched tickets into the NCAA Tournament
• Creighton and Nebraska have dates in the NIT ahead!

THE BRACKET!#SelectionSunday | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JCpvetRGN1

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 17, 2019

For the first time in three seasons, Iowa is dancing, as the Hawkeyes will head
to Columbus, Ohio, as a 10th seed to face the 7th seed Cincinnati Bearcats.

Here’s the full NIT bracket. pic.twitter.com/72FtkcdGHy

— Christopher Heady (@heady_chris) March 18, 2019

The Creighton Bluejays are not dancing in the NCAA for the first time in three
seasons, but they will open NIT play against a 2018 Final 4 participant, as
former Bluejay player coach Porter Moser brings his Loyola-Illinois club
to Omaha for the first round.

 It has been a long winter, and spring break kicks off for the Iowa Regent schools, with the two Power 6 programs dancing in the Big Dance.

#23 Creighton faces Ole Miss tonight in Emerald Coast Classic

Niceville, FL - - #23 Creighton (5-0) continues play in the Emerald Coast Classic when it plays its first games of the season away from CenturyLink Center Omaha this weekend.

First up is a Friday evening game vs. Ole Miss (3-1). Tip-off at The Arena (2,200) in Niceville, Fla., is set for 7:30 pm Central.

Creighton has never faced Ole Miss in this Big East vs. SEC match up. The winner will face the winner of the Cincinnati vs. Middle Tennessee State game on Saturday night on CBS Sports Network (Direct #221).

Creighton has opened the young season with five straight wins, posting home victories over Central Arkansas (104-77), Chicago State (84-66), No. 18 Oklahoma (65-63),   North Carolina Central (65-45) and Eastern Illinois (75-53).

The Bluejays have had a different scorer in each victory, and six men are averaging at least 8.0 points per game.

Two of those men are scoring in double-figures, a group led by sophomore SG Isaiah Zierden (13.8 ppg.), with senior C Will Artino (10.2 ppg. 6.0 rpg.) not far behind.

Doing a little bit of everything has been senior guard Devin Brooks (8.0 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 4.0 apg.), who leads the team in rebounding and steals and is second in rebounding while continuing to stuff the stat sheet.

Creighton returns 11 lettermen from last year’s 27-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season. However, senior PG Austin Chatman (9.6 ppg., 4.6 apg.) is the only returning starter from that group.

The Bluejays are trying to replace the most victorious senior class in program history, as Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat, Doug McDermott and Ethan Wragge combined for 107 wins as well as 5,934 points, 872 three-pointers, 1,062 assists and 2,250 rebounds at CU. All four men are now playing professionally, including McDermott in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 26.7 points per game and swept 14 National Player of the Year awards last winter.

Ole Miss has won three straight games since suffering a 66-65 overtime loss at the buzzer to Charleston Southern in its season-opener.

Jarvis Summers (14.3 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 3.8 apg.) leads the team in scoring, just ahead of Stefan Moody (11.8 ppg., 2.5 spg.) and LaDarius White (11.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg.).

The Rebels are averaging 72.0 points per game, despite making just 18 three-pointers on 23.4 percent marksmanship from long-range. Ole Miss has outrebounded teams by eight caroms per contest and owns 21 blocked shots in four games.

Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in his fifth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 27-8 mark last year, and is 112-38 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 392-233 in his 21st season and is 261-169 in his 14th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers.

Andy Kennedy (UAB, 1991) is 174-102 in nine seasons as the Ole Miss head coach, moving his career mark to 195-115 in 10 seasons when you include a year as Cincinnati’s interim coach. He was also previously an assistant coach at Cincinnati, UAB and South Alabama, and is assisted by Bill Armstrong, Tony Madlock and Todd Abernethy.

7-Foot redshirt junior center Geoffrey Groselle had the best game of his Bluejay career on Tuesday, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting in just 12 minutes of playing time. His play earned him a pair of standing ovations from the more than 17,400+ fans at CenturyLink Center Omaha.

Groselle had owned just 44 career points in the first 36 games of his career before his outburst. Groselle has made 26-of-34 career field goal attempts, good for 76.5 percent.

Creighton has used three men who alternate playing time at the “5” position for most of this season, Artino, sophomote Zach Hanson and Groselle.

While none of them have stats that might jump off the page individually, as a collective group they’re tough to beat, combining for 20.8 ppg. and 11.0 rpg. in 39.6 minutes per game, all while shooting 64.1 percent from the floor.

Name    MPG    FG-FGA    RPG    PPG
Artino    19.0    19-35    6.0    10.2
Hanson    12.8    10-15    3.8    5.2
Groselle    7.8    12-14    1.2    5.4
Total    39.6    41-64    11.0    20.8

Creighton will bring a balanced attack into the game against Ole Miss. Creighton owns six players who are averaging 8.0 points per game or more this season.  Eight players have scored 12 or more points in a game this year, and CU has seen a different leading scorer in each contest.

Creighton also has seven different players with five or more rebounds in a game this year. The Bluejays have had a different player with 10 or more rebounds in four games this season after only having three players with double-figure rebound totals (McDermott, Gibbs, Artino) all last season.

Three of those men (Chatman, junior James Milliken, Brooks) are guards. Chatman has been Creighton’s outright leader in rebounding two of his past three games after doing that just once in the first 108 games of his career.

Happy Thanksgiving #Hawkeyes #Jays #Cornhuskers #Panthers

Cedar Rapids, IA -- We have reached the point in the athletic calendar where College Football is winding down and College Basketball has tipped off another regular season.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

The Iowa Hawkeyes (7-4, 4-3 B1G West) will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3, 4-3 B1G West) on the gridiron of Kinnick Stadium on Black Friday. It will be a 11 a.m. start televised on ABC.

Both, the Iowa and Nebraska basketball programs are off to a slower start with each experiencing a loss already on the books. Iowa is 4-2, while Nebraska is 3-1.

In football, some Hawkeye fans and even more Cornhusker fans are getting restless, tired and frustrated with their head coach's lack of high success. Neither Kirk Ferentz or Bo Pelini have won a conference title in the last ten and seven years, respectively. Ferentz did win in 2002 and 2004 at Iowa. Pelini is enjoying his seven year itch at Nebraska.

Remember, change for the sake of change often doesn't bring fruit in the Heartland. The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers will enjoy their border way on Black Friday. Iowa won last year in Lincoln 38-17, but haven't won at Kinnick over Nebraska in 33 years.

At the present time, neither is ranked in the Top 25 in either sport.

Both will be heading south for the bowl season, but this game was hopefully for a division title on the line, but will have to wait for next season?

The B1G West title will be determined Saturday, as Minnesota @ Wisconsin is played for Paul Bunyan's Ax. The winnet will earn a date in the Big Ten title game with Ohio State. We expected the Golden Gophers to win, but with RB David Cobb's injury, the Badgers are likely in a good position for a date with the Buckeyes.

Creighton men's basketball is off to a 5-0 start, as head coach Greg McDermott turned 50 on Tuesday night with the Jays' fifth win of the season. Last week's win over then #18 Oklahoma at CenturyLink placed the Jays at #23 in this week's AP Poll.

With only one returning full-time starter, senior PG Austin Chatman, the new look Jays have seen five different players step up to lead the Creighton scoring chart in five straight games. Last year, NCAA player of the year Doug McDermott lead Creighton in scoring in all but three games.

The Jays men's soccer team beat Oregon State on Sunday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the College Cup. The women's volleyball team is still playing, after a successful Big East season.

Iowa State football plays West Virginia on Saturday at Jack Trice for Senior Day. It has been a long journey a 2-8 season and zero Big 12 victories. Time is running out, but the Cyclones won the Cy-Hawk Trophy, so Life's Good for Paul Rhoads and his program in Ames.

Iowa State (3-1) men's basketball is in good hands with coach Fred Hoiberg. The Cyclones fell to Maryland in Kansas City ahead of Thanksgiving.

The Cy-Hawk Game will be in Iowa City in December. Creighton at Nebraska will be another good intra-state basketball game coming in December. Both games will be televised by the Big Ten Network.

The University of Northern Iowa Panthers open the FCS Football Playoffs in the UNI-Dome hosting Stephen F Austin. The winner travels to Illinois State in the next round of the Playoffs.

On the hardwood, the Panthers are 6-0 and appear to have a good unit for the 2014-15 season. The Panthers received 17 votes in the latest AP Basketball Poll. They are coming off a 61-42 victory over Northwestern in Mexico on Wednesday night.

The smell of Thanksgiving is in the air, as the Detroit Lions continue the tradition of the NFL on this Holiday hosting the Chicago Bears (5-6) indoors. However, it is the Green Bay Packers (8-3) that now lead former Hawkeye Jim Caldwell's Lions in the NFC Central Division.

Enjoy the turkey and the festivities everyone!

Creighton overcomes 18 point deficit at home to defeat #18 Oklahoma 65-63

OMAHA, Neb. - Down 42-24 early in the second half, the Creighton men's basketball team came all the way back to defeat No. 18 Oklahoma 65-63 on Wednesday, Nov. 19, before 17,393 fans in Omaha.

Creighton moved to 3-0 on the season with the second-largest comeback victory in CenturyLink Center Omaha history, while the Sooners dropped to 1-1. 

Austin Chatman had 17 points, a career-high 11 rebounds and six assists in the Bluejay victory and keyed the second-half charge after CU fell behind 42-24 with 18;30 to play.

Creighton mounted a 24-4 run to take its first lead of theg game at 48-46 on an Isaiah Zierden three-pointer with 11:35 remaining. The teams exchanged seven leads in the second half, but Creighton took the lead for good with 49 seconds left when Zach Hanson tipped in a Devin Brooks miss to make it 63-61. OU's Jordan Woodard would miss a go-ahead three-pointer and Austin Chatman was fouled with 24 seconds left. Chatman sank both for a four-point margin.

OU got within two points on a pair of free throws by Isaiah Cousins with 5.0 left before Brooks was fouled with four ticks left. He would miss both and OU called timeout with 3.6 to play.

Following timeouts by both teams, Woodard drove upcourt and missed a contested fallaway three-pointer at the buzzer as the home crowd roared.

Oklahoma star Buddy Hield scored the game's first seven points as the Sooners raced to leads of 7-0, 28-18 and 33-20 before settling for a 35-24 lead at the break. Creighton shot a paltry 24 percent (6-25) in the first half and were outrebounded 24-17 by the Sooners.

TaShawn Thomas had four points and Ryan Spangler a three-pointer as OU opened the second half with another 7-0 run to make it 42-24. A Bluejay timeout sparked the greatest comeback victory in the five-year tenure of Greg McDermott at Creighton.

The 24-4 run took just 6:37, and started with a three-pointer from Toby Hegner and followed with threee-balls from Zierden and Chatman before a Zach Hanson three-point play made it a 12-2 run and trimmed the deficit to single-figures at 44-36 with 15:26 left. The onslaught continued despite two timeouts from OU coach Lon Kruger. Hoops by Brooks and Chatman got CU within four before a Hield tip-in made it 46-40 OU wiht 13:18 left. But Hegner drained a three-pointer, and Hanson another jumper before Zierden's three-pointer gave CU its first lead at 48-46 with 11:35 left.

Neither team led by more than four points the rest of the game.

In addition to Chatman's first career point/rebound double-double (17 & 11), Hegner and Zierden both scored 11 points. Creighton shot 37.5 percent for the game and 8-for-26 (30.8 percent) from three-point range, while also sinking 15-of-21 foul shots.

Hield led all scorers with 21 points for OU before fouling out with four seconds left., while Ryan Spangler had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the double-double. Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas had 14 points and six rebounds as well for the Sooners. Oklahoma shot 35.5 percent for the game, including 8-of-24 percent from downtown (33.3 percent), while making 11-of-14 free throws. OU owned a 44-37 edge on the glass.

The Bluejays return to action on Sunday, Nov. 23 as Creighton begins play in the Emerald Coast Classic against North Carolina Central at 3:00 pm.

NOTES: No. 18 Oklahoma was the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to play Creighton in Omaha since the Bluejays overcame a 37-19 deficit to defeat No. 17 Western Kentucky on Nov. 27, 2001 ... Creighton improved to 21-119 all-time vs. AP Top 25 teams, including a 4-2 mark at CenturyLink Center Omaha, and a 7-3 mark at home since 1998-99 .. Creighton has won 25 straight regular-season home games vs. teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Pac 12 and SEC dating to 1996-97 ... The win extended Creighton's home win streak to 21, but this was the first time the Jays had trailed in the second half of that streak ... Isaiah Zierden has scored in double-figures in all three games this season after doing so just three times as a freshman ... Creighton improved to 47-0 all-time in regular-season home games on or before Nov. 26th ... Oklahoma has lost 12 straight games in front of 14,000+ fans, while Creighton is 22-1 in its last 23 games before such crowds ... Creighton has started 3-0 or better in 15 of the last 17 seasons ... Creighton's only larger comeback win at CenturyLink Center Omaha came on Jan. 28, 2006 vs. Wichita State when CU trailed 25-6 and won 57-55 at the buzzer ... Creighton's 21-game home win streak is tied for the fifth-longest active streak nationally ... Creighton was just 1-8 last year when trailing at half, but is now 1-0 this season ... Creighton's previous largest comeback win under Greg McDermott was 17 points at San Diego State on Nov. 30, 2011.

Creighton men qualify for 22nd NCAA Soccer Tournament in 23 years

OMAHA, Neb. – The Creighton men’s soccer team earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in 23 seasons when pairings were announced on NCAA.com on Monday afternoon.

No. 12 seed Creighton (14-3-2) will face the winner of a first-round contest between Denver (11-7-1) and Oregon State (11-7-1). The Bluejays will host a second-round match in the 48-team tournament on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 12:30 p.m. CT inside Morrison Stadium. Creighton is 3-0-1 all-time against Denver and 1-0-1 against Oregon State.

Creighton, 10-2-0 at home this season and is 11-2-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament matches played at Morrison Stadium. The Jays were one of four BIG EAST squads to make the 2014 NCAA field joining No. 8 seed Georgetown, No. 11 seed Providence and Xavier. CU owns a 2-3-2 record against fellow NCAA Tourney teams this season.

The Jays came into Selection Monday at No. 9 nationally in the latest RPI released by the NCAA on Nov. 9.  The Bluejays’ at-large selection is their second consecutive since joining the BIG EAST Conference.

Creighton is now 28-18-6 overall in the NCAA Tournament all-time. The Bluejays have advanced to at least the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in six of their last 11 appearances. The Jays have made five total NCAA College Cup appearances (1996, 2000, 2002, 2011 and 2012).

Elmar Bolowich, the head coach of the Bluejays, recently guided teams to five consecutive NCAA College Cup appearances (Creighton – 2012, 2011 and North Carolina - 2010, 2009, 2008) and won a national title with the Tar Heels in 2001. This will be Bolowich's 19th NCAA Tournament appearance as a head coach.

Creighton won its first BIG EAST men’s soccer regular season title this year with a 7-1-1 conference record and 14-2-2 mark overall. The Jays blanked 18 of 19 opponents in the first half this season and only once surrendered more than one goal in a match this year. CU posted 10 shutouts this season and allowed only 10 goals through 19 matches in 2014.

CU ranks at No. 3 nationally with a team goals against average of 0.51. The Jays rank No. 11 in shutout percentage at 0.53 and are No. 13 in save percentage at 0.836.

CU sophomore forward Fabian Herbers earned a unanimous selection from the BIG EAST coaches as the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. Junior Timo Pitter claimed BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year honors while Creighton’s coaching staff shared BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors with Xavier.

Herbers, Pitter and senior Jose Ribas were unanimous All-BIG EAST First team selections this season. Additionally, freshman Lucas Stauffer was also a unanimous selection on the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team.

Pitter and Herbers were also named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team following the Bluejays’ 1-0 downfall to Providence in a conference semifinal on Friday.

Ticket Information

Men’s soccer season ticket holders can purchase their regular season seat locations for Sunday’s second-round match by stopping by the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center Ticket Office today from 2 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Season ticket holders can also purchase their regular season seat locations for Sunday afternoon’s second-round match by stopping by the Wayne & Eileen Ryan Athletic Center Ticket Office tomorrow through Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Seats not purchased by season ticket holders by 12 p.m. on Friday will be made available to the general public starting at 1 p.m. on Friday. If season ticket holders are not able to purchase their season ticket locations during the allotted dates and times listed above, they are welcome to send someone down on their behalf to the Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center Ticket Office to fill out a short order form and purchase the tickets.

Ticket prices for the second-round NCAA match are $20 (upper level adult reserved), $12 (upper level youth reserved), $10 (lower level adult reserved), $9 (lower level adult general admission), $7 (lower level youth reserved, ages 3-18) and $6 (lower level youth general admission, ages 3-18).

Starting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. fans that are not season ticket holders can purchase available tickets to the second-round match at all Ticketmaster locations (Baker’s, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at 800-745-3000.

Parking Information

Men’s soccer supporters who received a packet of 2014 parking passes to Morrison Stadium’s Lot S or Lot C should use the one marked “Match 16 - NCAA Round 2” for entry to that area on Sunday.
Should Creighton win its second-round match Sunday afternoon and earn the chance to host a third-round match, that match would be played on Sunday, Nov 30 at 1 p.m. inside Morrison Stadium.

Creighton rolls in first post-Doug McDermott game to open 2014-15 regular season

OMAHA, Neb. -- Rick Kreklow had a career-high 18 points to lead six men in double-figures as Creighton Men's Basketball won its 20th straight home opener, 104-77, over Central Arkansas on Friday night.

The game was played before 18,160 fans, the largest crowd in school history for an opener.

The Bluejays held UCA without a field goal for the first six minutes, quickly building an 14-1 lead at the start. Creighton never trailed, the eighth time in the last 15 years CU has led wire-to-wire in its opener.

The Jays led 55-34 at the half and extended the lead to as much as 38 (80-42) before a late flurry of baskets by the visiting Bears, who were playing their first game under new head coach Russ Pennell and returned just one player from last year's eight-win team.

In addition to Kreklow's 18 points, Isaiah Zierden poured in a career-best 16 points in his first game since tearing a patellar tendon in his knee last March. James Milliken debuted with 13 points, Devin Brooks had 12 and Austin Chatman added 10 points. In addition, Will Artino had 14 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes for his second career double-double.

Creighton shot 48.6 percent from the field, 9-of-26 from three-point range and 25-of-30 at the line. The Jays won the rebound battle 45-28 and outscored UCA 46-22 in the paint.

Boo Milligan had 18 points and seven rebounds before fouling out, while Jordan Howard had 11 of his game-high 19 points after halftime. UCA shot 46.4 percent from the field, including 45.8 percent from three-point range, and also sank 14-of-20 free throws.

Creighton returns to action on Sunday at 4:30 pm for a game vs. Chicago State (0-1). The contest will be televised and air nationally on FOX Sports 1.

NOTES: Each of Creighton's last six teams to score 90 or more points in the season-opener went on to the NCAA Tournament ... Creighton has won 31 straight home games against winless teams ... Creighton is now 45-0 all-time in regular-season home games played on or before Nov. 26th ... Creighton improved to 82-15 all-time on Opening Day, including 17 wins in its last 18 lid-lifters ... Greg McDermott has won 13 straight season-openers ... Before Rick Kreklow, the last Bluejay with 18 points or more in his debut was P'Allen Stinnett's 23 in 2007. Stinnett went on to win MVC Freshman of the Year honors ... Toby Hegner joined Ryan Sears (1997-98) and Doug McDermott (2010-11) as the only freshmen in the last 20 years to start CU's season-opener ... Creighton hasn't trailed in 49 of its 187 all-time games at CenturyLink Center Omaha ... Creighton has not lost a Friday home game since 1975 and won every Friday home game since Dec. 2, 1989 by double-digits ... Creighton has won 19 straight home games, the nation's eighth-longest active streak. CU hasn't trailed in the second half during any of those ... Creighton has won 21 straight games when scoring 100 points or more and improved to 49-2 when doing so ... Each of Creighton's last seven teams to have a double-double in the opener went on to either win its conference in the regular-season or postseason tournament.

Happy New Year's Eve - College Football & Basketball

Independence Bowl :
Arizona vs. Boston College at 11:30 a.m. on ESPN (HD)
Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez appears on track at Arizona, unlike his former team, Michigan, and their recent bowl trip to AZ (K-State beat Michigan 31-14 in BWW Bowl)

Sun Bowl:
UCLA vs. Virginia Tech 1:00 p.m. on CBS (HD)
Battle of young and old coach lead programs in El Paso!

Liberty Bowl :
Mississippi State vs. Rice at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
SEC vs. C-USA bowl match up on New Year's Eve!

Peach Bowl:
Duke vs. Texas A&M at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN (HD)
Close out 2013 with the final game of 2013!

Of course plenty of Big East and Big Ten conference games in College Basketball to enjoy elsewhere on the dial to celebrate the close out of 2013.

Nebraska at Iowa at 6 p.m. to open Big Ten play ...
Marquette at Creighton at 9 p.m. to open Big East play ...

Bring on the New Year 2014 ...
                                                        including the New Year's Games and final days of BCS!

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.