The Box Score is a weekly segment in which a Daily Iowan reporter uses statistics to contextualize an Iowa team’s performance over the course of the season.
The Iowa men’s basketball team has gone through a transformation of sorts over the past two weeks. Junior forward Zach McCabe’s struggles have led Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery to insert freshman guard Anthony Clemmons in the starting lineup. The move has paid off for the Hawkeyes in the form of three-straight wins, the most recent an 80-71 victory over Iowa State on Dec. 7. Clemmons’ defensive prowess and ability to take care of the ball has given the Black and Gold a more dangerous look as the Big Ten season rapidly approaches.
Total Rebounds — 419 (3rd in Big Ten, 27th in NCAA)
The addition of freshman center Adam Woodbury has given the Hawkeyes the large presence down low they sorely missed last season. He and sophomore forward Aaron White have combined to pull down 115 of the team’s 419 total boards, with White leading the group at 65. The duo most recently combined for 12 on Dec. 7, helping the Black and Gold become the first team to out-rebound Iowa State this season (37-35). The Cyclones are the best rebounding team in the Big 12. Iowa is third in the Big Ten in total boards, trailing only Minnesota (491) and Purdue (434).
Field-Goal Percentage, C Adam Woodbury — 63.8 percent (12th in Big Ten)
The rookie big man has found his stroke after an up-and-down offensive start, using his hook shot to its full potential and becoming a matchup nightmare on the low post. Woodbury has hit 14 of his last 17 attempts from the field over a three-game span, and his 63.8 shooting percentage leads the Hawkeyes. The center is the 12th most accurate shooter in the Big Ten, third among true centers. Woodbury has notched 32 points over the past trio of contests, including a career-high 13-point output against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 1.
Assist/Turnover Ratio, PG Anthony Clemmons — 3.8 (4th in Big Ten, 54th in NCAA)
Since being named starting point guard for Iowa’s contest against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Dec. 1, Clemmons has dished out 21 assists while committing only 4 turnovers over three games. The freshman has notched back-to-back 8-assist, 1-turnover performances in wins over South Dakota and the Cyclones. Clemmons’ uncanny ability to take care of the rock as well as distribute the ball throughout the court could prove crucial for an Iowa team that posts a 1.2 assist/turnover ratio overall.
Turnovers Committed — 133 (3rd most in Big Ten)
Not all has been well for Iowa throughout its 8-2 start. Frequent giveaways have plagued the Hawkeyes in numerous games thus far, leading the team to commit the third-most in the Big Ten behind Minnesota (166) and Michigan State (150). Oddly enough, the team’s most careless ball-security performance — an 18-turnover night against Western Kentucky on Nov. 20 — ended in a 63-55 Black and Gold triumph. Still, the team has committed double-digit giveaways in every game this season, and that habit could come back to haunt Iowa once its opponents’ defensive intensity rises during conference play next month.
